I have a question. When you sit down to create a new E-Learning initiative, where do you start? At the beginning? Or at the end?
The knee jerk reaction is to say, “of course I start at the beginning!”
But today I want to look at things a bit differently. I want us to start thinking in terms of outcomes, and creating E-Learning initiatives that fulfill business needs.
Many times our tendency is to sit down with a topic or idea and build our lesson plans from there.
I want us to flip this script. Instead of sitting down with a topic, I want us to have a goal. As in, what should this training session accomplish.
The process should look something like this:
1). Diagnose the Problem
Before you start creating an E-Learning solution from the ground up you first need to ensure that the problem is one that can be fixed by training. This is done through research.
Is the problem one that stems from too few personnel? Or is it a facilities issue? If so, then this is not something you can fix with a training session, no matter how good it is.
However, if the problem is based around employee decision making, leadership skills or any one of a million other topics then it absolutely can be fixed through training. Diagnosing the problem effectively is the key to success.
Once you determine that the problem is training based, then you move on to the next step.
2). Isolate the Solution
Now it’s time to isolate the solution to the problem. In other words, what would you like for this particular E-Learning initiative to accomplish?
This is your outcome. Your end goal. This is what you want your participants to be able to do once the training has finished.
You aren’t trying to just teach them a theory or idea, you are showing them how they can use these skills in their daily lives to make a difference in their behavior or performance.
In other words, when your participants have finished this session or sessions they will be able to do “X“.
3). Build the Course
Knowing the outcome allows you to build the course effectively. Now instead of creating a course around a topic or idea, you are building it around a business goal.
One that is recognizable and one you can solve through training. And, if you know the outcome you are looking for right from the beginning, then you are much more likely to succeed.
Makes sense doesn’t it?
So think in terms of outcomes.
- What does success look like?
- How can I help my participants to succeed?
These are the types of questions I want you to ask right from the beginning.
Doing so will change the way you look at course creation and help you build more effective and lasting solutions.
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