The Value of E-learning and Online Training in Covid-2019 Times

Now, during the COVID 19 pandemic, traditional business processes need to be adapted to the remote work model. Therefore, more and more managers and specialists involved in the training of staff are interested in introducing SCORM compliant LMS with minimal expenses and as soon as possible. Properly organized distance learning gives real results and saves resources.

Best E-learning Trends for 2020

Mobile Learning

Mobile learning has become mainstream in e-learning trends. Adapting courses for mobile devices is an excellent solution for employees who combine work and study at the same time. Besides, such training makes it possible for employees to engage at a convenient time convenient for them.

Artificial Intelligence: Chat Bots

Chatbots are one of the best examples of LMS integrations of artificial intelligence. These are virtual assistants that give the user answers to questions through a pop-up window of a messenger. The advantage is that chatbots not only adhere to a programmed scenario but also use full interaction with users. The chatbot can be an excellent virtual mentor who can advise a course and provide links to additional content on a topic of interest. Thus it will reduce the administrative burden on training specialists.

VR and AR Development

Virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is an effective tool for practical training that simulates working conditions that are as close as possible to real. A simulated VR environment is available to employees at any convenient time, which makes the training continuous. It is important to note that the implementation of this technology will require a lot of money and time.

Big Data Analysis

In e-learning, big data is information collected as a result of user actions: their development plan, learning features, academic performance. The volume of this data is so large that traditional databases cannot fully collect and quickly analyze it. Big data analysis helps to structure and present the data collected as a result of employee training. Thus, you can track the performance of each employee and adjust the training course to their capabilities.

Video Content

Online courses with interactive video learning with SCORM are the foundation of online learning. Course formats are changing and usual text material is being superseded by video and interactive content. Video lessons make learning as clear as possible and explain any topic. Video content can have different forms: lectures, small animated videos or video infographics.

It is also worth noting that past trends such as gamification, the use of animation, micro-learning and personalized learning remain important trends in e-learning and have not slowed down yet.

Changes in e-learning have led to increased learning efficiency. They will continue to evolve together with modern technology.

What Are the Possible Problems?

So, what are the challenges employers face implementing the online training and managing employees that work from home?

An IBM report gives an idea of the challenges that remote employers face:

• Most applicants, especially under the age of 24, lack leadership characteristics, or even  elementary skills.
• Low level of loyalty to the employer. An employee who is not confident in the implementation of their career plans is 12 times more likely to quit than an employee who doesn’t lose hope of career growth.
• Employees under the age of 35 look for a new job twice as often as older workers.

How to Solve These Problems?

The problem of motivation can only be solved from inside the company. However, the easy solution to the skills problem is the introduction of learning content management systems.

Our company’s projects

Gambassa – virtual classroom software development that provides teachers and students with a complete set of tools for online learning:

• Virtual class;
• Online courses;
• Virtual books;

To start learning, the user just needs to connect a personal computer or any mobile device to the Internet. Gambassa provides individual solutions in various fields:

• Internal email;
• Creating groups of students for instant information exchange;
• Calendar planner with individual and group tasks;
• Educational video library;
• Image library;
• Working with Word documents directly in the browser;
• File storage;
• Audio library;
• Instant messaging;
• Organization of events;
• Group news feed;
• Mobile Gambassa is a mobile application on the phone;
• RSS feeds;
• Discussions;
• Creating a portfolio of teachers and students;
• Multimedia curricula.

Cyber Inc LMS – virtual classroom platforms for a provider of training courses in the field of cybersecurity.

The business need was to develop a multi-tenant platform that would provide learning courses for cybersecurity.

Cyber Inc LMS is an e-learning project with multi-tenancy support that includes:

• SCORM integration;
• Courses and Categories Management;
• Dashboard;
• Gamification;
• Reports;
• Certificate Management;
• Webinar;
• Live-chat.

IT Solutions helping to achieve greater results in online training:

• Learning management systems;
• Moodle, SCORM;
• Plugins (resource libraries, enrollment, groups management etc.);
• Quizzing / testing / certification platforms;
• Virtual classroom;
• Remote class management (like Kahoot);
• Educational booking tools;
• Educational documents management systems;
• Reporting and progress tracking;
• Curriculum management;
• Course builders.

All of these solutions are used in the implementation of our projects.

Recommendations for Managers of Remote Working Staff

Online training and remote work require a high level of personal motivation of the employee, as well as a high level of discipline, self-organization, and time management skills. Now you will have to put more energy in ensuring coordinated, coherent teamwork.

Tips for Managers

1. Introduce daily morning group coordination, so that all people feel like part of a team. Use audio and video broadcasts. Briefly report and plan for the day. It should take no more than 15 minutes.
2. Set quotas for the week and expand them into daily statistics for each employee.
3. Introduce a daily plan and report, which should be done in the morning and evening. Assure that you receive both the plan and the report at the appointed time as if the employee was in the office. This disciplines and creates a system.
4. Visualize each personal result, make a system of unified graphical visual reporting.
5. If you have any suspicions about a decrease in the level of involvement or energy of some of the workers, don’t miss it: trust your intuition and talk to the  employee using the coaching technique. Do it via a personal conversation, without witnesses.
6. Introduce regular personal conversations with everyone in order to keep your ears open and monitor the condition of people.
7. Increase the frequency of motivating meetings; when your workers are only connected online, your influence decreases in proportion to the time gap in your communication.

Conclusion

Given the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the relevance of remote work and custom e-learning development is increasing. With proper organization, it’s quite possible not only to maintain but also increase the performance of employees. If your company does not have a developed training system for employees, we offer creation or customization of solutions for online training.

Reach out to discuss your project and find out more.

Iryna Kurkina

CBO at Academy Smart