How Can eLearning Amplify Social Connections For Your In-Person Training?

Consider this: What do we love about in person training? 

Most people think of community, discussions, or interaction in face-to-face training. But how often do conversations veer off-topic? How often have you been in a training when there was time for discussion, but no one spoke up? 

Discussions and community are critical opportunities to extend your learner’s understanding and application of key ideas, and one way to enhance your in-person discussion is with eLearning.  

How can eLearning amplify social connections?

When you provide an online connection to your training community, you extend learning beyond the room and time in which your training took place. Let’s take a look at strategies you can use to extend learning both before and after your in-person training.  

How can I create dialogue and preface concepts BEFORE training?

Many discussions begin with an icebreaker. The tension among strangers in a room is decreased, and the hope is that people will be more comfortable and more likely to engage with each other. 

One way to break the ice is through an online discussion. 

Create a group in your eLearning platform or a social media platform. Your learners can chat with each other and build their profiles. 

To provide purpose and prepare learners for their in-person training, post a discussion and instruct learners to watch a video or read an article before responding both to the post and another learner. This way, you’re likely to get focused responses, and if there is hesitancy to talk during the in-person discussion, you can always refer back to responses you’ve read online.

How can I extend community and learning AFTER training?

The trouble with in-person training is that it often occurs at one point in time, so learners are likely to forget about it soon after. 

You can combat this with an online group or community from your training. 

Follow up with your community by posting focused discussion questions. You can create subgroups within your larger community for learners with specific interests or goals. You can even encourage learners to post videos or audios of their responses to key ideas from your in-person training. 

This will extend learning beyond the time of your training, and keep this information and your organization relevant in the minds of your learners.