Customize an Online Learning Experience: 4 Questions to Ask Your Learners

We have all probably been there, we’ve signed up for a course on a topic we really cared about. Even though the content is good, we may have found ourselves losing motivation once a couple of weeks have passed. Let’s be honest, it is a common struggle losing motivation once things get “hard”. Most of the time, it isn’t the difficulty of the course that is the problem. Usually it has more to do with the delivery method or the idea of feeling alone throughout it.

Luckily, this is an issue that you can directly address with your course in your online training software. Customizing your learner’s experience, will allow you to tap into your learners’ motivation, and give you the ability to support your learner through their struggles and moments where they may be feeling stumped.

Adjusting your course to better fit the needs of your learners may not be as complicated as you think. Here are four questions to consider when creating your course. With these in mind, your learners will be paired with their preferred learning environment, and you can ensure the effectiveness of your online training software.

1) What are your learner’s goals and motivations?

Determine why your learner is taking the course. It would be rare for a learner to not have an instant answer. For example, if their response is “I have to for my job” or “It is a work requirement”, this can be fused with a deeper and more meaningful motivation such as needing certification so that they can be considered for a promotion. 

You can keep your learner engaged by focusing their attention on the reasons they signed up or were enrolled in the first place. Once you’ve understood this, come back to that throughout the course. Defining the big “why” of their choice to participate, will help them remember why they are there. 

How to customize the learner experience:

• Ask your learner to write words of encouragement or motivational quotes, and put those in an automated email or reminders, to help evoke their motivations.
• From a list, have your learners select which motivations match their own. Once you know this you can now tailor content such as blogs or quizzes. 
• Note your learner’s responses and offer personal check-ins along the way.

2) What pace would you like to set for yourself?

There are learners that are super motivated and plan to cover a lot of material as quick as they can. On the other hand, there may be learners that are just as motivated, but struggle to find the time to move forward. You want to avoid your learners feeling discouraged or becoming bored and dropping out.

The solution to this issue would be for you to adjust the pace of your course to fit their needs and learning styles. You can then match similar learners together. For your low-key learner, they may thrive on the social aspect of interaction and building relationships. Whereas your fast-paced learner will feel empowered and stimulated by competition. 

How to customize the learner experience:

• Create different schedules based on the pace your learner chooses.
• Allocate different groups with peers who are at a similar pace.
• Select an LMS that offers gamification in your online training software. Your learner can set how many “points” they want to earn a week or track their progress.

3) How do you prefer to study?

Being a successful learner usually requires you to have a regular routine to have productive sessions. For example, one learner may have ten minutes every morning to practice Spanish while they are brewing their coffee. Your other learner may sign on in the evening after their kids are in bed and they finally have a peaceful time to focus on their assignments. 

If the first example learner were to receive a study reminder at 10 am, it may be too late to help them. If the second example learner receives study prompts throughout their day, they will likely feel overwhelmed trying to clear their other tasks for the day. Make timing and content to match what your learners can actually handle based on their lifestyles. Knowing these factors will create successful habits.

How to customize the learner experience:

• Automate a study reminder when their preferred study time comes around.
• Offer short bits of learning material throughout the day or larger sessions with the material tailored to their learning style.
• Create a streak tracker to encourage learners to build a routine.

4) What support do you need?

It is not unusual for learners to hit a point where they feel stuck and need some support or guidance. Your job is to know what response will motivate them to get back on their feet. Having a strategic intervention for when your learner first begins to show signs that they are slowing down, can potentially be more successful than your average pep talk. 

From interventions to simple reminders, there are a variety of forms to support your learner. Ensure your learner knows what support options are available and have them voice what they would like to use or potentially have access to.

How to customize the learner experience:

• Have your learner specify what study prompts they need to keep going.
• Offer resources to help them through areas where they seem to be struggling.
• Encourage them to schedule a call with you after a certain number of days go by without them completing a quiz.

Adult learners enjoy having ownership over their learning experience and may find overly controlled learning environments demotivating. It is true, customization takes extra work, but if the results are greater learner engagement, word-of-mouth referrals and satisfaction to say the least-it is well worth it. Your business will reap the benefits in the long run. 

With SkyPrep you are able to deliver a customized and engaging learning experience to your learners easily. Request a call and our team will be in touch to discuss your LMS requirements and help get you started with SkyPrep.