March is a month wealthy with mythology: it’s named for the Roman god of conflict, accommodates the ill-fated Ides of March, and the final 3 days are mentioned to be further stormy as a result of they had been borrowed from April in a deal long gone flawed.

We like myths as a result of, like looking to catch a leprechaun and in finding his pot of gold, they’re amusing. However there are some myths you shouldn’t tolerate. This month, Litmos is doing a little myth-busting. First up: myths about advent — content material advent.

What’s content material advent?

Content material advent refers to any studying fabrics you construct in-house. Should you’re construction a path, striking in combination a video, and even making handouts for an in-person lecture, that’s content material advent, and it’s precious for your workforce.

Growing customized studying in your group is helping construct and retain the talents you need your particular team of workers to have. Sadly, there are lots of misconceptions about content material authoring. Underneath are 5 of the most typical:

Fable 1: On-line studying is only a sequence of quizzes

We’ve all sat regardless that dull-as-dishwater on-line modules which can be simply slides and quizzes. They’re no longer extraordinarily enticing, however that doesn’t imply your path must be the rest like that content material.

It’s necessary to make use of the content material and the medium to create studying that works neatly for the talents you’re looking to educate. Assume outdoor the field and read about the parts to be had to you to your path authoring instrument. Sure, once in a while slides and quizzes may also be the most productive have compatibility for the module you’re construction, however read about your choices to search out probably the most enticing equipment in your content material.

Fable 2: On-line lessons can’t be used to show real-world talents

On-line lessons can’t be used to show hands-on talents, like converting a tire or making ready meals, can they? Curiously, they are able to. There’s a bent to consider on-line and in-person as two totally other nation-states, however that ignores the truth that other folks be informed real-world talents on-line at all times. Any person who has ever watched a cooking display or used YouTube to be informed yoga has realized a hands-on talent on-line. You’ll be able to do the similar together with your eLearning content material through the usage of the interactive parts to your path authoring instrument to digitally simulate a talent or procedure.

Take the instance of a pizza chain. The chain had to educate new workers precisely find out how to make a pizza the usage of on-line studying. Litmos’ workforce used particular educational equipment to show pizza-making:

• The collection element was once used so  freshmen may just follow the order wherein pizza substances are added.
• The matching element was once used so freshmen may just follow recalling what factor measurements had been required for each and every pizza dimension.

Fable 3: There is not any trainer in a web-based path

A commonplace false impression is that each one on-line lessons are lonely virtual wastelands: it’s simply the learner and their software. There’s no interplay with an trainer or classmates. That’s no longer true. On-line content material may also be interactive. Digital Teacher-Led Coaching (VILT), for instance, is a web-based, synchronous type of studying wherein freshmen are ready to engage with each and every different and the trainer.

Asynchronous studying may also be interactive as neatly. Let’s return to the instance of the pizza chain. After studying about substances and recipes, the worker needed to display their talent to in reality make pizza.

Litmos’ workforce used the video review instrument for this module. The worker recorded themselves creating a medium pizza. The group’s studying workforce then reviewed the video and presented efficiency comments. This allowed the learner to follow in a low-risk atmosphere, moderately than making their first pizza at the task.

To be told extra concerning the pizza chain use case, take a look at the path LitmosLabs Tutorial Design for Non-Designers Section 2.

Fable 4: You’ll be able to simply switch your whole ILT fabrics to a web-based structure

That is an outdated fantasy, person who harkens again to the early days of on-line and digital studying. At first, L&D execs felt they might merely switch in-person path fabrics and lectures to a web-based structure. Even if maximum L&D professionals know that doesn’t paintings, there are nonetheless some managers and corporate leaders who wish to be satisfied that what works in user doesn’t all the time paintings in a digital atmosphere.

The opposite could also be true. Some courses are higher on-line than in user. Play to the energy of the learning modality you’re the usage of while you’re designing studying fabrics. You wish to have to make use of interactive equipment to extend engagement and learner retention.

Fable 5: On-line studying replaces all different kinds of studying

Glance, we like an organization that is going all in on on-line studying, however it’s necessary to appreciate that while you put in force a web-based studying technique, you don’t have to interchange your whole coaching with on-line modules. On-line studying is supposed to enrich your current coaching, and it’s no longer all the time fitted to the kind of coaching you’re turning in.

What works perfect is a mixed studying enjoy. Tie eLearning to ILT periods and real-life studies. Ceaselessly, it’s perfect to make use of eLearning content material as a prerequisite or primer, adopted through  hands-on coaching and alertness alternatives. Mixed studying studies interact freshmen in some ways, serving to them to retain the tips you’re instructing them.

Subsequent up in our March myth-busting? The myths of content material curation. Keep tuned…