Effective Custom Elearning Design: The Necessities

Necessary components

There are some characteristics of a successful learning game design. Including each of these elements significantly raises the chances of the efficacy of the elearning activity.

• Ranking or status. Many people are motivated by seeing where their performance ranks within the larger group. If they are falling closer to the bottom, it may be an impetus to put forth more effort. If participants are staying closer to the top, they will have a drive to work hard enough to keep themselves there. 
• Benchmarks. The ability to “level-up” is one of the ways to hold learners’ interest. Incremental accomplishments keep them striving for the next milestone. 
• Competition. There should be two types of competition involved in a custom elearning activity. First, employees can enjoy some healthy competition with their coworkers. This can be intimidating and have the opposite of the desired effect on some people, however. That’s why incorporating a second form of competition is a good idea. For some employees competing against themselves is a much better motivator than competing against other people. 
• Progress tracking. Having a visual display of progress can aid learners in tracking where they are and how they are doing, as compared to coworkers and their own personal goals. 
• Social connections. A well-designed custom elearning activity will produce a sense of community among the learners. Businesses know that it is to their benefit to create a feeling of comradery between their employees. They will be more likely to help each other out, encourage each other, and work better as a team. 
• Immersion. Capturing the attention and even imagination of a learner as they work through an elearning activity is a way to keep them engaged. Learner engagement is key to deeper comprehension. Entertainment can also be a part of the equation. There’s nothing wrong with an added element of fun, as long as the important content is relayed, and learning occurs. 
• Personalization. This is really the crux of custom elearning design. A program can be individualized to meet the exact needs of a certain position or department. When employees have to interpret what information applies to them and what doesn’t, it can cause frustration and a loss of interest. Conducting a thorough needs analysis provides specific goals to incorporate into the custom elearning design.

Custom elearning design that is done well can propel employees to a higher level of success. They aren’t the only ones to benefit, though. The business will earn a reputation for excellence and the customers and clients will continue to give their business to the company. In addition, custom elearning results in greater employee retention, higher productivity, and increased profitability.

Contact Designing Digitally, Inc. to learn how their extraordinary team can customize elearning training for your company.