Have you ever wondered why your professional training was not as successful as you thought? This is probably due to small things that you overlooked during planning. But don't worry! We present you with the 10 most common mistakes you can avoid in e-learning.
Creating e-learnings is actually super easy, yet the same mistakes are made over and over again. You should pay attention to the following things to avoid typical mistakes …
before the course starts
during the e-learning and
during course follow-up.
It is precisely during the planning phase that it is often decided whether an e-learning course will be successful later on. Many typical problems do not arise during the course, but rather during its conception. Anyone who thinks about the target group, technology and learning goals at an early stage can avoid many of the following mistakes from the very beginning.
Typical E-Learning Mistakes Before the Course Starts
1. Overestimating Technology (Prior Knowledge)
Mistake: The course creator plans a perfect e-learning course, using various methods and tools. He assumes that all participants are at the same technical level as he is, after all, he has dealt with it extensively during development.
At the start of the course, however, it quickly becomes clear that not all participants are tech pros. And that is exactly what often causes problems: the internet connection lags, the microphone static-shocks and drops out, or the software is too complicated – all of this can hold up your e-learning.
Solution: Give your course participants a short checklist of the technical requirements for your course. If you are using a specific software or tool, you can explain the most important functions in a short screencast. This takes away your participants' uncertainty and saves you the biggest starting difficulties.
Tip: Are your course participants rather skeptical about digital further training? Then read now how to convince them: Simply provide digital further training and convince technology skeptics
2. No Knowledge Inquiry with the Participants
Mistake: The instructor has a pre-made course and jumps in at any point without considering the skills and knowledge gaps of the participants.
In many companies, there are mandatory training courses that all employees must attend. It is often forgotten that all participants have different knowledge and skills. This is especially noticeable in product and software training: not all participants are equally skilled in using technology, so take the quick test for digital competence!
Solution: To identify these differences in good time, a short quiz before the course starts is perfectly sufficient. Ask your participants for their personal assessment and then determine the competence level of your online course. Also adapt your content to the knowledge level of the learners so that the learning effect remains as high as possible and no one gets bored.
Typical E-Learning Mistakes During the Course
3. Lecture-style Teaching Instead of Exchange
Mistake: The e-learning becomes a lecture, the instructor gives his presentation and does not schedule time for questions. As a result, the needs of the participants recede into the background because the instructor does not have them directly in front of him in the e-learning.
Especially in pure online formats, many instructors tend to use this time primarily for input. In e-learning, however, active involvement of the learners is all the more important, as otherwise there is a risk that nobody will listen to you anymore. After all, online courses can tire you out more quickly.
Info: Are you looking for ideas to make your online course really exciting? Then find out more now: 5 practical tips for trainers – make your course irresistible!
Solution: Use the valuable time for active learning measures. For pure input, your participants can also watch a video. This way, everyone can learn at their own pace, watch content repeatedly, or pause. This also has advantages for you as an instructor:
No time pressure: Each participant works through the content at their own pace
Flexibility: You can prepare content and do not always have to be on site yourself
Benefit: You can reuse your content, saving you time and money
Efficiency: You use face-to-face time more productively and can outsource theoretical learning content
All of these advantages can be summarized in the concept of Blended Learning.
4. Unsuitable Methods and Content
Mistake: In e-learning, the instructor wants to cover as many topics as possible and tries to use the limited time as effectively as possible. He forgets that different content should be taught with different methods and media.
No matter whether it's data protection training, a software introduction or teambuilding measures. Often, learning content is presented in the form of a classic presentation. Many instructors forget that not every content is learned with the same method. For example, a software introduction may need a short example video and a sales training an active implementation exercise.
Solution: Ask yourself when designing the course: What do I want to convey and what options do I have? This will make it clear how best to convey which content. So adapt your format to the goal! In an online course, you can integrate other media formats in addition to live sessions, so that your course remains varied. You can vary again and again and offer your participants new impulses.
5. Unclear Continuing Education Goal
Mistake: The instructor does not state a clear goal of what is to be achieved with the e-learning. The learners therefore do not know why they are actually attending the course and their minds wander more quickly.
Some instructors make the mistake of not giving their e-learning courses a clear name. As a result, the participants do not know what to expect from the course. Therefore, think of an interesting course title that arouses curiosity and still summarizes the content well!
Solution: Think about what your participants will learn in the course and try to summarize the goal in the course description. Also define a clear goal, ideally involving your participants in setting the goal. Create a rough roadmap for your e-learning in advance. Before each new unit, you can refer to it and put the individual learning contents into the overall context.
A clear structure helps to keep an eye on the training goal and the course becomes a visual highlight // Source: blink.it
6. Not Considering Personal Preferences
Mistake: The instructor plans an e-learning course without tailoring the learning content to the target group and their individual learning behavior.
This problem occurs especially when a trainer comes into a company from outside. Usually, there are ready-made courses that are simply held again and again. In e-learning in particular, however, you should look at individual preferences. Young participants in particular cope well with e-learning, but older participants may want different formats that you can also implement online.
Solution: Engage with your participants before the course starts and ask them directly about their learning behavior. Plan different learning methods from the beginning for a course that is as varied as possible.
Rely on different types of learning videos
Use the most successful quiz types in e-learning
Try these 3 exercises for collaborative e-learning.
7. Too Few Scheduled Breaks
Mistake: The instructor implements his e-learning in exactly the same way as a face-to-face course and forgets the important breaks, especially during live digital sessions.
Digital learning is exhausting, and this also applies to e-learning. Phenomena like Zoom fatigue are becoming more common and should be considered, especially in the context of further training. After all, it's no use to anyone if learners don't take anything away from your online course.
Solution: Plan fixed breaks from the beginning and include them in your schedule. This way, your participants can see approximately how long a learning unit will last and can concentrate better on your content.
Typical E-Learning Mistakes in Course Follow-Up
8. No Suitable Follow-Up
Mistake: The further training measure as e-learning was a complete success. But after the training day, the online course is completed and the contents are quickly forgotten again.
Many instructors originally offered face-to-face courses and digitized them relatively quickly. Post-course processing is often forgotten and participants do not receive any further tasks for implementation in their daily work routine.
Solution: Think of a follow-up that you can give your participants in the e-learning. The format is of secondary importance, but it should match your course offer. Suitable for follow-up are, among other things:
Small exercises that your participants repeat at home
A summary of the most important learning content as a PDF
The video recording, if it was a live webinar
A final assignment that your participants can upload in the online course
9. No Transfer into Everyday Life
Mistake: Many exciting topics were covered in the e-learning, but they are very abstract. Many instructors forget the goal of the training and do not help the participants to apply the learned content in their daily work. This is also where companies are called upon.
In the case of mandatory training, accompaniment into everyday life is particularly important, since the motivation of some participants is lower, especially in such training courses.
Solution: Are you a HR manager yourself? Then you should make yourself directly available as a contact person if there are problems with implementing what has been learned! As an external trainer, it is best to contact a supervisor to give him or her appropriate documents so that you can guarantee the transfer of learning.
Tip: Integrate learning into daily work, in the sense of "Learning on Demand". Create a short learning library that your course participants can access during their work!
10. No Reflection on the Online Course
Mistake: After the online course, the participants have learned a lot and can evaluate the e-learning or its success. However, many instructors forget to get exactly this feedback on the further training from the participants.
Solution: As an instructor, you are not only a mediator of knowledge, you can also learn something yourself. Ask your course participants after your course how they liked it and if they have any suggestions for improvement. Actively ask them what learnings they took away and compare these with your set goals. This way you can measure the success of your training and also take a lot with you for future courses.
Conclusion
Most problems in e-learning do not arise from a lack of content, but from small planning errors that run through the entire course.
Anyone who avoids typical mistakes as early as the conception stage creates significantly better conditions for successful digital learning. This includes realistic technical requirements, clear learning goals, suitable methods and enough space for exchange and breaks.
Even after the actual course, the quality of the training plays an important role. Meaningful follow-up, concrete transfer tasks and feedback from participants ensure that the learning content is not only understood, but also applied in daily work.
If you take these points into account, your e-learning will not only be more structured and motivating, but also significantly more sustainable for your participants.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What mistakes happen particularly often when planning an e-learning?
The most common mistakes include unclear learning goals, lack of knowledge inquiries, an overestimation of the technical requirements and insufficient preparation of the participants.
Why is a good course structure so important in e-learning?
A clear structure helps participants to keep track of the common thread, better understand learning goals and transfer content more easily into everyday work.
How can I improve the transfer of learning after an online course?
Use transfer tasks, summaries, learning libraries or practical exercises so that participants can apply what they have learned directly and consolidate it in the long term.
What role does feedback play after a training course?
Feedback shows which content worked well and where there is room for improvement. At the same time, it helps to specifically develop future e-learnings further.
Why is good learning content alone not enough?
Even high-quality content loses its impact if technology, didactics, communication or follow-up do not fit the course concept.
