Do you know this feeling? When the word "mandatory training" is mentioned, two reactions usually follow. Few look pleased, and the others seem annoyed. Motivation? Unfortunately, often a non-starter. But with a combination of in-person and e-learning, boring mandatory topics can turn into real highlights in the working day! We will show you how here, using a practical example.
Be honest with yourself: were you enthusiastic about every further training course you have ever attended? Probably not. The biggest problem with mandatory training and other "boring" topics is that fun and practical transfer fall by the wayside. Yet you can easily redesign these topics to be both motivating and effective.
Fun and learning success are not opposites; they belong firmly together! If your learners can schedule their time freely, have exciting learning media, and receive individual support and motivation, even mandatory training becomes a fun addition to the working day instead of a tiresome obligation that is quickly ticked off. The solution for you: new learning methods instead of frontal teaching!
E-learning is not a silver bullet for lack of motivation
How can you solve the problem of boring training with modern learning methods? E-learning seems to be perfect – at least for many companies: it is faster, easier to organize, and there is no absence from the workplace. The downside: new problems arise for your learners. What to do with questions when no real trainer is available? And how do I apply what I have learned in everyday life if I have worked through the online course alone?
Especially with the mentioned, rather unloved mandatory training, there is also the problem of motivation: self-learning competence is a key factor for successful e-learning. If motivation is lacking, for example, because the learners perceive the topic as "boring" or the benefits for their own working day are not clear, self-learning competence also suffers.
In short: e-learning is not a silver bullet! Especially not for mandatory training where your employees or learners do not bring high motivation of their own.
Blended Learning brings motivation to mandatory training
Instead of deciding "either e-learning or in-person," the combination of both has proven itself for years: Blended Learning.
Both learning methods have different advantages and disadvantages: In-person learning allows for individual support but no practical transfer. E-learning gives flexibility, but lacks support and motivation. Combined correctly, the methods compensate for each other's weaknesses. In this way, you can create a concept that is both flexible, personal, and practical: Blended Learning.
We use blended learning at blink.it in a variety of ways, from onboarding new team members to the aforementioned "unpopular" mandatory topics. At the beginning of 2021, such a mandatory training course for the further education of the whole team was implemented as blended learning – with great success! In the following practical example, you will learn how the concept works and what you need to consider if you are planning mandatory training with blended learning yourself:
Step 1: Involve your learners in setting goals and selecting content!
Step 2: Choose a sequence of online and in-person phases that complement each other perfectly.
Step 3: Build high learning motivation right at the start through good communication.
All steps in detail:
Step 1: Jointly develop goals for mandatory training
The core topic of our mandatory training is Google Sheets, a spreadsheet program similar to Microsoft Excel. A topic where very few employees jump for joy. Necessary - yes! Exciting - well. During planning, the first question is: What do employees actually need in their working day?
In order to set the goals, desires are gathered in a survey. In combination with the demands of management, a topic catalog is created: The goal of the training is to teach the basics so that own data evaluations can be carried out quickly and stress-free in everyday work. Involving learners increases motivation even at this early stage.
Tip: The training in this example is not conducted by a trainer, but by an experienced colleague. You too should use such internal resources! Consider whether there are certain "specialists" in the company for mandatory topics who can develop and/or supervise training for their colleagues. This not only saves money and time but also increases motivation through a familiar contact person!
Step 2: Specifically select online and in-person phases for the training
We start with teaching the basics. E-learning with learning videos is perfect for this. This allows each learner to study at their own pace. The e-learning also offers simple exercises to apply the new knowledge yourself.
During the online phase, digital consultation hours are additionally set up. Any employee can optionally sign up for these if they have questions or need support with the exercises.
This is followed by the transfer of learning into everyday life. A workshop in person is ideal for this: In a group, with the help of the training instructor, relevant key contents should be consolidated. Since a common knowledge base is required for this, the in-person phase is scheduled after the online phase.
At the end, a final test is conducted to record the success of the training. In e-learning, employees are flexible in terms of timing to take the test when they actually have time and are focused. Furthermore, as a learning platform, blink.it offers the possibility of issuing automated certificates. This minimizes in-person time, and no unnecessary test pressure is triggered in the in-person workshop.
A suitable blended model is thus developed from the goals and advantages of both methods. This corresponds to the "Jumper" model, where you alternate in-person and online phases.
Process of the mandatory training in the blended learning format. / Source: blink.it
Step 3: Get all learners on board and build learning motivation
Information is the key to motivation and high commitment! In an announcement to the whole team, goals, process, and time commitment are explained, and initial questions are answered in advance. It is also clearly communicated what benefits participation has for each individual. Only then do all employees receive the invitation to the online course. The course starts directly with a personal welcome and motivation video from the supervisor to make the start easier.
Success in practice: Mandatory training as Blended Learning
You can see the result of the planning in the image: All learning content is divided into chapters with short learning videos and exercises. On the blink.it platform, all learning content is clearly arranged in tiles. There is also a time indication on each tile ("Blink"): This helps all participants to easily integrate the course into their working day. In addition, all content is unlocked automatically one after the other to guide the participants easily through the course. Green represents completed learning units, blue the current one, and gray the following ones.
Insights into the mandatory training on Google Sheets at blink.it / Source: blink.it learning platform
The success of the training was measured in two ways:
First, the completion rate: All team members successfully completed the training within the deadline, so 100%! Because the process and effort were communicated early on, every team member was able to plan enough time and integrate the e-learning as preparation for the workshop into their working day.
Second, the mood: On average, participants rated the training 8 out of 10 points. Quotes from the participants' feedback also speak for the high satisfaction:
Initially, I didn't feel much like doing it. But working in the blink.it course was really fun and I was able to take away many helpful functions for everyday life!”
Tables are not really my thing. But with the consultation hours and the workshop, I always had someone I could ask for help. It was easier and more exciting than expected.”
Three practical tips for mandatory training as Blended Learning
The practical example shown is just one of many where blended learning significantly improves learner motivation – and thus also learning success.
Three concluding tips from colleague Dennis, who developed and led the course from the example, will make starting with blended learning easier for you and your employees:
Choose an e-learning tool that is easy to use and ideally specially designed for blended learning, such as blink.it. Reading tip: Why typical LMSs are not good software for blended learning
Have your accompanying e-learning tested beforehand by 1-2 people, and adapt the course to the feedback so that everything runs smoothly later.
To increase motivation, the most important thing is that learners do not feel left alone. Therefore, offer digital consultation or group sessions via Zoom, for example, if "real" presence is not possible.
With simple technology, a well-thought-out concept, and personal support, even unloved mandatory training sessions become a highlight in the working day.
Conclusion
Even supposedly boring mandatory training can motivate if learners recognize the benefits, are actively involved, and digital learning phases are combined with personal support and practical application.
The practical example shows that the topic alone does not determine motivation. Clear learning objectives, short and well-structured online content, opportunities for questions, and joint practical phases can ensure high participation even with classic mandatory topics.
Blended learning provides a suitable framework for this: knowledge can be flexibly taught and practiced online, while workshops or digital consultation hours create space for exchange, questions, and application. The key is not to simply line up the individual learning phases, but to purposefully build them on top of one another.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
How can mandatory training be designed to be more motivating?
Motivation increases when employees are informed early on about objectives, process, and personal benefits. In addition, diverse learning content, flexible learning times, practical exercises, and personal contact persons help.
Why is blended learning suitable for mandatory training?
Blended learning combines the flexibility of digital learning phases with personal exchange and practical application. This allows employees to work out the basics independently and then deepen and apply what they have learned together.
How can employees be involved in planning a mandatory training?
Companies can, for example, use a survey beforehand to determine what knowledge employees actually need in their everyday work. These needs can then be combined with the company's learning objectives into a suitable training concept.
How can the success of mandatory training be measured?
Possible key figures are completion rates, results of knowledge tests, and participant feedback. This makes it possible to check both whether the training was completed and how employees rate the learning offer.
