An online accompaniment to soft skill training ensures sustainable learning transfer. We often hear a common question from trainers: How can I get my participants to engage regularly online with the topic? Over the years, we have gathered some best practices to demand the online activity of your participants.
If you link a face-to-face training with an online course, you benefit from the best of both worlds, in the form of blended learning. One of the many advantages: In live training or on-site training, you have more time for personal support. Before, after, and during multi-week events, your participants can learn further on their own when and where they want. You, as the trainer, set the how – that is, the materials and framework for these self-learning phases – in advance.
These frameworks are crucial if you want to keep your participants engaged even outside of face-to-face support. After all, you want to assume that all participants also consume your online content. They should do prepared exercises and watch your short videos. Only when all participants are on a similar level can you get the best out of your face-to-face training.
Three methods for active participation in your online course
Basically, there are three methods how you can get participants to consume your online content:
The nice method: Added value
Through positive reinforcement, you can usually motivate people better than through negative reinforcement or punishment. Use this for your training by providing an additional added value.
Here's how to use the added value: What if participants who complete the entire online course received an extra benefit? For example, you can offer a one-on-one coaching session after your course. An achievement certificate for diligent participants is also conceivable. If you plan this added value from the start, you can make corresponding agreements with your client and motivate your participants to stay engaged online.
The practical method: Reminders
In our packed daily lives, we all sometimes forget things we intended to do. Ensure that your participants regularly attend your online course by kindly reminding them.
Here's how to use reminders: The simplest way is a kind of newsletter that you send via email. In it, you refer to the current tasks in the course and explain to your participants as broadly as possible what they should do when, why, and how – and how much time they should plan for it.
The most effective method: Coercion
We recommend the coercion method only if the other two options are not feasible for your training or do not work well. If you base your training on coercion, your participants must complete the online course to participate in your training.
Here's how to use coercion: Build a test at the end of your online course that your participants must pass. Those who have not adequately followed the course will fail and will not receive an official confirmation of participation.
The crux of blended learning: A good connection
You will likely focus on one of the three mentioned methods in your training. A mixture is also conceivable, for example, if you link optional learning units with those necessary for passing the course.
Connection is a good keyword. Blended learning is based on the fact that multiple learning methods are interconnected. The better the connection, the better the blended learning!
Are you looking for inspirations on how to succeed? In our card game for blended learning, the rocket pack, we have gathered a total of 40 methods on 40 cards.
A bonus tip, in case you already own the rocket pack: The following cards/methods are particularly suitable for actively motivating your participants:
Card 5 – "Participate actively!"
Card 11 – "It's better to ride in tandem"
Card 22 – "What's up?"
Card 25 – "Well done!"
Best practices for trainers: Keep participants active online
Through our daily contact with many trainers, consultants, and coaches, we have gathered some best practices on how to keep your participants active online. In addition to the three fundamental methods mentioned, I will also share seven more tips on how to keep your online participation active:
Overview: 7 tips on how to keep your participants engaged in the online course
Formulate clear expectations
Make binding commitments yourself
Keep it short
Don't demand participation too often
Create good transitions between face-to-face and online
Create good transitions within your online course
Create good transitions to the participant's workday
Self-determined work in the online course requires a certain amount of self-discipline from your participants. Make it easier for them to participate actively with some simple tricks.
In the following, I will go into all seven tips in more detail so that you can get a good picture of each.
Formulate clear expectations
This tip rightfully stands at the top. The expectations of your participants should always align with your own. All parties must agree on when and how the next task should be completed.
Whether in live training or online learning units, always remember to formulate a clear call to action. An example: "Watch the video now and take three minutes to answer the question posed in the comment field."
Make binding commitments yourself
You are the best role model in training – if you make commitments yourself, your participants are also more likely to follow suit. For example, assure them that no learning unit will take longer than seven minutes to complete. This lowers the barrier for your participants to dedicate some time in their workdays to your online course.
Keep it short
Yes, we at blink.it are fans of short learning units and support the microlearning method. For good reason: Small learning bites have a clear focus. Your participants are also more likely to be motivated to spend five minutes on a short unit (for example, a video plus call to action) rather than sixty minutes on a longer text. Sounds reasonable, right?
Don't demand participation too often
Besides short learning units, we advise you not to interrupt your participants too frequently in their workdays. We cannot provide a general number here – as it strongly depends on the form of your training. Just experiment with what works best for you! As long as you stay attentive and regularly check with your participants if your email reminders are appropriately timed for the online training, you are on the right track.
Create good transitions between face-to-face and online
Harsh breaks between your live training and online content are counterproductive. Link both parts in a way that makes the participant perceive your blended learning as a unified whole. Therefore, at the end of your face-to-face training, point out the online course and clearly explain how it will proceed for everyone. In the online course, you can refer back to the live training and, for example, remind participants about the time and place or create excitement through mysterious announcements.
Tip: Use the last minutes of your face-to-face training to discuss the process of the online accompaniment together. You can also specifically prompt your participants to pull out their calendars and set dates for completing the online tasks. Again, remember to refer to a short processing time.
Your participant should clearly feel that this is not just any online course. Therefore, remain transparent, show yourself in videos, and be present in discussions in the comment field. When you, as a trainer, demonstrate that you are actively involved, it also motivates your participants.
Create good transitions within your online course
Even between individual learning units, you should ensure a good connection. The structure of your online course is important so that your participant always knows where they stand and what they need to do next.
For this, you can ensure both technically and content-wise. At blink.it, we have solved the technical connection in such a way that you, as a trainer, can set when the next learning unit should be released for each unit. This way, your participant may initially see only one learning unit, and the course will gradually unlock.
However, you should also ensure good transitions in content. For example, regularly incorporate short selfie videos in which you "catch up" with the participants on their current learning progress and refer to the next task. Important: Also, remember the expectations of your participant mentioned above and communicate clearly how long your participant will need for the next step and when they should complete it.
Create good transitions to the participant's workday
You notice that transitions and connections are crucial in blended learning. In addition to transitions within your training, don’t forget that your participants may have an intense workday that occupies them for most of the day. Their thoughts are occupied with other things. A smooth transition is also sensible here.
You can achieve this, for example, by involving the leadership level of the participants whenever possible. Those who know their boss is on board are likely to feel more motivated to stay engaged in online training. Additionally, this method enhances the significance of your training as a whole. One more bonus tip for rocket-pack users: You can learn how to get your boss on board with card 8!
blink.it practical tips: Keep your participants active online
In addition to theoretical assessments in the online course, incorporate a practical exam outside your standard training. This method is particularly suitable for communicative training. For instance, during a presentation training, ask them to record their next professional presentation and send it to you for professional feedback. This is an enormous added value on your part that you can sell as an added value for particularly motivated participants in agreement with your client.
Are you worried that your announcements in the newsletter are not being read? Keep it short and especially regular here too! Send your emails in an easy-to-read standard format, so your participants know what to expect. For example: "3 practical tips of the week" or "My reading recommendation of the week."
These were our most important methods and best practices for how to encourage your participants to participate actively. You can find more tips on blended learning and starting your online accompaniment in our guide to blended learning.
Are you already a pro in blended learning and have additional tips? Then please share them with us in the comment field!
