Engaging learners: the eternal challenge for trainers. Unfortunately, engagement in training is not solely intrinsic. External factors can either motivate or discourage a trainee from investing in their learning.

Trainers have various tools to capture learners’ attention. Today, digital tools are very popular. Moreover, digital technology proves to be effective in actively involving learners.

This article explores different ways to engage training participants using digital tools.

Personalize the learning experience with digital tools to engage learners

The relevance of the training is the primary source of engagement for a learner. The offered courses must meet their personal needs. They must have an immediate impact on their life to motivate them. Thus, e-learning trainers should set specific goals with each learner.

Additionally, the learner’s level of knowledge must be considered. This helps determine whether they can skim certain modules or need to delve deeper into specific topics. The trainer should offer content or a training path tailored to the participant’s needs. The learner will progress at their own pace using methods they understand.

Where does digital come into play? Through artificial intelligence, of course. It is the most effective tool for implementing adaptive learning. The trainer provides all necessary information for the AI to recommend relevant courses or content.

Encourage interaction in digital learning

For distance training, the trainer can choose between synchronous and asynchronous courses. However, synchronous training is much more engaging. The trainer interacts live while the audience engages through comments. This fosters authentic and immediate communication. Thus, it is vital to train trainers for virtual facilitation.

Aside from live interaction, the trainer can prepare quizzes and polls. This way, they gather learners’ feedback on the content. This can be a small assessment of acquired knowledge. Moreover, polls on the quality of the training are also useful.

The organization must not overlook the importance of follow-up in the training process. Each learner needs personalized support. In fact, autonomy is already problematic in traditional training. The learner needs the trainer to act as a mentor to encourage full engagement.

Include storytelling in training to engage learners

Students have always listened attentively when a trainer begins to share a personal anecdote. Certain content should inspire and evoke emotions. Emotional memory is significantly more effective than other types of memory.

For digital storytelling, the trainer can use videos, images, or other visuals. They can draw from their own experiences or those of a well-known influencer. This storytelling can form a part of microlearning.

Create and facilitate a community

Social learning is particularly effective for engaging students. It encourages them to share, show interest in others, and invest in the training. The trainer can create a collaborative space where learners can work together.

The platform facilitates interactions, especially if it includes messaging. Learners can work on group projects under the discreet supervision of a mentor. They are also free to ask questions and make comments.

In practice, learners are more comfortable communicating with each other than with the trainer. This allows them to delve into certain topics and share experiences beneficial for everyone. The trainer acts as a facilitator and should intervene only rarely to let students express themselves.

Tip:

Launch interesting discussion topics to animate the forum. Draw inspiration from current events. This is also a way to get to know the learners better. Generally, debates and discussions reveal what excites and motivates them.

Continuous and personalized feedback

Progression is key to engaging learners. They need to see that they are moving forward. With digital tools, the trainer can implement a self-assessment system. The learner completes a quiz on the finished module. To further motivate them, rewards can be used, such as a points system or badges.

Additionally, the training organization itself must continuously improve. Learners should be encouraged to provide feedback. This way, they contribute to the training, feeling that their opinions matter. This sense of belonging and consideration will motivate them to fully engage in the training.

Good to Know:
Use digital tools to create instant and automatic quizzes. Do not ask more than 10 questions per assessment, as the learner may lose patience. Prefer multiple-choice questions.

Gamify training to engage trainees

Learning through fun is a great way to engage learners. The trainer can include playful games in the training path to lighten the atmosphere. It has been proven that games are more effective for retaining theory, as they involve knowledge, concentration, and creativity.

Gamifying training allows for simulating real-life situations. To achieve this, the trainer can choose from branching scenarios, serious games, virtual reality, quizzes, etc. Mobile devices can be used, and more equipped training organizations have touch projectors for group work. For a more immersive experience, VR headsets can be used.

Gamification increases the attractiveness of the training. Learners enjoy challenges and love novelty and exclusivity. They will engage even more if there are rewards at stake.

Simplify access to training

In digital training, everything must be simplified. Not all learners are comfortable with new technologies. Therefore, it is important to adapt the training so that it is accessible to everyone at all times. The flexibility of digital training is its main advantage. All constraints should be minimized.

Mobile platforms are highly valued for digital learning. However, diversifying channels is also important. Computers may be more suitable in some cases. Sometimes, in-person classes might be better.

When to use digital tools to engage learners? It is a matter of practice and relevance. The trainer must identify which concepts can be converted. Some courses must remain traditional to ensure proper assimilation.

Furthermore, course content should remain available after synchronous sessions so learners can review it. When it comes to revision, each person has their own pace and frequency.

Measure participant engagement

To further engage learners, it is important to assess the effectiveness of the training. To do this, the training organization uses specific digital learning indicators such as participation rates, time spent on the platform, and progression time.

The advantage of digital learning is that platforms and software automatically collect data. They then provide comprehensive reports based on the set indicators. The most advanced software even performs full analyses. This is a valuable asset for decision-making.

The training organization must continuously improve its offerings. It must be able to adapt to new technology and learner expectations, or it will lose competitiveness.