If we asked: “What do you use your learning management system (LMS) for?” it would probably be no surprise to discover it was solely for compulsory training and compliance management. And it’s likely that it’s doing a perfectly good job of it, too!
However, there’s so much more to an LMS than ticking boxes to prove to regulators that your staff is trained and competent. An LMS is a powerful tool that offers personal and professional development at your fingertips, 24/7.
1. Your LMS: So Much More Than Compliance Management
Look past compulsory course modules, and all the tools are there to go far beyond competency training. Managers have the opportunity to use this as an internal communication tool to drive company culture and increase employee engagement.
A personalized experience is always a great way to build individual buy-in and engagement, and there are plenty of ways your LMS can support this. From uploading user-generated content to personalized communications and tailoring learning pathways, there are plenty of ways to maximize your LMS beyond basic compliance management and reporting.
2. Embrace the Power of Peer-To-Peer Engagement
One way to build engagement is to harness the power of peer-to-peer interaction by encouraging learners to post their own content. This can include document and video uploads; sharing insights and information that invite comments and promote discussions.
One example we’ve seen from a client was an uploaded video of their emergency department staff demonstrating how to properly wrap a sprained ankle. This helped on two levels: It drove comments and discussion on the subject matter itself (treating the ankle). And perhaps more significantly, when videos involved a peer, it garnered engagement that an “out-of-the-box” training video would not have. It encouraged feedback on that individual’s performance, as well as reflections on their own experiences reinforcing a skill.
3. Offer a Personalized Learning Pathway
LMSs that are focused on governance, risk, and compliance training are prone to be viewed as a “necessary evil” due to the compulsory nature of the learning they contain.
This can be exacerbated when courses have to be repeated annually due to regulations. This training often covers critically important information that can—certainly in the healthcare sector—be the difference between life and death. So how do you battle this fatigue using the features and tools in your LMS?
Testing the user at the beginning of any learning program can gauge their level of knowledge. If they score well, it may be possible to fast-track them past certain modules. If the scores are lower in certain areas, then appropriate modules can be served up that require completion before progressing.
This helps engage the user, as the content is tailored and relevant to the individual, with the welcome addition of being time efficient. The less something is seen as a chore, the more likely you are to interact with it.
Staggering assessments before, during, and after the learning is beneficial, as it offers a great way to measure learning effectiveness and link it to on-the-job knowledge transfer. Schedule follow-up assessments with creative communications using enticing, marketing-inspired emails rather than “standard” reminders.
4. Create a Knowledge Repository
A simple way to get the most out of your LMS is to create a knowledge repository. Uploading relevant documents can be a useful resource for learners during the training course itself. This can be anything from regulatory information to more practical “how to” guides.
Promoting this as a resource that can be accessed on-the-job can help with the transfer of knowledge on a very practical level. Most LMSs can be used across multiple devices—whether that be via mobile, tablet, or desktop.
5. Create a Fun Sense of Competition Using Dashboards
Dashboards are a handy management tool that can be used to report and display data in a digestible way. But leaderboards can also be used creatively to spark a fun sense of competition, which can be applied on individual, team, or department levels.
Making the leadership board visible to all departments encourages regular interactions with the dashboard, along with the bonus of providing a motivation to complete the training quickly.
Discover more useful functions and features to help you maximize your LMS with PeopleFluent’s insight: 10 LMS Features You Need for Effective Learning Management.
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