Completion by design

Others would agree just how important design is to the success of a programme. Steve Dineen is CEO and Founder of e-learning developer fuel. "We have always believed that learners need encouragement to start out learning online, but our research shows that, once they have experienced good quality e-learning content, 94% of learners would like more training in this form. If content quality is poor, no amount of incentives will encourage a learner to see a course through from start to finish.”

So, how do you get learners motivated in the first place? Dineen: “We have found that both the carrot and the stick can be effective in pushing them along. Senior level buy-in is vital and most clients who have applied the stick gently in the form of messages from directors have found that this produces a significant uplift in course completion. Furthermore, a good learning management system will enable line managers to track the progress of all participants, so they can then be chased if their progress is slow.”

"As an added motivational tool, some organisations choose to offer rewards and incentives to staff ranging from extra days off to gift vouchers and holidays. One client of ours, a major telecoms company, decided to offer rewards to learners. Employees who complete a product knowledge course can win prizes by achieving high scores in an interactive game designed to test their knowledge. Rewards can be a useful tool in focusing the learner’s attention, but content and the way in which e-learning is introduced into an organisation are the crucial deciding factors in the success of e-learning."