10 Important Elements of Training

Building training for teams can be daunting because there are many factors to consider, like the learning content, individual learning styles, and more. So, we’ve made this list of important elements of training to help trainers like you create effective learning programs today.

1. Engaging learning content

Creating learning content is the most important element of training, but it can also be one of the hardest things to do. Because of the fast-paced nature of the modern workplace, training needs to be packed but concise. Nobody’s got time to sit through hour-long lectures. But at the same time, you need to offer information that your team can’t just Google. It’s a balancing act of quality and quantity.

Fortunately, a lot of learning software is available to help you create and deliver learning materials in new and innovative ways. Sending PowerPoint slides just doesn’t work anymore. Learning tools like SC Training can turn learning materials like videos, images, PPT slides, and PDFs into microlessons. Or, bite-sized courses that are designed to engage learners and help them retain knowledge.

SC Training's course creator tool is intuitive and dynamic. You don’t need any coding or design skills to create memorable courses for your team. Or, you can also check out SC Training's massive course library for lessons that cover everything from sensitivity training to manufacturing training. 

Create amazing course content with SC Training for free!

2. Needs Analysis

A needs analysis, simply put, finds what training your company and employees need. A needs analysis asks three key questions:

• What kind of jobs does your company need?
• What skills or knowledge does your team need?
• What skills or knowledge does your team want?

By identifying these key things, you can better plan out your training programs. You’ll be able to find out what kind of resources are needed and what kind of lessons your training program will include.

These days, there are a host of tools you can use to make this process easier. For example, learning management systems (LMS) can help you manage, monitor, and track learner progress to better understand where your employees are in terms of skill and performance. Data that you get from reporting and analytics is important to creating successful training for your team’s development.

3. Accessibility

Your training and learning content needs to be available to all learners, especially to those with disabilities, older people, and even people with difficult internet access. Accessibility is a barrier to learning, so it’s the trainer’s job to create training solutions that overcome accessibility issues. One of the best ways to make training accessible is moving to mobile learning. 

Around 97% of Americans own some kind of cell phone. So it only makes sense that you bring training to a platform that most people already use. Mobile software also allows for a range of accessibility options like text size adjustment, text-to-speech, color adjustment, and more. A lot of learning software like SC Training supports mobile learning and is readily available on the Apple or Google Play Store. You should probably test your website using a website accessibility checker, as well.

4. Hands-on practice

Often, employee training only teaches theoretical knowledge. But an important element of training is hands-on practice, like projects where learners can put their skills to the test. Only through practical training can employees see the points where they can improve. 

Encourage a culture of growth with constructive feedback and coaching. This way your employees won’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from their mistakes.

If you’re using an LMS to deliver training to your teams, you can easily integrate practical skills tests like simulations into your courses. 

5. Social Learning

In the work setting, an underrated way to learn new skills is through sharing expertise with coworkers. Social learning is your team members learning from each other through discussions and casual conversations. This is an important element of training because more often than not, employees will ask their peers first regarding work-related questions. By integrating a social aspect into training, you’re tapping into a resource you already have, which is your people.

Many learning apps have already integrated social learning into their systems. For example, SC Training lets learners share their personal thoughts and opinions about the course subject matter in the course itself. Other team members can view this and even chime in on their own views, which makes learning even more dynamic.

6. Objectives and Outcomes

Having concrete goals is a very important element of training. By making the objectives and outcomes clear from the beginning, learners will be even more encouraged to take the learning materials. You’ve got to make it clear what’s in it for them. But also, having achievable goals will help learners see exactly what aspects of their work can be improved or strengthened. Training metrics can also help you align your training objectives with your organizational goals.

Learning management systems usually have learning objectives and outcomes built into them through admin portals. Admin portals let you have full control over the courseware and learner experience. Using a system like this can save you a lot of time!

7. Fun

Learning doesn’t have to be boring. People are much more engaged when learning is enjoyable and rewarding. A strategy modern learning technologies have used to make learning fun is gamification. Gamifying learning content means you’re adding interactive training elements, leaderboards, and achievements to make training feel more like play than work. Using these elements lowers the barrier to absorbing new information.

SC Training (formerly EdApp) courses have built-in gamification in them. The templates in the course creator tool already have things like an image-word match, true or false slides, and even memory games.

8. Practical Assessment 

Practical assessment is an aspect of training related to hands-on practice, which was discussed earlier in the list. Practical assessment is used to evaluate an employee’s knowledge of a practical task. Examples are demonstrating how to close and open a store,  change a tire, and even verify the safe operation of a forklift. This is an important element of training because it makes sure your employees are complying with the standards of your company or industry.

Practical assessment can be tedious because some demonstrations can’t be done online. But fortunately, with learning software, you can integrate in-person assessments digitally. With SC Training, there’s no need for paper checklists or spreadsheets. Practical assessments are automatically tracked in the admin experience along with your other SC Training training analytics. So you can monitor your team member’s progress all in one place.

9. Learning Paths

No worker wants to be stuck in the same place forever. Everyone wants career growth, and learning paths make that possible. It’s an element of training that makes sure your learners are progressively learning and building knowledge. It can be a set of courses (kind of like a curriculum) that you plan out with your team members. Empower them to contribute their employee training ideas.

Course management systems already have learning paths as a default feature. You can usually combine modules and courses with set rules, calendar settings, daily limits, and even score requirements. 

10. Continuous Improvement

Having top talents in your company is only the beginning of success. Continuous learning is an important element of training that is tied to your company culture. A growing company is always willing to learn new things and try out new things. Foster an environment of learning. Make sure everyone isn’t afraid of asking questions or exploring new things. Another way to practice this is to make sure learning materials are always available for your employees.

Elearning tools are becoming an essential part of companies because they’re the most accessible and flexible learning resources available today. Innovations aren’t stopping, so it’s so important that you have these tools in your tool belt.