It is common knowledge that sales people play a key role in the success of an organization. Every company requires well-trained sales staff to maximize its revenue. But, how can organizations impart highly effective sales training? Well, they need to use online learning methodologies. Let us see why. Benefits of using e-learning to train sales staff E-learning courses are relatively cheaper than classroom training sessions. This is because you can develop an online course once and use it as many times as you want. Furthermore, the need for an instructor is eliminated. You can also update the course very easily using rapid authoring tools to incorporate information about the latest products. E-learning enables companies to roll out product training simultaneously to sales people throughout the globe. This makes it ideal for multinational firms who launch their products in various parts of the world as they can "synchronize" training with product launches. E-learning helps provide just-in-time support to the travelling sales person. He can access information on his company’s products and those of its competitors anytime, anywhere, on the device of his choice. Needless to say, this helps him sell better. E-learning can be used to deliver training in a highly effective and stress-free manner. Information can be delivered in small, gamified online modules, and busy sales people can draw their own convenient learning schedules. E-learning enables organizations to measure the revenue generated by a sales person vis-a-vis the expenditure incurred on training him. This is possible thanks to Tin Can API, the latest standard for learning technology. Thus, we see that e-learning is the perfect medium to train sales people. Hope you find this post interesting. Do share your views. Related PostsSales Training in a Classroom or Online?Sales Training Challenges!Instructional Design Strategies for Application Training

It is a common understanding that learning is gaining knowledge or skill that can be used in real-life situations;it also helps find solutions to various problems. Traditionally learning took place only in classrooms which was more of theoretical learning, on the job through hands-on-approach. However, with online learning, immersive learning is being discussed a lot these days. Immersive learning can blend well with e-learning. As the name suggests, immersive learning is the environment that allows learners to be completely immersed in the learning activity. It provides a simulated learning environment that provides learners with experiences that is close to what they encounter in real life. It may be in the form of game-based learning, drama, story etc. This not only enables learners to involve themselves fully but also helps to sharpen their technical, analytical and creative skills. Immersive learning environment creates an enjoyable learning experience as the learner is completely involved into learning resulting in increasedknowledgeretention. Blending immersive learning techniques with e-learning brings in maximum impact;using various characters in the course, case studies, role plays enable effective knowledge transfer. Here are 3 tips that can be used to create immersive learning in e-learning courses. If you have more to add, please share your comments in the column Related PostsLearner Analysis - 5 Things You Need to Do [Infographic]3 Major Factors to Create Effective Content for an E-learning Course6 Aspects to Consider Before Starting an E-learning Project

Media plays a vital role in sharing current events and increase public awareness by responsibly sharing information concerning an issue. There are accepted practices that media houses generally follow as guidelines. Social media on the other hand is a tool that has no such guidelines. People are at liberty to share, create, exchange information, videos, pictures and ideas on social networks and virtual communities. As Social networking sites are growing tremendously, so are the security risks associated with them. There can be several risk factors involved like: people sharing improper views through social sites which otherwise they may hesitate to share in person. Sometimes inadvertent comment or message may lead to the sharing of sensitive information resulting in adverse effects. To avert such unpleasant situations employees should be trained on how they should use social media. Such training should be made mandatory so that they are clear about thedo’s and don’ts while using the social networking sites. Let’s now check out the reasons why social media awareness should be made mandatory for employees. If you have more to add, please share your comments in the column Related PostsGen-Y Qualities that Matter When Planning Training Deployment [Infographic]Information Security - Why Does This Sensitive Topic Need E-learning?4 Secrets to Reduce E-learning Costs!

Recently, one of our clients came to us with a requirement to control audio files in a slide. Articulate Storylinedoes not have any default option to add audio controls(to play, pause, adjust volume, etc.)to aspecific slide. The only way in which this can be done is by using HTML code. Through this, we can add play, pause, control volume as well as Progress bar controls for audio files. In this post, I would like to share the steps to add controls for audio. Step 1: Develop an HTML file with the audio file as shown in the screenshot belowand save it as index.html.  In the code above, the word controls will add controls to the audio file and the word autoplay will plays the audio automatically. Note: Interchanging the positions of these words doesnot make any difference in the output.  Step 2: Place your .html and audio file within the same folder to avoid complications. Step 3: Go to the Insert tab and select the Web Object option. Step 4: From the opened window, paste the location of index.html file inthe address column or you can even browse to find its location. Step 5: Click the OK button. Adjust the size and position of the Web Object on the screen.  Step 6: Publish the eLearning course and check the output. Note: Audio controls will display an output only in the HTML5 form. And the size of the controls will be different in different browsers. This is the way to add controls for audio. Hope this blog helps you. Please do share your thoughts. Related PostsHow to Combine Your Adobe Captivate Projects Into Single Course?Articulate Storyline: Adding Custom Progress Bars in Online CoursesRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key Features

Pathbreaking developments over the last few years have dramatically altered the technology-enabled learning landscape. The massive proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have resulted in a huge surge in the demand for m-learning solutions, and the phenomenal rise in the use of the internet in the non-English speaking world is opening new vistas in online training. As result of these game-changing developments, new trends such as the following are emerging in the world of e-learning. Growth in the use of bite-sized modules Conversion of Flash-based learning content into the mobile-friendly HTML5 format Translation of e-learning content in English into the native languages of learners Check out this interesting video to know more about these trends and others that are shaping the future of the corporate training world. Technology is revolutionizing the way organizations train their employees.Want to know the trends in e-learning design and development, checkout this video. For more interesting videos, click here. Related PostsSmart Questions to Evaluate Product Knowledge of Medical RepresentativesGen-Y Qualities that Matter When Planning Training Deployment [Infographic]Information Security - Why Does This Sensitive Topic Need E-learning?

E-learning and Classroom Training are different, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. E-learning is a very effective way to deliver training and I would like to share how Training Mangers can overcome the drawbacks of Classroom Training through e-learning, to manage their training effectively. Unlike classroom training, e-learning does not require a trainer. Learners can learn by themselves (self-learning). Classroom training is limited to a certain place, time and number of people, unlike e-learning where it is possible to train global learners. Classroom training is not usually repeated where as with e-learning, it is possible to take the course multiple times. Any updates/ changes in the organizational processes can be easily communicated globally through e-learning. Classroom materials do not really motivate learners where as with e-learning, you can motivate them with great visuals, friendly audio narration, gaming interactivities and videos.  E-learning is cost effective, and allows you to translate your e-learning into multiple languages and deliver the training globally. Classroom training requires Training Managers to travel and stay in the training place where as with e-learning, travelling time and cost can be avoided. E-learning gives learners the freedom to take the course at their own pace and also navigate to topics of their choice. Classroom training is one time learning where as e-learning allows learners to revisit the learning and test their knowledge until they master the necessary skills. Classroom training is dependent on trainers performance and their emotional state. Whereas e-learning is not and will give learners a same learning platform without any imbalances. E-learning is an effective way for organizational training to improve productivity. E-learning is accessible ANY TIME, ANY PLACE to train your employees globally. Classroom training is time and cost consuming, where Training Managers have to schedule the training, book the training area, and plan for the learners, who in turn have to include the training in their schedules. All these pain points can be solved by e-learning! Related PostsAn Effective Guide to Online Course Development - Free Kit6 Aspects to Consider Before Starting an E-learning ProjectGen-Y Qualities that Matter When Planning Training Deployment [Infographic]

It is a common understanding that different kinds of people work in an organization and each generation is different from the other. Let’s discuss about Gen-Y in the present context and understand the important aspects that are to be considered while planning a training program for this category of people. Gen-Y are those people born after 1980’s.They are the ones who are social, enthusiastic, flexible, multi-tasking, and excellent communicators. So, in order to train Gen-Y, you need to first understand their unique skills. This helps in designing a course that’s more effective. Secondly, they are tech savvy and use technology on a day-to-day basis through tablets, smart phones, iPhones etc. They like to be self-trained with the use of technology anytime, anywhere. On this front if they are restricted, they may rather avoid getting trained. Gen-Y’s are target oriented and good team players and like to share their ideas and views in a group. Their performance will rise when such collaborative features are added on to LMS. Routing them towards new tasks and challenges with games and puzzles makes the course more interesting and challenging resulting to their better performance. Also Gen-Y’s are said to be multi-tasking, like chatting with a friend and taking a byte-sized learning module. They may not complete the course at once but certainly they would complete the same at their pace and time. So, these are some of the factors that need to be kept in mind when planning training programs for Gen Y workforce. Here is an infographic that captures the typical qualities of Gen Y that need to be considered when designing training programs. If you have more to add, please share your comments in the column Related Posts3 Reasons Why Social Media Training Should be Mandatory for Employees [Infographic]6 Hot E-learning Trends Shaping the Corporate Training World [Video]E-Learning vs.Traditional Classroom Training

One of our clients, a leading pharmaceutical company, wanted to impartproduct training to their sales representatives, through short e-learning modules, to increase their efficiency. Medical representatives face many problems while promoting their companies’ products to doctors. It’s a well-known fact that doctors are more knowledgeable about medicines than pharmaceutical sales representatives. It was a big challenge for us to make the courses engaging and informative, so that theyhelp the salespeopleof the client acquire new skills and build their self-esteem. Right content will help the sales staff meet the current objectives and gain specific skills. It is fair to say that only a few sales staff members will be able to remember and apply the newly acquired knowledge.We first analyzed the entire content and listed out a few common topics that could be designed in the same way for all the producttraining modules. We first created an outline for each drug/ product and then designed standard templates for the slides. Here is the screenshot of an outline. 1. One common slide is "Product: Composition and Dosage".The composition of each product is different,and we represented the composition of every product using icons. 2. Another common slide is "Product: Mode of Action". Each drug has different modes of action .As the concept is highlytechnical, we used animations to help learners understand the subject. As all these modulesareiPad compatible, we used .swf files to create animations which were converted into the mp4 format and embedded into Storyline. 3. Another common slide is "Product: Pharmacokinetics". Pharmacokinetics is a branch of pharmacology dedicated to determining the fate of drug administered. It is commonly divided into divided into Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME). We suggested the click interactivity to explain the pharmacokinetics. 4. Finally comes the "Product: Indications and Contraindications". We represented the useful and the harmful effects of the drug in various disease conditions using zoo-zoos. Standardizing a few templates makes it easier for the e-learning designer/developer to understand and quickly process the content and ensure quality, which in turn makes the development faster.The use of animations, various icons and interactivities helpsteach technical content effectively and enables sales representatives to retain and apply the knowledge better. What do you think? Related PostsOnline Product Training Design StrategiesProduct Training for Multiple Audiences through RLOs or Reusable Learning ModulesMaking Product Trainings Beneficial for Sales People

It is common knowledge that mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives. Many organizations are taking advantage of the widespread use of mobiles and using m-learning to train their employees. According to Ambient Insight, the global mobile learning market is likely to touch $12.2 billion by 2017, registering a staggering compound annual growth rate of 18.2% for the period 2012 to 2017. The phenomenal growth in the demand for m-learning solutions has resulted in online training experts taking up rapid authoring tools which can be used to publish courses to HTML5, a mobile friendly format. Most rapid authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline provide HTML5 output, but do not support the development of responsive e-learning courses (which can be accessed on any device in a seamless manner) effectively. So, while using such tools for developing m-learning courses, you need to design an m-learning template based on the device requirement. Today, in this blog, let us see how to build an m-learning template with Articulate Storyline. The first thing you should do while designing an m-learning template is to change the screen size. This is very important to avoid re-work at a later stage. Step 01: Click the Design tab on the ribbon. Step 02: Click the Story Size button on the Design tab. Step 03: A Change Story Size window pops up where you can change the screen/slide size according to your device requirements. If you are designing an m-learning course for a specific device, then you need to set the story size as per the device’s screen size. Note: The size in the screen shot is set for Portrait view. Step 04: Now, remove the unnecessary features of the player that would eat away the screen space. For example, removing the menu would save a lot of screen space. Step 05: Also, remove the built-in Slide navigation controls from the slide properties as we have to create navigation controls as per the design requirements of the mobile. Step 06: Now, go to the Slide Master from the View tab. Step 07: In the Slide Master, design the layouts and navigation controls as per the agreed design standards and requirements. Here, I have designed different layouts for different slide requirements. Step 08: Incorporate interactivities, quizzes, and all the necessary components according to the client’s requirements. Here, the screenshot shows the example of a quizzing slide. Step 09: Finally, publish it for the mobile. That’s it! Similarly, you can build different m-learning templates according to the project requirements. Simple, isn’t it? Note: Some organizations implement the bring-your-own-device policy for delivering training through m-learning. In such cases, it is not advisable to use Articulate Storyline as the rapid authoring tool does not support responsive design. Adobe Captivate 8 would be the ideal choice for these organizations. Hope you find these tips interesting and helpful. Please share your thoughts through your valuable comments. Related PostsRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key FeaturesHow to Combine Your Adobe Captivate Projects Into Single Course?Articulate Storyline for Converting Legacy Online Courses into HTML5

Whenever I take on a new e-learning project, I first comprehend the content and then think of ways in which the content can be presented. This is where the importance of visualization comes into picture. Your e-learning course should contain good visual elements to keep your learners engaged. But, using visuals just for the sake of using them may not make your e-learning course effective. Instead, use visuals that go well with your content. In this blog, I would like to share how to use visuals effectively to enhance the quality of your online course. 1. Use images that speak: A picture is worth a thousand words. Use appropriate images that speak about the content, instead of using heavy blocks of text. This would help your learners absorb the information very well and make your course look visually appealing. You can also use characters in your e-learning course. These characters can be used to explain the content. Make sure that you have these characters in different poses, so that you can use them throughout the course. In the screenshot below, you can see the image of a doctor that guides learners throughout the course. 2. Use images that are interactive: Many a time, you need to develop courses on products and healthcare. You may need to explain all the parts of a product on a single slide. But, you cannot place the image and the entire text on a single slide as it results in learner monotony. So, what is the solution to this problem? The answer is very simple - use hotspots. Hotspot is a very effective interactivity that asks learners to click and know the content. When learners click a hotspot, the related information gets displayed. Take a look at the hotspot interactivity. 3. Use videos to explain procedures: Videos are effective tools to enhance the learning process. They can be effectively used to train your learners on a procedure, for instance, how a machine or a product functions. Studies show that we learn better by watching and observing. Videos are a great way to demonstrate behavior. For example, videos can be effectively used in a fire safety training to show the hazards that occur in workplace and also the safe work practices. 4. Use info-graphics for better learning: Have you ever thought of using info-graphics in your e-learning course? I am sure your learners would love info-graphics because they present the information in a simple and concise manner that is easy to read and recall. Info-graphics are attractive and keep your learners engaged. Info-graphics can be used effectively to: Narrate the history of a person or product Compare and contrast data Explain a process or procedure Relate concepts and categories Here is a screenshot of an info-graphic that shows the steps to be followed to design an e-learning course. Thus, we see that proper use of visuals goes a long way in enhancing the effectiveness of an e-learning course. Hope you find this post useful. Do share your views. Related Posts4 Effective Ways of Presenting Scenarios in E-learning CoursesUnleashing the Power of Images in Online Courses [Infographic]Text Focused Instructional Design