How to Define the Goals of Your Online Training?

The key to the success of any online training lies in having pre-defined goals and the ways in which they can be achieved.

Approximate reading time: 1m 41s

In other words, you need to know where you are headed, while of course not forgetting that your wishes and actions must be realistic and measurable.

Determine what the goal of your online training is.

Establish the type of online training you will create – what you need to teach your learners – whether it is language training, introducing a new company product, introducing a new company policy, etc. This will help you determine exactly the goals the course must achieve, you will understand what resources you need, and in time you will also be able to measure the results achieved.

Questions that will help you define the goals of your online training.

Once you understand the type of your online training, you will be able to focus on who the people are that will take part in it, why they will participate, and what their expectations are for after the course ends. You can begin by answering the following questions:

• Who are the people being trained?

• What is important to them?

• In what situations would the learners use the information they have received?

• What is the goal of the online training?

• How will the learners be able to prove that they have achieved the goal of the online training?

A few additional tips that will support the success of your online training.

• Create your online training so that it meets the learners' expectations.

For your online training to be successful, it must meet the learners' expectations – in other words, be useful to them. Otherwise, they will not be satisfied and will regret having wasted time and money.

• Do not overstate the importance of the course.

Do not insist that all members of the organization/institution take part in the online training. This will directly make it pointless. Only people who will gain real benefit from the information presented to them should take part in the course.

• Focus on how the learners will prove that they have mastered the material.

Your online training should ensure that your learners will be able to make the right decisions in appropriate situations. How do you prepare them for this? The only way is to create situations close to reality. If you do not, the level of understanding is reduced to general knowledge only.

In conclusion, we will repeat the main takeaways from this article, namely: to define the goals of your online training, you need to understand what needs it should address. If your learners have expectations related to their performance, you need to focus on what you want them to be able to do after it ends. If you achieve this, your efforts and theirs will be justified.

Source: http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/build-course-objectives-matter/ .

Често задавани въпроси

Why is it important to define goals before creating online training?

Defining goals first helps you know where the training is headed and what it should achieve. Clear goals also make it easier to choose the right resources and measure results later. The course should be realistic and measurable so you can tell whether the training was successful and whether learners gained what they needed from it.

What should you decide about the type of online training?

You should first establish what kind of online training you are creating and what learners need to be taught. For example, the course may be language training, a new company product introduction, or a new policy explanation. Knowing the type of training helps you define the goals, identify the resources you need, and plan what the course must accomplish.

What questions help define the goals of online training?

Useful questions include: who are the people being trained, what is important to them, and in what situations will they use the information? You should also ask what the goal of the training is and how learners will prove they achieved it. These questions help you focus the course on real needs and practical outcomes.

How can you make sure online training meets learners' expectations?

The training should be useful to the learners and match what they expect to gain from it. If it does not meet their expectations, they may feel they wasted time and money. Successful training addresses real needs and gives participants something they can apply after the course ends.

Who should take part in online training?

Only people who will gain real benefit from the information should take part. The article warns against insisting that all members of an organization or institution join the course, because that can make the training pointless. The best participants are those for whom the content is relevant and useful.

How can learners prove they have mastered the material?

The course should prepare learners to make the right decisions in situations close to reality. That means training should not stop at general knowledge, but should help them apply what they learned in practice. Creating realistic situations is the best way to show whether learners have truly mastered the material.