eLearning, the never-ending story
There are a few constants in our life that are always there, no matter how old we are, what direction we?ve chosen for our life journey, where we are, who we are, what we want, what we do to accomplish what we want. And learning is one of these constants.
We?ve been learning since the beginning of our lives. Learn how to speak, learn how to walk, learn how to interact with people, learn how to be a part of communities, learn different topics at school, learn some new topics in college, learn how to be better at our jobs, how to get better at the things that we love doing such as skiing, hiking, cooking, learning a new language, etc.
But what?s the difference between learning to ski, for example, and learning new things during a corporate eLearning program? Well, at first glance, learning how to ski is something that ‘s important to us. Learning a new technology at work may seem like something that ‘s exclusively important to our organization. That?s not entirely true, as in the long-run, developing new professional skills is better for each and one of us, it makes us able to switch jobs, to grow, to be able to respond to change. But, at first, we may not see this. So, how do we turn corporate eLearning into a better experience?
Tips & tricks for a better eLearning journey
Do not give in to the lack of enthusiasm
Maybe you do not like getting engaged in a training program, but at least do not hate the idea from the beginning. Try to focus on how the new knowledge and skills you gain during that specific eLearning experience may help you during your day-to-day job, how you can use that information to make your work easier, to find solutions to challenges quickly and to boost that confidence. The more you know, the better, right?
Network with people
Your network might be one of your best resources to gain and internalize knowledge. Social learning and collaboration are effective tools to develop new skills and to grow the existing ones. Brainstorm with your learning buddies, find solutions together, clarify concepts that are more difficult to digest, learn from people with more expertise and experience in a specific area and, in return, try to empower others with the knowledge you master.
Challenge yourself
?Challenge yourself, it?s the only path that leads to growth?, Morgan Freeman once said. Search for that new technology. Be up to date with what?s new. Learn that skill and apply it in your daily life. Ask yourself from time to time what?s next. You do not have to know everything about every topic, subject, or industry. But maybe you need to know a bit more about one topic in comparison to what you knew yesterday. If you had all the time in the world, what would you like to learn now? Answer that question. And if you do not have all the time in the world, at least you have 30 minutes today. It?s a good start, isn?t it?
Try new approaches
If learning fails you, the methods might be the problem. Maybe they do not align with your learning style. Maybe the information is structured in a way that does not resonate with your learning behaviors and preferences. So, instead of giving up on learning when something seems wrong, you might keep the learning and change the journey towards it. Experience new approaches, new eLearning tools, new eLearning environments, different ways of testing your learning progress.
Keep on learning
Nothing to add here, just turn learning into your valuable asset and have some fun in the process of learning new things.
