Getting Opt-in for Your eLearning

My colleagues Mike Grant and Jon-Anthony Lui led an interesting webinar session yesterday focused on improving adoption rates for participation in eLearning initiatives. We did this because we are continually hearing from people in the field about the challenges of low uptake rates for the eLearning that they produce for their employees (in the case of companies) or members (in the case of associations or sector groups). As was mentioned in last week's posting, low adoption rates are often a symptom of poor eLearning design and/or poor management of eLearning initiatives. Fear of the unknown also plays a part.

Mike provided strategies for improving eLearning adoption rates, and Jon provided some insights from the many discussions he has had with eLearning professionals across many sectors.

Mike pointed out that adoption rates are important because these have a real bottom-line impact on the effectiveness of eLearning interventions. For example, if your eLearning program can be proven to have a positive effect (e.g. increasing sales, decreasing defects, shortening cycle times for various processes, etc.), these benefits will obviously be multiplied when more people actually complete the eLearning.

He outlined three strategic approaches for improving adoption rates.

Change Management Approach

This approach makes most sense for large-scale eLearning roll-outs. It involves the creation of a well-thought-out communication strategy from the top of the organization regarding the importance and value of the initiative, and has completion built right into the performance system. Learners are provided with much incentive and support to complete the program (including the most valuable resource: time).

Stealth Approach

For smaller scale eLearning roll-outs, it makes more sense to slowly insinuate your eLearning along the paths of least resistance in the organization. Which topic area, or which group of targeted learners are the most suitable for eLearning? You create great examples of eLearning where you can get buy-in, good word-of-mouth, and build upon this success into other areas.

Marketing Approach

This is a strategy that makes sense no matter how big your eLearning initiative. It focuses on understanding the users' needs, designing your eLearning to address these needs, and communicating these benefits clearly to your user group. Understand and respond to the WIFM (What's In It for Me?) factor.

We had about 60 webinar participants from across North America. When we polled them regarding their own eLearning adoption rates, the results paralleled what we have been hearing elsewhere.

Low - 34%
Medium - 53%
High - 13%

Clearly, a great deal of work remains to be done.

When we asked participants what contributes to low and high adoption rates, here is what we heard.

Reasons for low adoption rates: no clear communication from above on importance of program / no incentives or penalties tied to completion or non-completion / no alignment with business goals / no alignment with HR system / time and space not provided for completion.

Reasons for high adoption rates: good management support / making it required and having clear accountabilities for completion / good internal marketing / internal champions / making eLearning interactive and engaging.

Here is a link to the recorded webinar.