One of our frequent tips to readers and clients here at eLeaP is to include at least some type of feedback within your e-Learning modules. Feedback is an important component of not just e-Learning but employee training in general. Without feedback, your employees are left without a sense of awareness in terms of how they’re performing. This often means not only does training not resonate as strongly as it would when paired with feedback, but there’s also little basis for improvement.
It’s also worth noting that not all feedback is equal. Some feedback is going to more effective and has more long-lasting effects than other types. We created this guide with seven of the most meaningful methods and tips to provide your employees with the best feedback.
Feedback Needs to Be Timely, If Not Instantaneous
A significant advantage of using e-Learning to deliver corporate employee training is that you can easily incorporate methods for instant feedback.
The more quickly you’re able to link feedback to initial training delivery, the more impact it’s going to have on the learning process. You should also consider including feedback throughout a course at short intervals, as opposed to waiting until the end of an entire course.
The smaller the bits of information you provide to your learners along with associated feedback, the more likely they are to retain the training.
Include Feedback for Correct Answers, As Well as the Incorrect Ones
If you want to strengthen your feedback delivery and later application on the part of your employees, considering including it in training where there’s correct answers and responses as well as incorrect ones.
When you provide feedback on correct training answers, you’re not only giving your employees a more comprehensive overall training experience but you’re also building their confidence. This tends to increase learner engagement and it also allows employees to feel valued and appreciated during the training process.
This leads to our next tip, which involves explaining the “why” behind feedback.
Demonstrate the “Why” Aspect
Feedback doesn’t refer to simply letting trainees know they’ve gotten an answer correct or incorrect—the best feedback goes deeper than that and demonstrates to trainees the why behind their answer.
Give them a background in a way that applies to their real-world job functions and highlight why a particular choice is the right one.
Base Feedback On Realistic Training Scenarios
Feedback is likely to have the maximum impact on learners if they can directly link it to the real world, and in the case of corporate training, to their jobs.
Include scenarios and case studies within your e-Learning as a way to build on this concept. Ask learners to respond to these features and then issue feedback based on those responses.
When you include feedback that feels applicable in the real world, your employees are more likely to make changes in their behavior as a result.
Be Specific
As mentioned above, when providing training-based feedback you want to give employees a why-based response, but you also want to be as precise as possible.
Don’t provide generalized feedback and whenever possible drill down to the absolute details.
Get Collaborative
Feedback doesn’t just have to come from course instructors or training managers. What’s unique about using e-Learning as your corporate training delivery mechanism is that you can experiment with unique collaborative features that can add another layer to the provision of feedback.
Consider including features like discussion boards, forums and real-time social features where employees can give and receive feedback to and from one another. This type of online training platform allows employees to feel more open and honest in giving feedback and also more receptive to receiving feedback from coworkers.
Ask for Your Own Feedback
Asking for feedback on the part of your employees at the end of a training course or module has a couple of benefits.
The first is clearly that this allows you to gauge what’s working and where changes could me made in your e-Learning.
The second is that it’s going to make employees feel valued. Employees will feel as if they have a voice in the training process, which is likely make them feel more open to receiving feedback.
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