This is one of my all-time favourite topics — digital training.
Ironically, I am all for classroom training but I love talking digital learning/training because I am privy to many of the tools we have available to use to make learning seamless and as close to the classroom-style as possible.
In this newsletter, I will be sharing 5 steps to getting your training online using 5 simple and FREE tools. Free tools have their limits but they are great to start with.
From experience, here are my top 3.
1. For a wider reach
Providing training digitally means you can reach people you wouldn’t normally have access to. You can train people thousands of miles away without leaving your home or they theirs. You can induct new employees, deliver toolbox talks without the need for a physical gathering. That said, not all training can or should be delivered virtually or online as they cause more harm than good, and don’t give the right skills.
2. It is cheaper
It costs less for your company and even your learners — in most cases. You end up printing less and having to use resources that can be used over and over again without them getting old or torn.
The setup can also be cheaper depending on what and how you choose to provide digital learning. There are a variety of options from simple refillable PDFs to videos, audios, and fully functional learning management systems. This newsletter will focus on as tool already available to us all.
3. It offers lots of flexibility
Most trainings are pre-recorded or preloaded and can be accessed anytime and anywhere. This makes it easier for students to learn at their own time and pace. Although some are virtual and happen at a fixed time, it still beats having to travel and attend a physical class.
Some of them are…
1. Accountability issues
Most online programs offer no support or accountability, thereby causing learners to lag behind, fail to complete tasks and assignments, fail to engage, or even complete the training. I have paid quite a good sum for an online course that I was quite disappointed it. It was all PDF with zero support and check-ins. You guessed right — I never completed the course. The teaching method wasn’t effective — wasn’t for me and I’m sure, wasn’t for many others.
✅ Tip: Always focus on how you can make the learning experience smooth and enjoyable.
2. Good User Experience may be lacking
Many platforms are difficult to use or navigate. Learners may find it challenging and give up on it if they can’t learn easily without feeling like it’s an escape room of some sort. I have been on courses where I exited immediately as the interface felt overwhelming to look at, with lots of adverts popping up, making it hard to concentrate and just learn.
✅ Tip: Keep it simple and clean looking. No need for fancy equipments or layouts. And certainly no need for rainbow style design (that is, don’t go crazy with many colours)
3. Lack of Human Interaction
The lack of human interaction in most online programs can be a deal-breaker. Thankfully, there are many ways you can make it feel like a community by introducing fun things like forums and gamification.
✅ Tip: Can you at least show you care by interacting with your learners and ensuring contacting you is easy? Don’t just publish, give access and be impossible to reach.
Now that you’re aware of some of the pros and cons of digitising learning (hoping you get what works and what doesn’t), here are 5 tools to help take your training/induction/toolbox talks etc, digital.
Google Workspace user?
I recommend Google Sites and Google Classrooms.
Microsoft user?
Try Teams, Sharepoint or OneNote.
Power pages just got released but I’m yet to test it so it didn’t make the list this time.
To keep it concise, I will go briefly into Google Classrooms and share what’s possible.
This is an amazing tool that you can use even on your personal gmail. allows for signposting, linking to files in your Google Drive, adding students, interacting with them and even giving assignments. You can grade and also have live classes linking your classroom to a Google Meet link. It is really a “school”.
Getting to Classroom
Log into your Google account. Go to the 9-dot/app launcher icon, click it, scroll down until you get to classroom circled in image 1 below.
Once in, create a class using the + sign on the top right corner of your screen.
Enter your class details following the prompts and then click create. Once you do, you have a classroom at your disposal. You can share the class code to invited learners or employees as the case may be.
Please note: The Classroom should be linked to the same account you used to set up your content drive/folders at least — so that linking back and forth is seamless.
Click customise to change header image and colour. Play around the settings and menu as shown below. Click classroom to start to create your content.
You can link to files and videos in your drive, your YouTube to add videos, give access to all or selected learners, upload external files and add links if you choose. See image 4 below.
You need to entire the entire piece to be able to put it to good use 😉.
User + Compliance = Great Product.
At least, where flocrunch.io is concerned.
Creating Flocrunch is about making the lives and work of safety professional more streamlined, structured and timely. And in doing that, compliance had to play a big role.
I posted a survey some weeks back on what matters the most to safety professionals — compliance tops it by a large margin when compared to standardisation and productivity.
Thankfully, Flocrunch was designed to not just digitise how we work but ensure we are still compliant and helping get there faster and easier.
Presently building a waitlist of people and businesses who want to get notified when we’re launching. Have I mentioned we will launch to a limited number of businesses? If you want it, the waitlist is a great place to be.
👉 Sign up HERE.
See you next week!
I will be sharing on the perfect Microsoft alternative to google Classroom — Microsoft Teams. You don’t want to miss it. Invite a friend to subscribe and receive juicy content to their inbox.
