Five essential tips for using eLearning more effectively

Posted 5 years ago

It’s important to recognise that there are many different styles of learning and that we all have unique ways of retaining new information. However, despite our methodological differences, our goals remain the same; to learn information in such a way that it sticks and isn’t forgotten the moment our attention is drawn to something new.

Whatever your style of learning, there are some general rules and principles you can follow to help ensure that you get the most out of your eLearning and that your time is spent productively.

Be Single-Minded

The myth of multitasking is a misconception that is deeply ingrained in our society, so much so that many people believe that it’s something they’re good at. However, multitasking is just not possible. Your brain can only effectively focus on one thing at a time, when you “multitask” your brain is simply shifting its focus from one thing to the next in quick succession.

To demonstrate, try this quick exercise. You’ll need a piece of paper and you’re going to write the word “MULTITASK” and the numbers 1 to 9 below it. First, do them separately; write the word and then the numbers. Once you’ve done this, try doing it again but this time you’re going to multitask. Write the first letter “M” and then the first number “1” below, then the second letter “U” and the second number “2”. Carry this on until you’ve completed both. How long did that take you? Was it quicker than your first attempt? Unlikely.

By bouncing between tasks, your brain loses focus and when you’re trying to learn it can be detrimental. Even something as simple as checking your emails when you’re supposed to be learning can cause you to miss out on vital information. Avoid the myth of multitasking and focus on learning, you’ll get much more out of it.

Be Goal-Oriented

Lacking clear goals is a method doomed to fail from the outset. If you believe that there’s no point to your training or that it’s nothing more than a box ticking exercise, then that’s all it’ll ever be. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Consider what the training will help you achieve, what will you gain from it? How will it help you succeed?

We help our users understand the true value of the time they spend with us by providing them with a list of learning outcomes at the start of every course. These goals are where you’ll be by the time you’ve finished training with us. Understanding them before you start can help you measure your progress throughout the course. And if you find that you’ve not understood something or that you were interrupted and need to hear it again, you can always go back and rewatch a slide any time you like.

Be Well-Rested

Sleep plays a vital role in brain function and allows you to better consolidate what you’ve learned during the day. It’s crucial in two important ways; firstly, a well-rested brain is better at concentrating, allowing you to focus more effectively; and secondly, sleep is when your brain sorts through what you’ve learned throughout the day and commits it to long-term memory.

By simply putting your phone down or saying “no” to one more episode of your favourite show and getting a good night’s sleep, you can increase your chances of success exponentially.

Be Interested

Simply put, if you aren’t interested, you won’t learn anything. Some training is mandatory and won’t always be on a topic which particularly interests you, and that’s OK.

At iHasco, we’re acutely aware of eLearning’s reputation as dull and boring, a necessary evil which needs to be begrudgingly endured. And that may be the case for 99% of the eLearning available, but we aim for that 1%. We make sure our course have that “wow” factor, that there’s always something, some gold nugget of information that makes you sit up and say “I didn’t know that”.

On top of that, our courses are visually stunning. With a beautiful blend of artwork, animation, and acting we make our courses come alive and grab your attention, no matter the subject matter.

Be Focussed

The typical office is a hotbed of distractions; whether it’s endless emails, conversational colleagues, or many, many meetings, there’s always something vying for your attention and making your learning experience that much harder.

We understand that these distractions are par for the course in an office (we work in an office too), so we aim to make our courses accessible and easy to use wherever you are. You can learn anywhere you want; at work, at home, outside, on a train, on a plane; or wherever works for you. Our courses have been designed for all screen sizes from desktop computers to mobile phones and everywhere in-between.

If noise is an issue, all of our courses have optional subtitles and provide a full transcript for you to read at your leisure.

Marketing-leading engaging eLearning

Here at iHasco, we pride ourselves on offering genuinely engaging eLearning courses to our clients.

All of our training courses have been created with simplicity in mind, so that the contents can be broken down into easily digestible bitesize chunks.

As well as having organised & simple content, our training courses are also presenter-led, animated, and include interactive “choice slides” which engage learners at a deeper level than has ever been possible before.

Claim your free trial to any of our courses today and see the quality of them for yourself – simply fill out the form below!