If your eLearning is boring, no one is learning anything. Companies invest time and money into eLearning, but if employees are just clicking through slides without engaging, that investment goes to waste. What you get is low retention, poor application, and minimal impact. So, where do people go wrong? Let’s break down the biggest engagement killers and, more importantly, how to fix them.
Common Engagement Killers in eLearning (and What to Do Instead)
PowerPoint Style Courses
Clicking “Next” through a PowerPoint-style course doesn’t count as learning. If your course is just a series of slides or videos, employees will check out fast. Here’s how to fix it:
- Give people something to do. Swap out passive slides for interactive, decision-based activities.
- Chose from branching scenarios (like a choose your own adventure activity), non-branching scenarios (where the learner must make the “correct” choice to continue in the story), or mini-scenarios (a series of unconnected, single decision points).
- Provide meaningful feedback for each decision point so that learners can explore the consequences of their decisions in a safe environment.
Irrelevant Content
If learners can’t see how the training will help them with their job, they won’t care. Theory without relevance is a fast-track to disengagement. Here’s how to fix it:
- Use real-world examples and case studies that reflect the actual work to be performed after taking the training.
- Tie every section back to workplace challenges that your audience actually faces.
- Incorporate reflection exercises to encourage participants to connect new information to their personal experiences.
One-Size-Fits-All Training
Not everyone has the same background or learning needs. A generic course that doesn’t account for experience levels or job roles just frustrates learners. Here’s how to fix it:
- Conduct a thorough needs analysis before designing the experience to determine skill gaps and prior knowledge for your specific audience.
- Create learning paths tailored to different roles and experience levels.
- Keep the language and reading level appropriate for the audience.
- Unlock navigation so that learners can take control of their own experience.
Content Overload
It’s tempting to include all the information. Especially if you are passionate about the subject. But too much information is overwhelming and ineffective. Design for impact, not just to fill time. Here’s how:
- Remove information that does not directly tie to a specific task the learner must complete on the job.
- Ask yourself: What would happen if people didn’t know this? Would they still be able to meet the objectives? Is this a nice-to-know or a need-to-know?
- Say no to seat time requirements. Arbitrary numbers lead to bloated content.
Ugly, Hard-to-Use Courses
Looks matter. If your course appears outdated, cluttered, or hard to navigate, learners will disengage before they even start. Here’s how to fix it:
- Keep it clean and modern. Take visual design inspiration from websites, video games, and other forms of multimedia.
- Consistency is key. Be consistent with image styles and button placement.
- Use high-quality visuals that enhance (not distract) from learning.
- Employ the CRAP principles for visual design: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity.
Quick Engagement Checklist
- Does the training allow learners to make decisions or practice job tasks?
- Is there a clear connection between the content and everyday workplace challenges?
- Is it personalized for different roles or skill levels?
- Is the language appropriate for the audience?
- Does every piece of content serve a purpose?
- Is the design visually appealing and easy to navigate?
Final Thoughts
If your eLearning isn’t engaging, it’s not working. The good news is, these issues are fixable. With the right approach, you can turn boring training into something that actually makes an impact. Need help making your eLearning ideas come to life? Let’s chat! Book a free strategy session.