In today’s rapidly evolving world, where knowledge and skills play a crucial role in personal and professional growth, training modules have emerged as effective tools for delivering targeted and focused learning experiences.
Training modules are utilized in various settings, such as corporate training, educational institutions, professional development programs, and online learning platforms. However, in order to achieve success, they must be designed in accordance with the learners’ needs, which requires careful planning and preparation.
This guide will take you through the key phases of module creation, including preparation, the creation process with essential elements, and module publication. We’ll also explore how Sensei LMS can help you unlock the potential of your training initiatives. Let’s get started!
Understanding training modules: definition and types
In the context of learning and development, a training module refers to a self-contained unit of instruction or learning material designed to teach specific knowledge or skills. It is typically a structured learning resource that follows a particular format, often with defined learning objectives, content, activities, and assessments.
Training modules are used to deliver targeted and focused learning experiences to individuals or groups. There is ample research to back the effectiveness of training modules. For example, studies suggest that employees will learn 70% of their skills on the job, 20% from their peers, and 10% from formal training.
Most training modules typically follow a similar, structured format. Common features include defined learning objectives, content, activities, and assessments. Here are some of the most common types of training modules:
- E-Learning modules: These are digital modules that can be accessed online or through a learning management system (LMS). They often include multimedia elements like videos, interactive quizzes, and simulations. E-learning modules are flexible, scalable, and suitable for self-paced learning.
- Instructor-Led Training (ILT) modules: These modules are designed for face-to-face or virtual instructor-led sessions. They provide a structured outline for trainers to follow and typically include presentation slides, handouts, and activities. ILT modules are useful for workshops, seminars, or classroom-based training.
- Microlearning modules: Microlearning involves delivering small, bite-sized learning modules focused on a specific topic or learning objective. These modules are concise and easily consumable, making them suitable for just-in-time learning, quick refreshers, or on-the-go learning through mobile devices.
Phase 1: Preparing for the creation of your training module
93% of employees emphasize the need for training programs that are well-planned and easy to understand. However, it’s virtually impossible to develop effective training modules without first taking the time to plan and prepare. Focus on the following features to build a winning strategy.
Defining your audience
As a tutor or educator, the very first question you should ask before creating your training module or online course is who you are creating it for. Is it for employees, students, or the general public?
Similar to how brands create target consumer profiles, trainers need to understand the audience for whom the content is intended. This understanding will shape the content, format, and delivery of the module, and will also impact whether you’re creating free or paid content.
Further details to consider include the user’s age, educational background, prior knowledge of the subject, learning preferences, and technological proficiency. For instance, a complete novice in a subject may require a training module that provides step-by-step guidance.
Effectively targeting your course not only helps during the course creation process but also enables you to promote it correctly to your intended audience.
Defining the training objectives
After identifying your audience, you must establish clear training objectives. These objectives serve as motivation for students and allow trainers to develop and measure the effectiveness of their training programs.
The most effective method for creating clear training objectives is to focus on SMART goals, which means that your goals should be:
- Specific: Clearly defined and unambiguous
- Measurable: Quantifiable and able to determine success
- Achievable: Accomplishable with available resources
- Relevant: Supports the organization, student, or consumer’s end goal
- Time-bound: Has a deadline aligned with the objective
When considering an individual training module, also consider its context within the long-term training goals of the entire program or subsequent training courses the user may undertake.
Choosing the right format for your training module
Selecting the appropriate format for your training module depends on factors such as the audience, training objectives, and available resources. Some audiences prefer fast-paced and engaging content, while others require a simpler step-by-step approach.
The main formats you’ll want to consider are:
- Text-based: Simple text format resembling a Word document, which may include hyperlinks and buttons for guidance.
- Video-based: Emphasizes videos or animations. Viewers retain 95% of content that is presented in this format.
- Interactive: Encourages participation through quizzes, questionnaires, puzzles, and other interactive elements.
- Multimedia: Utilizes multiple types of training content, including podcasts, infographics, and more.
There is no definitive right or wrong answer, and it’s worth noting that you can incorporate elements from multiple formats.
Choosing the right tool for module creation
Knowing your training objectives is an essential step, but you need to have the right tools to bring them to life. Your key considerations should include ease of use, customization options, integration capabilities, as well as cost.
Sensei LMS is an LMS plugin for WordPress that scores highly in all of these areas! While Sensei is powerful enough to create full courses, you can certainly use this platform to create a single training module that can be free to access, sold online, or shared internally within an organization.
You can integrate Sensei into your existing WordPress website and benefit from all of its course creation features with the Sensei Pro plan. Alternatively, if you still need to set up your website, we recommend the Sensei Bundle, which includes a website install on WordPress.com along with Sensei Pro and other essential tools for course creators, educators, and trainers.
We’re about to dive into the next phase – creating your training module – and we’ll show how Sensei’s features support this.
Phase 2: Creating your training module
Following the planning phases, you can move on to the process of creating a training module. When using Sensei, you will first need to create a new course, to which an unlimited number of modules can be added.
When creating your new training module, make sure to include these elements:
Communicate the value of the module
By clearly explaining how the module can help learners achieve their learning goals and improve their skills, you can effectively convey the benefits and relevance of the module. Here are some strategies to highlight the value of the module:
- Clear course descriptions: Begin by crafting compelling course descriptions that provide a concise overview of the module’s content, purpose, and benefits. Clearly articulate the key topics covered and emphasize how the module addresses specific learning needs or challenges faced by the learners.
- Learning objectives: Clearly state the learning objectives of the module. Learning objectives outline the specific knowledge, skills, or competencies that learners will gain upon completing the module. By aligning the objectives with the learners’ goals and aspirations, you demonstrate the value and relevance of the module in helping them achieve their desired outcomes.
- Expected outcomes: Describe the expected outcomes or benefits that learners can expect after completing the module. This could include improved job performance, increased confidence in a particular skill, or the ability to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios. Highlighting these outcomes helps learners understand the practical value and impact of the module on their personal or professional development.
The course outline feature in Sensei LMS enables you to provide a detailed description of the module, including information about the learning objectives and how these objectives will be achieved throughout the course. This helps learners gain a comprehensive understanding of the module’s value and relevance right from the start.
Create lessons and lesson templates
Whether your training module is standalone or part of a wider training course, it’s imperative to structure your module by dividing it into lessons. This helps ensure that content remains engaging, digestible, and aligned with the training objectives. Each lesson should have a clear focus and flow, making it easier for learners to follow and retain information. By breaking the module into lessons, you create a logical progression of learning that enhances comprehension and retention.
Creating lesson templates further streamlines the lesson creation process and ensures consistency across lessons. Templates provide a framework for organizing and presenting content, allowing trainers to focus on the specific information to be included in each lesson. By using templates, trainers can maintain a consistent format, layout, and style throughout the module, enhancing the overall learning experience.
Sensei LMS offers customizable lesson templates as a feature, simplifying the lesson creation process. With these templates, trainers can define the structure and design elements once and apply them across all lessons. This not only saves time but also ensures branding consistency, as trainers can incorporate their organization’s branding elements into the templates. Naturally, you’ll be able to build upon each template and adapt it on a lesson-by-lesson basis.
Add interactive elements
Interactive elements in eLearning have been shown to boost engagement rates by 50% among employee learners, which promotes knowledge retention and improves module pass rates.
There are various types of interactive elements that can be added to a module. Quizzes allow learners to test their understanding and receive immediate feedback, fostering a sense of achievement and progress. Interactive videos provide an engaging visual experience, allowing learners to interact with the video content through clickable elements or branching scenarios.
Indeed, video, in particular, is an effective medium for engaging learners. It allows for visual demonstrations, storytelling, and real-life examples, making complex concepts more accessible and relatable. Sensei offers a free course full of valuable tips on creating video content for training modules.
Additionally, Sensei LMS offers a range of features to create interactive learning experiences. Sensei Blocks, for instance, provide interactive elements such as interactive videos, flashcards, task lists, and image hotspots.
Add assessment checks
Assessment checks play an important role in training modules by measuring learning progress and giving feedback to learners. They help trainers assess how well learners understand the material and identify areas that need improvement. Here are some tips for creating effective assessments:
- Writing good questions: Craft clear and concise questions that align with the learning objectives. Make sure to use language that is easy to understand and avoids ambiguity.
- Choosing the right assessment type: Consider the type of assessment that best suits the learning goals. Multiple-choice questions provide options for learners to choose from, while short answer or essay questions allow for more in-depth responses.
- Providing constructive feedback: Give learners meaningful feedback that explains their strengths and areas for improvement. Be specific and offer guidance on how to enhance their understanding or skills.
Sensei LMS can facilitate the creation and management of assessments. The plugin offers 7 quiz types, and you can set automatic and manual grading, assessment weighting, and add quiz timers to encourage time management and simulate real-world scenarios.
Phase 3: Publishing your training module
Creating a training module is a significant achievement, and you can repeat the process by adding more lessons and modules. However, it’s essential to ensure that your LMS helps measure the success of each module. Gathering feedback and making improvements are crucial for keeping the course content aligned with learner needs consistently.
Hosting your module
After creating the module, you will need to publish it via a platform that allows you to set up the appropriate access permissions based on your specific needs. This ensures that you have control over who can access your module and how it is distributed.
If you want to sell your module as a product and monetize your training content, Sensei LMS simplifies the publication process by offering seamless integration with WooCommerce. You can set a price, manage payments, and provide access to paying customers.
Alternatively, if you prefer to make your module freely available to the public, Sensei LMS supports that as well. You can choose to offer your module for free, enabling anyone to access and benefit from your training content.
If you want to restrict access to your module and manually choose who can access it without requiring payment, Sensei LMS provides that flexibility too. You can set up access permissions and grant access to specific individuals or groups based on your preferences.
Measure the success of your module
Measuring the success of your training module is vital as it provides valuable insights into the module’s effectiveness and the progress of your learners. By gathering data and analyzing the results, you can make informed decisions to improve the module and enhance the learning experience.
Keeping track of your training module’s completion rate is essential, as this gives an indication of engagement and overall progress. Other important metrics include assessment scores and learner satisfaction levels, which we get into below.
Sensei LMS offers robust reporting functionality to track these metrics. With student reporting, trainers can monitor individual learner progress, identify areas of improvement, and provide personalized support. Course reporting provides an overview of overall module performance, including completion rates and assessment scores. Lesson reporting allows trainers to analyze engagement and identify specific areas where learners may require additional attention.
Gather feedback from learners
Ultimately, the success of the module will be largely determined by what users think about it. Therefore, gaining feedback and valuable insights into their learning experiences should be a priority. It will help you realize what you are doing right and wrong, from the perspective of the people that matter most.
Sensei LMS integrates with MailPoet, a CRM tool, which makes it easy for you to contact your learners to ask for feedback directly.
Reiterate and improve your module
Finally, you must always look to improve your training module if you want a better shot at long-term success. The aforementioned data-driven capabilities of Sensei LMS allow you to see when learner performance and satisfaction levels fall. Even when scores remain high, improvements will inevitably be needed to stay ahead of the competition – the best content today might not be relevant in 12 months.
Improvements can be made in many ways, such as adding or modifying interactive elements, or adjusting the difficulty level of assessments.
Create your training module with Sensei LMS
Training modules play a vital role in various contexts, including job training, education, and provide opportunities for course creators to monetize their expertise. They offer targeted and focused learning experiences, equipping learners with the knowledge and skills needed for personal and professional growth.
During the planning phase, you need to map out your module, considering factors like the audience, objectives, and appropriate format. In the creation phase, incorporating engaging content, interactive elements, and effective assessments is essential. Once the module is published, gathering feedback and making continuous improvements ensure its ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
Sensei LMS is designed to support all these key phases, providing a user-friendly platform that simplifies the creation of training modules. If you already have a WordPress website, the Sensei Pro plan will deliver everything you need, from interactive elements to eye-catching templates. On the other hand, the Sensei Bundle is the right choice if you need a new website, as it will give you an install on WordPress.com, Sensei Pro, and other invaluable tools – all at an unbeatable price.
Explore Sensei LMS further to learn more about the plugins and the pricing options available. Unleash the potential of your training initiatives with Sensei and create impactful and successful training modules tailored to your requirements!
