The learner engagement gap exists due to a combination of virtual learning fatigue, a lack of interest, and a lack of relevance
To deliver more engaging training, organizations can embrace gamification, microlearning, and interactivity
Personalization is one of the most important factors in learner engagement and retention
Imagine your brain is like a bowl. Every time you encounter new information, you pour water into that bowl. Now imagine someone repeatedly dumped an ocean onto it.
That’s the Internet.
These days, we’re inundated with information. We have brands vying for our attention from every angle and alerts from tons of different apps, not to mention workplace updates and notifications. This information overload contributes heavily to one of the biggest hurdles facing online learning: engagement.
Let’s talk about what you can do to address it and how you can close the learner engagement gap.
The Motivation Killer in Online Training: Virtual Learning Fatigue
While it’s true that people are more distracted, information overload isn’t the only roadblock facing modern instructional designers. There’s another, even more insidious problem, one that first became evident during the pandemic several years ago. It’s called virtual learning fatigue.
Information overload is one facet, but there are other contributing factors, including:
Loneliness due to a lack of face-to-face interaction
Eyestrain from spending too much time staring at a screen
It’s a fairly straightforward concept that details how to grab and hold an audience’s attention. Start with a small, simple task to get things moving. Gradually layer on more complexity and challenge to increase engagement and move your audience through their training.
The engagement spiral is essentially the foundation of effective virtual learning, and you can further enhance it with the best practices below.
Gamify Your Content
Some people will complete your training simply because they’re interested in the content. Many will probably need some extra motivation. Gamification provides exactly that, integrating components such as leaderboards, badges, and points to give participants a dopamine hit every time they complete a module or task.
Alongside increased engagement, the benefits of gamification include improved retention, learner satisfaction, and collaboration.
Break Things Down
Have you ever been overwhelmed staring at a wall of text? You’re not alone. Most people struggle to digest massive clumps of information.
Account for this by breaking your training down into more manageable and digestible modules. Rather than offering a monolithic course on your sales cycle, for example, you might break it down as follows:
Identifying and qualifying leads
Communicating with prospects
Sales demo best practices
Objection handling
Closing the deal
Encourage Collaboration
Even asynchronous learning doesn’t need to be done entirely in isolation. An organization can support communication and collaboration between learners through features such as discussion boards and group chats.
Personalize
Imagine two people going through the same training program. The first is a complete novice who finds even introductory material difficult to comprehend. The second is an expert with several years of experience who finds it frustrating to waste time on the basics.
Both of these students are disengaged, and both will probably drop the training for different reasons.
Now imagine if, instead, your training program was able to dynamically adjust to each learner. You deliver entry-level content to the novice, and the expert skips ahead to advanced material. That’s the core idea behind adaptive learning, one of the most important and effective ways of improving engagement in learning.
Prioritize Interactivity
Which of these sounds more engaging?
Spending several hours sitting through a slide deck with product features
Exploring the product in a virtual sandbox and experiencing those features yourself
It’s a no-brainer, right? Where engagement’s concerned, hands-on training is far superior to passive learning. Delivering interactive experiences rather than static material goes a long way toward bridging the engagement gap.
Virtual training can be either incredibly beneficial or a complete dud. It largely depends on whether you’re able to overcome the engagement gap. You already know what you need to do.
Now all that remains is finding the right training platform. Book a demo and we’ll show you why CloudShare is the perfect solution to help you boost learner engagement at scale.
Explore Additional Strategies for Learner Engagement
Why do participants struggle to stay engaged in online training environments?
Online training environments tend to be far more isolated and filled with distractions than traditional classrooms. The lack of face-to-face oversight can make it difficult for students to stay on-task. Screen fatigue is also a factor, sapping both energy and attention.
What psychological factors influence learner engagement in virtual environments?
Learners in virtual environments are typically more engaged when they’re given some degree of autonomy, provided with clear goals and reasonably challenging content, and given an idea of how and why the training is relevant. A sense of connection with instructors and fellow learners can also improve engagement.
How can instructors identify early warning signs of disengaged learners?
Instructors can look at metrics such as reduced login frequency, lack of communication, missed deadlines, and slowing progress. Disengaged learners in live sessions may be tabbed out of their training and directing their focus elsewhere.
How can gamification be combined with other techniques to maximize engagement?
Gamification mechanics such as badges, points, and leaderboards work exceptionally well with collaborative learning and scenario-based challenges. Depending on the nature of the training, a business may also create a gamified sandbox with missions, quests, and challenges that participants can complete at their leisure.
What role does feedback play in sustaining engaged learning?
Real-time, contextual feedback, especially in a hands-on learning environment, allows a student to immediately address gaps in their knowledge or skills, reinforcing long-term competence and supporting ongoing improvement.
