Go1 and Marefa Digital are excited to announce a new partnership, adding Go1’s extensive online learning library to Marefa Digital’s localized offerings in the MENA region. Marefa Digital’s customers will be able to now access Go1’s expansive content library of over 50,000 courses, curated for their specific learning needs. 

Go1’s extensive course library includes many of the world’s leading online training providers – such as Thomson Reuters, UL PureSafety, and Wall Street Prep – covering any compliance or professional development topic. Access to these courses will be made available through the Marefa Digital learning management system, an industry-leading platform to deliver and track learning. This combined offering offers end customers a comprehensive, best-in-class learning and development solution.

“As Go1 expands into the MENA region, we’re thrilled to be working with a partner like Marefa Digital, who has an intimate understanding of the local market. This partnership will increase the availability and adoption of Go1’s comprehensive online training offering in the ever- growing MENA market,” stated Go1 co-founder and CEO, Andrew Barnes. 

The partnership between Marefa Digital and Go1 officially launched during the highly anticipated HR Summit & Expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Marefa Digital customers will be able to access the Go1 content library along with high-quality training courses in Khaleeji Arabic from Marefa Digital. 

“We are excited about our partnership with Go1. Combining the world’s most comprehensive online training library with Marefa Digital’s localized course offerings gives our customers the best solution possible,” expressed Marefa Digital co-founder and Managing Director, Khaled Alturki.

World class training is now available to your team through Marefa Digital’s partnership with Go1. From compliance to professional development, all your needs can be met. 

Based out of Dubai, UAE, Marefa Digital is a human capital development solutions provider with a focus on eLearning content creation, blended learning, and human capital consulting. Marefa Digital has an extensive background in human capital development in the MENA region, helping to design and implement human capital solutions for professionals and teams. Their core differentiator is providing solutions that are both locally relevant and global best practice. 

Go1 makes it easy for organizations to train their staff, with the world's most comprehensive online training library. Go1 pulls the world’s top training providers into one place, delivering all the training an organization needs in a single solution. With over 1.5 million learners – and growing – Go1 is a world leader in online learning. Go1’s investors include Microsoft, SEEK, and Y Combinator. 

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Marefa Digital expands offering through partnership with Go1

“We are, each of us, a product of the stories we tell ourselves” - Derren Brown

British illusionist, mentalist, and author, Derren Brown, is famous for having an incredible memory. Give him twenty minutes, and he can memorize the entire contents of a book chosen at random from a library. 

One of the techniques he uses to recall information quickly draws upon the storytelling processes in our brains. To memorize a shopping list, you make a mental image of each object at various locations in your home. When you go out shopping, you visualize walking through your home, remembering the position of each object on the list when you need to recall it. 

Attaching the objects to a familiar place or journey, such as your walk to work, makes the information far more accessible as we have placed them in an everyday context. Helping your brain to create a narrative around otherwise dull information dramatically increases its ability to recall the information. 

Stories are our most vital means of communication. We have been telling them for 27,000 years since the first cave paintings. They are not only crucial to memorizing facts but hugely beneficial for developing the spectrum of skills required to learn new skills.  

So why have our brains developed in this way? And how can storytelling help with learning at work?

Why our brains are wired for storytelling

At its core, storytelling has an evolutionary purpose. When somebody tells us a story, through empathy, we can feel whatever emotions that story conjures. This connection gives us an insight into a different world, which has a significant biological advantage. 

We also think in narratives. No matter which type of activity we are completing, we are commentators on our daily activities. Even when we speak to each other, researcher Jeremy Hsu found that “personal stories and gossip make up 65% of our conversations.” 

In a post for the Harvard Corporate Learning Blog, Vanessa and Lani Peterson, Psy.D., a psychologist and professional storyteller, explain that storytelling is a vital method of communication: 

“Storytelling forges connections among people, and between people and ideas. Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people. When it comes to our countries, our communities, and our families, we understand intuitively that the stories we hold in common are an important part of the ties that bind.”

They add that stories build a sense of connection and trust. They allow the listener to enter the story based on their context, which makes them more open to learning. Stories are also a simple way to communicate complex ideas and are far more engaging than having to listen to a list of points being read out from a PowerPoint - a typical feature of team meetings or traditional corporate training classrooms.  

How learners can benefit from storytelling

Research shows that when teachers incorporate storytelling into learning, they help learners to retain information, no matter what their learning style is. 

“In any group, approximately 40 percent will be predominantly visual learners who learn best from videos, diagrams, or illustrations. Another 40 percent will be auditory, learning best through lectures and discussions. The remaining 20 percent are kinesthetic learners, who learn best by doing, experiencing, or feeling.”

2. Liven up compliance training or dry topics

Creating a story out of otherwise dull information helps learners to connect the information to other parts of the brain. For example, weaving workplace health and safety requirements into a series of stories would activate the empathy processing centers in the brain, meaning learners can better connect with the importance of staying safe at work.

3. Learning through stories increases engagement

Uri Hasson from Princeton explains that a story is the only way to activate specific parts of the brain. When hearing a story, the listener automatically turns what they pick up into their version, which forms part of their experience. We are wired to listen to stories as a way of passing on and remembering essential information, which is why a narrative structure works so well in a learning context.  

4. Stories create a framework for learning

Practical stories help to put learning in context, which is helpful for workplace training. One of the main goals of training is for participants to be able to apply their knowledge in a practical setting. Acknowledging this during the learning process makes the transition from online to real-life scenarios far smoother. 

Stories also enable learners to work with a familiar context. Recognizable scenarios help learners to make connections between new information and their previous experience. 

5. Through onboarding, stories can communicate your organization’s vision

Onboarding new staff members is an excellent opportunity to communicate an organization’s vision. When an onboarding course is constructed using storytelling, organizations can communicate the pillars of their brand to new staff members, and embed that story in their initial experience of the company. 

This process not only prepares new employees better for their role within the company but helps to lay the foundations for a connection to the organization’s strategic goals. 

A one stop shop for all things training, Go1 makes it easy to compare the best training options available, and find the right resources for your professional development, compliance and business training needs. 

With Go1 Premium, you’ll have unlimited access to a growing library containing thousands of learning resources, from top training providers around the world - all in one easy subscription.  

How storytelling primes our brains for learning

At Go1, we partner with some of the best learning content providers from across the world, to bring you up-to-date specialist training for your industry.  

Today, we want to introduce you to Charles Bloe Training - a trusted and accredited UK content provider in the health and social care space. 

Through our partnership with Charles Bloe Training, Go1 Premium customers will now have access to a vast and varied portfolio of online and face-to-face training courses, suitable for healthcare professionals including nurses, paramedics, doctors, clinicians and pharmacists.

Introducing Charles Bloe Training - accredited clinical training for healthcare professionals

Learn more about the Go1 x Charles Bloe Training partnership

Charles Bloe Training cover a wide range of clinical areas including:

Caring for people with complex care needs

Immunisation / vaccination and anaphylaxis

The great thing about Charles Bloe’s content is that it has been developed by healthcare professionals, for healthcare professionals. Their specialist training is authored and delivered by clinicians who are currently practicing in healthcare, meaning learners can relate the content to their everyday clinical practice.

You can also be sure that you’re getting the very latest training content, as Charles Bloe’s online courses are written by clinical experts and reviewed every year. 

Charles Bloe Training have a wide range of online courses in Go1 Premium, designed to help healthcare professionals meet their CPD and compliance training needs. All of their courses can count towards revalidation with the NMC or other health care body. 

Get started with Charles Bloe Training content here! 

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Introducing Charles Bloe accredited clinical training - Go1

Go1 Premium customers will now have access to a vast and varied portfolio of online and face-to-face training courses, suitable for healthcare professionals including nurses, paramedics, doctors, clinicians and pharmacists.

Traditionally, training courses for staff looked very much like a school classroom — a facilitator leading the class, delivering knowledge to obedient learners. 

Facilitators with more knowledge of pedagogy would provide activities for learners to complete at regular intervals. More commonly, they would deliver the class much like a university lecture, talking from the front for the majority of the time. 

Art Kohn, Ph.D. in cognitive science, writer, and corporate training consultant, explains that if a facilitator doesn’t target content to the individual learner, they will be uninterested. 

He adds that millennials, who “are accustomed to seeking out information on an as-needed basis and are unwilling to attend to material that is not immediately interesting and valuable.”

Digital platforms offer participants a different learning experience, and the chance to take ownership of their learning, rather than being led throughout by an instructor or facilitator. 

Research conducted in schools clarifies that “ownership of learning refers to the development of a sense of connectedness, active involvement, and personal investment in the learning process.”  

To look into this further, we are going to explore how learning and development professionals can create the right environment for employees to take ownership of their learning. The next step is to equip individual learners with the skills necessary to learn independently.

Lay the foundations for ownership of learning

The learning needs across an organization can be vast. New graduates might be experiencing a steep learning curve in their first full-time job. The more experienced members of staff might suddenly have to learn entirely new technical skills.  

In this environment, employees will learn best when they can direct their learning. But, before they can become autonomous, an organization needs to develop its learning culture. 

Towards Maturity, an organization assessing the effective implementation of learning innovation found that in an unparalleled era of change for organizations, there is an excellent opportunity for L&D to deliver strategic value.  

Organizations can achieve this using their “Transformation Curve” roadmap, which describes how they can develop their learning culture. They summarise the journey into four stages: Optimizing Training, Taking Control, Letting Go, and Sharing Responsibility. 

Researchers also identified six dimensions that impact upon an organization’s capacity to transform:

Governance and decision making: aligning of learning strategy to business goals and objectives, with the smart use of evidence to support decision making.

Formal learning: building an efficient, active portfolio of formal learning resources to address skills gaps and support learners’ career development.

Informal and social learning: encouraging the interchange of ideas and mutual support to support personal and business goals, collaborative problem solving, and innovation.

The role of the learning professional: adopting business-focused and tech-savvy facilitation of L&D through blending performance support, training, and expert advice and guidance. 

The role of the manager: driving the achievement of organizational goals and championing transformation and committed to individual and business advancement through learning.

The final dimension is directly related to employees being accountable and responsible for their learning:

The role of the individual: ensuring that self-directed learners are purposeful, curious, confident, social, connected, adaptable, and take ownership of their L&D. 

How to encourage learners to take ownership

For employees to be able to take ownership of their learning, it is essential to give them a voice in the learning process. They can only become independent and progress at their own pace if they are provided with the tools, time, and scope to do so by those responsible for learning and development. Below, we outline ways in which your organization can support employees with developing their learning skills: 

1. Focus on developing skills for learning

Before employees can make choices about the direction of their learning, they need to feel confident. Learning to learn is an ongoing process throughout life, and we can always improve our ability to take on new information. 

Focus on showing employees how to review their strengths and weaknesses relevant to their role. Successful learners also need to have the right mindset and be open to making mistakes. 

2. Provide learners with the appropriate tools

Employees also need to have access to engaging content and a wide range of learning materials. Each learner’s journey is personalized. While there will be overlaps in the information each employee needs, they will require access to a well-stocked content library. The Go1 Premium platform is home to a growing collection containing thousands of learning resources. 

3. Allocate time for employees to explore and learn

Allocating time for professional development is also beneficial for staff retention. Opportunities for ongoing learning and growth are vital for employees to feel invested in their organization. Ultimately, human beings function best in environments that allow them to grow. 

Deloitte’s 2017 ‘Global Human Capital Trends’ report found 42 percent of millennials are likely to leave their organizations because they’re not learning fast enough. The data also reveals that among millennials, the “ability to learn and progress” is now a key element in their perception of a company’s brand.

4. Ask employees for their opinions on the direction of strategy

For employee voice to be a useful tool in learning and development strategy, staff members need to feel comfortable giving honest feedback. They also need to be confident that those in leadership will take their views on board.

Both leaders and employees should be able to discuss different topics in a spirit of collaboration, which leads to goal setting and strategic planning.

Encourage your learners to own their personal development training, by giving them the flexibility to search and select courses that reflect their professional interests. This helps your employees take the learning outside of the workplace, so they can access it whenever and wherever they want.

Giving employees ownership of learning to increase engagement

For many people, networking is an activity they know would be beneficial to their careers, but they are uncertain of how to engage purposefully with others. Many will have made connections organically, but won’t have set out to nurture their networks. 

The idea of networking can also be daunting. Most of us enjoy interacting with others and making conversation, but when the label of ‘networking’ is applied, it can increase the pressure. 

No matter what your personality is like, it can be daunting to grow and develop your network. While it may seem as though extroverts breeze through events, comfortably making small talk, everyone is under pressure to make a lasting first impression. 

With networking, we also feel as though there should be a defined outcome at the end of the conversation, when, in fact, there doesn’t need to be. Essentially, networking is making organic connections with others in a professional context. 

The adoption of digital communication tools has changed the landscape of networking - in many ways, for the better. But how much has the process changed? And how can we continue to make the most of our social interactions?

How has digital communication changed networking? 

For those who lack confidence in making new connections face-to-face, technology provides a less intimidating alternative. Instead of having to nudge their way into conversations awkwardly, the more introverted among us now have the option to reach out online. 

Ellevate is a community of professional women committed to helping members succeed in their careers. Kristy Wallace, CEO of the organization, explains that the digital age has changed the process of networking considerably. She attributes this to three key factors: 

1. We used to make our most influential connections based on proximity

Before the advent of digital communication, we made all of our connections through face-to-face interaction. We would predominantly connect with people in the same region and the same industry, as this was the only option available. 

Now, our networks are far broader, and we can connect with people all over the world. We are easily able to communicate with our peers in different countries, potential mentors, and even reach out to find our next job prospect. 

3. Nurturing connections has become more of a challenge

The difficulty in this new social environment is growing and maintaining relationships. Making initial contact is far more straightforward, but developing a new relationship into more than an acquaintance requires a considerable amount of effort. Much of relationship-building is conducted face-to-face, although it is possible to grow a purely digital relationship. 

Wallace adds that regularity is the key to developing relationships made online. Where networking has been successful for Ellevate members, they have committed to meeting with each other regularly, “to lend support, to talk about their lives and their jobs.”

This genuine connection is key to developing long-lasting relationships, and “regularity is essential in not only establishing but maintaining meaningful relationships.”

Although it is hard to find time for networking in the fast-paced digital world, the benefits of building and nurturing professional relationships are clear. Social networking platforms can be used to leverage initial connections, but you will need to go beyond online interaction to create meaningful, long-lasting bonds. Here is our advice on how to navigate the networking gauntlet: 

Successful networking requires a concerted effort to develop relationships, but you can make connections organically. 

Any conversation is an opportunity to grow your professional network - even where you least expect it. You might find you have a mutual connection with somebody at your local cafe. Or maybe there are similarities in the kind of work you do. You never know who you will meet or when, so try to keep an open mind. 

 If you want to focus on building your networks, think about your strengths in communication. Do you prefer one-to-one conversations? Or are you at your best when you have the attention of a group? Look for networking opportunities that allow you to play to your strengths or create your own.   

Events are a great way to meet new people in your industry. While mustering up the energy to attend after work isn’t always easy, turning up once in a while will significantly grow your network. Having met with people face-to-face for initial interactions will also make it easier to form ongoing relationships.

If striking up a conversation with somebody new sounds like your worst nightmare, set yourself a challenge to introduce yourself to at least one person and speak with them about why you are attending.  

After you have a promising interaction, take the opportunity to build the relationship further by inviting the person out for a coffee. When we conduct so much of our communication online, he or she will probably appreciate a face-to-face interaction. A coffee or walk can also be a less intimidating way to grow a new relationship.  

The conversation is the most critical element of good networking. Be inquisitive and ask the other person lots of questions. You don’t want to inundate them, but take an interest in their lives. No matter who they are, assume you have something new to learn from them!

Go1 is your employee’s gateway to professional development growth. With courses that cover numerous business functions, we help your staff grow into their role by unlocking their potential. Content is at all levels of difficulty and is suitable for any employee, in any department, in any region.

Creating meaningful connections through networking

While the pursuit of knowledge can be enough to motivate learners, the experience of learning online is about more than acquiring information from content. How the learner interacts with that content, the connection they feel to the material, and how engaged they are with the concepts are all factors designers need to consider. 

Human beings learn primarily through responding to experiences they have had. The task for course designers is to think beyond training sessions and to have the experience of learning in mind as they build courses. Ultimately, designers aim to meet each learners' needs and spark their interest.

Learner Experience Design (LXD) is concerned with how to achieve these goals. Based on the principles of User Experience Design, the purpose of LXD is to consider the learner experience in the design of training content. 

LearningExperienceDesign.com summarises LXD as:

a discipline built around principles and practices that expressly ensure the learning journey is enjoyable, engaging, relevant, and informative.

focused on both content and user experience.

human-centred in approach. LX designers must understand both the audience and their needs before making a start.  

realistic about the environment in which learners are participating. 

In this article, we are looking into how LX designers go from churning out repetitive modules to creating meaningful learning experiences for participants. 

Considerations for a seamless learner experience

With a learner-centric focus, LXD is primarily concerned with the user experience. For an online course to be successful, it needs to add value to both the learner and the organization by being usable, useful, desirable, accessible, and findable. The 'User Experience Honeycomb' helps to explain this:

The additional task of the LX designer is to take the learner on a journey with the organisation. Companies want learners to feel invested in their vision, and learning is a great way to tell a company's story.

The Association for Talent Development explains that to be effective, learner experience designers also need to do the following:  

Before beginning the design process, LX designers must understand the needs of learners and their organization. Personalized design is essential where the goal is to add value. 

One way learning designers can do this is to identify learning objectives for each lesson on a course they are making. With clear learning goals in mind, designers can use elements and tools to ensure that learners can meet the objectives, and enjoy the experience along the way.

2. Go deeper to develop skills or expertise

It is also essential that LX designers understand how learners develop the skills or expertise necessary for their roles. Depending on the industry they work within, they may have the knowledge required to create course content. However, they might be designing for an organization whose needs lie outside their expertise. 

In this case, learning designers will work closely with learning and development professionals to create course content that is both relevant and useful to participants.

3. Build learning into the flow of work, without participants having to jump through hoops (multiple sites, programs, logins, passwords)

The fewer steps learners have to take to engage with content, the better. Each new window they have to open, or new platform they move to, slows the pace of a lesson, which is vital to learners remaining engaged. If designers can work with tools to make the content flow seamlessly, the learning experience will be far more authentic and enjoyable. The aim is to avoid it becoming too clunky or technical

4. Allow for interactions with real people (experts, peers, instructors) in a coherent way

Although it can be a challenge for LX designers to build in opportunities for social interaction when creating online learning courses, communication is an integral part of learning. According to the 70:20:10 theory of learning and development, 20 percent of understanding comes from participants talking to each other, asking questions, and generally engaging with each other.  

With this in mind, learning designers must consider how to include opportunities for interaction coherently. Participants can either engage with experts, their peers, or instructors - it doesn’t matter as long as they have opportunities to interact. There are several ways for online learners to communicate, including discussion boards and setting activities away from the desk for learners to complete. 

5. Include higher-order Bloom’s Taxonomy activities that involve practice, application, and reflection

 LX designers also need to have an awareness of the types of thinking skills they can ask learners to use. With knowledge of Bloom’s Taxonomy, designers can encourage participants to engage in a range of activity types. 

For example, higher-order thinking skills, such as application, reflection, and creativity, make for a far more engaging learning experience and help participants to develop a broad range of applicable skills.

More than ever, in the digital era, employees are required to use their knowledge to create, innovate, or design to add value. If they receive training on how to develop these skills, the learning will be all the more valuable.

6. Not only consume things created by others but also personalize those resources into actionable insights that become uniquely theirs

For an online learning experience to be engaging, it must go beyond merely asking participants to consume content created by others. If all learners are asked to do is watch videos and read articles, they could easily do this in their own time.

An excellent online course will set activities for learners to complete, which are unique to them and their role. They will enable the participant to be creative and take the initiative. 

For example, if designers create a course focused on better communication in the workplace, they could ask learners to test out a new communication tool they have picked up during a lesson. The aim might be to try out the new tool three times during their working week. They might then ask the learner to reflect on the process, either by writing down their thoughts or speaking with a line manager or learning and development professional. 

What you need to know about Learner Experience Design (LXD)

Whether you work for a large organization or a small team, change is inevitable, and there is little that remains constant as a business grows and develops. In the digital age, organizations have to be agile and adaptive to keep up with the breakneck pace of technological development. 

Change is predictable but can be difficult for human beings to cope with psychologically. Some people are better able to handle the ups and downs, but in the modern workplace, this is a challenge regardless of personality type.

One way to help employees through the process of either a significant or minor change is to give them a voice. 

In this article, we will share our thoughts on the importance of employee voice in the learning process and how to harness employees’ opinions to their full potential. 

Why giving employees a voice is essential for learning

Griffith University explains that employee voice is “the ways and means through which employees attempt to have a say. [They can] potentially influence organizational affairs about issues that affect their work and the interests of managers and owners”.

In a workplace learning context, organizational leaders can use employee voice to shape the learning culture and drive learning and development strategy. If employees feel they have a say in the learning process, they are far more likely to be engaged and feel a sense of ownership.

Arguably, learners need to have a say throughout the learning process to make it their own, and for content to be accurately personalized to their needs. 

How to gather employee feedback and make it useful

1. Create an environment conducive to honest feedback

Both leaders and employees should be able to discuss different topics in a spirit of collaboration, which leads to goal setting and strategic planning. 

2. Make it clear what kind of feedback your team would like

It is also crucial for organizational leaders to set the parameters for the kind of feedback they would like to receive. To do this, they need to think about the questions they need to ask employees and the way they would like them to respond. Are short written answers useful? Perhaps a survey might be more efficient. 

Regardless of the methods used, “feedback should be specific, objective, consistent, and timely.” The environment in which employees communicate feedback must also be supportive and should encourage an open dialog between employees and leadership teams. 

3. Use online course feedback systems and your LMS

Feedback features built into online courses, and your LMS, can also provide insight into how participants are finding the learning process. Every learning platform comes with metrics those responsible for learning and development can review and utilize to shape strategy moving forward. 

Data analysis could be as simple as reviewing how many staff members started and completed a particular online course. Analytics will show both how engaged the staff was initially, and whether or not they found the content itself useful or engaging. 

The performance management process is a great way to glean feedback from employees on the learning and development strategy in your organization. 

Asking employees for their opinions during this time can also make performance reviews feel less like an opportunity for scrutiny, and more like a two-way process. 

Surveys are a quick and straightforward way to gather employees’ opinions. They also make it easy to set the parameters for responses, as described above. 

Questions organization leaders might consider including are:

What opportunities for learning would you like to see?

How will it help you to progress personally?

Is there any other help you need with your role that is not currently supported by our learning and development offering? 

6. Assess feedback and see how it aligns with learning and development strategy

After your leadership team has gathered feedback from staff members, the next step is to assess how it aligns with the current learning and development strategy. Are there common threads to the responses? Do the reactions align with the thoughts of the learning and development team, or have they highlighted new issues the team needs to address? Review responses with these strategic questions in mind.  

7. Act upon feedback, and make it explicit

When asking employees for feedback, it is crucial to explain how that feedback will be used and applied to learning and development strategy. Staff members must feel like those in leadership will both listen to their opinions, and that they will implement their suggestions.

Think about how to make this process explicit. If your leadership team has genuinely listened to the responses and made efforts to implement them, make this clear. Show how their ideas have influenced strategy. 

How employee voice can shape the workplace learning process

The online learning environment is a convenient and flexible way for employees to engage with professional development. Regardless of location or time, participants can upskill and develop expertise in their own time, at their own pace.

While there are many benefits of online learning for both employees and organizations, the learning experience can feel isolating for participants. For learning designers, the challenge is to create opportunities for social interaction for online learners in ways that will add value. 

In this article, we will explore why discussion between learners is beneficial, and consider how to incorporate more opportunities for interaction with online courses. 

Why communication between learners is beneficial 

Whether learning takes place online, face-to-face, or uses blended methods, communication between participants is a crucial part of the process. 

The 70:20:10 model for professional learning has become an increasingly popular learning tool. The theory is simple and recognizes that the majority of learning opportunities occur outside of formal lessons. 

According to the model, social learning accounts for 20% of all learning opportunities. While many interactions will occur naturally, those responsible for learning and development in organizations can also take steps to facilitate discussion. 

Research suggests that asking the right questions is a helpful place to begin. In the journal article, Designing Discussion Questions for Online Adult Learning, Berge and Muilenburg explain this concept in more detail: 

‘Online learning environments, web-based or otherwise, are often more learner-centered than traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Online classrooms that use computer conferencing are discussion-oriented, authentic, problem and project-based, inquiry focused, and collaborative (Berge, 1997). In this type of environment, it is usually more important for the instructor to ask the “right questions” than to give the “right answers”.’

How to make online learning more interactive

There is no doubt that it is challenging to create authentic opportunities for social interaction with online courses. However, learning and development professionals can enhance the online experience. The following suggestions might be a useful starting point:

1. Choose or design modules with the right questions

As explained above, the questions and activities set in an online course will determine both the quality of learning and interaction between participants. It is essential that those responsible for learning and development review the lessons they choose for employees to engage with, and ensure that they are asking the “right” kind of questions.  

But what does this mean? Berge and Muilenburg go on to explain that the quality of questions asked of participants can be assessed using Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

Questions that generate more interaction between participants tend to encourage higher-order thinking skills, such as creativity, reflection, and analysis. If participants are asked to recall facts as part of a learning activity or asked to consume content, they will have very little reason to engage with each other.

In a review on making classroom discussions more interactive, Amy Peterson points to discussion boards as a handy tool. She explains that in a traditional classroom, a select few learners participate in classroom discussion, while the others remain silent. 

With online discussion boards, each participant can contribute to the debate without the social pressure of answering in front of a large group. When online courses use discussion boards effectively, this means more learners can actively participate in the learning process and engage with other students. 

Another advantage with discussion boards is that the size of the group can be controlled, allowing for closer interaction between participants when the class size is smaller. The learners can form closer bonds with fewer people, and it becomes much easier for them to collaborate. Groups can also rotate to give depth to interactions and help participants to engage in a variety of different learning interactions. 

Again, asking the right questions is key to facilitating high-quality discussion. Discussion prompts that are open-ended will be particularly helpful, and those which encourage students to give real-life examples. Students can also lead the conversation, and use prompts to guide the dialogue.

3. Create opportunities for face-to-face interaction between learners

 An online course alone can offer learners many opportunities for discussion and interaction. However, learning and development professionals can build upon these discussions either physically in the workplace or via video link. 

Although not always possible, physical interactions are preferable as they enable participants to experience the full range of communication when interacting with each other. For example, they can read each other’s body language and pick up on changes in tone of voice. 

4. Build in opportunities for reflection on learning

Learning and development professionals can also build upon the discussions generated in an online course by providing more opportunities for participants to reflect on learning. 

A well-structured online course will include opportunities to reflect on the learning process. However, it might be helpful to allocate time for further reflection and discussion beyond the online course. 

For example, if a module is focused on teaching participants a particular skill, they could be encouraged to apply their learning during the following week. At the next team catch up, they could bring their reflections along to generate discussion. 