{"id":6932,"date":"2018-05-29T17:00:38","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T14:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=6932"},"modified":"2024-05-20T16:31:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T13:31:00","slug":"ways-improve-completion-rates-elearning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/ways-improve-completion-rates-elearning.html","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Improve Completion Rates for eLearning"},"content":{"rendered":"
Imagine you\u2019re teaching a class. Now image that more than 9 out of 10 students walk out before the end. That\u2019s what it\u2019s like when learners don\u2019t complete their eLearning courses.<\/p>\n

When it comes to eLearning, even the big and famous want to know how to increase completion rates for online courses. In fact, Harvard reports completion rates of only 6% across their EdX courses<\/strong><\/a>. That\u2019s the kind of statistic that makes it tempting to hang up your training hat altogether.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t give up just yet. We’ve got 7 ways to\u00a0boost your completion rates.<\/p>\n

\u00a07 Ways to\u00a0Improve Completion Rates<\/h2>\n

From perfecting your communication around training goals<\/strong><\/a> to using emails and rewards to keep learners on track, the following tips will get your completion rates climbing.<\/p>\n

1. Help learners understand the purpose of the training<\/h3>\n

Do you like to commit your time to something you don\u2019t care about? Of course not. Learners are no different: they need to know why training is important, and how it will benefit them, in order to commit to it.<\/p>\n

Many online courses don\u2019t make their purpose clear. So, when learners ask \u201cwhat do I stand to gain from this?\u201d there really isn\u2019t an obvious answer. Get past this obstacle by stating your learning outcomes, and how they connect to employees\u2019 roles, clearly from the start of training.<\/p>\n

2. Recognize and reward learners who complete courses<\/h3>\n

A sense of accomplishment<\/strong><\/a> can significantly increase completion rates for online courses. For example, when learners who complete a course are able to share their certificate on LinkedIn, they often feel that the training has contributed to their career growth. Prompts can also be used to encourage learners to share their progress and achievements on other social networks, like Facebook.<\/p>\n

Learners are also motivated by the progress of their peers. So, consider using leaderboards to track the whole group\u2019s momentum. Many learners pick up their pace to keep up with the superstars at the head of the class.<\/p>\n

Finally, consider appropriate rewards for reaching the top of the leaderboard, like meal vouchers, a special training opportunity, or an extra day off.<\/p>\n

3. Keep courses short and focused<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s not beat around the bush: your employees are busy and would prefer not to add another thing to their to-do lists. This means you need to design lean, tight, courses that don\u2019t include any floofy content.<\/p>\n

Use microlearning<\/strong><\/a> to get the most out of every moment, and cater to short attention spans with chunked content that doesn\u2019t take more than a few minutes to work through. Even when you\u2019re not using microlearning content, keep videos shorter than 10 minutes, and documents under 10 pages. Finally, split course and modules into smaller chunks if they cover too many ideas.<\/p>\n

4. Quiz regularly, not only at the end<\/h3>\n

You wouldn\u2019t expect that more testing would be the key to improve course completion rates. But positive feedback loops, like a short quiz every 2 or 3 lessons (even if they\u2019re not very difficult), give learners a break from reading and watching.<\/p>\n

Short, regular quizzes are a valuable opportunity to apply new knowledge, and for learners to test themselves. This way, learners aren\u2019t going into the final assessment blind.<\/p>\n

Regular quizzes also have the welcome side effect of encouraging learners to keep going. A small sense of achievement through completing an exercise or activity can have a huge impact on the motivation to keep going.<\/p>\n

5. Create buzz!<\/h3>\n

Make training something that employees can\u2019t wait to participate in, and definitely don\u2019t want to miss out on. Create a buzz by running an internal marketing campaign with contests, teasers, visual leaderboards and regular acknowledgment of learners\u2019 successes.<\/p>\n

When training becomes a social activity and learners can discuss their training with others, they\u2019re more likely to complete it. This is also because talking about training publicly makes it hard to put \u201cout of mind\u201d and creates a sense of accountability to finish it.<\/p>\n

Improve course completion rates even more by taking the buzz to social media. Encourage employees to share their progress and their training experience with friends and colleagues. This makes training a tangible part of their lives.<\/p>\n

6. Use email reminders<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t just let learners fall behind. Instead, use a planned email campaign to bring them back into the fold.<\/p>\n

Your first email when learners enroll should include something along the lines of \u201cYou have X days to complete this course. If you complete the course within the time limit, you\u2019ll receive Y. If you don’t, here’s what will happen.”<\/p>\n

Further down the line, you may need to use some craft email messages to recover learners who\u2019ve lost their enthusiasm for training. Include phrases like: \u201cWe see that you haven\u2019t logged on in X days. Want to get in on the learning action? Jump right back in by clicking here.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can also capitalize on people\u2019s natural Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) with messages like: \u201cX% of your colleagues have already completed the course. Click here to catch up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Weekly, automated emails are a way of politely reminding learners how much they have left to do, and what rewards await them if they complete it. This communication can also be time-effective.<\/p>\n

7. Good design<\/h3>\n

Outdated content like PowerPoint presentations from the 90s is a great way to scare your learners off.<\/p>\n

To improve completion rates for online courses, you need to recognize that modern eLearning content needs to be designed with a sophisticated user in mind. Readability, interactivity and visual appeal have all become important in a world saturated with online platforms.<\/p>\n

So, choose a Learning Management System (LMS) with a user-friendly design. Then, take advantage of its features<\/strong><\/a> by creating different content types, like videos, graphics, and notes, to appeal to all kinds of learning styles.<\/p>\n

But, Why Should I Even Care About Completion Rates<\/h2>\n

Low eLearning completion rates is like baking a pie that never gets eaten. It takes effort and planning, and yet it never gets to benefit the people it was intended for. When learners don\u2019t complete the full eLearning course, there\u2019s no way to claim a good return on investment on all the activities, videos and assessments that learners missed out on.<\/p>\n

On a planning level, this is bad for training budgets<\/strong><\/a>. On an educational level, this is tragic for learners, who might consider their training \u201cdone\u201d despite missing out on core knowledge and skills. This, in turn, affects their skills development, their performance in the workplace, and their career growth.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s look more closely at the specific disadvantages of low completion rates, and the advantages to look forward to if you improve course completion rates.<\/p>\n

Low vs High Completion Rates: Risks & Benefits<\/h3>\n

Why do you bother with training? Simple: to achieve true behavioral change in learners. And this behavioral change should contribute to improved job performance, better alignment to company goals, and greater workplace happiness. When learners don\u2019t complete their training program, it\u2019s far less likely to have a lasting transformational effect on them.<\/p>\n

Because unless you increase course completion rates, learners are left understanding only half of the story. This means that miscommunication with their direct colleagues, managers, and other departments is likely to increase.<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s important to note that some training (like compliance training<\/strong><\/a>) requires 100% completion, while other training doesn\u2019t. That said, completion rates still need to improve across the board for learners to gain all the intended benefits of training. And, boy, are there benefits! Like these:<\/p>\n