Whether you have a new enterprise LMS or need to get more out of your existing one, you need to create a learning strategy that is efficient and scalable. Your professional development content is valuable to your members, so it’s imperative to have an enterprise LMS that can provide a streamlined learning experience with a user-friendly interface. Now, how do you create a learning strategy that incorporates all of the necessary components for success? Let’s explore a few ways you can get the most out of your enterprise LMS together.
How to Create a Learning Plan
As the thought leader in your industry, your organization has accumulated a large amount of content. Whether it’s proprietary research, unique insights, or innovative trends, your organization needs a way to structure this material into a class, certification program, or online event. You want your content to be consumed easily, and that requires a learning plan. The way you structure and organize the content you have with your members or students is imperative to your success. Once you’ve decided on your enterprise LMS, you’ll need to start your learning plan. Here are five components that every learning strategy should incorporate.
1. Learning Objectives
Your learning objectives should begin with the question, “Why?” Why are learners choosing your organization to obtain certification or learn a new skill? What are they seeking to achieve? Why are you creating the content in the first place? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin assessing the content you currently have and the engagement you’ve seen in the past. Consider what content topics are the most relevant and popular. How are they best consumed (via video, downloadable PDF, etc.)? If you don’t have enough data to reflect these answers, it’s a good idea to survey your members for their responses. You can share that you are working to improve the learning modules and require their unique insights to make the courses better. Once you’ve identified the learners’ needs, you have a baseline for content development.
2. Interoperability
Decide which model you want to use for the Instructional Systems Design (ISD). ISD models help organizations design, develop, deliver, and assess formal learning experiences. Using one of these models will help you remain consistent in your content creation process, making the course easy to navigate for your learners. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that you are utilizing one of the many Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) authoring tools such as Storyline, Camtasia, or Captivate to ensure learners can easily navigate, bookmark, and identify progress goals throughout their learning experience.
3. Industry Expertise
You have the valuable content in your repository, but make sure that you have identified the right subject matter experts (SMEs) and speakers to lecture on your topics. Select content that is relevant to the industry and showcase your organization’s expertise on the subject matter by sharing proprietary research, inviting industry experts to share insights, or highlighting emerging data in your presentations. Your content is the single most important aspect of your enterprise learning strategy, so make sure to spend time selecting the topics and experts that are most relevant and valuable to your learners.
4. Diversified Content Delivery
Not everyone learns in the same way. That’s why it’s important to make sure you diversify the delivery of your content on your website. Maybe you want to live stream an in-person event or create recordings for coursework so students can complete the lessons on their own schedule. Diversified content delivery is crucial for the success of your learning plan. With multiple options for learners to choose from, you give your learners more opportunities to succeed in their professional development journey.
5. Efficient Processes
Set up processes that make sense for your staff members. Who will create course content? Will this be an in-house project or will you need to utilize content creation services from your enterprise LMS provider? Who will manage data? What about updates to courses? How will you execute live events and keep track of accreditations? Establishing clear guidelines and ownership responsibilities with your team will help your organization define expectations and run your learning programs more efficiently.
Benefits of an Enterprise LMS
1. Create Value for Your Learners
Your educational courses are a key member benefit, and the way you present them influences how members perceive their value. Your enterprise LMS should support the ability to offer your valuable content to members, helping them find the content they need, when they need it. Your enterprise LMS should allow you to provide members with recommendations for courses and continuing education based on their career stage and present members with dynamic tests and assessments to help learners work toward credits and certifications. This LMS should also issue and track continuing education credits, certifications, and competency-based certificates.
2. Increase Learner Engagement & Retention
A successful education program has the power to engage members and ultimately increase member retention. Ensure your enterprise LMS allows your organization to connect with learners through interactive features. Some of the most popular features include live webinar polls, Q&A panels, social media integrations, and screen sharing. Take advantage of those features by incorporating those engagement tools into your learning courses. When you enable your members to access educational content in a variety of ways, you increase your membership participation and retention. Data from the Community Brands Member Education and Career Development Report shows newer learning formats – such as webcasts, on-demand learning courses, and mobile learning opportunities – are growing in popularity among members. Look for an enterprise LMS that supports a range of learning modes, allowing members to view content based on their schedules, preferences, and technology.
3. Streamline Manual Processes for Staff Members
It’s important for your staff to be able to focus on your education programs, not on manual processes. Look for a system that streamlines and simplifies manual tasks, so your staff members can focus their time so they on delivering the right content to your members when they need it. An enterprise LMS system should be user-friendly and simple to navigate, especially for your team. Look for an enterprise LMS that enables your staff members to create, edit, categorize, and build a library of courses as well as manage learner data, orders, reports, and requests with ease.
4. Drive More Revenue with Valuable Content
Your learning program has great potential to drive revenue for your organization. Whether you are creating classes and certification programs or hosting an event, online learning opportunities can generate more revenue. This experience is propelled by your valuable content. When you provide content from your in-person learning events through an online experience, it offers another way for you to drive revenue for the same event. You can bring in revenue you otherwise would not capture from members who are unable to attend in-person events due to schedule, budget, learning preferences, or other factors. Plus, when you use virtual learning options, you are stretching your investment in on-site content further by repurposing it online. You can do this by livestreaming your on-site event or offering it on-demand after the event. As far as events are concerned, you can even incorporate sponsors and exhibitors into the online experience via online session sponsorships, sponsor logos, and a virtual exhibit hall.
Get Started with Your Enterprise LMS Today
Selecting the right enterprise LMS partner is the first step in your learning plan journey. Make sure you understand all of the benefits and features of this product before you make your decision. You’ll want to partner with a company that has your best interest in mind and values customer service. Be sure you have a plan in place to use your system to its fullest. Crowd Wisdom by Community Brands offers a scalable, enterprise LMS offering that enables your organization to personalize learner experiences. With our enterprise LMS technology, you can assess learner knowledge and prepare them for success. Learn what you can do with the Crowd Wisdom enterprise LMS platform. Schedule your personalized demo today.
