Three Big Takeaways from the Chicago eLearning and Technology Showcase

Posted by Sean Markham - August 30, 2019

header-picture

We at RS had a great time at the Chicago eLearning and Technology Showcase (CETS) 2019! ATDChi and STC Chicago did an awesome job of organizing a great show, where we had some enlightening conversations. This was my first experience at CETS, and it was probably the most intimate trade show I’ve attended. During the conversations we had with some of the atendees, certain themes really stood out to me, a few of which I’d like to share:

 

Accessibility is SO Important…

A great training is only effective if learners can ACCESS it. We talked with many attendees about how the ease of use is becoming even more important as our workforce is becoming more diverse every day. Training can’t be delivered in just one way. For example, mobile training is effective, but it might not be the solution for every learner. And there’s even more to it than that.

There’s such a wide variety of skillsets and knowledge levels with technology. From older learners who may not be familiar with technology to learners with cognitive or physical disabilities to new college graduates who grew up with technology, accessibility should be a chief concern. Targeting the largest portion of your audience is important too, but creating eLearning for all is the goal we strive for. Training isn’t just about teaching; it’s also about servicing your learners and giving them the most positive learning experience possible from start to finish.

 

…and Communication is JUST as Important

If your learners can easily access their learning, then you’ve won half the battle – and you hopefully have an engaged audience! But once they’re engaged, the best way to keep them engaged is through communication. Easy visual representations that show where they are in their training, recommended course listings, and announcements about upcoming learning events are just some of the ways you can further engage and communicate to your learners. It’s easy for learners to get burnt out in a career if they feel that there’s no room to move up in their organization but seeing internal career opportunities and recommended training that can help them advance, for example, makes all the difference.

 

Getting Started is NOT Easy

This one seems like a no-brainer, but it really hit home when I spoke with a few attendees. These were folks who were either just starting in the eLearning world or had experience but were building a learning culture in their organization from the ground up. It can be overwhelming, especially when there are so many options. Choosing between dozens of learning management systems and authoring tools, organizing curriculums, creating learning paths – it can be a lot, especially when the responsibility often falls on one or two people!

But luckily if you're in that boat, we're here to help! You can always reference some of our other blog posts about taking the hassle out of learning management and designing learning that's effective no matter your audience, and more!

Of course, if you need any additional support, feel free to reach out directly! Our favorite thing to do is talk about how to make great learning experiences and we'd be happy to hear from you!
Say Hello!

Topics: training and development, Tradeshow


Recent Posts