If you want to make eLearning truly effective, you should take a closer look at the data your learners generate in the course. It can offer an invaluable insight into whether the course provides effective learning opportunities as well as how the learners are interacting with the eLearning course itself.
See the list below or download this handout as a PDF file.
We frequently use the Data Cloud widget to collect course usage data. If you author your courses in Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate, you too can easily start collecting the eLearning course usage data. Here are some examples of the data points we track that help us understand the learners and produce better courses:
1. The number of times optional content is viewed. This metric helps us understand the engagement and answer the following questions: Do the learners take time to review the content? Are they able to find their way to access the content? Do they find the content useful?
2. Outcomes for each question in a knowledge check. By looking at each question separately, we can easily see which content the learners are having issues with. The questions this metric answers are: Is the content adequately explained in the training? Are the learners able to apply the material they viewed? Should we make any changes to how we present the training content?
3. Slide revisits. If the learners frequently revisit certain slides, we want to know that. This helps us understand the following: What content do they find especially useful or interesting? Is any material confusing or unclear? Should we provide any additional eLearning content?
4. The order in which the content is viewed. This is especially helpful with the courses that have branching and/or open navigation. Here’s what we learn from this metric: Is the content structured properly? What topics/branches do they access first? Do they review all content before exiting the course?
5. Interaction points. If the course includes learning interactions that allow earning points, this data can explain whether the interactions meet their objectives: Do the learners find these interactions interesting? Do learning interactions increase engagement and competitiveness? How many points does a typical learner earn in an interaction?
6. Time spent in the course. We want to know how much time each learner spends in the course or on a particular content: How long does it take to complete the eLearning course? Do the learners take time to properly review the content before exiting the course?
Next step: think about the metrics that you would like to track. It can easily get overwhelming, so start with just one or two. When you are ready, implement the tracking using the Data Cloud widget and start collecting the eLearning data that can help you make courses more effective and engaging. And if you need help implementing data tracking, feel free to reach out. eLearning Company is a leading vendor of custom eLearning solutions, unique learning products, and complex digital learning offerings.
This metric will help the company understand if the learners view the content, if they are able to access the content, and if they find it useful.
When you check the outcomes for each question in a knowledge check, you can easily see which content the learners are having issues with.
If learners revisit slides, it helps the company understand if the learners find the content interesting, confusing or unclear, and if the company should provide additional eLearning content.
Checking how the learner views the eLearning content helps the company understand if the content is properly structured.
This data can explain whether the interactions meet the learning objectives. The interaction points will show if the learners find the content interesting, and if it increases engagement and competitiveness.
