How to Help SMEs Stay Focused and Create Effective Online Training

What do you do when you have an idea for a new training module and a Subject Matter Expert lined up but just as you’re applauding yourself on a job well done you realize that the SME isn’t sure where to start, how to proceed or how to stay focused on the desired materials? Don’t panic, here’s our step-by-step checklist that should keep your SME focused and on schedule.

Note: If you’re worried that you’ll offend your SME when you hand him or her a checklist to follow, our experience has been that SMEs appreciate the help. And they probably will refer back to your list a time or two as they work

Explain the point of the course

First things first, you want to explain to the learner what he or she will be learning. If you open with something that makes your reader’s eyes glaze over, it doesn’t matter how riveting the rest of your course is, you’ve already lost the person’s interest (and respect). So how do you reach out and grab someone’s attention? Tell your learners early on what they’re going to learn – and then make sure to teach it (more on that later).

Clearly state the learning objectives

There’s a pretty good chance that at least some percentage of the people who sign up for your course have no interest in being there – they’re simply there because their boss tells them they have to be. So make sure you clearly outline the objectives of the course very early on, perhaps as early as the second page of the course. We clearly state the learning objectives by saying something along the lines of “By the end of this module you will be able to help your subject matter expert write an effective online training program, keep your SME focused on the task at hand and minimize the work needed by your editing staff.” Some time should also be spent ensuring that the order of the learning objectives makes sense.

We also revisit the learning objectives at the end of the module, slightly changing the text to read “You should now be able to…”

Present the Material

The majority of the SME’s time will be spent presenting the materials, just as the learner will spend most of his or her time reading and absorbing that same information. Most of the information is likely to be delivered in the form of text and images but you can also add video and audio – or better yet, a combination of all these methods works best. The flow of information must follow the order of the previously stated learning objectives and it must make sense, be void of errors and not jump aimlessly from topic to topic. When the time comes, the editing staff can weed out the “fluff” but the SME should be reminded that only pertinent and useful information should be included.

Check understanding and knowledge of materials

Throughout the course, preferably following the detailed explanation of each learning objective, you’ll want to give learners a chance to prove that they understand the materials being presented – or to realize that maybe they need to go back and review the materials before moving forward. You can incorporate interactives activities throughout the course to ensure that learners comprehend the materials as they go. Interactives come in many forms, the most common being multiple choice or multiple select questions, true or false statements, word banks, matching, games or simulations and role playing.

Provide Feedback

We live in a world that provides constant instant gratification – and your online training modules should do so as well. Learners not only need to instantly know how they’re doing, they’ll expect to know right away. After a learner selects his or her answer to an interactive, the feedback should be presented immediately. If the correct answer was chosen, he or she should be congratulated on a job well done. If the incorrect response was chosen, feedback should be given explaining that the answer was wrong and providing the correct answer.

The same is true after the learner completes the post-module test – the grading should be instantaneous so the learner is not left wondering how he or she did. Additionally, upon receiving a passing grade, the learner (or his or her HR manager or supervisor) should quickly receive a certificate of completion. If it was up to me, everyone who passes the test would also get a cupcake.

Send qualified and knowledgeable workers out into the workforce

Though this is not strictly the job of the subject matter expert, the information taught needs to contribute to the employee being better at his or her job after the course. Always keep in mind that the information presented should be relevant to the course topic and that the interactive sections are relevant to the course materials. If you succeed here, and if the learner successfully gets through the interactives and the test, you most likely will achieve this goal.

There’s much more that goes into creating an online training program from scratch but if you start by providing this simple list to your SMEs, everyone involved in the process will benefit – from the SME to the editing and production staff to the learners themselves.