Analytics are generally used to market and attract new customers to your brand. Big Data can also help you determine how your corporate learners are faring and if the online training content is on target. In this article, I’ll share six tips to measure online training with the help of LMS metrics.

How To Measure Online Training With LMS Metrics

It’s fairly easy to gauge employee performance by checking their online scores. However, test results don’t prove successful online training. Instead, they rate an online learner’s ability to cram and memorize information. Follow an online learner ten minutes after a test and ask a question they answered correctly in the exam. Many times, they no longer remember their answer. That’s why in online training, you need more reliable verification of knowledge transfer. Many Learning Management Systems automatically generate built-in reports. So how can use LMS metrics to measure online training?

1. Identify Common Sticking Points

Online training courses are largely self-directed. Even though online training takes place in the LMS, corporate learners chart their own path and study at their own pace. Unless it’s a time-barred compliance matter, corporate learners can take as long as they want over an online training course. That said, it’s easy for a supervisor to gauge the average rate of study. At a glance, you can tell if a particular corporate learner is dragging more than the others. This suggests they may be struggling. Similarly, if multiple corporate learners are lagging on a particular unit, it may need revision. So if you notice that a topic is problematic, make the necessary changes. If a particular team member needs support, provide it.

2. Evaluate The Before And After

Successful modes of online training go from known to unknown. A good way to test this is to start and end each section with questions. They could be open-ended queries or something more structured, but they should be related. The ‘pop quiz’ at the start has two functions: It reviews what corporate learners already know, building their confidence and proving they’re not as green as they think. After the online training course, corporate learners retest themselves to see what they know now that they didn’t before. From the Instructional Designer’s perspective, this gives a good assessment of what parts of the online training course may need revisiting. For best results, invest in an LMS with a built-in assessment engine and templates to simplify the online evaluation process. Which also allows you to track individual progress based on the pre-assessment benchmark.

3. Just Ask

We’re advised not to ask a question if we don’t want to hear the answer, which can be a nerve-wracking prospect if you’ve devoted time, effort, and resources into your online training program. However, you’ll never know if you don’t ask. If you’re curious about the efficacy of your online training content, ask your audience. Ask specific questions that are less likely to draw pandering responses. If you inquire whether they felt the online training course helped them, they’ll probably say yes. But follow up with ‘How?’ or ‘Could you tell me five ways it has helped?’ That gives you more applicable feedback. Then use your LMS to compile the results and look for patterns. For example, the chart reveals that a high number of users are dissatisfied with the sales online training course and its lack of interactivity.

4. Notice New Habits

Online training allows you to monitor your employees’ every move. If you’ve designed your online training course well, your LMS collects data at every step. This offers terabytes of gold you can sift through, drawing all kinds of conclusions. To measure online training effectiveness, you can follow up with real-world activities that test practical application. Use the LMS to deploy online training simulations and branching scenarios that test how well corporate learners apply their newfound skills or knowledge. LMS metrics allow you to identify areas for improvement and provide follow-up online training resources, such as microlearning online training tutorials that bridge skill gaps and improve comprehension. You can also use the LMS metrics to determine if they’ve acquired new favorable performance behaviors and habits.

5. Consider The Net Effects

Online training results aren’t strictly at the individual level. After sales online training, check the books to see if orders are on the rise. For customer service online training, review client feedback. A quick customer satisfaction survey before and after online training is an easy way to measure online training effectiveness. Many Learning Management Systems focus on compliance and onboarding, so survey the office floor. Check if newcomers seem to be more at ease, and how older staff members are interacting with them. If the online training was about safety, review accident rates. See how much safety gear was checked out of the communal locker.

6. Analyze Certs And Competencies

LMS metrics also allow you to determine which corporate learners completed the necessary certifications based on their job duties. Also, how well they’ve developed competencies they need in the workplace. LMS reports offer a more holistic view of their strengths, sticking points, and performance issues that may hinder their on-the-job proficiency. For instance, online training simulations, assessment results, and course completion times all contribute to the big picture. And you can evaluate the corporate learners’ profile not only to measure online training, but also to intervene early to remedy issues before they spill into the workplace.

Effective online training isn’t just about disseminating information. Good Instructional Designers take a step further to ensure their corporate learners have actually benefited from their time in the online training course. Since the ‘classroom’ is a virtual setting, there are hundreds of tools to confirm this. Calculate how long they took to complete each online training module and the online training course as a whole. Do a little quiz before and after each online training module to compare knowledge retention rates. Ask specific questions about what the employees have learned, and how the online training course helped them. Watch to see if they’re doing anything differently after the fact. Finally, assess the effect of these changes, if any, on profit margins.

Which LMS metrics should your Learning Management System provide to help you make your online training course more effective? Read the article 6 LMS Metrics eLearning Professionals Should Look For to discover the 6 top LMS metrics that you should look for in your next LMS platform.