eLearning: Providing Learner Feedback

Real life situations in elearning can make some of the best learning opportunities, but the impact of that learning lies in the feedback.

There is real value in investigating the idea I've noted above. When dealing with learners in a WBT, CBT and elearning forum, feedback in a self-paced course can make or break a learners on-the-job application of the content. I'm in the midst of a very intensive Customer Service training program. The goal is to provide new Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) with the skills they need to be able to function as a first line support system for customers. There are many different modules included in this learning, each touching on a different software application required in the day-to-day operations of the Service Department. As well, there are modules which contain content necessary to be an effective communicator, telephone answerer, anger diffuser, and over-all customer mind reader.

One of the areas I've been struggling with (aside from the sheer volume of content) is the opportunity to challenge the learner in knowledge check, scenario based learning, chapter quizzes, and final assessments and choose appropriate feedback based on the choices or answers provided.

The Goal – Natural Feedback

I've found what works best for this particular course, is to provide feedback to my learner which is NATURAL. For me, the term "natural feedback" means: any feedback which would be given to me on the job given that same situation. This is not your candy coated "Great Job! You chose the correct answer" or "I'm sorry, that is not correct". By natural feedback I mean that is sounds as if someone is speaking to me naturally and providing me the opportunity to truly learn from my mistake. What was the business or even personal implication of the choice I just made? Telling me I got it right doesn't help me reflect on WHY it was right and telling me to try again doesn't help me understand the effect of the choice I just made.

Tips to Providing Great Natural Feedback

Here are a few tips to help you provide feedback to your learners:

• Provide Effect of a decision or action (different than the outcome ) – The unhappy client tells 5 prospects about the service you just provided
• Demonstrate Reactions – expand on the client frowning – why are they frowning, what exactly did they object to and WHY to make this more personal
• Explain (or show) Physical/verbal and non-verbal responses – does the client's face go red? Does an employee overhearing the conversation cringe, does someone else point and laugh? These to the initial event can add depth and an air of reality to the situation
• Discuss Results – The 5 prospects refuse to do business with your company and don't hesitate to tell the sales professional you are the reason
• Define the Consequences – The Customer Service Department has to work harder to regain its reputation, the sales person loses the sale, the company loses the capital
• Identify the Impacts – You lose your job, the company loses business and could potentially go bankrupt
• Reflect on the outcomes or results of the choice – ask the tough questions for learners to self-evaluate: what would you have done better, what could you have done differently?

Feedback should not always be negative. Correct answers should recap the positive aspects of the answer and demonstrate why it was the best answer. Follow through with the positive impact of the correct choice for example, did you just get a bonus, a raise, or did you make it to the coveted corner office? These details add impact to the correct answer.

If you offer an answer that is "almost correct" or works but is not the "Best Answer", provide feedback on what worked and then what doesn't about the selected answer.

Feedback, when given, should provide valuable information to help the learner develop, but keep it real!

PowerPoint 2010: Empowering Rapid eLearning

I've been an avid PowerPoint user, enthusiast, trainer and "evangelist" for many years.

I remember when I discovered the power of manipulating the clip art gallery and still feel the awe I felt when I discovered how to ungroup those clip objects so that I could manipulate the colours and even change the shapes slightly. That was PowerPoint 97 – and I immediately fell in love with the great things PowerPoint had to offer.

As I developed my skills, I shared my enthusiasm with countless students both on the corporate training front and at the post secondary level when I taught at Conestoga College. While the majority of those I taught were there to learn how to create presentations for sales, I always found a way to share how wonderful PowerPoint was as a tool for educating. (After all isn't a sales presentation a way to educate potential buyers?)

Now is no different. Now I have some really wonderful tools to share with you, when you create your next educational PowerPoint!

Screen Shot Tool/Photo Album

From the insert menu there are a few tools which have definitely made me a happy PowerPoint camper! If I had to create rapid eLearning with a budget, these tools would be top of my list. The Screenshot tool, when used in conjunction with other open applications, minimizes the PowerPoint window, places a semi-transparent screen over the desktop window so that you can click and drag to create a screen clip the size and shape you want – and it uses the windows clipboard to immediately copy and paste the screenshot into the open PowerPoint presentation.

I have found this to be very helpful when creating software training and simulations. And it's a much more thrifty use of investment dollars over spending money on screen clipping software. It's also a lot faster and easier than using the old "print screen" button and then cropping the image to suit.

The Photo Album is also very helpful for eLearning. The original purpose of the Photo Album tool is to create a presentation from the images. I use this tool to organize my images and insert them into my elearning. Having my images in one place makes it faster to put my learning together making it truly "rapid".

New Picture Tools


For people like me, these new picture tools are amazing, and quick! No longer do we need to use a third-party imaging program such as Adobe's Photoshop to edit images. Now we can use the new tools to remove background from images (helpful if you only want one part of an image, a person rather than the whole image). The Corrections tool lets you sharpen of soften an image and make image corrections. The Color tool provides an opportunity to quickly re-colour a selected image, and adding artistic effects is just plain FUN!

Here is an image in its original state and then using the "Light Screen" effect. Cool right? And it took three clicks.

1. Select the image
2. Select Artistic Effects
3. Select the effect you want.

There are loads of other great features of PowerPoint 2010 and I'm sure I will find a way to discuss them all, but for now, I'm going to continue to play with these features to help me quickly create elearning courses and add interest to my course images!