Earlier this week, we discussed tips from Vado, Inc. co-founders Kim Egan and Cindy Pascale on eliminating ‘scrap learning’ in an organization. The HR veterans presented valuable insights about setting measurable goals, understanding employee expectations and making elearning desirable to employees. By making sure elearning is broken down into implementable chunks, the amount of time and money wasted on elearning programs (‘scrap learning’) can be significantly decreased.
Now, we’re giving the elearning vendor community a chance to benefit from the Vado, Inc. masterminds. The two began the process of starting their elearning company with extensive research. They delved into the crucial question they thought was going unaddressed – what type of elearning content really helps people develop? Understanding how to create effective content is the most important part of an elearning vendor’s job. Moving from purchasing content to selling it, Kim and Cindy have unique insights on creating exemplary elearning content. We’ve condensed their advice into three points sellers should keep in mind when creating content for the elearning marketplace.
Advice for Sellers
- Brevity is best. All Vado Inc. courses are under two minutes long. Cutting course length down forces content creators to present the most basic ideas related to their topic. This prevents lesson authors from confusing or overwhelming learners with more difficult, technical content.
“You can still learn about all the facets of a topic,” Cindy asserts. “There are 85 mini courses that you can watch on customer service, for example. But you can pick and choose the modules that make sense to you. You can target the issues that affect your team.” Most people have a long list of things to do at work, and in order for elearning to be effective, it must fit into people’s work schedules.
- Show the way. You’ve spent five hours learning about how to better become a leader. You’ve listened to speakers, brainstormed a list of great leaders and discussed theoretical points with your colleagues. But when you return to the office the next day and are faced with a management challenge, you can’t seem to access your leadership potential. What was the point? Kim and Cindy grew to understand that the elimination of scrap learning hinged on effective implementation.
Each Vado Inc. course is supplemented with an implementation guide, as well as downloadable job aids like templates and checklists. “We’re filling an elearning niche because we create courses that demand follow-through.” This results in employees that both know what a good leader looks like, and how to act like one.
- Take a blended approach. Vado Inc. understands the need for bite-sized learning in an age of internet-induced information overload. Kim and Cindy also understand that video, audio and other prevalent online media has become the most preferred way to learn. “People are accustomed to watching videos to learn things,” says Cindy. By delivering courses in video form and supplementing these with audio and document content, Vado, Inc. courses connect with every learning style in a modern way.
You can check out the Vado Inc. course and course bundle listing here.