Career development is a primary reason that people join associations. Whether through online course offerings or in-person symposiums, providing professional development opportunities using the most effective learning methods is one way that associations can support their members.
Continuing education helps association members gain an edge in a rapidly changing workplace. An association can keep its members up to date on best practices and new developments in their fields by becoming a source of knowledge that encourages members to pursue lifelong learning.
A robust learning strategy benefits associations by helping them attract and retain members. Read on to learn how employing effective learning methods within an association LMS helps strengthen engagement and equips members with the skills that they need for success.
Tailor Course Content to Member Interests
Offering course content relevant to their interests is one of the best ways to keep association members engaged. To determine each member’s interests, utilize your association management system (AMS) to collect data points. You can use information like job titles to gain a comprehensive understanding of your members.
You can then use this data to create member profiles that will help your association identify what educational opportunities members are likely to be interested in and that would most benefit them.
With this information, you can analyze common trends and prepare an educational program using the most effective learning methods for those tasks. You may discover that many members need a specific certification, so you could create an e-learning course relevant to the topic.
To ensure that your association's learning program runs smoothly, choose an LMS that makes it easy to deliver engaging content in various formats and integrates seamlessly with your AMS.
Encourage Social Learning
Humans are social beings and often learn best when interacting with others, making it essential for associations to choose an LMS that supports a social learning strategy and facilitates the implementation of the most effective learning methods.
Even if most of your association's learning content takes place online, you should encourage members to collaborate in order to maximize learning outcomes and engagement. One way to do so is by assigning peer-to-peer assignments that encourage learners to discuss a topic and provide feedback on each other's work.
Associations can create learning spaces dedicated to interaction, discussion, and sharing between fellow learners within the LMS. Discussion forums enable learners to talk about an assignment or assessment and share questions, answers, and suggestions with other members and course instructors, thus keeping everyone active and engaged.
Associations can also consider hosting live chats with subject matter experts where learners can ask questions in real time.
Utilize Gamification to Motivate Learners
A lack of motivation is often a roadblock to learning, but if you make it enjoyable, members are more likely to engage and participate. When done well, gamification adds fun to the educational process, changing the format and monotony of traditional learning.
Learning objectives remain the same when using gamification, but the process becomes more engaging. Gamification gives learners a way to measure their progress and adds an element of competition, resulting in a sense of accomplishment when tasks are completed.
There are many ways that associations can incorporate gamification into their programs, including quizzes, videos, and other interactive activities that can enhance learning experiences. To foster a sense of achievement, you can reward learners with digital badges when they accomplish specific goals to motivate them to continue.
Provide a Robust Mobile Learning Experience
With over 90% of the world's population using smartphones to access the internet, there's a good chance that your members won't always be seated in front of a computer when accessing your association's learning program. You must ensure that your LMS can deliver a comprehensive mobile learning experience, enabling members to access course material across devices.
Mobile learning gives learners control over their learning experience, so they can train wherever they are, depending on their schedule and learning preferences. Associations should prioritize optimizing their members' mobile experience.
Personalize the Learning Experience
Your members are busy juggling their careers and personal lives, so you must deliver personalized content that's engaging, informative, and interesting.
A personalized learning experience enables members to learn at their own pace. Associations can do this by setting up an on-demand content library members can access on their own time to improve their skills without relying on an instructor's schedule.
Many members will want at least some in-person interaction, and hybrid courses that offer a mix of formal instruction and on-demand content enable them to benefit from the best of the online and offline worlds.
Finally, employing adaptive learning, which uses algorithms to deliver content based on how a member responds, can provide an even deeper level of personalization.
Final Thoughts
Educational programs using the most effective learning methods are among the many benefits that associations can provide to members. Association members want robust educational programs that enable them to improve their career prospects and grow in their fields.
The right LMS enables associations to leverage effective learning methods to bring the best educational experiences to their members.
Here at Cadmium, we make it easy for association educators to deliver personalized learning to members to keep them better engaged and improve content satisfaction. To see how we can help you better engage your association members, reach out to our expert team today!
