So, your organization provides certification training for members. This is one of your most popular products and the highest revenue generator. But the certification exam is being completely updated, and you need your training updated within the next 6 months, so that your members can get trained for their re-certification.
To make things more complicated, you’ve also been tasked with evaluating a new Learning management system (LMS). There are obvious features you’ll need, such as interactivity, images, text blocks, downloadable resources, learner reporting and tracking, but what features will you need that you haven’t even thought about? How can an LMS help you ramp up an entire learner population so quickly?
LMSs consist of many similar features. The most common are single sign-on integration, ecommerce purchasing, course creation tools, and reporting. But there are a few features to consider that tend to get overlooked. One of those features is support for blended learning. With blended learning, your instructors can use webinar integrations to deliver live training to hundreds of learners, synchronously, while the LMS delivers the module recording so that others can complete the training on their own. In this blog, we’ll look at how blended learning was used in a 2020 Brandon Hall Gold Award winning course for the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).
Like many associations, APMA holds a conference every year in which they provide workshops and training to itsmembers. In 2020, APMA was not able to hold their annual conference in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They needed a solution that would allow them to reach their members in their homes and other safer locations. They decided to deliver their entire annual conference through their LMS. They needed a platform that would integrate seamlessly with a webinar platform, allowing them to schedule and deliver live webinars, while also including other eLearning features such as assessments, discussions, and more. To create this blended learning experience, they chose Knowledge Direct.
Not just another webinar
Associations such as APMA have been using conference hosting services for many years. However, in 2020, APMA had a unique problem that required them to deliver an entire conference online. They found this solution by using an LMS. Working with Digitec (now Apti), APMA was able to host their conference and create supplemental material all in one place. Knowledge Direct became their one stop shop for content, webinar hosting, and more. APMA also utilized a simple Single Sign On feature within Knowledge Direct to provide ease of access to its members attending the virtual conference. By using an SSO in Knowledge Direct, APMA could easily track the number of members attending the virtual conference. APMA also included tracking features on who participated in the various content within the virtual conference through Knowledge Direct.
APMA utilized various features within Knowledge Direct including the web conferencing feature, a platform for live sessions, open discussion, and assessments created within Knowledge Direct. They even included an area for sponsors in the Virtual Sponsor Lobby. Here, sponsors could supply the information needed to the conference attendees in a creative way. With the help of Digitec (now Apti), APMA used gamification to motivate its members to visit the various sponsors. They would even get a completion badge based on the number of sponsors they visited.
Keeping everything in one place and using the unique features offered by Knowledge Direct, APMA was able to set up the virtual conference quickly and provide ease of access to their members during a difficult time. Many of the members who attended the virtual conference praised how easy it was to access. They liked that they didn’t have to switch tabs or screens for each webinar or activity. Many said that they looked forward to more virtual conferences in the future. APMA has continued to host its virtual conference for the past three years using Knowledge Direct.
Takeaway
Webinars can help you develop training quickly, but using blended learning features of an LMS makes training more accessible to a wider audience. Interested in learning more about Knowledge Direct? Book a demo today!
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