5 Common AEC E-Learning Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

With that in mind, let’s get into five e-learning pitfalls and how to avoid them!

1. Improper onboarding to the new system
2. Trying to teach too much at once
3. Unnecessary rework and research
4. Failing to accommodate different learning needs
5. Not listening to employee feedback

In addition to explaining these e-learning pitfalls and how to avoid them, we’ll show you how to find a pre-developed solution in our flagship knowledge management system, Pinnacle Series!

Improper onboarding to the new system

When you’re transitioning to a new e-learning system, the first hurdle is simply getting your employees to use it! Don’t just throw them headfirst without preparation. Start an early information campaign explaining the benefits of the new system, get people excited to start using it, give incentives and rewards for people who complete their first courses, and so on.

If you’re using Pinnacle Series, our team will assist you in planning the rollout to meet your organizational goals and required approvals! Our most successful clients have executive-level approval of not only their new e-learning system, but also the activity of taking time to learn as an employee.

Employees often feel that taking time to learn is not approved time.  Establishing clear expectations of how much time employees can and should spend on continuous learning helps open the door to successful use of your e-learning platform.

Trying to teach too much at once

Your goal should be to help your employees succeed in their work and gain skills — not to overwhelm them with information they may not retain. For example, many companies find that it’s best to choose a flexible e-learning system that users can reference on the go instead of requiring them to spend days or weeks in immersive training, which can cause information overload.

With Pinnacle Series, employees and managers can choose where and when they want to work on e-learning. Our robust search feature and Autodesk plugin directly guide users to the content they need — even if they’re in the middle of a project and need quick answers. It’s like having a search engine dedicated to AEC topics, where you can be confident every result is high-quality and developed by experts.

Unnecessary rework and training

Onboarding a new e-learning system can mean that all employees are starting from scratch. As a result, managers may be tempted to assign everyone on a team the same training to keep things simple. However, taking a one-size-fits-all approach to e-learning can mean that some employees will be wasting time re-learning skills they already know, while others waste time learning skills they don’t actually need for their jobs.

This is why personalization in e-learning is so essential. Ideally, every employee would have a customized plan to maximize their skills and success in training. Through our integration with KnowledgeSmart AEC assessment software, Pinnacle Series takes the guesswork out of tailoring training. Users can take assessments on the software they need to know, then receive an automatically-generated, personalized learning plan within Pinnacle Series to address their skills gaps without taking any time to re-teach what they’ve already mastered.

Failing to accommodate different learning needs

Continuing the theme of moving beyond one-size-fits-all learning, different employees also learn best in different ways. For example, some might like bite-sized videos; others might prefer lengthier, more structured courses; and some might prefer to read information or look at a PowerPoint or flowchart. There are also accessibility considerations to consider, such as hearing loss or global offices where employees speak different languages.

The Pinnacle Series e-learning solution features information in written, verbal, and visual formats to accommodate all employee learning preferences and accessibility needs.  Users will also have opportunities to practice new skills with embedded datasets and exercises in coursework.  Furthermore, our content is translated into more than 60 languages, and all videos include transcriptions.

Not listening to employee feedback

Your employees are the people most familiar with their own learning needs, so they’re the ones you should ask for feedback! Check in with them to see what they like and what they may be struggling with. Make sure they’re comfortable with the platform, and if not, what they need to make the transition smoother.

Curious to learn how Pinnacle Series can be the pitfall-free e-learning solution for your organization? Contact us to Schedule a demo or pilot today!

If you’re already a Pinnacle Series customer, log in now to check out helpful videos on e-learning topics like assigning assessments, user administration, and accessing platform usage reports.