How to create an LMS training program in 8 steps

Creating a good training program for teachers who need to learn how to use a new school LMS isn’t always easy. Things can get exhausting, time-consuming and expensive, but this doesn’t need to happen. That’s why we’ve put together a simple and easy to follow 8-step guide on how to create an LMS training program for your school.

1. Assemble your team

   You don’t need special training staff with professional skills, you just need to make sure that the people you choose (administrators, teachers, or other faculty members) are:

   • are excited about this
   • are willing to invest the time
   • know the product very well
   • know the LMS goals

1. Know your audience

   An easy way to get to know your audience and understand their learning needs is by putting together a short survey for participants. You can find out things like:

   • what classroom technology have they used so far
   • what is their grade level and speciality
   • how much time can they allocate for training
   • what do they want to learn exactly

1. Plan the content

   This can vary according to your specific organizational needs, so you can perform any or all of the items on this checklist:

   • split people into separate training groups
   • create an introductory session for the LMS
   • divide content by difficulty levels
   • host the training content on the actual LMS
   • set goals at each training level or course
   • adapt the training content to various learning styles
   • consider including small assessments during courses
   • explain to your audience how to maximize the LMS use

1. Plan the training

   This is the more logistical side of training. Rally the administrative staff of your school if necessary and

   • make sure you have enough people to cover all training groups
   • work out the schedule for trainings and the time per session
   • get a room with computers, a projection screen, and a solid internet connection
   • do a test run before the actual training

1. Make the training interesting

   Adults also enjoy receiving incentives and making your training more interactive will help them learn better and faster.

   • use gamification to award points and badges as teachers advance through training content
   • you can also create certificates to award at the end of each training level
   • organize a raffle for attendees and give away a prize such as tickets to their favorite education event or devices that they can use in the classroom

1. Announce and promote training

   Everyone in the school should know about the training program. Promote it through the introductory session mentioned above.

   • make sure your training team is available to answer questions or concerns
   • add more details about the training program on the school website
   • send out occasional emails to announce training sessions
   • keep everyone updated by sharing pictures, videos and results from training sessions

1. Train

   You’ve come so far and it’s time for the actual training. The first session will set the tone for what teachers can expect from the entire training program.

   • make them feel comfortable and set a training pace that they are ok with
   • see what the vibe of the group is and go with it
   • take your time with those that move slower than the rest of the group
   • do a survey at the end of the course to collect teachers’ impressions

1. Make it ongoing and expand

   At this point your training program is set in place, so what do you do now?

   • keep updating the content, based on feedback or as new LMS functionalities appear
   • you can also diversify content and create more levels
   • add separate sessions that focus on e-learning strategies
   • do reminder sessions from time to time, to refresh concepts for participants.

Visit our Blog for insightful posts on edtech for K-12 and Higher Ed.