Article
10 min read
How to Create Engaging Training Materials That Will Transform Your Workforce
Global HR
Author
Lorelei Trisca
Published
August 27, 2024
Last Update
August 27, 2024
Table of Contents
Examples of training materials
How to create engaging training materials in 8 steps
How to harness the power of AI to create training materials
The benefits of good training materials
Accelerate learning with Deel Engage
Key takeaways
- Engaging training materials are crucial for effective learning and knowledge retention, whether for in-person sessions or online courses.
- Knowing your audience’s needs, preferences, and learning styles is the first step in creating impactful training materials.
- Creating engaging training materials is an iterative process that requires attention to detail, creativity, and continuous improvement to maximize the impact on learners.
Good training materials are the foundation of an effective training program. Training materials that engage and motivate will boost your organization’s learning culture and promote strong learning outcomes.
Follow this step-by-step process and proven tips to develop training material to boost learner motivation and training outcomes.
Examples of training materials
There are many types of training materials that you can use.
However, here are the most common:
- Presentations—From PowerPoint presentations to simple flip-charts, presentations are popular for instructor-led training. Still, you can also use them for self-directed training (Powerpoint presentations can easily be shared, for instance)
- Videos—Training videos bring concepts to life by engaging multiple senses in learners (using audio and visual media) and offering rich graphics and animation
- Written notes—Clear and comprehensive notes assist learners by bringing together information in an easy-to-refer format that’s typically portable across multiple media types (e.g., PDF documents, online notes, or app-based notes)
- Detailed training manuals—For more in-depth or long-form information (e.g., complex procedural or technical training), detailed training manuals provide learners with a greater breadth and scope of knowledge and reference materials
- Process documents—For training related to workplace procedures, process documents offer orderly, step-by-step instructions that guide learners through processes in logical sequences
- E-learning or computer-based training (CBT)—With the advent of modern computer technology, e-learning offers versatile, modular, on-demand learning across a range of media (e.g., video, audio, on-screen notes, and interactive modules)
- Activity sheets—To take learners through specific exercises, activity sheets offer guided instructions and allow learners to record their progress and responses to questions
- Whiteboards or “smart” boards—Whiteboards or interactive smart boards are helpful for instructor-led training, allowing a convenient way of presenting and recording information in real-time. In the case of smart boards, you can also digitally share information after the training sessions
- Checklists—Checklists offer learners quick and easy reference materials to help them remember critical steps, procedures, “must-dos,” “must-not-forgets,” and best practices
- Self-assessment tools—These help learners evaluate themselves (against their learning outcomes) after a learning activity and are often designed using psychological and sociological principles
Learning Management
How to create engaging training materials in 8 steps
Step 1. Identify learning objectives
Learning objectives identify the knowledge and skills a training program is designed for and define the specific learning outcomes the training will deliver. They set the direction for the training curriculum and guide the materials and resources that work best for the particular training.
Learning objectives that align with SMART goals will directly support your people in their roles. SMART goals are clear, specific, and measurable, making them ideal for aligning with well-structured training.
Consider the following example of a SMART goal for an IT role: “Improve website page loading speeds by 20% within the next month”.
How would you set learning objectives for this? Here’s a simple illustration:
- Identify the required knowledge areas, e.g., knowledge about initial loading speeds, user interactivity, and visual stability of web pages
- Describe the areas that you want your learning outcomes to address, e.g., how do you interpret page speed reports, what are the key metrics that underpin Google’s Core Web Vitals, and how do you adjust them?
- Articulate the learning objectives that address the required areas of learning, e.g., describe the mechanics and key metrics of Google’s Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and demonstrate how to improve them
Step 2. Curate and evaluate your existing materials
What training materials do you currently have at your organization? Are they relevant and valuable for your proposed training?
You can save time, effort, and resources by evaluating training materials you already have access to and curating them to fit your current training needs.
Some questions worth asking when assessing your existing training materials are:
- How well does their content address your proposed training objectives?
- How up-to-date are they?
- What formats are they in? Do they need to be re-worked or expanded into different formats, e.g., videos, graphics, or checklists
- How good are the materials—was there positive feedback when you used them last? How much improvement are they likely to need?
Step 3. Allocate responsibility for developing new materials
Developing good training materials requires people with the right experience and expertise.
Identify the persons or teams in your organization who can put together your training program, such as:
- Instructional designers—Specialists who understand how to translate different learning materials, content, and course structures to the desired learning outcomes
- Content creators—Writers, scriptwriters, videographers, voice artists, etc., who craft the training content
- Visual specialists—Graphic designers or other specialists who focus on visual design and graphics to support the training content
- Project managers—Coordinate designing, developing, and delivering the proposed training program
- Format technicians—Specialists in the media formats for delivering the training, e.g., video editors, learning management system (LMS) developers, audio specialists, and computer-aided training specialists
Step 4. Choose the right formats
As we’ve seen, there are plenty of choices regarding training material formats—from written notes to whiteboards, videos to activity sheets, and presentations to checklists. However, for successful training, you’ll need to choose the most effective formats to deliver your proposed learning outcomes.
Written manuals and notes may be the best way to deliver the detailed knowledge required for technical or compliance training.
For behavioral training, in-person discussions supported by whiteboards, activity sheets, and video presentations may be more effective.
How you choose your training formats will play a significant role in how engaging your training will be. The more engaging your training is, the more likely your learners will adopt the learning outcomes and enjoy the learning experience.
Interactive and visual training materials, in particular, promote training that will be memorable and engaging for your learners. These training materials include graphics, videos, charts, images, activity sheets, and computer-based training systems.
The benefits of visual and interactive materials are:
- Activating more senses—visual and interactive materials engage more senses in learners, including sight, sound, and physical movements, and this helps learners remember the learning content and understand what is being taught
- Better quality learning—the higher engagement from visual and interactive materials results in better quality learning as it leads to stronger attention, focus, and motivation in learners
- Higher levels of learner satisfaction—more engaging learning is more enjoyable. When combined with robust learning outcomes, learners are more satisfied with their learning experience
Step 5. Define the scope and develop the outline of your training
Once you’ve set your learning objectives, start thinking about the scope of your training and a content outline. The scope of your training will depend on the roles and prior knowledge of your learners—consider the following:
- Learner workplace roles and responsibilities
- Learners’ prior knowledge and familiarity with the training content
- The time that learners can allocate to training
- How learners will apply the learning outcomes at work
- The training material formats that best suit learner job types and preferred learning styles
The key areas that your outline should address are:
- Background and scope—Introduction, target learning audience, relevant training policies, citations or source information, copyright, and contact details
- Training objectives and materials—Objectives and learning outcomes, training materials and learning aids, and assessment methods
- Course content—Overall outline, core content, additional notes for trainers, learning exercises and assessments, handouts or interactive materials, and supporting resources or technical information
A good outline will help you organize your learning information, cover all the areas you want to, and streamline your content creation process.
A detailed outline will also position your training content and materials to suit your proposed assessment methods.
Tip
If you plan to use quizzes as an assessment method, for instance, you’ll need to include sufficient information in your training content relevant to the questions you’ll ask in the quizzes.
Step 6. Create content
Now, it’s time to create the content that will form the bulk of information that your training program will deliver.
The nature and volume of your content will depend on your chosen training materials (e.g., video scripts vs. technical notes vs. graphics).
Still, you try to incorporate the following best practice suggestions:
- Use clear, simple, easy-to-follow language and an active voice
- Use a style and tone that matches your target learners
- Avoid long sections of text or cluttered content
- Use visuals and storytelling where possible
- Include examples, scenarios, and case studies where possible
- Break up complex topics into smaller, manageable sections
- Use microlearning concepts
- Stay focused on the learning outcomes
- Use humor or light-hearted anecdotes where appropriate
- Proofread your content (avoid typos or mistakes that will make your content look unprofessional)
Step 7. Leverage technology
Make the most of the technology available to you. We live in a digital age and have access to powerful technology to enhance the learning experience:
- Computer-based training and e-learning offer interactive, multi-media, immersive experiences that boost learner engagement
- Multiple formats for written documents (e.g., Word, Sheets, PDFs) are easy to create, edit, and distribute.
- Visual formats can update in real time or change to illustrate scenarios (e.g., dynamic business intelligence dashboards).
- Powerful graphics and animations, effortlessly crafted by an animation maker, are relatively easy to generate and display.
- App-based formats can be consumed and distributed on mobile devices.
Technology also helps save costs by:
- Reducing the time to develop materials
- Using fewer consumables (e.g., minimizing paper wastage by digitally distributing notes rather than printing them)
- Facilitating collaboration amongst content development teams
- Producing more substantial learning outcomes for a given training effort
- Ensuring knowledge retention with spaced repetition
Step 8. Review and revise
Once you’ve developed your training program, you should measure the effectiveness of your training materials so that you know they are fit for purpose.
There are several ways to do this, including:
- Analyzing the results of quizzes or tests.
- Gauging learner satisfaction.
- Observing training completion rates.
- Assessing learners’ performance after they receive training (i.e., evaluating whether the training has led to better workplace outcomes).
Tip: Seek feedback from learners and subject matter experts as you review your materials.
Also, remember that the currency and relevance of your training materials will diminish over time. Therefore, keep them updated by periodically reviewing and adjusting them when necessary, particularly when using them for a new training program.
How to harness the power of AI to create training materials
You’re probably aware of artificial intelligence’s (AI) power to enhance productivity and boost creativity in many areas.
The good news is, with Deel Engage’s AI assistant, you can use AI to create exceptional training materials!
Deel Engage comes with a range of AI features to help you:
- Generate content outlines
- Create quizzes
- Produce summaries
- Fill gaps in course content
- Automate training course management and monitoring
- Translate training content to multiple languages
- And so much more
Deel Engage
The benefits of good training materials
Effective employee training keeps your people motivated, up-to-date with knowledge and skills, and empowered to perform better.
Training benefits your organization through greater employee retention, improved performance, and higher productivity.
However, effective training requires good training materials. Well-designed and high-quality training materials ultimately improve employee job satisfaction, explains Joanne Thirlaway, an experienced educational and business consultant.
They “give an organization a competitive edge, improve employee performance as well as make sure that the staff can do their job correctly and confidently,” says Thirlaway.
Good training materials will:
- Facilitate learning—assist the learning process by bringing the training content to life
- Enhance knowledge retention—drive a better understanding of learning objectives through engaging methods and formats
- Improve learning outcomes—incorporate business goals and organizational priorities into learning objectives, making training more applicable to the workplace
- Boost motivation—through content that’s relevant, well-designed, and inspiring
- Deliver higher training return on investment (ROI)—more purposeful training activities and delivery resulting in solid learning outcomes and an increased training ROI
Give your people superior learning experiences with training plans that deliver the best strategies, curriculum, and learning outcomes.
Accelerate learning with Deel Engage
Training materials are at the heart of good training. Well-designed and effective training materials help learners get the most from their training. At Deel Engage, we know how to create outstanding training materials.
We have the tools, features, and knowledge to create engaging training programs and materials using proven research-driven methods.
We also embrace the latest innovations and leverage the power of AI to bring you more efficient and effective ways to create training materials that deliver strong learning outcomes.
Additionally, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.
Book a demo to see how to bring out the best in your people through relevant and effective training.
Leaders drive our organization. With Deel Engage, we’ve introduced innovative learning tools to enhance their effectiveness and success.
—Daniel Sobhani,
CEO, Freeletics
FAQs
What are examples of training materials?
Common types of training materials include PowerPoint presentations, whiteboards, videos, written notes, e-learning, computer-based modules, and self-assessment tools. These materials come in various formats to suit multiple learning objectives, learning styles, training budgets, and resource constraints.
How do you make a training module?
To make a good training module, you should follow a process that:
- Identifies learning objectives
- Uses existing training resources (where available)
- Has the right people involved (e.g., learning designers, content creators, and visual specialists)
- Utilizes well-designed training materials
- Leverages technology to deliver strong learning outcomes
What are some common pitfalls to avoid when creating training materials?
To create effective training materials, you should avoid using:
- Complicated language or jargon
- Outdated materials
- Disorganized content structures
- Content that’s boring and doesn’t engage learners
Take the time to understand the learning objectives, learning styles, formats, and time commitments that best suit your learners. It will help you create training materials that deliver strong learning outcomes.
Why create training materials?
Good training materials increase the effectiveness of your training programs by enhancing knowledge retention, improving learning outcomes, boosting learner motivation, and delivering a higher training ROI.
Well-designed training materials help your people do their jobs more competently and confidently, improving their productivity and satisfaction.
About the author
Lorelei Trisca is a content marketing manager passionate about everything AI and the future of work. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices. She aims to spread the word about creating better employee experiences and helping others grow in their careers.
