There’s so much more to training your community health workers (CHWs) than just providing information.
You should make sure you anticipate their needs and offer them a program that is well-rounded and fits with your agency.
Answering a handful of key questions in this readiness quiz will let you assess how well your organization will adapt to a shift to training CHWs online, and tell you where you have the most work to do to prepare.
Organizations that are ready for online learning have integrated into their entire training strategy. They’ll advance relatively quickly, have happier learners who are more engaged and ultimately have more successful community health programs.
The most ill-prepared organizations will be the ones that find it hardest.
Rate yourself on the questions below to get an indication of how ready your organization is for computer-based training for CHWs. These questions aren’t scientific, but they are based on more than 20 years’ experience in helping organizations bring e-learning to their staff and watching hundreds of CHWs learn new skills online.
Jot down your answer for each question. Then, scroll to the end of the quiz for instructions on how to interpret your score.
Once you’ve determined how ready your organization is, consider how ready your CHWs are to be trained online.
Online Learning Readiness Quiz
What is your organization’s experience with e-learning?
- None, we’re completely new to e-learning.
- A little. Some of us have taken the odd class.
- We’ve started delivering online learning in the last year.
- We have a robust program that we’ve been running for more than a year.
Why is your organization looking at e-learning?
- It seems like everyone else is offering it, so why not us?
- It could be a way to save money.
- My boss is asking for it.
- We want to increase the capacity of our training program.
How supportive is your leadership of e-learning?
- No one knows about our training program.
- They know about the program but don´t have time or interest to be involved in a significant way
- A few people are asking for updates about the program.
- They’re driving development and making decisions.
How well-developed is your internal support system for e-learning?
- What’s a support system?
- We’re planning on hiring a consultant to help run a course.
- A person on staff will be responsible for running the program.
- We have a dedicated training staff and run our own courses.
How ready is your technology for hosting self-created courses or an online learning subscription?
- No one has figured out what technology is required of an e-learning program.
- We have made a decision about what kind of technology we’ll need for online learning, but we haven’t taken any steps forward yet.
- So far we have piloted a couple training sessions using different technologies.
- We have the capability to run our own e-learning program on a learning management system or work closely with a vendor to handle the technology and logistics for us
How ready are your learners?
- Our learners have few or no computer skills and limited access to a computer connected to the Internet.
- Around half of our learners have taken an online course before.
- Our learners have access to computers connected to the Internet. They understand how online training can help them with skill-building, but need to learn on their own time.
- All of our have access to computers both at home and at work, and we have assigned several hours per week for them to complete training.
How integrated is e-learning into your overall training strategy?
- Not at all. We’re unsure of what we need to do to integrate an e-learning initiative.
- Some. We know we need buy-in from the existing trainers, although they are resistant.
- We are training our staff to segue into more online learning.
- We run a fully integrated e-learning program through blended learning or is uniquely online.
How much planning have you done for a transition to e-learning?
- None, we’re just going to see what works.
- Some. We have looked at what we’ll need from a staff and budgetary perspective.
- We have assigned the HR department the task of organizing compliance trainings.
- We created and executed a full change management plan that includes reorganizing all departments to accommodate needs from learners and staff.
Scoring
Review your answers and total up your points according to this scale:
- A = 1 point
- B = 2 points
- C = 3 points
- D = 4 points
If you scored …
8-10: You’re at the very beginning of considering an e-learning program and have quite a bit to do before you’re ready for a smooth transition. Check out E-learning Strategy Essentials to find out what you need to do to create a smart plan.
11-20: You’ve started your research and sound ready to make a leap. Keep working to define your staff and learner needs so you can plan for an integrated e-learning initiative. Check out How To Create a CHW Training Plan to find out what you need to do to create a smart plan.
21-24: You’re on your way to branching out into a solid e-learning program. Make sure you have full buy-in from leadership, trainers and staff. Read 5 Ways To Save Your Budget with a Sustainable CHW Training Program .
25-32: Congratulations, it sounds like you’ve figured out what you need to offer an ongoing e-learning program. There’s always room for improvement, though, so be sure to include regular evaluations and revisions to offer your employees the best learning experience possible. Look at How to Evaluate a Community Health Worker Training Program.