Enrollment in Yardi’s most popular online course has nearly tripled in the past three years, from 33 students in 2005 to 105 this year, while enrollment in on-site classes fell. “It has to do with the economy, with people being a little more stretched with their resources,” Evans says. “But also, it is driven by users being willing to experience an online class.”
MAKE IT STICK To make distance learning stick, you’ve got to have fresh, expert-generated programming that is applicable and interactive for your audience.
For instance, when UDR wants to train employees on a specific aspect of the firm’s management philosophy, it identifies an in-house subject matter expert to create content for that lesson, whether via a PowerPoint presentation, a WebEx demo, or a video stream. Then, it works with Calgary-based Gemini Performance Solutions, which provides UDR’s learning management system, to program content into Gemini’s application and host it on UDR’s intranet for employees to download.
However, to train staff on vendors’ products, especially those systems used across the company’s 43,045-unit portfolio, UDR relies on its vendor for support. “If the solution provider has a very robust support tool, there’s no reason for us to reinvent the wheel,” Schart says. “If the application is very specific to UDR, we’ll create that ourselves.”
How you structure content is important, too. For on-demand learning modules, it’s important to query students periodically during training by using a pop-up quiz or wizard. Also, make your lessons short and snappy, not long and drawn out. RealPage’s OneSite modules, for instance, are as short as 5 minutes, and there’s a quiz at the end of each. “Have your information organized into smaller chunks,” says Case Whitney’s Pagan. “Every 2 to 5 minutes, you should make sure you have a point you want the student to learn. Then, every 10 minutes or so, make them answer a question, so the information sticks.”
For live distance training, make sure the allotted time is convenient for all time zones, and limit class sizes, just as you would in-person sessions. “We try to limit our class size to 10 people at a time,” says Todd Marshburn, director of client services at Oakland, Calif.-based multifamily software firm PropertyBridge, which provides free online training to its clients. “When you’re talking about a technical topic [with] different people on the line asking questions, once you get over 15 to 20 people, it becomes less effective.”
This doesn’t mean there are no limitations to distance training. Teaching leasing professionals how to interact with prospects is best done in a classroom setting. Some tactile operational and maintenance tasks, such as replacing a thermostat, are also often better left learned in an on-the-job setting. “Distance learning is less effective when I’ve got to show you how to fix this part, or we’ve got to walk the property so I can show you something,” SumTotal’s Dholakia says.
Still, distance learning can help supplement the live training you already use. In fact, “blended” programs, where distance training is paired with classroom sessions, are widely regarded as the best practice today. “We definitely have a blended approach to all of our learning,” attests Julie Reed, vice president of national training at Englewood, Colo.-based Archstone, which owns 70,000 units nationally. “We have live trainers in most markets, and they’re supported through online learning initiatives and performance support management tools, including instructor-led conference calls, Webinars, or a WebEx presentation.”
Done correctly, distance training can help you train staff on any number of skills, while saving money and ensuring consistency throughout your organization. At Forest City, Urbansky plans on making RealPage’s distance training standard practice for all new hires.
“I’m going to incorporate this for all my people before they even touch the payment system,” Urbansky says. “Then, they’ll be ready to go from day one.”
Contributing writer Joe Bousquin is based in Sacramento, Calif.
ACTION ITEMS
DISTANCE DO’S
Three tactics to making distance learning work for you.
- 1. Go long, save big. Distance learning can cost just 10 percent to 20 percent of on-site training, when travel, lodging, and meals are eliminated, according to Vanessa Pagan, founder of Gainesville, Fla.-based Case Whitney, a distance training consultant.
- 2.Content is king. Create the best content for your staff by tapping your in-house experts. Use vendors to train on their products—they know them best. But pick your topics carefully. Tactile lessons, such as fixing a broken faucet, are best done in person.
- 3.Blend for success. Consider creating a blended program, where on-site classes are supplemented by distance modules for maximum benefit to the student.
