Holiday-themed eLearning content ideas to increase learner engagement
December is often a busy month for most organizations, with employees meeting performance goals, completing sales cycles, finalizing budgets, and completing year-end reviews. But as the holiday season approaches, there are ways to provide a welcome break from the rush of the end of the year. An effective approach is to consider ideas for festive eLearning content that can maintain learner engagement while fostering a sense of community and uplifting spirits. This article offers ideas for “dressing” your eLearning content in a way that is purposeful and relevant, without distractions.
8 eLearning content ideas to energize your L&D team
1. Create a learning journey based on seasonal scenarios
The idea for festive eLearning content is to incorporate holiday themes into existing scenario-based learning resources. Some examples of scenarios you can create include solving customer service dilemmas during peak retail season, managing tight deadlines before the holidays, or coaching your team to deal with year-end stress. Holiday themes allow employees to hone important skills in a different environment and maintain high levels of engagement and participation. The important thing to remember is to keep your learning goals at the forefront and don’t let the holiday theme overshadow them.
2. Start the “12 Days of Learning” microlearning series
Another idea is to use a countdown format to create anticipation. Learners look forward to something short and structured every day, and they always make time to study despite their busy schedules. The 12 Days of Learning microlearning series includes:
A skills review to prepare for the new year A leadership lesson in one bite Compliance reminder A productivity boost to end the year on a high
When choosing this eLearning content idea, it’s important to be consistent. Create daily activities that last a few minutes but provide meaningful knowledge when completed in their entirety.
3. Provide year-end learning review activities
Reflection is a powerful learning tool and something most people like to do towards the end of the year. During this period, people naturally reflect on what they have achieved and what they would like to improve in the coming year. Ask your L&D team targeted questions to encourage self-reflection. These may include:
What new skills have you learned this year? Which learning moment has had the biggest impact on your work? What challenges would you like to address with additional training? What goals would you like to pursue in the new year?
Pondering these questions will not only build self-awareness, but will also give your L&D team valuable data for next year’s training program.
4. Design a holiday-inspired team activity
Gamification leads to increased engagement during the festive season as learners are already in a more playful mood. Harnessing this cheerful state of mind with a team-based holiday challenge can encourage participation and increase a sense of community. For example, you can set up a virtual scavenger hunt with festive tips, themed quizzes with product or compliance-related questions, or digital escape rooms to help employees understand specific company processes and policies. This way, employees can leverage and update their knowledge while having fun and bonding with each other.
5. Holiday Wellbeing Learning Resources
Another thoughtful and useful addition to your festive eLearning content are resources designed to help your employees get through the hectic pre-holiday period intact. Whether it’s an increased workload, family obligations, or last-minute Christmas shopping, your employees will appreciate the support. This wellness-focused learning hub includes microlearning courses on time management, mindfulness exercises, or practical tips for staying connected while working remotely. Having everything in one place gives your employees easy access to useful information that can give them a much-needed break during busy times.
6. Cross-cultural learning experience
Although Christmas is often used as an umbrella term for the month of December, it’s important to remember that your employees may celebrate a variety of holidays. Whether it’s Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, or any other occasion, these employees need to be recognized and given the space to honor their own culture. So, as you update your eLearning content to give it a holiday flavor, you have the opportunity to add resources that promote inclusivity and cultural awareness. This can be done through interactive videos and stories that can even be posted by employees themselves. It can be something as simple as sharing traditions from your childhood or current celebrations and giving your colleagues a glimpse into the diverse cultural practices at work.
7. Provide a carefully selected holiday “learning playlist”
Just as people enjoy curated holiday movie and music playlists, they also appreciate curated learning collections that they can browse at their own pace. So, another idea for festive eLearning content could be a seasonal learning playlist that includes TED-style talks on leadership, bite-sized eLearning modules, articles on communication and teamwork, internal success stories, podcasts from industry experts, and more. These materials can be displayed in a cozy holiday-themed format, such as a digital bookshelf by the fireplace. This creates an atmosphere that encourages self-directed learning, as opposed to formal training, which can be overwhelming.
8. Celebrate learner accomplishments
At any time throughout the year, but especially towards the end of the year, employees need to be evaluated on their performance. A “Year in Review” celebration can highlight learning milestones and encourage commitment to the coming year. For example, you can recognize the learner who completed the most modules, the team with the most participation, or the learner who made an outstanding contribution to the peer learning community. There are also many ways to carry out this celebration. You can create a congratulatory video or email series announcing the winners. Alternatively, you can create separate mini-sites with countdowns to each award. This can help boost morale and increase participation in next year’s learning initiatives.
bring everything together
Festive eLearning can breathe new life into your training efforts, re-engaging your employees, and boosting morale. During a busy time like December, it’s essential to have tools to help your employees lighten their workload and make things run as smoothly as possible. In this article, we’ve shared a variety of celebratory eLearning content ideas designed to help your employees refresh their knowledge, skills, and reignite their interest in eLearning for the coming year. If you follow our suggestions, you can achieve all this while your employees enjoy a cozy holiday atmosphere and prepare for their vacation.
