When it comes to e-learning, the standard face-to-face teaching techniques don’t quite pass muster. But the great news is that e-learning offers so many opportunities for you to be creative and really engage students in their learning.
How you design your e-learning course can make or break its overall success. So let’s look at some top tips for how to create an e-learning course that really works.
Start with an easy-to-use interface
How we feel about a web page is entirely based on first impressions. Is it clear what action we’re supposed to take? Is the layout intuitive to use? Is it aesthetically appealing? These are the first questions you should ask yourself when planning how to create an e-learning course.
The easier the course content is to navigate, the more engaged and willing to learn the users will be.
Considering your target audience will determine how you approach features such as appropriate colors, striking and consistent themes, and appropriate font sizes.
Rework course material
The last thing users want is to encounter monotonous or unengaging content, so make sure that your course materials are always interesting, relevant, and up-to-date. Keep in mind that in-person presentation doesn’t translate to e-learning, so exploring fresh ways to present information is key. An effective approach to this is micro-learning, breaking content down into bite-size chunks, which has been shown to be 17 percent more efficient. This consists of shorter bursts of daily knowledge, which makes retaining information a lot easier for students and helps you develop an e-learning course that is relevant and easier to follow.
Create interactive content
Engage all groups of learners by adding visual, audio, and interactive features to your e-learning course. Take advantage of our natural enthusiasm for competition by including quizzes to keep learners engaged and involved. Gamification techniques like this are highly effective in retaining the focus of your audience. Making the most of visual aids can help balance out written content by either replacing or supporting it. Furthermore, explanatory videos can be a great technique to reduce written content and engage learners.
Encourage discussion
According to recent findings, information is best retained when there is an active discussion around it. Consider where you can build interactive points into the course and, where appropriate, prompt students to discuss different ideas. Reaping the benefits of online discussion forums is a transformative approach to learning, allowing students to communicate with each other and share insight. Discussing as a group offers a greater sense of participation and will help learners feel supported and motivated.
Track learner performance
Monitoring the learners’ performance doesn’t just reflect how well they’re doing, but also how effective the course is. Understand the efficacy of your course and what changes could be made by regularly analyzing the progress and performance of the learners. Students should be provided with a personal analysis after completing chapters, projects, and quizzes to help motivate them and provide insight into which areas they could improve.
Next-level learning
Follow this guide to how to create an e-learning course, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a highly engaging learning environment. Give your learners the experience they deserve and design a course that stands out — taking learning to the next level. For more information on how e-learning courses, explore WCEA.
