Several years ago, I attended a Creative Writing course at a local community college. On day-1, the instructor handed out a stack of documents –the Day’s Outline– and asked us to quickly review them to understand what we were about to learn. What happened next is a classic case of miscommunication and misunderstanding – something that eLearning course creators should learn from and avoid! Capturing eLearning Feedback: Make It A 2-Way Conversation! We were not offered an opportunity to ask questions or provide inputs. By the time our instructor was ready to start the course, every participant had read and understood what was going to be taught. However, there was one very critical issue: We all understood the guidelines differently. Each of us had different expectations about the course, and that leads to a great degree of stress. Thankfully, this was just an exercise that the instructor had deliberately created to illustrate the importance of communication and feedback. As … [Read more...] about 6 Ways Of Capturing eLearning Feedback
The ELearning Course Designer’s Blog
Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning
One of the biggest challenges that eLearning professionals experience is demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of their training programs. In order to attract project sponsors and to justify resources invested in the development of eLearning, projects need to prove that they deliver real benefit to an organization. This article discusses considerations that need to be factored in when calculating eLearning ROI. Tips For Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning eLearning has revolutionized how individuals (personally as well as in corporate settings) learn. There are a number of reasons why businesses and individuals gravitate towards eLearning programs, including: Flexibility Cost-effectiveness Standardization Repeatability Convenience ...just to name a few. However, as with any business venture, eLearning projects need to show that they deliver real benefit to an organization. If they can't demonstrate such value, then they are likely to not attract champions … [Read more...] about Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning
How to Scaffold ELearning Content: Effective strategies and tactics to consider
eLearning attracts a diverse set of learners. Individuals from different educational backgrounds, age groups experience and prior knowledge of the subject matter might be partaking in an online course simultaneously. Each will learn at a different pace, understanding the content differently, and interpreting the message on their own terms. Because of this variation, L&D professionals might find it challenging to deliver their learning objectives using a one-size-fits-all approach. So, what’s the answer? Scaffolding. What is Scaffolding? Not all learners absorb online content equally. The best way for L&D professionals to achieve their teaching objectives is to design and develop courses that meet the needs of a diverse set of participants. Scaffolding is an instructional approach, based on the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky’s research in cognitive development, that helps online learners move progressively through the learning process. At a very high-level, scaffolding … [Read more...] about How to Scaffold ELearning Content: Effective strategies and tactics to consider
12 Rules For Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback as an Instructional Designer
As eLearning specialists, we work with many different people to pull off our projects successfully. SMEs, managers, content creators, course designers, and stakeholders all play a part in making the magic happen. When things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d like, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to dispense constructive criticism, however. In this article, we'll explore 6 rules for delivering feedback and 6 rules for handling corrective feedback. 6 rules for deliver feedback #1 Be Specific - This one makes the list first, as it is the most important! Clear feedback is critical in actually getting the results you desire without multiple back-and-forths. Deliver it concisely to avoid any confusion, and provide enough detail to get what you want. I once received feedback on an article I had written that stated, “This section needs to be better”. That’s terrible feedback! Did the client mean I needed more examples, better engagement, a more consistent tone, a better focus on the … [Read more...] about 12 Rules For Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback as an Instructional Designer
The secrets to creating engaging eLearning: How to provide your audience with meaningful learning experiences
It’s said that practice makes perfect. For decades now, a tried and tested approach to delivering new learning has been practice, practice…and more practice. Many L&D approaches, in fact, encourage aspects of repeated review and revision. The prevailing thought has been: The more you do, the better you learn. There’s no denying that significant knowledge transference does occur through continuous drills and exercises. However, the big question is: How engaging do learners find practice-intensive eLearning course when trying to learn new concepts and skills? Disengagement through practice The secret to productive knowledge transfer lies in creating learning environments where learners engage constructively with learning content. When it comes to creating engaging eLearning, therefore, it’s not only essential to include aspects of repeated practice; it’s also important that instructional designers and Learning & Development (L&D) professionals design such activity in ways … [Read more...] about The secrets to creating engaging eLearning: How to provide your audience with meaningful learning experiences
Learning Curve: How Employers Can Change Steep To Genial Learning Experiences
There’s plenty of evidence, both anecdotal and empirical, that if you try to teach someone new things when they are anxious, the result is often counterproductive. So, what can employers do to help transform a steep learning experience into a more genial and smooth learning curve? How Can The Learning Curve Help Employers Change Learning Experiences? When new processes, procedures or tools are introduced in the workplace, it’s natural for employees to feel overwhelmed. The steep initial learning curve associated with embracing such change is often what gives workers cause for stress. What Is The Learning Curve? At it’s most basic level when used to measure accomplishments or lack thereof, a curve is associated with a gradual incline, uphill or steep, or decline, down-hill or “less steep”, in reported results. The learning curve is typically used as a measure that determines how difficult or easy it is for educators to impart knowledge, and for employees to learn new skills or acquire … [Read more...] about Learning Curve: How Employers Can Change Steep To Genial Learning Experiences
