Learners today have so many competing priorities, that it makes the task of instructional designers even more challenging. Not only do course designers need to ensure they have top-quality content to share with their learners, but they must do everything possible to make sure that content is appropriately received and “consumed”. Here are five unique ways that you can adopt to supercharge your eLearning courses. Breakaway from text Although we all learn differently, pictorial mnemonic-based training is a far more effective way to foster learning than traditional text-based approaches. That’s because our brains are hard-wired for (biased towards!) learning through pictures and images. One of the points that illustrates this was made by 40-year veteran author, educator, and corporate trainer Sharon L. Brown in her powerful book Using Brain Science to Make Training Stick. Brown makes the point that “Images trump words!”. By using pictures and images in your eLearning … [Read more...] about 5 Unique Ways to Supercharge Your ELearning Courses
The ELearning Course Designer’s Blog
5 Ways AI Can be Applied in ELearning
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a mainstay in virtually all aspects of human life. And now, its presence is reinforcing education in the aspect of eLearning more than any other modern technology. Today, AI impacts the modern educational system in the areas of adaptive learning, virtual teachers and lecturers, customized digital learning interfaces, automated grading, and the automated plagiarism checking, as per report presented in this infographic. Machine learning, an aspect of AI, enables machines to learn and make decisions for themselves based on the analysis of statistical data, behavior patterns, and even the outcomes of previous actions (learning by trial and error). In 2017, Netflix saved $1 billion by using machine learning and that’s only one of the positive examples of AI use. A very basic example of the machine learning application is the classification of spam mail that most mail servers incorporate. Thus, by taking as reference a series of labels such as … [Read more...] about 5 Ways AI Can be Applied in ELearning
How to handle customer complaints: 4 effective tips to convert disgruntled eLearning customers into happy clients
ELearning course design is a creative process. Unfortunately, one that’s sometimes fraught with misunderstandings and miscommunication. And when that happens, customers aren’t too pleased - as might be expected! Here are 4 tips on how to deal with customer complaints, and how to turn a potentially bad situation around, and convert it into a long-lasting professional relationship. Dealing with customer complaints Typically, before commencing work on eLearning content, course creators and instructional designers usually sit down with a client to analyze their needs and suggest a solution to the learning challenges being discussed. In some instances, circumstances are such that the designers simply do what the client is asking them to do. Once the designers determine that the deliverables are completed, they submit them for client approval. Usually, if all goes well, the client will accept the content created. There are situations, however, when customers aren't … [Read more...] about How to handle customer complaints: 4 effective tips to convert disgruntled eLearning customers into happy clients
How to Estimate ELearning Development Time in 5 Easy Steps
Whether you are an HR manager considering an in-house eLearning course, or a consultant thinking of bidding on an eLearning project. The one question that’s always front-and-center is: How long will this eLearning project take? We’ll explore that question in this post, and leave you with a simple 5-step process to answer it! Factors to consider The methodology explained below is based on a set of logical steps that you need to follow when putting together a timeline for eLearning development. As an eLearning content developer, however, when applying the 5-step process provided below, you must also factor the uniqueness of your project requirements, and the development environment, into the equation. For instance: How many course designers, developers, and content producers will I have? What types of course authoring tools will I have access to? Do I have developers who have experience with those tools, or will there be an associated learning curve? Untrained or less … [Read more...] about How to Estimate ELearning Development Time in 5 Easy Steps
The ultimate instructional design models cheat sheet
Instructional design produces the best results when we follow a methodical process. Unfortunately, whether you are a fan of Merrill’s Principles or Bloom’s Taxonomy, or whether you are an ADDIE devotee – there’s so much involved that it’s hard to keep track of what’s what. Having a set of handy cheat sheets, to gently remind you what needs to be done, can be an excellent way to ensure you dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s. Not only will cheat sheets help make your ID process as thorough and complete as possible, but it will also help you save time. Here are 6 cheat sheets that instructional designers will find useful. Cheat Sheet for Merrill's Principles of Instruction Merrill’s design theory, First Principles of Instruction, is a concise ID model that many novice and expert instructional designers might find extremely helpful. Here’s the Coles Notes version of what it entails: Use real-life problems in your instructional events Activate … [Read more...] about The ultimate instructional design models cheat sheet
How to Apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to Your ELearning Courses in 10 Easy Ways
Bloom’s Taxonomy was created in 1956 as a set of six cognitive skill categories. These ranged from lower-order abilities that require less cognitive processing skills, to skills of a higher-order that must demonstrate greater degrees of cognitive processing. In 2001, the original framework created by Benjamin Bloom was modified slightly, giving birth to the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT). While the revisions do make it easier to understand and implement, the fundamental principles of BT remain unchanged. As a designer of eLearning courses, you can leverage the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy to create powerful learning content. Let’s look at 10 simple ways in which you can do that. Real-world application Even though Bloom's Taxonomy (BT) was initially created for a classroom environment, its application is still very relevant to eLearning domains. That’s because the underlying cognitive principles enshrined within RBT are applicable to any form of learning. RBT has … [Read more...] about How to Apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to Your ELearning Courses in 10 Easy Ways
