Creating eLearning content is exciting. However, even though you may be an expert on the subject matter of the course, it pays to resist the temptation to immediately fire up your desktop, laptop, or tablet to churn out content. Take a step back and review the bigger picture first. A bit of long-term planning will result in a more stress-free experience and will produce more engaging courses for your learners. 8 Steps To Successful eLearning Creation Developing eLearning courses is equally an art as it is a science. However, to get it right requires a tried-and-tested plan. Here’s an 8-step plan to get you started: Conduct Sound Audience And Needs Research As an Instructional Design professional, you’ll only receive rewards for the time, effort, and capital investments you make in designing and developing your eLearning course if it “sells.” Ensuring that there’s a demand for your creations requires sound audience research before you invest a lot into developing the … [Read more...] about 8 Steps For Creating Engaging eLearning Courses
Instructional Design and ELearning
4 eLearning Course Responsive Design Rules To Live By
The days of learning only using a wide-format desktop screen are long gone. In fact, with the proliferation of devices with multiple screen sizes, it’s hard to know exactly which screens a course designer should use. So, what should Instructional Designers do? The answer is: Use responsive design techniques for the best results! The eLearning Challenge At Hand Responsive design addresses a real-life challenge that eLearning course designers and developers face. With portable devices and smartphones today, online learners can start a course on their 24-inch screen desktop at home, continue it on a 12-inch screen tablet during lunch, and finish a module on a 6-inch smartphone during their evening commute. Then, as they relax at home, they can review and revise key learning points on their 60-inch Smart TV. And if that’s not enough, they could even take a pop quiz using their 2-inch smartwatch screen! The challenge with these scenarios is that conventional course design principles just … [Read more...] about 4 eLearning Course Responsive Design Rules To Live By
How to Increase Learner Retention by Contextualizing Your Training
Adult learners typically struggle with understanding new concepts and ideas when such information lacks perspective – their unique perception. That’s because learning theory, be they Behaviorist, Cognitive, Constructivist or Motivational, underscores that, putting information into context, and giving perspective to knowledge produces better learning outcomes. Without adequate contextualization, most learners tend to disassociate from what they are learning. And when that happens, they may disengage from learning, leaving trainers an uphill task of re-engagement. UNDERSTANDING CONTEXTUALIZATION Contextualization is all about framing learning concepts in a way that’s familiar to the individual learner. To bring contextual value to your learning, it’s important to understand where your learner is coming from – not just his/her geographic location (we’ll touch upon that in a moment), but also their previous experiences, the terminology they’re familiar with and their expected application … [Read more...] about How to Increase Learner Retention by Contextualizing Your Training
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