How To Create eLearning Experiences That Work
Many companies today are reluctant to enrol their employees in training sessions conducted by experts because it doesn't translate to better business outcomes.
If learners are unable to recall and use the knowledge acquired to improve job performance, it's a pointer that the purpose of the learning experience has not been achieved.
As e-learning course designers, it's time to think beyond just a few modules and training sessions and instead creates engaging and lasting experiences that will drive tangible results. Here are some principles to keep in mind.
1. Build in daily practice when creating an eLearning experience
You've probably heard of the saying 'practice makes perfect.' Although an accurate understanding of concepts and theories is important, it doesn't take the place of constant practice.
It's why doctors are required to participate in a residency program rather than jump straight to treating patients without any form of supervision.
If knowledge was enough and all that's needed, four years of rigorous learning in medical school should have prepared and equipped doctors to start treating patients. Similarly, if knowledge was enough, pilots would be allowed to fly an aircraft on their own without supervision.
In both instances, they are required to practice first and must hit a certain numerical targets to proceed further. In a similar vein, building in daily practice can help elearners become better.
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2. Encourage social learning when creating an eLearning experience
Social learning is constantly happening all around us, and it can be used to achieve better learning outcomes. Social learning refers to the process of learning from our observations and interactions with others. Learners can share ideas and knowledge, leading to repetition, which in turn aids retention.
There are different social learning strategies that you can implement when designing your eLearning experience.
Small group interactions, collaborative document interaction, on-the job mentoring and learning can help enhance the overall learning effectiveness and the eLearning experience.
3. Keep the modules short and crisp
Trying hard to make the eLearning course material look sophisticated by adding a lot of information doesn't just have the potential to confuse learners but may also put them off for good.
Rather than cramming a lot of concepts and ideas into your eLearning modules, break down the information into digestible bits that users can understand. When elearning is broken into smaller fragments, the bits eventually form the whole. Structure and master a segment of the digital training before advancing to the next.
4. eLearning tip: Provide a single focus of attention for your learners
One of the common mistakes eLearning course designers often make is trying to switch between two topics or tasks at the same.
This is usually based on the belief that humans can multi-task. While it's true that the human brain can do two things at the same time, it's impossible to concentrate on two tasks at once.
People who believe that they are good at multitasking fail to realize that the brain is unable to transition seamlessly from one task to another.
Going back and forth causes a cognitive switching penalty, which is characterized by time wastage and some loss of information while the brain is rebooting.
If effective elearning will take place, learners must be allowed to focus on one topic at a time.
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5. Make eLearning experience visual for learners
Research has shown that vision is superior to all other senses in eLearning. With eLearning experience, Learners are more likely to remember what they taught visually in their memory for a long period of time.
Throwing all information upon a PowerPoint isn't the only way to leverage the benefits of visual learning. You can also use videos, posters, flow charts, flashcards, activities, questions and other visual focal points to demonstrate concepts in a way that a wide variety of learners can leverage equally.
What's more, visual learning can help keep your learners engaged.
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6. Use spaced repetition when creating an eLearning experience
Spaced repetition is a powerful technique that can help improve the ability of learners to recall what they learned.
Research has shown that the brain learns more when we space out our learning over time.
This explains why it is more effective to design an eLearning experience for 20 minutes a day than for two hours one day a week. So spread out your learning to avoid the knowledge dump.
7. Invest in temporary loss when creating a learning experience that works
If you've ever attempted to learn a new skill, you probably recall how your performance was initially poor before it got better.
Similarly, when learners start undergoing training to learn a new software system or process, they will likely become less productive for a while before they adjust and see a spike in productivity.
The idea is to allow learners experience a temporary dip in productivity as it signals that they're practising what they learnt. As they improve over time, the long-term gains will outweigh the short-term losses.
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8. Your learning experience course should start with the critical components first
Generally, most learners are usually excited to learn at the beginning of any training. This is the best time to teach the most important aspects of your eLearning course that will serve as the foundational blocks for other components of your course when they're less motivated.
It's recommended to use the Pareto Principle, meaning you should focus on the most important 20% at the beginning of the learning experience and cue other components to follow afterwards.
9. Be adaptive When Creating a Learning experience that works
Because people learn in different ways, it is crucial to address the differences in the inability by targeting teaching practices.
Effective learning experience should take into consideration how the content can be customised to the learner to address their unique needs rather than providing a one-size-fits-all learning experience.
A good elearning experience is one that connects personally in all ramifications
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10. Learn towards a goal when creating an elearning experience
Learning experience design should always follow the heart, head and hands approach. In other words, learners need to first be motivated that eLearning can happen (heart) and understand why it is happening (head), so they can know how to make it happen.
Thus, it's critical to have a well-defined goal or business outcome as this will help determine the learner understanding that time spent in the learning experience is justified.
Constantly reminding them can keep them motivated to follow through to the end.
Conclusion
More than ever today, it is becoming obvious that students are capable of wielding the power of their free will to decide what learning experiences they buy into.
Thus, any learning experience that will drive real, tangible business results must be relevant, real-world, and purposeful. By following the principles above, you will create learning experiences that get the job done. You can also get in touch without a team of experienced designers at TheLearning LAB. We are available to create an amazing eLearning experience that works for you and your team.