How To Create eLearning Courses The Right Way
eLearning modules are a great way to deliver training on almost any topic at scale. Companies, training organizations, and trainers are therefore increasingly relying on this efficient, economical, and accessible digital format to train employees, customers, and partners. But what are the best practices for designing and deploying effective eLearning modules?
8 Tips To Design An Effective eLearning Module
1. Define A Clear Educational Goal
A real starting point and a common thread for your training, the educational goal defines the concepts that will be covered and the knowledge that must be acquired by learners and trainees. This is an essential step prior to the design of any eLearning module. By unambiguously defining the educational objectives, the work of creating the training will be more fluid and will allow the learner to be placed at the center of the module design process.
2. Vary The Formats
In your eLearning modules, use several formats and media to energize the content and allow learners to better assimilate knowledge. Learning delivered through several sensory channels [1] promotes memorization; learners will have to process information using several of their senses, thus promoting longer memorization of different knowledge. Combine videos, images, sounds, and other media to stimulate their different senses while holding their attention and thus fighting against fatigue.
3. Use Practice Quizzes To Stimulate Learning
Continuing on from the previous point, include short quizzes and MCQs at the end of each eLearning module. The objective is to approach the notions seen, to force each learner, faced with different choices, to ask themselves questions. The MCQ makes it possible to give lesson reminders and explanations in the event of an error.
Obviously, these small quizzes are not assessments strictly speaking since their objective is not to issue a certification but only to have an educational vocation. Again, these quizzes will energize the training by making learners active in their learning. Assessments are a great way to enrich any training.
4. Allow Learners To Go Back
To be able to learn at their own pace, it is essential that everyone can go back to review a concept that has not been well understood. The tool on which the eLearning module is delivered must therefore be intuitive and allow you to easily return to the previous steps as much as necessary. It must also allow you to pause videos and soundtracks.
5. Have The Course Tested
When you have finished designing your digital training, it is a good practice to have it tested and verified by one or more people before delivering it in real conditions. This step should not be neglected because the tests will be able to validate the proper functioning of the course and will make it possible to correct any spelling errors or other anomalies which could spoil the experience and the learning of your trainees.
6. Ask For Feedback From Learners
Offering high-performance eLearning modules involves implementing a continuous improvement process. Indeed, the content of an eLearning module is rarely something fixed and must evolve gradually according to changes. The best way to continually improve eLearning modules is obviously to ask for feedback from people who have taken the training, in the form of a satisfaction survey, for example. This survey can be addressed to those who have actually taken the training but also, to go further, to their managers or even their colleagues. To concretely measure the effectiveness of your eLearning modules, it is possible to go even further in the training assessment process by measuring the acquisition of knowledge; this is level 2 of the Kirkpatrick model.
7. Use Microlearning After Training To Anchor The Acquired Knowledge
Microlearning is a particularly effective way of prolonging training and supporting learners to sustainably assimilate knowledge after training. By having the right tool, microlearning can be set up relatively easily and at a lower cost since it will use the content already present for your training. Microlearning is also an excellent way to enhance your training offer.
8. Create Personalized Journeys With Adaptive Learning
Offer a personalized experience to your learners by integrating adaptive learning [2]. Adaptive learning makes it possible to take into account the progress and profiles of people, for example, by offering additional training to those who have gaps in a particular area or who have not understood certain concepts seen during the training. Adaptive learning is an excellent way to use the automation offered by digital tools for learning and teaching.
References
[1] Our senses and multi-sensory learning
[2] Adaptive Learning In Practice
