How
to make e-learning effective
Anyone
may be able to create a simple online course, however creating an effective e-learning
course is altogether different. An effective course takes a good deal of time,
hard work, and a commitment to high quality content.
Here
are some tips that can help you create a highly effective e-learning course
regardless of the material or curriculum:
Know
your subject material well!
There
is no golden rule on how much time you need to put into creating the ideal
content, but one thing is certain - you need to take your time to research
material before making it available to your learners. The reasons are simple,
you want to be prepared to back up any claims made within your course material,
not all learners digest information the same way, and some may need more
explanation through examples or further proof.
Online
courses provided should appeal to all learning styles
The
design of the online course should take every learning style into
consideration. For example, while one student may benefit from visual
multimedia presentations of coursework and lessons, another student may be able
to better absorb the information when it is presented in text form. An
effective e-learning course always takes these various learning styles into
account when the lessons are being created.
Facilitate
Contact
Students
and teachers should be able to establish an open line of communication. Also,
teachers should specify which means of communication they prefer and during
which hours. This will ensure that expectations are met and that the student
receives the help or support that they need. Also, students should have contact
information for the systems IT support staff, and have access to a member of
staff on a regular basis if needed. Examples of how students can communicate
with their instructors are: discussion forums, social media, chats, email,
video conferencing and other VoIP technologies.
Platform
should be easy to navigate and fully functional
When
designing the site and e-learning platform, ease of navigation and
functionality should be top priority. A well organized and intuitive web-based
learning platform enables students to focus on the coursework rather than
having to sort out technical issues that may arise from poorly designed sites
and systems.
Course
documents should be available to every student enrolled
Course
documents like the syllabus must be available for students to view,
particularly at the beginning of the term. This will ensure that the student
knows which lessons will be covered throughout the course, and can use the
syllabus as a guide throughout the entire course. It provides teachers with an
effective road map as well, and helps structure their lesson plans.
Set
and communicate clear goals
A point we can't stress enough: one of the reasons teams
are unable to achieve goals is not having clear enough guidelines on how to
reach them. Part of the curriculum of any course should be what will be done,
when it will be done, and what is needed for the successful completion of
tasks. It is therefore important that all instructors set and communicate clear
goals to their learners in a manner in which they are sure they will understand
and will be able to put into action.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon