We have all suffered through them. eLearning courses so dull students wake themselves up with their snoring. Use the six tips below to make your higher ed eLearning amazing!
Go Micro
Microlearning makes eLearning amazing. Learners are able to get the content when they need it. Likewise, designers are able to cut out a lot of the boring bits. Yet, microlearning takes time to do, right? If your program is already dull, this is a great spot to start. Identify what content is the most important, then delete the rest. Microlearning lets students customize their own eLearning experiences too. They can skip what they know and focus on new content. Micro lessons let you track what bits of the content students are watching.
Know where you lose them
Most importantly, make sure your eLearning is in the LMS. Creators need to analyze course data. Use the LMS to track what the students are zipping through and what they are rewinding. Design teams must know when and where students quit. Take time to review the course stats with your team. Amazing eLearning content cuts out what does not matter. Avoid long paragraphs and lengthy text assignments. Likewise, the delivery format may be turning students off.
Change up the delivery format
Besides that, boring higher ed subjects may be more taxing due to their delivery format. Video-based correspondence series were hot twenty years ago. Podcasts are the rage now. Mobile-first design makes amazing eLearning experiences. Students need to know on the first click that the course is going to work on their device. Instructor-led materials may lean heavily into in-class group projects that do not translate well in virtual or hybrid classrooms. Boring pdf handouts that students cannot print from their phones kills enthusiasm. Still, investing in your team’s video production skills may pay off here.
Invest in Team Tech Skills – Not More Equipment
Therefore, invest in upping your team’s tech skills. Invest in their production skills. This advice is not a call to invest in more tech equipment. This is a call to invest in learning to use what is in-house to create amazing eLearning. Learn trendy apps. Keeping up with the tech trends is nearly impossible when creating core content. Besides that, there’s room to look for ways to integrate popular trends in eLearning activities that teachers can swap out.
Flip it
Yet, few designers think to create micro activities that instructors can swap out. Also, creating activities that students can build in their summative content is brilliant. Popular micro platforms let students share their knowledge. Dull topics can be made fun by the students. Flipped classrooms started to have their day, then they were brushed aside. Their day may be back. eLearning can produce amazing experiences if students know that they are going to present to their peers. Course creators can create amazing eLearning experiences using tried and true techniques.
Gamify More Than Content
Yes, gamification has its place. Still, many institutions struggle to find their balance. Either everything is a game, or nothing is playful. Identify which items should be gamified. Also, don’t think that the entire eLearning course has to be revamped as a game. Remember, the course can be broken into chunks; students can be given select modules that have been gamified. Offer rewards and prizes for completing the series of dull eLearning courses. Virtual reality is great here. Depending on what your boring course is, VR may be the best investment you’ll be making to keep your program relevant. If you’re on a budget, lean into using old, familiar games to spark your learners’ creativity.
In sum, there are many tools institutions can use to make their dull subjects more exciting. Still, many schools may struggle with evenly dispersing the tools throughout their eLearning experiences. Universities must remember not to make everything a game. At the same time, colleges must remember learners’ preferences for mobile-first and micro lessons. In the end, eLearning needs to get results.
