Summary
Brevity and Synthesis for successful e-learning courses
Our attention curve has shifted, we know that by now. After seven minutes it is at its peak and then drops inexorably in the direction of sea level, so, it goes without saying, synthesis is what we need to look for most strongly when we go to design and write engaging e-learning courses. Each word must be weighed and must, in its own way, be indispensable, loaded with meaning: this will allow us to dry out the content and thus go about breaking the course down into short pills, if possible of a duration that never exceeds 10 minutes. It is best to tighten speech, to divide longer periods into short sentences. Too much information will make life difficult and learning impossible-the risk to avoid is information overload. And remember: if everything is important, then nothing really is. All we need to do is to give ourselves the right amount of time to read and reread, cut, revise, rehash and rework the content. The Latins called it “labor limae”: millennia have passed but the concept is still the same.
Design properly
Time, we said. For synthesis work, but not only that, we need to forget about the clock. To design, in general, it is necessary to carve out the necessary time: this will allow us to avoid running mistakes and difficult shot adjustments when the project is underway. Did you know that the rule of thirds not only applies to photographic compositions and images, but also to the design of an e-learning module? In fact, the right time to spend on planning is 33% of the total time. If you plan down to the smallest details, you will have fewer surprises down the road and be able to scrupulously devote yourself to implementing what best meets the needs of your users.
Eye-catching graphics
We all agree, don’t we, that a carefully chosen image, refined graphics, and thoughtful layout are capable of making content more palatable? The point here, however, is that they can also make training more effective. Curating content graphically is important and does not necessarily mean allocating the entire budget to visuals. That’s not to say that you can’t make beautiful and engaging e-learning trainings even with carefully chosen images from libraries. The key is to think, personalize, heal.
Designed with the User in mind
The user should be at the center, not the course. Neither is the client. Sometimes it is hard to accept, but it is: the first thing we need to ask ourselves when we design and then implement a digital learning course is whether we are clear about our target audience. It is for them, in fact, that we are going to produce the work and it is for them that we should think about it: that is why in the design phase it often turns out to be strategic to interview, when possible, a sample of potential users who will use the e-learning course.
Captivating e-learning courses? Gamification at the center!
Gamification in e-learning often comes to our rescue to maximize engagement. The use of some elements of Game Design in non-game contexts, such as precisely distance learning, is useful to exploit in the platform, but it can also be kept in mind when we implement courses. Include where you can interactive components that make the user feel like a protagonist in the journey he or she is taking and not a spectator. Try to test him with quizzes and tests not only to check his learning of a concept you have previously imparted to him (Tell-Test model), but also to ascertain his background knowledge with respect to a topic. Try to guide him, but leave him free to build scenarios if the subject matter allows you to do so. The more you interact, the more you remember!
Storytelling for e-learning
Stories like, interest, intrigue. They allow the user to step into a situation and, as a result, facilitate learning. That’s why we should also try to exploit this expedient when we go about thinking our e-learning courses to be engaging. Storytelling in e-learning makes it possible to transform content that was at first boring into content of interest. Think about it: a case study, a character, a concrete example allow us to empathize to a much greater extent with a situation, a concept, an issue, and this, of course, allows us to learn more easily.
Set them free
Adults learn differently from children, and for them freedom has value. That is why, where you can, it is good to favor autonomy of navigation and limit propaedeutic constraints. In fact, there is evidence that users will be the more engaged the more they are allowed to be active participants in the e-learning course decision-making process.
Summarize and Repeat
Being synthetic, we said, is essential. However, repeating key concepts can be a strategic choice with a view to maximizing learning. Reiterating what is most important, perhaps with different emphasis and changing the wording of the sentence, will enable us to facilitate memorization. If we repeat a concept by changing the words, we will make ourselves better understood.
Multidevice and Responsive Design: prerogative of engaging e-learning courses
What devices will users predominantly use to enjoy this course? This is a question we should always ask ourselves before we start designing an e-learning course. Based on the answer, we will then structure precise teaching choices. An e-learning module must always meet the rules of responsive design, but knowing at the outset whether that content will be enjoyed more on smartphones, tablets or PCs will help us make more informed and apt design choices.
Finally, have fun!
In the end, the number one tester is you. It will therefore turn out to be of the utmost importance to understand whether you first will find it effective and easy to use, whether you will have, that is, succeeded in your ambitious aim of making the digital learning course you have conceived, designed and implemented engaging! You will, in short, have to be able to sincerely wish yourself “Have fun!”
