Summary
The million-dollar question that all e-learning designers ask themselves all the time is always the same: How do I “grab” the attention of my target audience? And as with all big issues, it must be said, there is no magic formula. There are, however, a number of (more or less) small mistakes that, one project after another, we learn to avoid, and that we should always keep in mind when working on an e-learning course.
Let’s try together to recount some of them, well aware that this may be the zero installment in an endless series of in-depth reviews, because, to put it romantically, listing the possible mistakes of a designer is equivalent to counting the stars on a serene summer night.
Without the ambition to be exhaustive, therefore, let us begin.
1. Minimize the design of e-learning courses.
Did you know that one-third of your total time would be devoted to e-learning design, One-third to development and one-third to debugging? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself how often you really devote so much care to ideas and the storyboard of your e-learning course? We have to admit, very often the temptation to see our ideas take shape ends up penalizing the right point we should be making when we design. Try it to believe, Every extra day devoted to e-learning course design is a day gained.
2. Underestimating writing
A misplaced accent can ruin everything. Our impression of ourselves also comes through the care we take with those details that some might mistake for details, but which details are not. We leave no room for typos or dancing propositions in our text, otherwise we will forever stake our credibility with users. Also: we say no to long and articulate periods, we welcome with open arms keywords and self-consistent paragraphs.
3. Wrong voice
Have you ever tried to voice-over a course with multiple voices and compare the results? In terms of engagement, things can definitely improve with the right voice over. Sometimes the choice of TTS (Text To Speech) becomes necessary as a matter of cost and upgrading, and although technology has evolved and robotic voices are becoming less and less metallic, whenever possible it is always better to opt for a “human timbre.” Not allvoices, however, it must be said, lend themselves to all topics. It’s better to do a few trials than to find yourself puffing from boredom already halfway through development.
4. Not weighing interactions: the mistake e-learning courses must avoid
Engagement clearly benefits from interactions. Users no longer feel like just listening and seeing. “The nap effect” could be lethal. So enriching the fruition of calls to action is a prerequisite wherever possible. Each course, however, is its own, and one must remember that too many (and too little reasoned) interactions in an e-learning course risk diverting attention away from the content, or, even worse, frightening the user, who will end up feeling “questioned.” Use interaction elements appropriately. It alternates between highly interactive scenes and simpler ones with static text and images. The user’s attention will thus remain high; they will be curious to find out what content is waiting for them. Remember: too much is too much!
5. Caging the user
It is essential that the user feels as free as possible in navigating the e-learning course. So we limit propedeutic content constraints where not strictly necessary. In fact, it has been proven that this is how we adults’ learning works: we feel the more involved we are the more active participants in the decision-making process (if you want to learn more, go learn aboutMalcolm Knowles’ theory ofandragogy).
6. Don't ask: which device?
One of the first questions to ask and ask, when designing, relates to how your user population will predominantly use the e-learning course you are working on. Much changes, in micro-design, whether the course will be viewed and enjoyed predominantly from mobile devices or from desktops. A whole series of specific choices, in fact, will have to be made in relation to this information, both in the visual and user experience areas. In any case, remember: forgetting or disregarding responsiveness is always a mistake if we are talking about e-learning courses.
7. Neglecting the magical power of design
The font should be readable, the images not too cryptic, the graphics intelligible, and the videos relevant. Easy, right? The visual design of e-learning is of paramount importance, because it will determine not only the agreeableness of the content, but also and especially its effectiveness, affecting the attention curve. Each choice, in fact, is capable of maximizing or undermining learning because it can either precipitate or keep us safe from so-called cognitive overload.
8. Improvise quizzes. A common mistake in e-learning courses
Quiz? Okay, so we got to the bottom of it. Here is the first mistake! Becausewho said that verification of learning in e-learning should be relegated to the last slide? In fact, quizzes should be well distributed within the course because they can enliven the user experience and stimulate user engagement. So let’s try to break away from the idea of the classic multiple-choice question at the end of the module and imagine a series of exercises along the way. If you test yourself in the process, you will also perform better on the final tests.
Thinking and structuring right questions, then, is not so obvious. Did you know that there is a science, called docimology, that deals with the study of test evaluation systems? For example, remember to formulate equivalent response alternatives, not too different in length. Then, try to avoid markedly incorrect answer alternatives or ambiguous wording.
Have you recognized yourself in some of the most classic mistakes in e-learning courses that an instructional designer is likely to run into? Keeping these few rules in mind is already a decent step forward and will allow you to circumvent the risk of an uninvolving course! If you have any doubts or questions, write to us!
