As if coming up with original content for your eLearning courses is not enough, it’s good to keep in mind the necessity of delivering the content in a way that will entice and engage the learner. Many eLearning developers or designers face this problem. Creating online courses that keep the learner intrigued and wanting more is not an easy task. Below are just a couple of suggestions on ways to keep the learner engaged in your course.
Try using different types of media throughout your courses. Narration, images, videos, text, animations, sound effects, etc. Don’t just limit yourself to the typical text and image on a slide routine. There are limitless ways you can display your content. Get creative, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Make your course as interactive as possible. A simple “click next” feature may be the way to go for some eLearning courses, but if your content will allow , an interactive presentation is best. Some techniques to creating interactive content are adding links to external sites or specific slides of your presentation, and adding clickable buttons that launch videos, images, sound, or narration. Creating problem-solving scenarios is also a great way to maintain interest and attention in your courses. A scenario puts your content into context and allows the learner to practice new skills in a real world setting.
Try presenting your courses in a way that is “pulled” rather than “pushed.” Pushed courses are streamlined and follow a standardized order. They guide the learner through the course, step by step, in a sequential manner. This streamline process is most commonly used in eLearning courses, and although it is not an unsuccessful way of presenting content, it limits the learner from quickly obtaining specific sections of information. Pulled courses, however, allow the learner to access specific content without having to go through the information that is unnecessary, irrelevant, or already known by the learner. By using the “pulled” approach, you are still providing the same information, but you are changing the way that the learner will access it. A good example of enabling the learner to “pull” the content is to split up the course content by sections and implement a simple and navigable menu.
Now that we’ve covered some helpful tricks, you can rest assured that your user won’t fall asleep halfway through your course, but rather will have an enjoyable, informative and engaging experience.