When designing elearning courses thereâs always a lot to consider around what content will resonate with your audience. While it would be great to have a one-size-fits-all solution, we know that no two learning groups (or learners) are the same. Thatâs why itâs important to consider a range of content to engage effectively. In this blog, weâll highlight a few techniques and methods that help us reach all types of learners and keep them interested long term.
Create real-life scenarios
If your learners are anything like me, theyâre convinced that the best way to become proficient at anything is through practice and experience. This might seem to contradict the driving philosophies behind all elearning, but there are ways to incorporate on-the-job experiences into your course content and creation. Thatâs going to mean different things for different competencies and sectors, but it holds true regardless. When approaching learning design, avoid getting too in the weeds of the theory. While theory is important, itâs the practice that will engage learners and build the core functions and skills.
Some sectors have gone beyond elearning and branched into augmented reality and VR, creating realistic scenarios where learners get âhands onâ with tasks â perfect for dangerous or technically difficult roles where staff need to âlearn by doingâ. Hereâs an example of AR being used in a hospital to prepare young patients for surgery:
Incentivize learners with gamification
One of the most effective ways to engage learners is through gamified learning solutions. Weâve talked a lot about gamification on the Kineo Blog because itâs a proven method for developing interactive learning content. Game-based learning often features points or rewards to incentivize correct decisions and/or overall engagement from your learners. Kineo has implemented solutions where users are rewarded coins that can be redeemed for physical merchandise, right there in their LMS. But even when rewards arenât online, games help keep learning interesting. The element of competition can often push learners to give their best efforts while completing courses. For more information, check out our recent gamification webinar recording.
Flexible and accessible resources
The technological capabilities of today make it very easy to set up courses that are adaptable to all kinds of learning types and schedules. A key component of elearning is the freedom to access educational resources whenever theyâre needed. A good LMS can certainly provide this functionality, but itâs up to learning designers to ensure the library of content is easy to access and logically organized. Think about the types of quick resources youâd want employees to have if they needed to access information on the job and build from there.
Build in opportunities to provide feedback
Learning has never been a one-way street and that rule still applies in the digital world. Students should have opportunities to speak up and provide feedback on whatâs not working, and what is. When you encourage trainees/students to continue the dialogue, they are better set up for long-term success and ongoing knowledge sharing. Many times this can be as simple as providing a digital comment box at the end of the course or carving out time after trainings to discuss any areas that may still need attention. Communication ensures understanding and leads to growth, so donât shy away from that.
These are just some of the things we know, from experience, create engagement with our learners. Find out more about Kineoâs bespoke elearning here custom/bespoke elearning page, or get in touch with us to chat.