Dynamic. Alison Hadfield.
05 July 2022
The types of elearning module you need today
Today I’d like to talk about the types of elearning modules that can make a difference to your learners. There’s a strange thing with the word ‘elearning’ (or is it ‘e-learning’? Maybe just ‘learning’?). It makes it feel like you’re in a compromised subgroup of education.
We’ve never had it so good
In fact, we’ve never had more resources available to make your courses exciting, engaging and, most importantly, effective.
You have the biggest, most varied education toolkit at your pedagogic fingertips. But where do you start? How should you construct your course to truly inspire your audience and make sure they’re with you right until the end?
Having been integral to the implementation of thousands of online learning courses, we know what works. We’ve seen the data. And it only seems fair that we share this wisdom with you.
1.
Bite-sized elearning
When conventional modules are 30 minutes, 60 minutes or longer, your learners have to carve out significant chunks of their life. When you embrace the bite-sized elearning philosophy, they can sneak in important learning in place of their usual Candy Crushing. You’re not only working around people’s schedules either – different learning types mean that many people find smaller amounts of information much easier to retain and properly understand.
Even better, if you’ve got an LMS with comprehensive analytics. That’s because, the smaller your content, the more accurately you can see what’s working, and what isn’t quite landing.
2.
Learning games
Speaking of Candy Crush, creating gamified elearning content isn’t just smart, it’s essential. You’re speaking a language that your audience already knows, rewarding progress and ensuring that your course isn’t a chore. A little friendly competition in the high score tables can also help build community and collaboration amongst your learners.
As with most of these educational modules, you’ll also appeal to a broader range of learning types than a traditional classroom environment, particularly kinaesthetic or tactile learners. This isn’t the stripped-back edutainment of years gone by. With the right content partners, you can create genuinely fun experiences that look great too.
3.
Live virtual classroom events
Livestreamed events are inclusive. All of your students, regardless of location, time zone and social challenges are included in the learning process. Built-in interactivity means that you can collaborate between countless sites, and broadcast special event speakers far and wide.
Even better, when implemented properly, it’s a fantastic source of new content that your learners will benefit from for years.
4.
Video learning
You don’t need to be an obsessive Tik Tok scroller to know how we consume media now. And it’s a brilliant opportunity to make your courses captivating and unmissable. Well-produced video content brings in rich elements. And they don’t just bring your lessons to life, they create accessible elearning for a range of learning types and abilities.
Better still, from teacher-produced content using apps, all the way to professional studio content, you can find valuable video for every budget.
5.
360° virtual tours
From architecture to visual merchandising to fire safety, it’s not always practical to be in the space you’re learning about. With interactive virtual tours, you can provide consistent training locations that ensure your learners are prepared for real-world assessments.
As they explore your virtual spaces, they can interact, inspect and learn through their own experience and at their own pace.
6.
Quizzes
Multiple choice has its place. But properly designed quizzes can be some of your most important—and ambitious—types of elearning. These quizzes are not only your opportunity to properly assess your learners’ progress, but generate crucial analytics about your course and how it can be improved.
By using formative, summative and reflective questions, you can build a true understanding of complex concepts that lasts long after the course is completed.
7.
System simulation
Creating sandbox systems enables your students to role play a variety of real-world scenarios with the tools they’ll actually be using. You can design a range of challenging situations and disasters, all without making an impact on your live system environments or databases.
It’s both a fantastic way to get hands-on experience and an invaluable way to gather feedback on how your tools are used.
8.
Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
It’s been a long time coming, but VR and AR components are finally available. And when it comes to types of elearning, they are a cost-effective way to make a big impression on your learners. From passive observation experiences to getting their (virtual) hands dirty in three-dimensional space, you can offer an unmatched level of learning immersion and tactile engagement.
And that’s whether you’re replicating working spaces in the hyper-focused environment of a headset, or location-specific learning of an AR smartphone app. This type of elearning will give you a game-changing new level of interactivity, memorability and effectiveness.
Whatever types of elearning module you use, we’re all here for the same reason
Maybe you found this post because you asked, how do I make elearning experiences fun and engaging? Perhaps you want you want to leave a real impact. That’s exactly why we’re here. Our mission is to continue creating the content and learning platforms trusted by educational institutions, global businesses and governments.
We want everything to work better, and we want everyone to learn better. Give us a call if you’re interested in seeing what we can do.
Get in touch.
How could the most creative elearning team in the world help you? Get in touch to talk through the challenges you have and how we can help. Send us a message and someone will call you back.