Can you think of a life without a mobile device even for a day? Saying that we live in a mobile-addicted society will not be wrong. It has its own pros and cons. Instead of blaming guilty for becoming addicted, we should embrace the blend of technology and learning.
This new post-pandemic era has forced us to pace up with technology in all fields. The tasks, which were considered difficult and were slow-moving, have now taken the front seat and levied us to work and learn at our convenience and pace.
As learning is required at all stages of life, eLearning methodologies are fast-growing. Creating the content which can be accessed on all kind of devices is the most required skill in training and learning.
Understanding and learning a required skill may require a different approach based on one’s caliber. Choosing the online course becomes critical. Based on the instructional environment and approaches, mentioned below are some of the ways to take up the online course:
Asynchronous Online Course: This type of course does not require any classroom or physical sessions. The complete course and assignments are provided at one go. One can learn at their own pace, repeatedly, and at their own convenience and complete the online assignments within a specified time frame. These courses are very effective for students with busy schedules and working professionals. Interactions and brainstorming happen through various discussion boards and social media platforms.
Synchronous Online Course: Learning a course through virtual classrooms formulate this kind of course. Connecting with a class through text chats, video chats, and forums or text from any corner of the world is the main feature of this course.
Hybrid Course: It is a blend of both asynchronous and synchronous courses. This provides both face-to-face classes through virtual classes at fixed times and sharing the online course content, discussion forums and assignments.
The learning does not end by just providing / choosing the kind of learning course, having continuity to the learning program plays a vital role in the effectiveness of the program. Keeping in touch with your students / mentors is very important for updates, discussions, ideas etc.
An increase in engagement and participation helps in providing a wider perspective and improved learning. Various methods that can be adapted for the same are:
Real-Time Quiz Or Polls: Set up polls and quizzes for instant answers via various online and social media platforms. The polls and quizzes should be a mix of fun questions and course-related courses.
Interaction Groups: Set up local interaction groups for course related discussions, doubts, ideas and suggestions.
Including Videos: Most effective and easy way to understand is watching and grasping. Interactive videos can help maximum engagement and involvement of both learner and trainer.
Including Internet Related Activities: Listening to the facilitator might be difficult and boring for the learner, and at times difficult to relate. Various relevant activities give the better understanding of the module and its implementation.
Use of Voicemail: Setting up a voicemail message can be of wide use for providing the simpler version of the module with scenarios, providing clues for the quizzes or address questions for the activities given.
All the above methods can be used to recall, refer and refresh all the ideas later at the time of practical implementation for better and productive results. You can use the tools provided by easygenerator to create the videos and activities and quizzes.
Conclusion: The tips mentioned above will surely bring life to the e-learning experience. Provide your feedback and ideas in the comment section for further brainstorming ideas on how to be more innovative in elearning space.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
