eLearning: how to use the tabs

Interactivity is one of the great advantages of eLearning. There are many strategies to make an online course less static, from gamification to quizzes. Yet, there are rather simple elements that help to "move" the learning path. Among them there are the so-called "tabs", which are tabs that allow you to switch from one content to another, as if you were using bookmarks.

The tabs are intuitive, help to organize the content, intrigue students and are easy to use in the design phase. In addition, they avoid overloading the student, who will not see all the content within the same page, but divided in an orderly manner. When and how to use the tabs? Here are some tips:

1. Use them in the right content

Like any other interactive element, tabs should not be used in excess, but where they are needed. These tabs, in particular, can be useful for grouping lists, processes or related content. The question is "Do the information linked via tabs have their own logic together?

2. Do not use them for comparisons

Not always related themes can be joined through tabs. If the goal is to show the differences or similarities between two pieces of information, the tabs will prevent students from making a comparison between two or more elements since they cannot be seen at the same time.

3. Use comprehensible tabs

In order to achieve the goal of the tabs it is essential that they are intuitive to use. For this, the labels on each tab become essential. You can use numbers or letters, icons and images or words or short phrases to make the student understand the order or themes of each tab.

4. Arrange the tabs correctly

Another way to make sure the tabs are user-friendly is their position within the page. Regardless of whether they are vertical or horizontal, at the top or side, they should be aligned evenly, close together but a bit spaced so that students can easily click on each of the tabs.

5. Highlight the selected tabs

It is important that during his or her training the trainee always knows where he or she is. For this reason, it is crucial to avoid that students feel "lost" among the tabs. How? You can highlight the selected tab, for example, through colors or bold. This way you can highlight which tabs are already selected.

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