How to recognize a good eLearning course

Have you decided to train yourself following a course in eLearning mode? Well, you should know that it is important to distinguish an effective online course from one of the many boring transpositions of manuals or brochures in multimedia format. Don’t you agree?

If you’re not an expert in this sector you could make wrong choices. How to avoid these mistakes? Let's see together which factors must be considered.

"The first impression is what matters"

It has a value also our case. It is a good first sign when the eLearning course is presented in a pleasant way. Of course it's not all, sometimes spoiled ingredients or unpleasant flavours can be hidden inside a cake that looks appetizing at the first glance.

In our case, we have to consider various elements:

• Audio: make sure that behind the audio there is a professional actor and that the eLearning course is not simply commented by someone, even worse with a dialect accent.
• Graphics: give attention also to the graphic elements of the slides of the course, and consider if that is consistent with the image of the Brand. Be wary of contents that mix different styles or have only a decorative function.
• Navigation: it is an element that must not be underestimated. It must be both simple and intuitive and must allow the user to easily navigate the contents. Even better when it is supported by diagrams or diagrams+tables that make it easier to understand the course.
• Teacher: It is useless to emphasize how the presence of the figure of an expert plays a key role in learning. It is important to be a qualified, prepared person that can assure the user about the opportunity to receive an appropriate and valuable training program. This is especially true in the case of mandatory training in the field of occupational safety and compliance.

The difference lies in the content

Another question to ask is the following: "Has the objective been achieved?" In order to answer, we need to analyse the content, to understand how the concepts of the course are transferred to the student.

Take care that there should be an introductory unit at the beginning of each teaching unit to present the structure of the Course, and that the contents work in synergy with the graphics. It is also important that, in support of the study, there should be tools that help to memorize contents in an effective way, like summary schemes, concept maps, etc.

You are at the centre

Finally, it is important never to forget the user of the course: in this case, yourself. The appreciation of the user the real yardstick to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. If, at the end of the course, you have understood the content that has been explained, you will remember it and you will be ready to apply it in everyday life. This means that the course has reached its goal that necessarily coincide with yours.
Make sure there are sufficient exercises; as they can facilitate the whole training path.