Online courses: no to boredom!

Let's admit it. Sometimes, online courses can be boring. Poorly focused content and little interactivity can be some of the reasons for the poor involvement of course participants. Often, in fact, there is a tendency to always propose and propose the same model of pre-packaged course. Boredom, you know, is not a friend of learning. For this reason, here are some tips to avoid giving the students time to yawn in front of the screen:

1. Let the challenge begin

Often the quizzes, especially the final ones, are quite repetitive. The student already knows what awaits him. Why not upset the order and put a quiz at the beginning? For example, if it is a company online course, you might propose a test to see if the employee remembers the information from the previous year: if the result is positive, he or she might skip some sections of the course (unless mandatory)! In the case of other training courses, on the other hand, the initial quiz may allow you to receive bonuses or unlock elements that allow you to receive additional information, such as curiosities and anecdotes about the subject of the course.

2. Practice in "real life

How many times in school have we asked ourselves, "what's the point of studying this subject?" We don't let the students in our online course ask themselves the same question! For this reason, it is essential that students can also take advantage of the more practical part of the course. How will this training course help them in real life? Depending on the topic, you can do simulations, ask to make a video, solve a problem or opt for an e-learning course based on the scenario.

3. Add a little mystery

To avoid boredom, why not add a little mystery to the course? Enter small tests, games or leave some suspense. Some of the content, in addition to allowing learning, must also arouse the curiosity of the students, perhaps leaving them with bated breath until the last before giving an answer to an interesting question.

4. Video, from passive to active instrument

The videos are a useful tool and for this reason they are widely used in eLearning platforms. However, just like other types of content they only allow passive listening. Why not make them interactive? Thanks to special tools (so-called "overlays") designers can add buttons, writings or other elements that allow students to interact directly with the video.

5. Change the type of feedback

We have already talked about the importance of feedback in articles like this or this one. The way of providing an assessment to students can also become more attractive: try to use new ways according to the target group of the course. Tests can be an additional teaching opportunity, for example by offering practical advice. You can also create a "cumulative feedback" that shows the student's progress during the different lessons. Finally, don't forget the importance of graphics: colours, images or symbols can help to make the moment of receiving feedback less obvious.

Article from eLearningLearning

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