Involving students: 3 design strategies

There is never enough talk about the need and, above all, the strategies to keep the students' attention high and to involve them in the course they are following. It is, in fact, an indispensable pillar for any training course. There is no need to create an excellent course if you are not able to keep the students "glued" to the screen.

Companies also benefit from a good online course. According to LinkedIn's 2019 Workplace Learning Report, employees would stay longer with a company that invests in their training. That's why eLearning professionals should not lose sight of the goal of getting the trainees involved as much as possible.

Having fun, practicing, surprising and stimulating the desire to learn more are just some of the sensations that make a course unforgettable for most students. Here are some strategies that, despite the passing of the years, can always contribute to make a student "fall in love" with a training course:

1. Customization

If on the one hand it is necessary that the student following an online course should never be left completely alone, thanks to the work of the tutors and the use of the forums, on the other hand also the platform itself must make him feel "special". A few tricks are enough. Let the participant choose his name and/or his avatar, so that in personal or predefined communications you can address him directly with his nickname. In addition, the student will be able to see the avatars and the names of colleagues and tutors, which will make the context more human.

2. The power of storytelling

Learning must not turn into mere passive activity. On the one hand, you need to know how to make the narrative compelling, whatever the topic of the course, perhaps through anecdotes and personal stories of teachers and other experts. On the other hand, it is necessary that the student himself feels "immersed" in the subject, through, for example, simulations through the use of virtual reality, gamification, but also using traditional comics. Everything that tells a story and is able to convey feelings and emotions has a positive impact on the student's involvement.

3. The use of empathy

How many times do you hear that an online course is too "impersonal"? We know it's not an absolute truth. To avoid creating a "cold" course it is necessary that all the people who design the training course put themselves in the shoes of the students. Try to think about the last course you enjoyed the most. What elements struck you? How did they get you involved? Personal experience and empathy are excellent allies in creating an engaging online course.

Article from eLearningIndustry