5 Critical Characteristics of Effective eLearning
With all levels of students (and teachers) required to work remotely for the past month and a half through at least the end of the year, eLearning has become such an important tool even for teachers who have never before used this kind of teaching strategy.
But just because it’s occurring doesn’t mean it’s all effective. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely not here to criticize the extremely tough situation our teachers have been in. I have nothing but respect for all the educators who have stepped up and gotten it done for their students amidst all of this pandemic chaos! They’re doing a great job.
Once this has all settled a little, though, education won’t be the same as it was before - and it shouldn’t be.
Once this has all settled a little, though, education won’t be the same as it was before - and it shouldn’t be. Teachers were forced to do a total pivot! There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to use this material again like they would other lesson planning, right?
No one wants to use a lesson that’s not effective, though, so it’s important to make sure we recognize what effective eLearning looks like.
eLearning
What Exactly is eLearning?
We hear a lot of different terminology surrounding digital learning, and sometimes it can be confusing. Before we talk about what makes up effective eLearning, let’s qualify what that actually is.
Many times distance learning is used synonymously with online learning or eLearning, but they are actually different things.
Distance Learning is created with the intention of being used online only, never in a face-to-face setting. Students are in different locations, often at home, and teachers assign and check all work digitally. There are entire college degrees that can be completed through distance education! Before computers, this kind of learning used to be completed through correspondence in the mail.
Online or eLearning, however, is typically created to supplement or enhance learning in face-to-face classes. While the content is online, and students interact with it digitally, teachers can also assign it during face-to-face class time as a way to diversify learning experiences. It’s considered a blended learning strategy, which essentially means using traditional and technology together to augment learning.
eLearning
5 Critical Characteristics of Effective eLearning
The main goal of online learning right now is to get through, but it won’t always be like this. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if teachers come out of this with some great new ideas they already piloted that they can bring into the classroom with them in the fall?
Wouldn’t it be fabulous if teachers come out of this with some great new ideas they already piloted that they can bring into the classroom with them in the fall?
Personally, one of the best things about trying out a difficult new type of lesson when I’m teaching is figuring out what could make it better. Sure, it might be uncomfortable the first time around, or even go poorly, but that doesn’t (necessarily) mean the initial idea was bad - it just needs some work.
As teachers are working to create this eLearning for students, assuming they want to be able to use it again, it’s important to keep in mind these 5 critical characteristics, even if this first round is a work in progress of the lessons.
Short
In the digital age, many of us don’t have a long attention span. It’s even shorter than you would think. In a world where a goldfish might have a longer attention span than we fully functioning humans, it’s important to make sure that each and every second counts.
Keeping eLearning brief is critical to its effectiveness because otherwise students will lose focus. If you’ve been in the classroom, you also know this to be true about more traditional approaches to teaching, too. Lecturing for an hour just doesn’t resonate with students, and even though it’s been a staple throughout the history of education, it’s unlikely that has been effective for a long time.
Interactive
A huge part of the reason teachers develop eLearning in the first place is so that students can interact with the material and the knowledge becomes more accessible to a wider group of students.
Effective eLearning should be varied: you want students clicking things, watching brief videos or animations, reading information, and inputting their own thoughts and responses. The more students have to do to get involved with the learning, the better chance they will have of recalling that information later, which is ultimately the goal, right? To remember what we learn.
Buildable
Probably the trickiest part of effective eLearning is that it is able to build on other material, but also stand alone. A perfect example is eLearning work assigned for “snow days.”
If snow day learning is effective, it’s a great way to ensure that teachers don’t have to spend an additional in-class day “making up” for the days off.
Students know and understand the context because of the other lessons they’ve had in class, but when it comes time to complete the online snow day lesson, it should be a unit in and of itself. It likely won’t be as long as a normal in-class lesson (because of attention span, and understanding that everyone’s home life looks different), but it can still transmit the information teachers need students to learn.
If snow day learning is effective, it’s a great way to ensure that teachers don’t have to spend an additional in-class day “making up” for the days off like we used to have when I was younger. Not that in-class review is a bad thing at all! Teachers spend a lot of time reviewing things, and for a good reason. But it’s easier to review than start from scratch if you can give students that advantage.
eLearning
Complex
Do you remember the scantron exams schools used to administer? The ones with little rectangles for A, B, C, D, & E? And the only other thing you were allowed to write on it was your name, class, and date? Thankfully, I think a lot of schooling has progressed past that, but those tests were not memorable learning. Well, unless you count the groans and anxiety we all got when the forms were passed out at test time.
All of this is to say, when teachers create eLearning, it should be more complex than just a series of true/false or multiple choice questions. It’s important to test student knowledge as they learn online, but giving them questions online without interaction is pretty much the same as an in-class test, but with different distractions at home.
eLearning can be a great way to keep students engaged and learning the material in a more hands-on way than we used to be able to do, but that’s only if it’s more complex than a “test” would be!
Intuitive/Easy to Navigate
Students come into the classroom at all different levels. No one knows this or feels this more keenly than teachers. In the classroom, teachers have the ability to mitigate the differences by explaining things in multiple ways and using activities (and group work) to help students uncover ideas for themselves.
eLearning has a different set of challenges because teachers aren’t there to help the students who learn differently than their peers.
eLearning has a different set of challenges because teachers aren’t there to help the students who learn differently than their peers. It’s because of the diversity of learning strategies that effective eLearning must be intuitive and easy to navigate.
As much as we write instructions, or even talk to students via video chat, there will always be at least one student who will say “I don’t get it.” The best thing teachers can do help students overcome (and save themselves from answering the same question 1,000 times) is to build the eLearning in the most straightforward and simple way possible.
Tools
So how do you create this wonderfully effective eLearning for your students?
Ultimately, the choice is yours, and it really comes down to:
How much time you have (or want) to invest
How comfortable you are with technology
The level or age of students you are teaching
There are numerous pieces of technology, but here is an introduction to a few that I’ve used, and some that colleagues of mine have used.
Before you make your decision, I recommend going on Pinterest and looking for free templates!
Before you make your decision, I recommend going on Pinterest and looking for free templates! There are a ton of high quality templates and class materials available if you’re willing to look for it.
Learning Management
Google Classroom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6L-nZGIUTE
Canvas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDEwW5aj3JI
*** Note: Your Canvas will look differently depending on what institution you’re using it through. ***
Content Creation
Google Slides
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IfjUo1JOMs
*** Note: You can set up your slides however works best for you, but I personally love this set up! ***
Articulate Rise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLoebnsJDoM
ArticulateStoryline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NcB5YupsB0
*** Note: The Articulate Suite is an amazing set of tools. Rise has an easier learning curve than Storyline 360, but Storyline can do incredible things with interactivity if you spend the time to learn how to do it. ***
Have you had experiences creating effective eLearning? I’d love to hear about your strategies and tools! Drop a comment below or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com.