This is part 3 of a three-part article series about Active Learning.
The last part of this article series is all about the tips that you can use to implement active learning during content creation.
To recap what was already covered, we discussed in the first article the meaning of active learning and the benefits of using it for your elearning course. In the second article, we discussed how active learning can be implemented in your training program. We specifically cited three ways that you can implement it.
What was discussed in the first two articles should be enough to help you figure out how you can use this method of learning in your course.
Now the implementation of active learning will depend on the platform that you will use in terms of learning. Active learning in a traditional classroom and a virtual classroom is different. Let us concentrate on how you can implement this in an online course. To help during content creation, here are tips that will give your implementation efforts some direction.
- Know the different learning strategies that you can use. There are many types of learning strategies in an elearning course. Defining your strategy will help you figure out the tools and techniques that you will use to create your content. Now one of the most popular strategies that you can use is a learner-centric approach. Active learning is all about engaging your learners and getting them to participate in the learning process. The best way to figure out the type of activities and approach that you will use is by knowing who your learners are. That way, the tools and activities that you will choose will be according to the interests and strengths of your learners.
- Cater to the different learning needs of participants. It is important for you to realize that learners have varying learning needs. Some are stimulated by visual elements in the course. Others tend to participate in activities that challenge their sense of hearing. You do not have to stick to one element but you do want to tap into each learning need so everyone in the group will be satisfied. Once you get to know your learners, it should be easier to identify their preferred learning need. You can probably cater to that more often but it is advised to stimulate all the other needs as well.
- Remove the fear of making mistakes. In every learning process, you need to eliminate the fear of mistakes. It is okay to make mistakes. Sometimes, it is with our mistakes that we get to learn more about the lesson. The fear of errors can sometimes hinder learning and stunt critical thinking skills. Create activities and scenarios that will allow learners to implement and practice what they learned without the fear of making the wrong choices.
- Boost interaction through collaborative activities. Social learning is also one of the strategies that you can use to implement active learning during content creation. Group activities is a great way to do this. You can set up an online forum where learners can talk about questions, scenarios and other issues presented to them during the elearning course. Social media is also something that you can tap into as another platform to interact with each other.
- Use interactive tools. Sometimes, you do not have to do anything fancy – just make sure there is an activity on the end of the learners. Drag and drop interfaces and the ability to jump from one part of the lesson to the other – it can be as simple as that. You may want to consider this during content creation.
As you start creating your elearning course, you will realize that there are other ways that you can implement active learning in the lesson. Be open minded about it and you should be able to think of unique ways that you can use this method of learning as you go through the content creation phase.
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