To make online classes successful, you have to understand the participants. Your knowledge of the participants will help you create a lesson that has the highest chance of success. While the content is still important, the method by which it will be delivered will increase the success of the online course. You want to make sure that the method of delivery will improve the learning experience of the learners through engagement and interaction. In order to do this, you have to know what they want first. Not only that, assessing the learners will help you understand the foundation of their knowledge and skills. It will help you form the content properly.
Here are 5 different ways that you can assess the learners before the start of the online classes.
- Make them write online journals. One is to ask them to create an online journal to write down what they expect out of the course. They can also discuss their goals. Any ideas that they may have about the course and how they wish to complete it will help you with the course. You can still make changes or add activities that will help make it more appealing to the learners. This journal can be in the form of a simple blog that you can set up for free through WordPress or BlogSpot.
- Give them online quizzes. Another way to get to know your learners is through an online quiz. Again, this can be done through a blog. You can come up with questions that will show you the extent by which the learner understands the topic on hand. This knowledge will help you determine if you need to teach the basics or you can proceed to the meat of the learning.
- Create online simulations. If the lesson involves some practical skills, a simulation is a great way to assess the learners. You can create a simulation that will place the learners in situations that will make them practice the knowledge and skills that you plan to teach in the online classes. If anything, this will help you identify the areas that require more focus.
- Ask them to complete a survey. You can come up with questions or statements that the learners will rank or give comments. This will allow you to identify what is important to the learners and what holds their interest. It will help you choose and decide what elements to include in the course and what activities will motivate them to complete the online classes.
- Conduct online interviews. Finally, you can conduct online interviews. This can be done through chat or video call. Among the other options, this does not have as much reach because it is too time-consuming to interview all the learners. What you should do is to pick the learners that represent the collective opinion of the group. Talk to a few so you can get an idea what they need. In the workplace, it might be best to talk to the manager and one or two members of the team.
You can use one or two of these together to help you get to know the learners in your online classes. Having a deeper understanding of the participants will help you create a course that can provide the best learning experience for them.
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