Did you know that you can use your online courses to promote lifelong learning? But what exactly does it mean in the first place?
Lifelong learning is the process of finding lessons in every aspect of your life. It combines both formal and informal learning methods to improve one’s knowledge and abilities. The whole purpose is obviously to help people improve the quality of their life.
You might be wondering – how can one achieve this through elearning courses? Fortunately for you, there are several ways to do this. Most of them are indirect ways of instilling the love of learning. Here are some of the techniques that you can use in online courses.
Establish goals
Do not just use the online course to teach a lesson. You have to encourage every learner to come up with their own goals. Having a goal can motivate you to do your best. This is especially true if you make them feel responsible for reaching their respective targets. You can have this part in the beginning of the course. Allow them to set up milestones that they should reach in the midst of the course. Having these short-term successes will motivate them further to complete the online courses that they enrolled in.
Give enough time for reflection
Another thing that you can incorporate in the elearning course is giving learners enough time to reflect on what they learned. This is when they stop to ponder on what they have learned. During this process, we hope that they will realize just how important and relevant the lesson is. This allows them to identify the areas in their lives that they can improve because of what they learned. Through proper reflection, they get to recognize the value of learning and this will prompt them to fall in love with the idea of learning something new.
Include research-based activities
Teach online learners to search for their own answers. Ask a question and let them research the answers to it. This will allow them to develop the habit of seeking their own answers. You can start by providing them with the resources that they can tap into. But it is important that they learn how to do a thorough research. Once they develop this skill, the next time they encounter problems, they would know how to solve it on their own.
Allow learners to take control
Develop your online courses in such a way that will allow learners to take control of the learning process in online courses. You should allow them to set the pace of the learning process. Give them options on what to do and how they can assess what they have learned in the lesson. This will allow them to connect more in the learning experience – which increases the value of learning further.
Make them question their beliefs
This is the best way to encourage them to think outside the box. When this happens they will have more questions that they will be motivated to seek answers. Challenge their personal assumptions and the norms in society. This will make them see beyond their usual limits. Creating online collaboration activities will help them see viewpoints that are not their own.
Focus on the elearning experience
When you have a good time doing something, wouldn’t you want to do it over and over again? This is why you need to ensure that the learning experience of elearners will be as pleasant and enriching as possible. You want to win their trust and approval so they will always choose this method of learning whenever they want to gain new insight or skill.
These are effective ways that you can promote lifelong learning through online courses. You can combine a couple of these strategies for a more effective and efficient learning experience.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles for FreeDigitalPhotos.net