Ideas To Create Condensed eLearning Programs
Abbreviated eLearning Courses: How to Develop eLearning Suitable for Busy Online Learners
Older learners are different from school children in several ways, and it’s not just their age. They usually invest more in their education because they paid for it themselves. Even if it’s employer sponsored, they know why they’re studying, so they’re more emotionally invested. At least in theory. They are also very busy so they don’t have much time to devote to their training. Design your eLearning course to be flexible. eLearning content should be grouped into short sections of condensed eLearning courses for better retention. Below are a few more suggestions for maximizing knowledge transfer while minimizing the duration of the eLearning course.
7 top tips for creating eLearning courses for limited time learners
1. Make it readable
Avoid large blocks of text in your condensed eLearning course. They are boring, and online learners can easily get out of hand and lose focus. Keep the wording short, simple, and active. Jargon can be linked to lightboxes, popups, or attachments that contain longer definitions. These extended texts can be opened when moving the mouse pointer, which restricts the wording on the page. Limit your layout so that you have one idea per page. You want 1,000 pages of fifty words each rather than the reverse. Your wording should have plenty of spaces so online learners can use it faster. Allow them to easily adjust the font size and choose sans serif or non-italic options for better readability.
2. Keep the meetings short
Not many adults can devote an hour or two to training. Maybe when the children have gone to bed or when they are stuck in traffic. They mostly study in five minutes while in a waiting room or coffee line. The typical study session lasts 15 to 20 minutes as they take a lunch break. Or they study while doing something else, like housework, exercise, or school runs. Divide your eLearning content into parts so that they can summarize their sessions. Also add options that you can apply in these contexts. For example, an audio lecture with which you can call up information without disturbing an employee in the next booth.
3. Go for infographics
This increasingly popular medium is a great way to summarize and condense information. It combines the best training functions – little wording and lots of images. The small pictures and symbols are easier to remember than endless prose. They also serve as a reminder. Online learners can see the condensed content of the eLearning course at a glance. This is useful for end-of-chapter summaries, quick referencing, and revision sessions. They are also easy and fun. However, remember that your infographics and other graphics should be light and condensed. Loading eLearning course items that are taking too long to load is an unnecessary waste of time.
4th factor in entertainment
Have you wondered why you can see a ninety minute movie but can barely get through a half hour lecture? It could be the multimedia experience that attracts you. Or the quality of the storytelling. Film techniques draw your attention to yourself. So apply the same principle to your eLearning material. Keep it informative and useful, but also make it fun. When the learning experience is fun, online learners take time to study. They will make room in their busy schedule because they look forward to it. And when it is exciting, they are open to longer eLearning sessions, even if they do not technically have the time.
5. Use versatile design
Employed people are task-oriented. They are unlikely to be in one place for an extended period of time. For example, they just sit at their desks while working on a specific project. The rest of the time, they switch between meetings, arrange on-site visits or run errands. A desk class is therefore impractical as they are never at their workplaces long enough. Instead, design a cloud-based course that they can access from anywhere. Accompany it with an app for mobile phones and tablets. Enable offline access so that you can continue to use it when you are not connected.
6. Eliminate the clutter
Reevaluate your current eLearning course designs to see what you can cut out to condense the experience. For example, irrelevant images that give the course no real added value. This also applies to facts, statistics, and other text-based content that may be irrelevant. Clearing the clutter usually requires audience investigation. They need to figure out what information they need and what may fall by the wayside. For example, if you are at a more advanced level, you can leave out rudimentary concepts that are redundant. Just give them a quick summary at the beginning to refresh their memory, then move on to the good things.
7. Make it Micro
Microlearning is ideal for the moment of support. Because online learners have quick access to online resources that meet their needs, they can start using them right away. For example, create three-minute tutorials or demos that show how to complete a task. You can watch the video to overcome obstacles immediately and work as usual after the shortened eLearning course. This will help them save some time on their schedule and reduce stress. Again, you should re-examine their needs, likes, and gaps to develop micro-learning resources that online learners will actually benefit from. Also, add a good mix of shipping methods so everyone can find something that appeals to them. From podcasts and serious games to interactive simulations.
Conclusion
Online learners rarely have time for long sessions. There is too much to do, both in the office and in her personal life. Therefore, their eLearning content must be designed for quick learning sessions. Use spaces and minimal wording to help them read more quickly. Infographics are also great for quick learning. Compress images so your pages load instantly. Make your eLearning material fun to consume and allow it to work on all platforms.
Do adults learn the same way as their younger colleagues or do they need their own approach to absorbing the information? Do you know what your adult learners need to achieve their goals and tackle everyday challenges, and how much time pressure they are facing? Download our free e-book. Designing Adult Learner eLearning Courses: The Complete Guide that will teach you about the characteristics of adult learners, the barriers they face, ways to engage and motivate busy adult learners, and some amazing adult learning facts and statistics that You need to know as an eLearning professional.
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