Brief Principles of Online Learning Platform

 

Basic principles for online learning

To improve learning outcomes and interaction, effective online learning necessitates the ability to design the experience. To improve effectiveness, live online instruction should include the following elements:

A common visual experience for all learners

Every learner in a physical classroom or seminar is looking at the same thing. Variable views in video conferencing tools allow learners to change how they see the presenter, the slides, and the participant gallery; they can also choose whether or not to view chat. It is usually impossible to create a common, shared viewing experience. Improved Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) tools, on the other hand, allow the host to control what the learner sees, including the display of video, slides, and chat. A unified visual experience for all learners reduces distraction and maintains focus on the content that must be retained.

Short bursts of content interspersed with peer interaction

Online content is best retained when delivered in short bursts of less than 7 minutes, with a content length of 3 to 5 minutes being ideal. Good instructors carefully plan the sequence of events to ensure that the content builds on one idea after another and that the interaction activities are appropriate for the content being delivered. While polls and chats are a good place to start, enhanced VILT tools provide a variety of interaction options that the instructor can use to encourage the type of peer interaction that will spark ideas and promote retention. These are some examples:

• Quizzes and games.
• Focused chats and Q&A for each topic.
• Fill-in-the-blank, word clouds, sticky notes, and task lists are examples of word-based tools.
• Raised hand, agree/disagree, laughter, applause, speed up/slow down, upvotes, and star ratings are examples of simplified feedback delivery.
• Controls for instructors include the ability to hide the attendee list, enable anonymous chat, and choose learners at random.

Peer group breakouts

Small group projects, which allow learners to collaborate and learn from one another, are a feature of many live training programs. In virtual group rooms, enhanced VILT tools can provide the same interaction, encouraging true collaboration beyond just speech.

Motion

One of the most important principles of online learning is this. The human brain is hardwired to detect movement. When people interact with a computer on their own, they are constantly moving something. Online presenters must provide a variety of slides, layouts, videos, and interactive features to combat limited attention spans for staring at words on a slide. Enhanced VILT tools provide a plethora of options for keeping the presentation moving and learners' minds engaged.

Accessibility

Because of embedded closed captioning, keyboard commands, color controls, enhanced navigational features, and partnerships with screen readers for the visually impaired, virtual classrooms improve on the accessibility of in-person training.