Some Tips for Teachers: Elearning Tools

Elearning is only slightly different from the traditional kind of learning. Of course, elearning tools can make this mode more convenient for both the student and the teacher. The danger of course, is that it is too convenient that it makes people lazy. It can be boring or ineffective if not handled properly. So here are a few ideas that would improve the effectiveness of elearning for everyone.

Creating Connections between the Lesson and the Real Life
The thing that elearning lacks most of the time is a connection between the lesson and the personal world or experiences of the student. This is because elearning distances the teacher from the student. This is after all the teacher’s job. But this does not mean that it cannot be done in elearning. Perhaps the best way for such an element to be inserted into the electronic module is by use of vivid examples that would most likely connect with your students or trainees. If the course is about customer management for example, getting short, real testimonials from those who have had experiences with such matters will be a great addition.

Challenge the Learners
Elearning should not be spoon-feeding. Most of the time, teachers or trainers simply insert the same Powerpoint presentation slides into the elearning tools and call it a day. This is a wrong practice. Of course Powerpoint slides will always have a great application to teaching. But elearning is not about just slides. It will just be like reading without any interactive element. That is why it is also a great idea to keep things interesting by creating games and integrating these games into quizzes that will challenge the learners about the lessons they have learned. Also, only giving the learners all the facts and then testing them later on by asking what those facts were is nothing more than a memory exercise. One should not just give the learners simple boring quizzes. Make sure to engage them with thought-provoking questions that will force them to really make use of the knowledge they have learned.

Create Simulations of the Practical Application of the Lesson
It is fairly easy to do this for elearning. With enough creativity and planning, one can make an interactive and fun simulation. For example, if the lesson is about employee management, one can easily create a scenario that involves a decision making process that will take the trainee step by step through that process.

Use Images Packed with Meaning
Remember that each image one will use is a big part of the elearning process. There are many times when designers will simple place superfluous images and graphics just to make the thing more colorful or pleasing to the eye. This is not always a good idea. That will just become an ornamental display which often leads to a feeling of image saturation. It is better for the elearning tools designer to put in meaningful images that really say something or illustrate with utmost clarity the lessons being taught in the module.