online learning content: best practices …€¦ · online learning content: best practices guide...

HOW TO CREATE COMPELLING CONTENT FOR ONLINE LEARNERS

ONLINE LEARNING CONTENT: BEST PRACTICES GUIDE

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CONTENTS

3

5

7

9

1 1

13

1 5

17

1 9

2 1

CONTENT SPECIFIC TO MY NEED

VISUALLY COMPELLING

CONCISE CONTENT

MIX OF THEORY & INTERACTIVITY

MULTIPLE PRESENTERS

STORY TELLING

PRESENTERS WHO HAVE PERSONALITIES

VIDEO & MUSIC

GAMING & QUIZZING

SUMMARY

In our technology-driven lives, we are unaccustomed to sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time consuming content – unless the material is compelling. Even with a strong desire to learn, information presented statically will cause our brains to shut down after 10-20 minutes.

Not all learning is equal. A two-hour audio presentation does not guarantee understanding. Similarly, attendance at the entire presentation does not indicate mastery. No real learning takes place until it moves from surface knowledge to dynamic knowledge, not only to know about the information, but to be able to apply the skill or concept to real-life scenarios.

The goal of this guide is to provide guidelines for creating content for digital events that inspires and engages learners.

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WHAT KEEPS YOU ENGAGED IN ONLINE CONTENT?





Consider creating a pre-event test that assesses people’s knowledge and understanding of the training topics. Consider tying questions to modules or chapters within your training, so that if an attendee clearly displays sufficient knowledge for Chapters 1 and 3, the test results indicate they should focus on Chapters 2, 4 and 5. This means that learners can focus on what they don’t know, rather than risk losing their attention to material that they already know.

Research shows that people remember what they learn first. To tap into this tendency, share the goals of the training at the beginning; make clear what the audience will achieve after the session that they couldn’t do before. This will help learners mentally commit to the session and the topic, so they’re prepared to retain information.

With each point you make in your presentation, explain how learners can use the information and how doing so will benefit them. Think about answering the question, “Why am I learning this?” When you make it about your learners by providing context, you keep them engaged and help their knowledge retention.







VISUALLY COMPELLING




In a presentation, the audience is concentrating on listening to what the presenter is saying, so they have little time or brain capacity to devote to understanding slides. For that reason, slides should have one clear, simple message that the audience can understand at a glance, allowing them to focus on the speaker’s words.

Cluttered slides confuse the audience because they don’t know where to look. If the presenter says “as you can see from the picture” and there are five pictures on screen, the clutter is diluting the message and distracting the audience.

Avoid text-filled slides, and use bullet points sparingly.

Visuals help store information in long-term memory, so be careful to choose images that link strongly to your point.

Avoid animation unless it advances the viewer’s understanding.

In a recent survey, 65% of the population are visual learners, graphic interfaces made up of photos, illustrations, charts, maps, diagrams, and videos are gradually replacing text-based courses.*

*Shift Dispruptive Elearning http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/350326/Studies-Confirm-the-

Power-of-Visuals-in-eLearning


VISUALLY COMPELLING







http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/350326/Studies-Confirm-the-Power-of-Visuals-in-eLearning



CONCISE CONTENT





CONCISE CONTENT

When you look at the content you are building, think about how you can divide it into segments that are 10 minutes or less in delivery time.

For content built into PowerPoint™ decks, look at the natural chapters in the content where you are using title slides or changing to a deeper dive on a topic, and record each piece as a separate file.

If you present a training as two straight hours of content, people will look at their watches and say, “I don’t have time.” However, if you present each topic as 10 minutes, this seems far more digestible, and attendees are more likely to complete the program.

Set a goal of three or fewer learning objectives inside any one segment, and keep it simple in its delivery.

Brief segments of content empower a greater learning experience, enabling learners to retain more than if the content is delivered in longer forms.









This concept ties into the attention span of learners. Statistics show that encouraging the learner to touch the keyboard every 2-3 minutes can enable refocus and increased retention. Let your attendees explore the topic and discover the material by interacting with it. When you let games, stories and peers move your presentation along, the subject becomes more engaging.

Think about how you can challenge a participant to touch their keyboard. Here are some examples you may consider :

Do some research and share that research in a chat room

Interact with a slide maybe your content has been built in Articulate or another form of interactive authoring tool like Lectora

Take a test to verify their knowledge

Watch a video









MULTIPLE PRESENTERS




Think about the success of a morning talk radio show, which you might hear on the way to work. Their content is compelling as typically you have a male and female disc jockey. They leverage humor, music, sports, news, discussion and competitions. But what really works is the change of tones and voices to keep us engaged.

Using multiple presenters can help keep focus, and makes the content compelling. If done well, it can feel like it’s a personal learning experience, especially if the Subject Matter Experts are discussing and using stories to bring the content to life.


MULTIPLE PRESENTERS







STORY TELLING




There is nothing more compelling than learning theoretical values that are wrapped up into a story or presented in the form of a case study.

Use stories to enhance your learning content. People connect with stories better than they can connect with learning content alone. Emotional connections help learners stay engaged and retain information, so use stories — even if they’re fictional — to convey your points.

Laughter is the best and quickest path to long-term memories. If you can get your audience to laugh, you’ll grab their attention and help to commit the material to memory. If you feel comfortable doing so, consider adding relevant jokes, quotes, cartoons or videos to introduce or explain your points.


STORY TELLING









It may be difficult to admit, but not every presenter has a personality that draws in their audience. To engage learners, a counterintuitive but effective approach is for the Subject Matter Expert to allow another person to deliver the content.

Subject Matter Experts have a wealth of knowledge, but they need not be the one presenting, especially if they don’t feel comfortable creating video content! Subject Matter Experts can write the script, build the content flow and design, and answer questions, while somebody else can deliver it on video or do the voice over.

Experience has shown us that, with an effective script and great support, a drama major may help bring your content to the next level.









VIDEO & MUSIC





VIDEO & MUSIC

Music and video snippets have a powerful impact on the brain — they can increase focus, reduce stress and set the feel of the content — so consider adding them to your learning sessions. To best prepare the brain for learning, play instrumental pieces, or a popular song that will pump up the brain and stimulate it. Switching out media using video and music also can reboot learners’ brains.

Be aware that copyrighted content generally cannot be broadcast or distributed without permission from the copyright owner. Royalties or other fees may apply.







GAMING & QUIZZING





GAMING & QUIZZING

Being able to test one’s knowledge while learning is a phenomenal tool to keep participants engaged in the content and validate the knowledge that they are gaining. Use quizzes and tests as a way to get people to think about the content they shared, and give them time to participate.

For example, verbally ask a question in a presentation and give them time to think of an answer – they don’t have to interact with the screen to respond but a simple question, such as:

Why do you think Virtual Events are on the rise? Is it…

a) global travel cuts exist

b) time out of office is limited

c) work life balance

… then pause and give them time to consider an answer – count to 10-20 seconds in your head - then respond with your personal answer.









SUMMARY

As you can see, there are many concepts to creating learning programs that are compelling, dynamic and engaging. With a purposeful presentation featuring relevant visuals, engaging music and a few explanatory stories or jokes, your online training presentation will capture your audience and ensure that they retain the information you provide.

At the outset, let your audience know what they’ll learn in the session — set the goals. During the presentation, demonstrate how each point contributes to those goals. Finally, review the material in an interactive way — through games or questions — to seal the information into their long-term memory. With careful timing, interactivity, emotional connection and context, you can create engaging and lasting content.

What keeps you engaged in online learning content? Here are some popular responses to this question:

The content is specific to my need

It’s visually compelling

The content is concise – less than 20 minutes

It mixes theory and interactivity

Stories put the topic in context

Presenters with engaging personalities

Video and/or music

Tests or quizzes

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS







INXPO’s enterprise video communication solutions enable leaders to quickly and effectively communicate and inspire action for audiences in support of strategic initiatives. Our next-generation digital broadcasting solutions combine live and on-demand video with social engagement in an intuitive portal destination.

INXPO Business TV, Webcasting, and Online Events also include enterprise level security, a best in class mobile experience, and metrics to understand performance.

Leading companies like Aon, Autodesk, Cisco, EMC, Gap, HIMSS, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and United Healthcare use INXPO and know that when leaders communicate better, people are engaged and inspired to act, improving top and bottom line results.

Learn more about our methodology: www.inxpo.com/services

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These best practices were bought to you by INXPO learning strategists & consultants.

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online learning content: best practices …€¦ · online learning content: best practices guide...

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