ELEMENTS OF E-LEARNING

ELEMENTS OF E-LEARNING

Texts/ lecture materials:

Generally all texts seen on an e-learning platform should be bold enough to see. When it comes to lecture materials there are quite a number of things to look out for; the introduction, body and summary of lecture notes should be concise. Paying attention to hierarchy as proper order makes absorbing easier. The choice of words for explanation should not be ambiguous and unnecessary use of big words should be avoided. Overall, notes should be clear, simple, have a good structure and be straight to the point.

Pictures and illustrations:

Learning with pictures, illustrations alongside videos and audio can never be missed in an e-learning process.

There’s a saying that a picture can capture a thousand words. The use of pictures and illustrations makes explanations clearer, in other words it gives more meaning to texts. Pictures and illustrations that are used should be related to the subject and not just to beautify the outlook of learning materials, they should be clear and capture the message properly.

In extension, class videos and audio recordings should have very clear sounds and high quality visuals.

Consistency:

Learning is a continuous process and so should the materials that aid it be. Lecturers/instructors should always have their contents and other materials ready and uploaded in time. Room for lapses should not be given as it could make learners loose trust and question the integrity of the platform. Inconsistency shows lack of dedication and interest.

Feedback and interactive forums:

Every e-learning platform must have an interactive forum, where participants can go and have class discussions, constructive arguments and additional points. This aids intellectual reasoning, inside and outside the box. Also having a quick feedback process between learners and lecturers is important, to clear any confusion on materials and to satisfy learner’s curiosity.

Navigation:

This has to do with the interactive buttons found on the platform. A user should be able to navigate easily to find relevant information. Simple buttons like the “menu”, “previous”, “next” should work at one click.

For prospective students, next time  you checkout for an e-learning providers, look out for these things and for learning providers make sure all of the above mentioned are not missing from your platform.

Author: Ejiro Ighodaye