Think Differently to Increase Learning

Everyone wants their e-learning to be as effective as possible, right?  Meeting or even exceeding the course's purpose should be our goal.  To get the best results from your courses, think differently!  Diane Elkins & Barbara Schaffer's session at the 2013 Learning Solutions Conference described just how to do that.  Here's a few tips from their session.

1.  Point out stuff.  

Minimize the teaching load so learning takes place.

2.  Use only key words.  

Using an exact match of audio & text actually leads to DECREASED learning.  For each chunk of information, we need to ask "how important is this to everything else?".  A good test of your slide is to close your eyes, open your eyes, glance at the slide, close your eyes--what do you learn remember of the slide information?

3.  Turn words into diagrams where ever possible.

Remember that content drives everything and we learn best with a combination of words & images.  Ask yourself:  can this text/information be a diagram?  Is it a process, relationship, or flow chart?

4.  Reveal in layers.

Revealing information in layers reduces the learner's cognitive load.  Use fade-in animations to reveal in layers, but NOT flying bullets--flying bullets become an extraneous distraction.    Try to 'blow-up', or 'pull out' the piece of information you're discussing.  For example, if you're looking at two dates on a monthly calendar, blow up the two dates to attract attention.

5.  Integrate words in visuals.

Remember, we learn best with a combination of words and images--use that knowledge to integrate key words with your visuals.

6.  Use content within context.

Learning happens much easier if you have a context for your content.  Ask "in what situations will this be used"?  Use the answer to create your context.

7.  Use bullet points ONLY when they are the best choice.

Bullet points do have their place.  Just make sure that 'place' is all over the place!   If there's a better way to display the information, make sure you use that better way.  Maybe it's a timeline or other diagram, a checklist or other job aid.  

Knowing how your course's information is used in the real world really helps to 'think differently' using these techniques. To make your e-learning courses more effective, put Diane's 7 tips to work today!

Diane's 7 Tips