How to Develop an Online Strategy?

There are four key elements to consider when developing online learning strategies, these have been developed after studying the three main learning theories: (Observational, Cognitive and Constructive):

 

1.       Clear set outcomes, learners need to know what these outcomes are and they need to agree to them.

2.       Testing on outcomes, learners’ whether they achieve the outcome or not should be put through a criterion, allowing them to see their progress.

3.       Learning materials need to be sequenced, so when a learner meets an objective outcome they are sequentially put to the next topic, e.g first teach how CPU’s work then explain dependent components: memory, storage e.t.c.

4.       Learners need to be provided effective feedback and a track/log of their progress and changing learning needs. As learners complete their course their learning and development needs will change, hence these need to be defined and agreed upon.

 

Some important factors to consider when developing online resources:

 

Important information should be centred or/and highlighted

Learners should be told why they are studying the lesson, which will help them find information they are looking for.

Difficulty should meet the learners cognitive ability, in order to promote progress and support, links to additional material should be prevalent

Develop strategies to support learners in remembering previous knowledge, (long-term memory link)

Use advanced organizers to activate existing cognitive structures: comparative advanced organizers (Ally, 1980) conducted successful research in this field

Provide conceptual models to support learners in retrieving existing mental model.

Pre-instructional questions/ case studies to support learners existing knowledge.

Use pre-requisite test questions

Information should be chunked, on a screen there should be between 5-9 items

Include organisation maps, where there are many elements on the screen.

At the end of a lesson ask learners to develop information maps, this will show deep processing and learning

Other strategies support deep processing

This will require learners to apply, synthesize and practice

Develop intrinsic/extrinsic motivational strategies (within the learning)

Encourage metacognitive abilities in learners

Self-check, exercise with feedback allows learners to reflect

Where possible transfer of knowledge should be encouraged. This will help give learning some meaning

Use simulations, real life cases, and practical application where possible.

 

The key to learning is learner motivation, I have found Keller ARCS strategy exceptional:

Keller 1983 Motivational strategy ARCS

Attention

Through  learning gain the audience’s attention, within online learning you could include: (questions, videos, case-studies or a community based quiz)

Relevance

Inform the learners of the importance of the lessons and how it meets their needs: having students set up personal learning goals and evaluating these according to course objectives help support learner motivation and retention.

Confidence

Make learner’s expectations and outcomes clear. Show learners how they will achieve, this can be done via a competency model or a design for success method.

Satisfaction

Feedback on performance, show learners how skills can be used in real-life.

 

It is important within an online learning environment, to have a strategy for motivation, this should be a pro-active strategy not a reactive strategy. Following the above principles develop an effective strategy.

 

Thank you for reading!