Top 5 considerations for online learning

Successful e-learning programmes keep people engaged and that all starts with your UX design. Make the interface simple from the outset and have plenty of prompts to guide users through the content. Add elements that the user can control themselves, e.g. videos, so that people can learn at their own pace. DynamicWeb’s Enterprise CMS helped us to streamline a very complex build for The Dechra Academy and translate content into ten European languages.

Get a good writer and take advice from experts in the subject matter. You may be tempted to write the content yourself, but even if you go down this path it pays to have an external eye cast over your content to ensure it’s hitting the mark. We worked with leading stroke experts to develop the Stroke Support Organisation Faculty Tool (SSOFT) for the Stroke Alliance for Europe and their knowledge was invaluable.

You want people to care about completing your course so offer regular words of encouragement or introduce rewards. A points-based system with a leader board helps people to see their progress and appeals to our innate tendency to be competitive with our peers. We’ve created downloadable certificates for The Thea Academy that can be printed and kept on completion.

Use a Content Management System that is modular and flexible so that you can continually refresh content and add new modules. If you’re dealing with a technical or medical subject matter, it makes sense to have the content reviewed regularly to make sure it meets current advice and guidelines.

Get several people who haven’t been close to the project to run through the modules and check for any anomalies. Test user knowledge at the end of each section to find out if the intended message is being understood. A progress bar makes it easy for users to see how far they’ve come.

We’ve created numerous online learning programmes for our clients, from veterinary education to eye health. If you’d like to find out more about our methods and experience, please get in touch.

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About The Foundry

The Foundry is a strategic communications agency, based in Manchester, delivering fully-integrated marketing campaigns for B2B, B2C, public sector and healthcare clients. Healthcare marketing services include qualitative and quantitative research, branding and packaging design, social media campaigns, educational websites, CPD programmes, online learning tools, in-clinic training materials, posters and patient literature.

For more information, call 0161 926 8444.