Are Your Learners Disengaged With Your Online Content?
If your online class completion rate is low, this may be why…
Do you remember when you were a student in your formative school? As you got older, you ascended levels and took different classes.
You may also remember that as years went by, your teachers stopped getting your attention with toys and colors. And, by Junior High, you were no longer sitting in groups of four, but in a row, or with just one partner beside you.
Today’s Learner
And as we grew up, that’s what we got used to. Sitting in a row, asking questions to the teacher, learning, and leaving.
The Disconnect of 2020
With the advent of 2020, individuals and companies are creating online content faster than they ever thought they would. Some successfully, some not. Those who aren’t successful don’t understand why their online class completion is low. They don’t understand why their learners are bored.
The Truth About Learner Engagement
We’re creating online content fast, perhaps forgetting the most important player: the learner. Some creators are making online content in the form of modules and documents and leaving the learner to their luck. Never making an appearance for them.
As Learning and Development professionals and educators, we cannot forget about the person most important to our module: the recipient. Remember: We’re used to this from the onset of our education:
Sitting in a row > asking questions to the teacher > learning > leaving
With online learning, some are leaving behind the most important part: the teacher/student interaction. Before even thinking about learning styles and new tech for learning, figure out how you want to show up for your learner.
The Bridge in Learner Engagement
The teacher cannot disappear from the learner experience quite yet. We went from having classroom facilitators and teachers to being online in a matter of months. While some were used to online learning, some were most certainly not.
Our advice? As you create your online content, set up a weekly online meeting with your class. Even hold “office hours” where they can enter the online room for questions. If you’re a trainer, be available for your trainees before and upon module completion.
Whether it’s by chat or by setting up an online meeting, regularly check in with your learners to ensure you haven’t lost them.
The Atlas Complex
In Pedagogy, there’s such a thing called “The Atlas Complex.” To sum it up, it means the teacher bears the weight of the class, leaving said teacher with the burden of engaging all their students, all at once.
The funny thing about this is that we were so used to Atlas, that we’re missing Atlas right about now. While carrying the weight of all your learners sounds absolutely burdening, you can still be there with them, checking in as they need you.
Who Are We?
We are Miranda Park Learning, your instructional design services experts. For questions about our services, contact Cassy Huidobro at 720-722-9998 or via email at [email protected]. We’ll help you regain that teacher/student or trainer/trainee connection for learner engagement.
Picture: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
This blog was written by Cassy Huidobro from Miranda Park Learning
