3 Ways Online Education Can Engage Learners From The Very Start

man touching a screenOnline education is a great way to learn. However, the competition can be quite fierce. There are several courses available online and sometimes, the competition for learners can be tough. This is why it is important that you work on engaging learners right from the very beginning. When they are hooked from the start, you can make it appealing enough for them to want to proceed and complete the whole course.

In any project, the beginning is usually the toughest to create. But once you are able to lay out the start of the course, it gets easier as you go along. The thing is, how can you start your course in such a way that will entice learners to go through the whole lesson? Here are three ways that you can make it engaging right from the very beginning.

Start with a challenge.

This is the simplest and most effective way for you to hook learners to the online education that you are offering. Of course, you have to learn how to phrase your challenge well. For instance, a course about first aid can start with this question:

If your mother has a heart attack, can you save her life?

This simple question is effective because of three qualities. First of all, it strikes emotions by referring to someone that everyone can relate to – a mother. It also raises a problem that people fear the most – death. Finally, it poses a challenge and wake-up call – especially when the answer is NO. It will prompt the learner to click through the lesson because the knowledge could help them save the life of someone important.

Start with a fact.

Another way that online education can engage learners from the very beginning is by stating a fact. For instance, if you want to teach about recycling, you can put this on the first slide:

Did you know that recycling one hundred aluminum cans can save enough energy to light a room for two whole weeks? Find out how to recycle at home.

This fact can entice learners because we all use aluminum cans – specifically in drinking sodas. And by referring to how recycling it can light up a room, boosts the relevance factor. People can relate to this – especially because of the rising problem about climate change. This fact will become more interesting if you can connect the fact to a current hot topic.

Start with a teaser.

Finally, you want to engage the learners through a teaser. You want to give them a glimpse of what they will see in the lesson. This is a great way to increase their curiosity. For instance, if you want to teach them about retirement planning, you can start with this teaser:

What is the top source of retirement money for Baby Boomers as of 2014?

  1. Social Security
  2. 401(k)
  3. Roth IRA
  4. Traditional IRA
  5. Others

This can be one question or can be a series of questions. By starting with this, you are giving the learner a peek of what they will learn. Not only that, you will also get a glimpse of how much they know about the content of the online course.

These three techniques will help you set up an engaging environment for the online education. By creating a great beginning, you are motivating the learners and thus encouraging them to interact with the different elements in the course.

Image courtesy of hyena reality for FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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