When you are creating custom content, you want to make sure that it will be absorbed by the people who will access the course. You are working hard to provide this content. You want to ensure that your effort is not wasted. This means you have to consider the factors that can affect the ability of your learners to absorb the data you are presenting in the elearning course.
You have to accept the fact that our minds can only take so much. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our brains can no longer process new information. If this happens to your elearners in the middle of the lesson, that could limit their learning experience. This is why you want to make sure you can set up the course so it will be easier for the elearners to maximize their learning potential.
A successful elearning course is one that understands who will be enrolling in the course. Your knowledge of the learners will help you create a content that they can easily absorb. Without absorption, you might fail at helping them retain whatever information that you are giving them.
Here are the 5 factors that usually affect their ability to absorb custom content.
- Age. Young ones are more able to absorb information. The more mature they are, the harder it is for them to learn and accept new concepts. According to a study published on Independent.co.uk, it is harder to teach older people – but not because they lose cognitive power. Scientists believe that they process information more slowly because they have too much stored information already. Make sure you consider the age of your elearners when deciding the format of your elearning course. The older the elearners, the shorter the course should be. Dividing the custom content into shorter courses will help make absorption more successful.
- Information exposure. Another factor that will improve the absorption of data is the number of times you expose them to it. The more they are exposed and the manner it is done will determine how well the data will be retained and processed. This is why it is important for you to recap and repeat information before you proceed to the next lesson.
- Emotional condition. The third factor that can affect the ability to absorb elearning custom content is the emotional condition of the learner. If they are stressed, anxious, or basically experiencing an emotional high, that can hamper their ability to retain the information you are giving them. Sometimes, their emotions can be a distraction that will keep them from focusing on what is being discussed. If the learners are in an industry that is highly stressful, you want to create an optimistic and positive learning environment.
- Attention span. The fourth factor you need to consider is the attention span of the learners. There are also other factors that can affect this. You should take into consideration the conditions by which they are learning. If you have a mlearning course, you can expect that this will be accessed while they are in a very distracting place. This type of learning is usually when learners are on the go. If this is the case, you need to deliver your custom content in such a way that will work around the distractions and the factors that will limit the attention span of the learners.
- Amount of information. Finally, you should also consider the amount of content that you will be providing them. Our brain can only absorb so much. If you have a huge amount of data to present, it is advisable to split them into bite-sized courses. Having a pause in between will allow the learners to process the previous lesson and give them time to store it in the memory bank before taking in more.
The human mind is powerful but you need to set up the right conditions that will help it absorb custom content efficiently. There are mental obstacles that can limit learning – you have to overcome these so your ecourse will be as successful as it can be.
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