Did you know that you can use a character to make your virtual classroom more interesting? Imagine how fun that would be!
It is a fact that any course that is relatable will have a higher chance of becoming successful. The most obvious way to make your online course relatable is to have a character that the learners can identify themselves with. When they can recognize themselves, the course becomes more emotionally compelling. That will make them feel more involved and thus will make the course successful.
There are so many ways that you can insert a character in the course. You can use it to be the narrator. Or this character can serve as the guide that can answer questions whenever the learner feels confused about something in the lesson. You can also insert a simulation or game where the learners can use to practice what they have learned.
Regardless of how you choose to use a character, here are 5 important tips that will help you create one for the virtual classroom.
- Give your character a profile. Although this character is make-believe, you have to make it as realistic as possible. That means you need to spend the time to think about its profile. You need to think about its traits, mannerisms and you should have a backstory. This will help you decide how this character will act. Of course, in creating the profile, you have to take into consideration the learners. After all, they have to relate to the character in your virtual classroom.
- Choose a role that the character will play. What will the character do in the online course? As mentioned, there are several roles that a character can play. It can serve as the narrator of the online course. Or it can be used to pose questions that will lead to activities that the participants will work on. The character can also be used to point out tips or highlight keywords, phrases, and concepts that the learner should concentrate on. This role will make this character valuable and will keep it from being a distraction.
- Think about the image of the character. Is the character male or female? Will you make it wear a business suit or will it have a more casual appearance? Obviously, it has to have a respectable appearance and it should be just like the stereotype of your learners. If the virtual classroom is for businessmen, then you know that a character in a business suit is the best character to use. If students will be using the course, you can use a teacher or a fellow student. Again, this should be a character that the learners can relate to so there has to be familiarity.
- Research the learners. Obviously, you need to know your learners well to create a character that they can relate to. However, you need to explore the terms, lingo and mannerisms of the audience so you can integrate it into the character that you will create. This will make it more realistic and believable.
- Try to provide customized characters. At the very least, give the learners the option to choose a male or female character. But if you can, let them customize the clothes and appearance of the character. It should make the course more fun and interactive.
As you create the character for the virtual classroom, make sure that it will improve the learning experience and not be a distraction. While this is a great addition to the course, make sure it will not take the spotlight away from the content and the lessons.
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