If learning design theory consists of a new effort to describe the foundational components of the educational process, it goes without saying that it needs conceptual and technical tools to describe who is involved in a learning activity. It's also important to include resources that are required for the operation, how the event is conducted and, finally, how a collection of activities is structured into a learning design. Two differentiating characteristics of working methodologies can be described as follows: Firstly, the description is presented in learning design in machine-readable formats so that software systems can run them. Secondly, the ability to store learning designs and, consequently, being able to share them, search for them, re-use them, adapt them, and so on. If you take these two individual characteristics of learning design together, they have the potential to modify teaching and learning in the long run through the distribution and implementation of conventional practice.
There is a lot of evidence that suggests that human learning and overall achievements cannot be solely described from a cognitive or even sociocultural perspective. To fully appreciate how we process the world around us, we need to examine our affective responses to the information we grasp. Designers of digital educational materials need to take this into account more so than others, as the materials they work with offer vital opportunities to include emotional attentiveness. Emotion and learning are connected on many levels. Design in eLearning and making an emotional learning connection involve, amongst many other aspects, making courses visually appealing and helping learners use them seamlessly.
Here are 5 aspects of design and some ways to address them:
Using multiple formats of training, such as classroom and eLearning (microlearning, mobile learning), gives learners flexibility and caters to their emotional learning preferences, helping to create diversity.
Dividing the course into well-defined modules, from basic to advanced, with each module having a proper table of contents/outline.
Having branching scenarios where learners are free to explore available courses of action without any restrictions and experience the consequences first-hand.
Customizing the Graphical User Interface to match the content or audience demographic is a great way to build an instant connection with the course.
Do you have participant guides or other handouts that’ll be used in the classroom? Get them designed according to your branding guidelines. Ensure that the content is easy to read—with lots of whitespace—and is a place for learners to make notes. Where possible, replace lengthy textual explanations with diagrams and charts. If you are interested in replacing the linear, predictable, and theoretical with emotional, creative, and artistic components, download this free eBook: "eLearning Design And The 'Right' Brain" to become a 'Right' brain expert; and, moreover learn how its role in learning can be of use to you!
