I was on the Learning and Skills Group webinar this morning looking at Bridging the User Engagement Gap.
There was a question that came up part way through the webinar that caught my eye as being a really useful discussion to have so I thought I would share it with you.
It's really important isn't it? Not just from a system point of view, but thinking about content too. Some of the replies came back included:
- Not too many clicks and engaging content
- The technologies need to be fit for purpose - and that involves constant user testing and user experience evaluation
- Regular reviews of content to make sure we don't keep lots of old stuff on learning system that isn't relevant anymore
- Easy to find/search by keyword
- Good site design, sometimes social elements to keep learner interatcion up
- Make learning an active journey - not only reading
- Make the content short and snappy, relevant and practical. Variety is the key
- Have questions on the technology as part of course evaluation and occational surveys and focus group on user experience
Do any of these resonate with you? Are there any you use already? Perhaps some of these have inspired you?
I'm interested in what recommendations to you have. How do you ensure a good user experience?
Replies
Hi Ady,
I read a really good book recently by William Horton - Elearning by design (2006). He says that well over half of failures of e-learning projects would have been prevented by clear objectives. Everything stems from the objectives - your pre-course work, your learning activities, your tests - all of which contribute to the overall user experience. So I think well written and clear objectives should be added to the list.
Regards,
Fola.
Hi Fola,
Great to hear back from you. I couldn't agree more. Objectives and purpose too. When it comes to to those early stages of planning, 'What are we setting out to achieve' is the essential question to ask isn't it?
Are you familiar with Cathy Moore's action mapping? It's a very useful process and it starts with asking the question 'What's our Goal'.
There's a useful summary over on the Digital Skills group (which you're welcome to join by the way).
You'll find it just here.