DESIGNING E-LEARNING

In this chapter, we learn about e-learning, its varieties and designing of e-learning. E-learning has a great role in today’s world where technology is at its peak and we try to use it the best we can. E-learning is the use of technology (i.e. computers, smart phones) to make the learning happen. Its varieties are as follows:


Standalone Courses: Those are courses that are taken by just one learner. There’s no need for interaction with a teacher or classmates.

Learning Games and Simulations: This is learning by performing simulations which require you to explore and also lead you to discoveries.

Mobile Learning: This is learning even when you’re moving in the world. You can do this using your smartphones and/or tablet devices.

Social Learning: This is learning through interaction with a group of experts or other learners. The communication between the learners happens on discussion blogs, forums or via texting.

Virtual-classroom Courses: These are online classrooms which are like real classrooms. You have reading assignments, presentations, discussions, homework via forums and other social media.


Now we move on to the design of e-learning. Design affects a lot of things ─ and it definitely affects e-learning, too. In order not to fail the e-learning process for the learners, we should pay great attention to the design. First, we should start with good instructional design. Things should be organized and specified. The instructional design should be in a way that:

a) You won’t be teaching too much.
b) You will be able to teach what people really need to learn.
c) You won’t bore the learners.
d) You won’t force people to learn in ways that are uncomfortable for them.


We should design all parts of e-learning (i.e. curriculum, course, lesson, topic, activities). To design effectively, we should identify the goals of our teaching. We should be aware of the people we’re teaching and analyze their needs and abilities, why they are learning this, their preferences, background knowledge about them etc. We should identify the prerequisites. Those prerequisites specify the abilities, knowledge, feelings the learners should possess before accomplishing the main objective. We should decide what we need to teach or things can get out of hand and become a mess. We should determine the hierarchy of objectives so that we’ll know in what order to teach and the learners will learn more effectively. We should search learning activities because they can help accomplish learning objectives.

And lastly, we should start with a big picture and go on with little details.