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Distance learning platforms

Universities are increasingly offering entire degrees online in an effort to cater to a burgeoning crop of students who are learning by distance education.

According to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (INACOL), online education is continuing to grow at a stunning rate, with kindergarten through twelfth-grade online programs expected to rise an additional 30 percent per year.

At the university level, the growth rate sits at about 10 percent per year, and many institutions consider online courses essential to their success.

At the heart of this success is effective learning management software. Key to the provision of quality distance education is adaptability—CIOs must enable educators to be able to use the software in a number of ways, such as a content delivery system, a supplement to traditional in-school classes, or a community-building tool.

EDU Prepare for a more visual future

While keeping content accessible can be a challenge, particularly for students in remote areas, the flexibility, low cost, and improved accessibility of distance learning platforms appeal to teachers, students, and schools alike. For example, video as a distance learning platform

  1. Improves access to education by increasing the number of students lecturers can teach in each course,
  2. Removes the need for duplicate sessions, and
  3. Can all be done on a budget.

Moreover, the more popular videoconferencing tools are widely available and familiar to anyone who uses social networking sites.

While more learning platforms have arrived, many are still bogged down by text-heavy materials and are failing to reach students who are learning by distance education.

Today’s distance learners will not make the time to peruse text-heavy material and should be offered engaging digital learning content. As such, CIOs must be prepared to meet the growing demand for a variety of media in distance learning.

Four steps to transform distance learning content into engaging digital learning content

  1. Transform theoretical case studies into interactive scenarios: Put the students at the center of the scenario, allowing them to make decisions or apply concepts as they would in the real world, rather than have the students compare their answer to a model answer provided.
  2. Add visual storytelling to modules: Expand on examples used in course materials and convert them to a visual story.
  3. Create instructive multimedia: Go beyond a text narrative and deliver multimedia content that shows students in detail how to apply relevant concepts, ideas, or formulas.
  4. Enable technology for assessment: Assessing students learning remotely can be a greater challenge than assessing those close at hand. Developing portals for interactive exam practice questions will give teachers an excellent tool for diagnosing where work is needed. Top of Form

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