In India, a virtual school year is finally winding down. For the first time, students, parents, and teachers, irrespective of their preferences, dealt with online classes and exams. As more people get used to the idea of online learning programs, let’s take a look at the trends we will see in the next academic year.
Trends to Look for in Online Learning Programmes
- Immersive Experiences
One of the biggest challenges that online educators face is learner engagement. Getting students excited about the subject matter can be difficult in online learning situations. With the advent of immersive experiences, this is likely to change. Educators can harness the power of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) to create engaging experiences. With the help of technology, they can build environments where students can learn and apply their knowledge. Immersive experiences are becoming more accessible today. So, it’s likely to be a big trend in the upcoming academic year.
- Learner-centric
Online learning is popular because it allows for personalization. Next year, educators will create online learning programs that are learner-centric. The process involves creating multiple resources that learners can pull from as per their preferences. Educators must also ensure that their content is mobile-friendly. For specialized courses, educators must align the content with the learner’s future educational and career goals. These small but crucial steps will help educators build online modules that are in line with emerging trends.
- Multi-Pronged Learning
People learn in many different ways. Simple lectures, online or otherwise, will no longer suffice. Educators must provide multiple avenues for students to gain knowledge. A popular model for online corporate training is the 70-20-10 model. As per this plan, 70% of the course involves experiential learning. So, individuals learn by actually completing tasks and assignments. Collaborative and social learning accounts for 20% of the program, while just 10% is formal training. Educators need to shift from only giving lectures to letting their learners explore the matter for themselves. Apart from encouraging learning, it will help students become familiar with the content in their own way.
- Gamification
When it comes to asynchronous learning scenarios, gamification is the way to go. Here, students are incentivized and encouraged to learn because they want to complete a level, earn a new badge, or move up on the leader board. Educators do not have to provide external motivation. So, gamification is ideal in situations where learners do not have a fixed schedule. Gamification allows teachers to teach and test their students. It also makes learning fun.
- Learner Analytics
Earlier, students would opt for Online Learning Programmes only when they wanted to learn. So, educators did not have to worry about checking attendance or testing students very often. But as more people shift towards virtual learning situations, learning analytics is the need of the hour. In the upcoming academic year, educators will use testing mechanisms and analytics to check how well their learners are doing. The data they gather will also help them improve their course and make it more learner-centric.
Online learning is likely to undergo a massive transformation in the upcoming year. Educators need to get behind these five trends to create online learning courses that can stand the test of time.
