7 Trends in Online Learning for Creator Educators by 2023
While we wait, let's break down some other things that are specific to teachers you may want to stay up to date with for 2023!
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7 emerging trends for online learning to be on the lookout for this year
- Learning in smaller doses
- Monetizing content
- Gamification in lessons
- Continuing to embrace the hybrid model
- Leveraging mobile applications
- Utilizing other formats of technology
- Further detailed analytics for learning are coming into the market
How can you get going with online learning?
7 online learning trends to keep an eye on this year
Learning in smaller doses
The use of microlearning can be beneficial to teach your students for many reasons. It helps to keep your child's focus - particularly when you're working with younger pupils (we see you, elementary school teachers!) It also makes students more involved in the lesson's path.
If microlearning is provided through online learning platforms the students are able to have a general overview of aspects of the concept. They can pick and choose which to do initially, based on their interests or prior experience. And for teachers, it makes narrowing down learning obstacles considerably more simple! If, for instance, students are stuck on a concept it is easy to pinpoint the area that they're struggling in because it's not interspersed into a myriad of different topics. So then you are able to quickly decide concerning whether you want to stay on the topic at hand or moving on.
Alongside the trend of microlearning is the rise in microcredentials. These are short courses that permit students to obtain certifications quickly. This is perfect for students in high school or university students that want to display evidence of their abilities in a given skill without being able to demonstrate actual experience in the field under their belts yet.
Monetizing content
As a teacher, it might feel like your primary objective is to produce endless amounts of content, use it once, and do not ever use it again. Do you feel like this? You don't need to.
Gaming in the classroom
It's likely that we've all realized how difficult it is to focus on an interminable, dull, highly-not-at-all engaging Zoom calls. It's especially so when you're dealing with children or anyone else who has a short attention span. But what does spark engagement? Games!
Gaming can be played in asynchronous fashion. For students that aren't working in live classes it is possible to establish "game rules" to ensure that students earn points for every video, quiz, or lesson that they finish. Then, you can allocate more points to more challenging topics and even add in rewards for some enjoyment!
Continuing to embrace the hybrid approach
A lot of schools aren't sure what they'll do to commit to learning going forward. This applies to every level of education from primary to university graduate schools. The thought of stress and even daunting to not have this fully figured out. The good news is that online learning platforms are trending towards more features that allow hybrid learning. The platform, for instance, lets students view material asynchronously, attend live classes by using Zoom, or even view recordings of class after the fact! This is great when there are both classroom and online students, who are able to interact, discuss questions that are heard by others at the same time, and be able to take in lessons at their pace.
Utilizing mobile apps
Teachers who support online learning classrooms should consider the use of course materials and apps that is mobile-optimized. Things to keep an eye out for are items like quizzes, videos as well as downloadable material. On phones, this type of interactive media is more difficult to access if do not use a mobile optimized platform.
Utilizing alternative formats for technology
Alternative formats for technology, such as assistive and adaptive technology, are able to be integrated into virtual learning environments, which can help students who have disabilities or delays in learning to learn more productively. For example, it can aid in reducing the background noise of students who tend to be overstimulated. Assistive technology can also be used to read out loud in a phonetic manner to aid the development of reading, or slow down words in order to help sort information.
Additional supportive technologies can also assist students in experiencing situations that they may not otherwise have had the chance to! Students who live in rural areas could access a virtual class via VR headsets that they have at home or at their school. Teachers can program the headsets to display real-world workplaces farm sites, natural preserves, farms, and historical landmarks - every kind of virtual "field excursion" that give children an entirely new view, all while avoiding the actual transportation element.
Additional learning analytics that are more detailed are becoming available
The online learning apps are now much more efficient and with a much broader features. Having more detailed analytics is a big focus here! For instructors, this will be helpful to use when understanding how your students are handling courses online.
Learning analytics data will help you understand the most basic indicators like scores and the percentage of complete. However, it also can tell that students have been lingering at a particular subject longer than they would like (which signals to you that this subject particularly was harder to digest). You can also determine if your students returned to take another look of a specific topic, giving you an possibility to study and discover whether the students are truly interested, or they didn't understand. You'll begin to gain more insight into how your classes are performing, even if you can't be in-person to watch the minute specifics.
How do you get going with online learning?
Good question! Luckily, a lot of these new trends are powered by online learning platforms. This means that as long as you can start using them this year, you'll gain significantly. You should consider researching the best learning platforms that are going to allow you to create courses, keep track of your students' progress as well as upload content for interactive courses, and even let you earn money.
Then, you can experiment with various types of material to find out what resonates the best for your pupils. Keep in contact with them to get the feedback they need on a regular basis. The feedback you receive will be crucial in ensuring your course develops into something useful and beneficial for their online learning goals.