How do you adapt and personalize e-learning and mobile learning content for different learners and contexts?

2 Use learning objectives

Learning objectives are statements that describe what learners should be able to do or know by the end of a learning activity or module. They help you align your content with your learners' goals and expectations, and provide a clear and measurable way to assess their progress and performance. You can use learning objectives to structure your content, guide your learners, and provide feedback. You can also use them to differentiate your content for different levels of learners, or to offer choices and options for learners to customize their own learning paths.

3 Apply multimedia principles

Multimedia principles are guidelines for using text, images, audio, video, and other media to enhance learning and retention. They are based on cognitive science research on how people process information and learn from multimedia. Some of the key multimedia principles are: use words and graphics rather than words alone, avoid extraneous or irrelevant information, balance cognitive load, use signaling and segmentation to organize and highlight information, and use narration and animation rather than narration and text.

4 Incorporate interactivity

Interactivity is the degree to which learners can actively participate in the learning process, rather than passively consume information. Interactivity can increase engagement, motivation, feedback, and retention. You can incorporate interactivity in your e-learning and mobile learning content by using quizzes, simulations, scenarios, games, polls, discussions, or other interactive elements. You can also use adaptive learning technologies, such as artificial intelligence or adaptive algorithms, to adjust the content, difficulty, or feedback based on the learners' responses, behavior, or performance.

5 Design for mobile

Mobile learning is the delivery of learning content or activities via mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets. Mobile learning can offer flexibility, convenience, and accessibility for learners who want to learn anytime and anywhere. However, mobile learning also poses some challenges, such as screen size, bandwidth, battery life, and distractions. You can design for mobile by following some best practices, such as: use responsive design to adapt to different devices and orientations, use short and concise content, use simple and clear navigation, use media that is compatible and optimized for mobile, and consider offline access and synchronization.

6 Evaluate and improve

Evaluation is the process of collecting and analyzing data to measure the effectiveness and quality of your e-learning and mobile learning content. Evaluation can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your content, the satisfaction and feedback of your learners, and the impact and outcomes of your learning objectives. You can use various methods and tools to evaluate your content, such as: pre-tests and post-tests, surveys and questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, analytics and reports, or usability testing and user testing. Based on the evaluation results, you can improve your content by making changes, updates, or enhancements to meet your learners' needs and expectations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?