What are the best ways to balance structure and flexibility in E-Learning courses?

Building a consistent method for instructional design and course building removes some of the mental load for proper ID. Design a model that works for 90% of your content and then adapt to exceptions as they arise. An additional benefit of this approach is that it reduces mental load for learners too; they're not adapting constantly to a changing format and can thus focus on the actual learning material.

Effective learning objectives often have Bloom's Taxonomy as a foundation, which enables the right language, structure, and clarity to wrap around them. Using Bloom's Taxonomy can also help ensure that the learning objectives move beyond a recall and retention level and can ultimately help learners drive towards analysis and application.

When considering the delivery mode and format, it is important to start with the end in mind. Think about your target audience and HOW they will - and also how they SHOULD - consume the learning content. Then, other considerations, like tool availability, flexibility, budget, time (to build and consume the content), and desired outcomes should all help drive the decision for what will ultimately be the most effective learning delivery mode. You'll also need to consider what will create the most engaging and interactive format out of the delivery options under consideration.

In order to balance structure and flexibility in E-Learning courses, I think it is best to adopt a structure that is perfectly justified both by the context, i.e. by the content of the course to be taught and the categories of learners concerned and by the pedagogical objectives sought. As for flexibility, it will come from the different ways in which the resources will be presented to learners, so that they can choose according to their personal preferences, and in particular their forms of intelligence.

When designing engaging course content, don't fall into the trap of using technology for "technology's sake." Always try to make sure any technology is used strategically and helps fulfill the learning outcomes. Do not try to use a technology for something it isn't designed for. Aim for effective over excitement.

It's helpful to outline and storyboard content prior to development. This can more easily help you identify areas where there are opportunities to build in interactivity and engagement that flows intuitively, leverages the tool you are building in effectively and that flows throughout the course fluidly. Avoid pockets of interactivity only near the middle and end of your content and instead, find ways to balance it throughout the learning experience to ensure that your learners stay engaged throughout.

It is critical to ensure that learners receive meaningful feedback - and opportunities to share their own feedback - in a learning experience. These opportunities can be created using innovative tools like AI (including ChatGPT) or by capturing feedback in a free form format.

ChatGPT Providing effective feedback and support is crucial for maintaining a balance between structure and flexibility in e-learning courses. Here are some strategies to provide feedback and support to both learners and instructors For Learners 1. Timely Feedback 2. Clear and Constructive Feedback 3. Multimodal Feedback 4. Peer Feedback 5. Rubrics and Grading Criteria 6. Personalized Feedback For Instructors 1. Professional Development Opportunities 2. Regular Check-Ins 3. Collaborative Platforms 4. Feedback on Teaching Methods 5. Peer Mentoring 6. Recognition and Rewards

If the eLearning is created for the workplace, then the developer should work with the SME's to add additional ways to evaluate the course that go beyond completion and satisfaction. Is the course really impacting the performance as expected, should be a consideration from the start. And that would be a measure that is not instant, but that will be needed to traced at set times, and also should be aligned with business goals.

Set calendar reminders to review course content. It's easy to lose track of your own cycles if you are managing a lot of content. If you are developing courses online for a college or university, consider scheduling review periods in between academic terms or when you perceive some "downtime" - this could be in between initiatives and other implementations.