webadmin January 27, 2022 No Comments

eLearning Trends for K-12 Education in 2022

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Various eLearning trends for K-12 education have enabled institutions to transcend traditional barriers and enter new territory. We live in an era where education is no longer teacher-led; it is learner-led and learner-focused. In short, we can say that K-12 education has now become of the learner, by the learner, and for the learner.  Both teachers and K-12 institutions have been striving to revamp their curriculum to make learning more targeted and learner-friendly. eLearning plays a massive role in transforming K-12 education.   The global eLearning market has grown by 900% since its inception. It is expected to touch the magic figure of US$325 billion by 2025. And why not? In a survey, 60% of internet users confessed that they have indulged in eLearning. Furthermore, 50% of students from various educational institutions have admitted that they have learned something from an eLearning platform.  However, despite the numbers favoring eLearning, there are also a few challenges.  Over-exposure to digital devices makes both teachers and learners tired and bored. To deal with this challenge, top educational institutions track the latest eLearning trends to make the classes more meaningful for both teachers and learners. They are moving beyond shiny, glitzy interfaces and incorporating impactful and sustainable K-12 learning solutions.   So, what kind of changes are top K-12 educational institutions making to improve their standards? And what are the top eLearning trends in 2022? You will find the answers to these questions and many more in the following sections: Top eLearning Trends for K-12 education in 2022 1. Augmented Reality for an Immersive Learning Experience It is a known fact that learners retain information better when they experience things in real-time rather than studying it or listening to a lecture.  Think about testing new eyewear without actually wearing it or checking how a dressing table would change the set-up of your room without installing it for real. This is the basic premise of Augmented Reality (AR).  AR combines 25% of Digital Reality (DR) and 75% of Existing Reality (ER). AR does not offer learners an out-of-world experience; it simply places virtual objects in the existing world and lets learners see what an object looks like.  An AR-enabled eLearning platform can position an augmented object on a learner’s digital device and demonstrate critical concepts using 3D visualization. The augmented object can be virtual or captured from the real environment.      Augmented Reality allows educationists to bring education out of traditional books, lectures, physical forms, brochures, etc., and offer an immersive experience. It also promotes gamification and makes learning fun, exciting, and effortless.  The future clearly belongs to interactive audio-video materials that activate learners’ imagination and stimulate their senses. Research estimates that the number of AR mobile users will touch 2.4 billion by 2023, a massive improvement from 200 million AR mobile users in 2015. Hence, if you want to benefit from growing eLearning trends in 2022, AR must figure prominently in your eLearning strategy.  2. Increased Use of Personalized Learning Modules Thanks to technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Machine Learning (ML), learners explore education in a new way. Education is no longer restricted to a physical classroom and guided by the fancies of the teacher. Presently, the onus of learning is on the learners.  Hence, personalized learning modules are one of the top eLearning modes to stay tuned for in the future.   Personalized learning is a learning method through which teachers identify each learner’s strengths, weaknesses, skills, and interests and design a learning plan that best suits each learner.  In personalized learning, teachers collaborate with the students while setting short and long-term goals. Since students are actively involved in curriculum designing, they become the owner and not just passive recipients of the learning process.  However, teachers need to ensure that the curriculum or methodology designed by students does not deviate from the academic standards or the board/university prescribed curriculum. Personalized learning complements the existing curriculum through innovative educational strategies like project-based learning, simulations, etc.  Personalized learning comes as a blessing to learners with special needs. Educational content delivery platforms let you understand each student’s unique needs and give special access to specific students.  You can monitor their performance through advanced analytics and tweak the content accordingly. The extra focus they thus get enables them to retain information more and improve their competency level.   3. Hybrid Classrooms and Hybrid Learning Will Become the New Norm Hybrid learning is not new. However, it was never as popular as it is now.  Hybrid or blended learning combines the principles of eLearning with conventional in-person learning. Although hybrid classrooms are mostly virtual or digital, learners get the feel of attending a real teacher-led classroom. Both the teacher and learners stay present in a hybrid classroom to learn efficiently. Sometimes, hybrid learning also includes asynchronous learning materials like online quizzes/tests or video instructions to complement in-person classes. When implemented properly, hybrid learning can open up newer avenues for learners and educational institutions.  Hybrid learning not only reduces the overall cost of training delivery for K-12 institutions but also makes learners more eager to learn. 4. Gamification Holds the Key to the Future 2021 saw a proliferation of platforms that enable gamified learning. Gamification figures prominently in the list of top eLearning trends for 2022. Gamified learning is nothing but mixing the tenets of learning with the fun of gaming. Gamification enables faster learning. As learners solve challenging exercises through fun games, their proficiency improves. The biggest advantage of this method is that the teacher might or might not have to be actively present during learning.  The goal here is to encourage learners to take ownership of learning and learn more excitingly. Various educational platforms let you create quizzes and games to increase learners’ retention levels. The more fun they derive from learning activities, the more easily they can master challenging concepts. 5. Interactive Video-Based Lectures  Videos have become bigger and better than ever before. A survey found that 69% of students will most

webadmin January 11, 2022 No Comments

How Can Colleges Support Continuing Education

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] How Can Colleges Support Continuing Education Higher education has undergone a paradigm change. Education has transcended the conventional barriers of the classroom and entered the learners’ living room. Students can conveniently switch on a digital device and pick up concepts that matter, uniquely and excitingly. In such an environment, continuing education has become a necessity rather than a luxury. There’s no denying that the pandemic has shrunk the job market, and professionals need higher skills and qualifications than before to succeed. While remote work was slowly gaining traction, it started growing at a breakneck speed after the pandemic. Sadly, students coming out from higher educational institutions are inadequately prepared to handle the changing requirements of the industry. Continuing education can help bridge the gap between formal education and work and make the campus-to-corporate transition super smooth. So, what is continuing education, and what are its benefits? Read on to find a comprehensive review of continuing education and how top organizations are creating a solid roadmap to make their continuing education delivery methods more streamlined and accessible. The Proliferation of Digital Technology Before understanding the benefits of continuing education and strategies to implement it, let’s explore the reasons why digital technology has become so vital for improving the quality of continuing education: 65% of teachers admitted to using digital learning tools in their classrooms.  87% of teachers use digital learning tools more than one day every week. $803 million: The total Venture Capital funds collected by educational technology companies in the U.S. $12.6 billion: The amount education companies will spend on Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) by 2025. 3X – The growth of educational technology in the past decade.  75% of teachers firmly believe that digital learning content will completely wipe out printed textbooks within ten years. 95% of undergraduate learners own digital devices, such as laptops or smartphones. $3 billion: The amount schools spend on digital content for students.   The data presented above must have convinced you of the role of digital technology in education. Let’s now move to the core focus of this topic— understanding continuing education and its many benefits.  What is Continuing Education? Continuing education refers to one or many courses that develop students’ knowledge in a professional field of study. Continuing education is generally offered by colleges, universities, and sometimes, schools. Although continuing education is typically non-credit-based, some educational institutions offer certificate or diploma courses as well. These courses are usually taken by professionals with a formal high school or university degree or diploma. Employers and higher education institutions do not mind reducing the workload or study load of learners pursuing continuing education courses.  What are the Benefits of Continuing Education? Continuing education opens a new era of professionalism for students and companies. Here are the top benefits of continuing education: 1. Higher Money-Making Opportunities Continuing education helps professionals or students to upskill themselves. Data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that educational qualifications are directly related to a professional’s earning potential, meaning the higher the skills, the better the opportunities.  While companies are certainly investing more resources into continuing education, students willing to join the corporate bandwagon may also take these courses to enhance their visibility in the job market. If students have already upskilled themselves, companies recognize their value and offer them higher salaries and better perks.    Hence, continuing education increases students’ value in the market and convinces employers that they are the best fit for the position.  2. Better Networking Opportunities Continuing education brings students closer to a diverse audience. Even though the courses are primarily online, they can still meet like-minded individuals from all over the world. As learners come together to work on projects while forming groups, they become a team and stay connected for the rest of their lives.  Continuing education also makes learners a part of study groups, conferences, and membership societies so that they can explore various facets of the course to sharpen their skills and knowledge. For example, if a student takes up a course on search engine optimization, they might collaborate with a like-minded professional to set up a business.  Since connections are an integral part of success, continuing education can help students expand their base and level up their networking skills.  3. Improve Students’ Proactivity Perhaps the most significant benefit of continuing education is that it keeps students happy. Organizations with happy individuals progress faster. Research shows that reading new things can enhance brain capacity and make people more agile. Usually, learners’ ability to remember things reduces as they grow up. Continuing education can not only contain the damage but also make learners’ brains more productive. Learning is a mental exercise that stimulates the nerves inside one’s brain to help them utilize their cognition to the fullest.   Some studies have also shown that the higher one’s education, the higher their lifespan. People studying more keep themselves busy with healthy behaviors and are less prone to diseases.  Hence, besides improving students’ job prospects, continuing education can also improve their health by making them happier.    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] How Can Colleges Support Continuing Education Now that you understand the significance and benefits of continuing education, you must be willing to discover the best ways to implement continuing education in your educational institution. Here are some time-tested tips to enrich your institution by designing an impeccable continuing education plan: Offer Learning Content as per the Latest Industry Standards A wise way to offer the best continuing education courses is by looking at what your competitors are doing. You can browse their course catalogs to find what makes them stand out. Additionally, make sure to improvise the course content based on the audience profile.  Modernize the Learning Experience for Students Using the right technology and tools can make an ordinary training program extraordinary. Educational content delivery platforms can give you an edge by simplifying content creation and making delivery seamless to help you enhance the student learning experience.  Offer Personalised Learning to Suit

webadmin January 4, 2022 No Comments

Envisioning the Future of Higher Education

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s nothing new that the last two years have proven to be a year of great change and adaptation in the field of education. Education moved to online classrooms for which both the students and teachers weren’t prepared. This adaptation of educational institutions made the experts foresee the future differently. Elementary students are now growing up with laptops and the internet has become an essential tool to prepare the students effectively for the modern digital landscape. Developers are building better technologies to help the students study with flexibility and convenience within the university setting. Even though the demand for hi-tech learning was always present and would have been inevitable in the future, the pandemic acted as an accelerant in this case.   Now, so many educational institutions are finding themselves caught up to the challenges of higher education needs since last year. The recent changes in the field of education tell us that we must brace ourselves for the new realities of higher education. Here are some predictions of how the future of higher education might turn out to be. The Future of Higher Education Looks Exciting The future of education looks promising. Here are the things the stakeholder of education may expect going further: Content Producers and Distributors Will Enter the Marketplace Content producers and distributors will emphasize digital technologies by ditching time and place-based education. Low-cost degrees will be created, and outcome-based education will be offered. The competition, as well as the consumer choice, will rise. Students will be offered convenient combinations of course-based programs. Moreover, the courses will be cheaper than traditional colleges and universities, which will allow the students to afford the courses they are interested in. Content delivery platforms are presently revolutionizing the higher education landscape by providing unified content experiences for students. Gone are the days when learners had to visit various platforms for getting various content types. Additionally, since these platforms are access-based and copy-disabled, you can conveniently say goodbye to plagiarism and publish confidential content easily with the topmost data security measures.  Institutional Control of Higher Education Will Decrease Just like consumers are given a choice over what, when, how, and where they will consume content like movies, newspapers, etc., the future of higher education will put more power in the hands of the learners. Thanks to the digital revolution, students will have a greater choice regarding all aspects of their education. Take a look at the modes of education around you, and you can already feel the change. Presently, a student of a remote village in Africa can pursue a course from a university in the USA. Going further, we expect this trend to continue even as more and more courses get added, and the education will become more immersive.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Students Will Seek More From Educational Institutions Just like the sources of entertainment like music, movies, and news updates are crafted based on a particular consumer, the future of higher education will encourage personalization that will fit into a student’s circumstances. Colleges, universities, and other educational institutions will unbundle their programs and services at affordable prices so that the students can buy according to their needs and wants. There will be an increased focus on delivering interactive lessons to higher education students.  The future of higher education will focus on things we want the students to achieve, things we want them to learn, and not what we want them to be taught. All students don’t learn at the same pace. The explosion of new content being brought in by museums, software companies, and others is now becoming so diversified that the students’ academic development cannot be converted into stable time or process measures. However, one common denominator that all students share is that they produce outcomes, and whatever they learn is the consequence of their experience. The future of higher education will see a reset between the value placed on degrees and ‘just-in-time’ education will increase in status. Education will be more immediate and present-oriented. The increasing need for upskilling and reskilling because of the knowledge explosion and pandemic will tilt the balance towards educational programs that are aligned with the labour market, and students will be provided with badges and certificates and not degrees. Continuous Skilling Beyond Degrees Will Become  Reality According to the President of the University of Phoenix, Peter Cohen, ‘continuous skilling’ will play a huge role in the future of higher education. Since more than 85% of students come to university to have a better career in the future, it’s the university’s responsibility to prepare the students with the best resources. Gone are the days when people used to think that you go to school once when you are young and have all the skills you need for life. As technology is evolving super fast, it’s necessary to prepare the students for the challenges they are going to face once they graduate from college. That’s why, apart from providing the students with their degrees, institutions will prepare them to tackle the challenges that they may come across. Blended Learning Holds The Key to an Immersive Learning Experience Although blended learning has been operational since computers were introduced in education, it has never been as pronounced as it is now. And, with technology evolving rapidly, we can expect blended learning to reach new heights. In the future, blended learning will refer to the combination of in-person, online, experiential, simulation-based, synchronous, and asynchronous learning. The days are not too far when a student will stay on the campus and attend virtual classes. Such facilities can invite a new era of economic growth by reducing the cost of education, which will eventually reduce students’ tuition fees. Conclusion We don’t need a whole lot of information to research and speculate on the future of higher education in the upcoming years. It’s slowly unfolding before our eyes with the innovations that institutions worldwide are adapting. The changes will come into better focus if we look closely at the margins where major changes

webadmin December 28, 2021 No Comments

Top 3 Mobile App Testing Methods for Optimal Performance

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As per a report published by App Annie, users spent nearly 3.5 hours on mobile every day (on average) in 2019. This was a 35% increase from 2017. It made businesses realize the importance of pushing a mobile app into the market that users can interact with. This digital transformation started long ago, but the pandemic has only expedited it. People worldwide are turning to mobile apps to take care of their requirements and necessities anytime and anywhere. Challenge for brands? To deliver a user-friendly, fast, and seamless mobile experience for consumers. It’s not an easy job to do. Build a non-satisfactory app that doesn’t meet the performance standards. It takes just one uninstallation to push it into oblivion. People can probably find dozens of other apps that can exceed their expectations, which is why you can’t afford to go wrong with mobile apps. In this article, we have listed the best mobile app testing methods based on common performance indicators they are expected to meet. Let’s begin! 1. Performance Factor: Mobile App Backend The backend architecture of a mobile app is based on a database, web server, and application server. Performance issues can crop up in the backend that can render a mobile app unresponsive. Some of these backend issues are: Breakpoints or bottlenecks in the application server resources and database High server response times Poor implementation of policies related to escalation So, what type of mobile app testing method is imperative to determine the above-mentioned backend issues? There are many tests, including load testing, endurance testing, peak testing, stress testing, etc. You simulate load in different ways on the backend and see if the mobile app passes all these tests. 2. Performance Factor: Mobile App Network  When running tests on your mobile app, it’s important to measure the bandwidth and latency of mobile apps connected to a network. Latency (measured in milliseconds) is the time elapsed when data is sent from a mobile app on the network. The maximum amount of data that a mobile app can transmit through the network is termed bandwidth. It is measured in bits/second. Depending on whether the app is connected to a 4G or 3G network, the app’s performance can vary. Even though this is beyond the control of a developer, it’s possible to simulate various types of networks when testing the mobile app. During the mobile app testing process, measure the impact of these network types on the app’s response times – on the client-side and the server-side. Did you notice that Facebook runs well even on low bandwidth, whereas LinkedIn requires a strong network to run efficiently? That’s the kind of latency and network difference we’re talking about here.  3. Performance Factor: Client In the mobile app jargon, a ‘client’ is none other than the software that the user’s device runs on. It’s important to understand how your mobile app will behave in that software environment, sharing its resources with other applications on people’s phones. Functionality testing can help measure the software performance.  It’s a pivotal factor that makes or breaks the user experience. Many businesses lose money because of the below-par client-side performance of their apps. Even after you incorporate automation, conduct functional testing, or have CI/CD at your disposal, client-side issues can still slip through the cracks. What type of mobile app testing methods do you need to undertake to ensure that does not happen? It’s tricky. You have to be thorough while testing various screen sizes, operating systems, and devices – all part of client-side testing. Since the variety of mobile devices in the market only seems to increase in number each year, it’s becoming even more challenging to ensure that your app runs seamlessly on all of those devices. But unlike the network, you do have some control over a few elements of client-side performance. Some of these areas include: Device resource usage: This test measures how your mobile app uses the device’s resources when it’s running. These resources are – % Battery usage, memory (Kb), % CPU, data received and sent by the application. Rendering: This involves checking the render lag (janks), frames per second (fps), render time (milliseconds). A respectable rendering you should aim for is 60 frames per second, with each frame completed within 16 milliseconds. Otherwise, the app could end up freezing on the user’s device. The above two criteria are important for all kinds of apps. But if yours is a gaming app, you must aim for a higher rendering and lower device resource usage – or you could risk losing an ardent gamer![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Should You Use Real Devices or Emulators for Mobile App Testing? Experts recommend using real devices for mobile app testing because you never know how your mobile app will behave on real devices if you end up using the emulators. If you need to determine the actual performance of your mobile app, avoid using emulators. It’s especially important during the client-side performance testing, otherwise what’s the point? You may use profiling tools such as Instruments and Android Studio for debugging an app. Another common question that enterprises have is – how early in the mobile app development cycle should we begin the mobile app testing? And, the answer is – as soon as possible. Testing early allows you to understand client-side metrics, run tests alongside to see if the first version of your mobile app meets those performance metrics. Subsequently, you can release updated versions by fixing the performance errors.  Mobile Test Automation Frameworks Listed below are the three important mobile test automation frameworks: Appium: This mobile test automation framework can be used for both iOS and Android apps. Espresso: It’s an Android-specific test automation framework that you may try for mobile app testing. XCUITest: An iOS-targeted mobile test automation framework, XCUITest is a popular choice among developers and enterprises. Wrapping It Up By fixing the performance issues that may crop up at the client-side, network, or backend, you’ll create a mobile app that’s loved by

webadmin December 22, 2021 No Comments

Top 6 Online STEM Activities To Have In K-12 Curriculum

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Online STEM activities are specifically designed to allow K-12 students to explore digital tools while creating something using the steps of the innovative engineering design process. What is most exciting here is that nearly every topic and subject area can be easily incorporated into these challenges, and they can be used as a part of day-to-day academic activities. In this blog, we explore some of the top digital STEM activities that educators must include in the K-12 curriculum to enhance learning. What are Digital STEM Activities? Digital STEM activities simply refer to incorporating STEM or science, technology, engineering design, and math into K-12 curriculum and classrooms to promote creativity, inspiration and critical thinking in students along with other benefits of STEM education. The best part is that these activities can be implemented either in a whole-group setting or as an individual STEM station or center.  Here are some of the must-have online STEM activities in any K-12 curriculum. 1. STEM-based Quick Build Challenge  A STEM-based quick build challenge is a good way to engage K-12 students during a live virtual class. An educator needs to select a building task that can be done with a range of simple materials available at home. Students can then participate in the activity in an online classroom setting. For this digital STEM activity, ask your students to gather all the available material, which can be anything from straws, papers, paper plates/ cups, legos, newspapers, tape etc. Once done, prompt your students to come up with an initial design before building. Here, the aim is to make them brainstorm and discuss ideas that focus more on problem-solving, creativity, and perseverance during the building phase. The time element is an added attraction to this fun STEM activity. 2. Estimating Volumes STEM Activity This is a simple measurement and math activity that is an exciting way to introduce the concept of volume to K-12 students. The other advantage of this activity is that it also includes excellent fine motor skills practice for students. The activity requires everyday items such as plastic measuring containers, a pitcher of water, a funnel, a tray, paper towels and containers in different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, students can also try this activity with several other materials including shells, gems, blocks and rocks. The activity allows students to learn the concept of volume and it is the space a substance/object takes up or that can be enclosed in a closed container. It is also a great way to get students thinking, problem-solving, exploring and observing what is happening around them. 3. STEM-based Coding Communication Challenge If you have been looking for an activity to promote communication and collaboration among your students, this is an ideal STEM-based coding activity through virtual platforms. The activity requires one student to direct the other on the way of building a specific object and can be done with building materials like legos, index cards, papers modeling clay or any other material available easily. To implement the activity, teachers can either conduct live class sessions where students offer commands and attempt to build the tool, or students simply post a video with commands on how to build the tool. Their peers then respond by posting a video of their tool using the instructions given.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Virtual Field Trips STEM Activity For K-12 students, field trips hold immense importance as they can enhance a lesson plan for almost any subject. However, some of the biggest field trips aren’t available to many students. Most educators would agree that, in such a scenario, there’s also plenty to learn from implementing fun and informational virtual field trips.  These virtual field trips bring two key benefits to K-12 students over in-person visits- zero cost and no crowds, along with offering an interactive & immersive experience to the students.  For instance, to learn the concept of space and solar system, K-12 students can take a virtual field trip through space, where different stars and planets can be conveniently labeled and they can closely observe several planets and stars up close using the solar system scope. Various view selections can allow students to see the solar system in different (planetary and panoramic) views. 5. Mathematical Operations Concept Using Real-life Example This is a simple movement-oriented math STEM activity that can be done with everyday items such as a sheet of paper taped to the wall, a few sticky notes and a marker.  This activity helps kids understand the mathematical operators and meaning of numeric values in a simple way. Similarly, for students just learning to count, understanding the concept that numbers increase in size can be quite confusing. However, with things such as pipe cleaners and beads, you can help students learn to count while also allowing them a simple visual of how numbers increase in size. All you need to do is take small pieces of paper and label each of the pipe cleaners with a number. Students then have to simply arrange the pipe cleaners from small to big and start putting on the correct number of beads while counting aloud at the same time. 6. STEM-based Creating Model- Working Lungs In this activity, students will be required to explore the inhalation/exhalation process that happens in the lungs during respiration. The activity can be done using everyday materials, where every student team will be required to create a model pair of lungs.  The objective of this activity is to allow them to describe the function of the respiratory system and create a model of the lungs, along with explaining what happens to them when we inhale and exhale. To Wrap STEM education programs in the K-12 curriculum specifically aim to integrate all four STEM disciplines for practical use in real-life applications. The big focus of these activities is often project-based learning and problem-solving. By including the above digital STEM activities in the K-12 curriculum, you can ensure that your students gain practical, real-world skills through career-focused pathways in different fields such as health

webadmin December 14, 2021 No Comments

Advantages of Using Immersive Animations for Better Learning Outcomes in K-12 Education

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Student engagement plays a vital role in making learning impactful and engrossing for K-12 learners. This is simply because the majority of the students may not find subjects such as science, history or mathematics interesting as it takes a lot of mental effort to grasp the concepts. The use of technologies such as immersive animations and simulations can prove to be instrumental in making concepts interesting, thus improving student engagement and overall learning outcomes. In this blog, we learn more about the use of animations in K-12 learning and how these immersive animations help improve learning outcomes. How does Animation in K-12 Learning Works and What are the Advantages Animation accounts for a massive part of the multimedia sector and is quite a popular medium with young students. It is something students want to explore, experience and learn as it enables them to think out of the box and apply their own imagination as well as rational thinking.  Animation in learning occurs when various pictures, images or drawings are placed and played in a particular sequence to create an illusion of movement. The last few years have seen the use of animation in education gaining rapid popularity due to the several advantages it offers. Apart from easing the process of learning complex concepts for students, the use of immersive animation also brings learning to life and can be applied to nearly all K-12 subjects. This allows educators to make learning fun, easily explain various concepts with the help of visual representations, and promote experiential learning. Some of the key advantages of using animations in improving K-12 learning outcomes are explained below- 1. Clear understanding of concepts Research suggests that K-12 learners tend to understand different topics well when the information is offered to them in the form of an immersive experience using animations. Animation in K-12 education makes use of visuals for learning to present various abstract concepts and give a clear picture of the lesson to the learners. For instance, the use of animation makes a demonstration of body parts functioning much more fun and understandable in biology. Similarly, in physics, the concept of force can be made more engaging and interesting through the use of animations by demonstrating different examples of the topics with the help of various animated characters performing certain tasks. 2. Interactive learning  Since different learners have different learning styles, the use of animation, graphics, videos, and audio makes learning much more interactive and participatory in nature. Apart from this, animated videos are short and cover specific, relevant content to grab learners’ attention and ensure that they don’t digress from the concept. As a result, learners develop their skills and knowledge conveniently through short visual representations.  Different interactive learning strategies allow learners to interact with the course content easily and comprehend the concepts faster. Further, in this learning style, the retention rate is higher as the concepts are in the form of interactive and fun videos. 3. Enables visualization  Using 2D and 3D animations in K-12 learning allow students to visualize and better understand a variety of complex questions in an easier way. As an audio-visual medium, animation keeps learners engaged physically as well as mentally.  For instance, questions related to algebra and word problems are quite difficult for K-12 students to understand and comprehend. However, demonstrating the same questions in an animated form helps students to visualize the problem and better understand the question. This makes it more meaningful for the students and leads to better learning outcomes.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Experiential learning Animation in K-12 education helps present different abstract concepts through virtual reality, which brings more flexibility in learning intricate concepts. There are various science experiments that are dangerous for students to perform in real-life even though they form a crucial part of learning. Bringing animation and VR for such concepts or experiments allows learners to perform them in a much safer environment with complete accuracy of results.  This gives learners an invaluable experience that they could only get when doing these experiments in real life. Moreover, animation offers an alternative to learners through experiential learning as they cannot learn each concept practically while attending virtual classes.   5. Easy accessibility and affordability Another advantage of employing animation in K-12 education is its easy accessibility and affordability. Unlike the popular notion that animated videos are expensive to implement, they are quite affordable, thus allowing educators to use any form of animated videos without compromising on quality. Easy and ready availability is another benefit of using animation in education. One animated video can be used by educators to teach many learners. Further, students can also revisit a video for revising the concept anytime, anywhere with just a smart device and a stable internet connection. 6. Fast and easy learning Although time-consuming to produce, animations are much more time-saving material for students to learn. This is simply because visuals are processed much faster than text in the brain and also help to retain information for longer. Additionally, immersive animations create a visually enticing learning experience for students that allows for a real interactive experience without having to bear the cost of expensive machinery rentals or live shoots. The best part is that once created, the number of learners who can use the material is unlimited, thus recovering the cost of investment of creating animations.  To Wrap Using animation to achieve better learning outcomes in K-12 education is a rising trend. Besides improving engagement and students’ creativity, it also helps to enhance learner motivation. However, to ensure that animated educational videos fit K-12 learners’ specific needs, it is important to consider thoughtful instruction design and powerful implementation strategies to ensure that students receive the maximum benefit in terms of better learning outcomes.    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

webadmin December 13, 2021 No Comments

Best Practices in Educational Program Design

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A professional instructional designer uses several best practices and excellent strategies while designing their courses that help the learner understand, grasp, and retain the content effectively. Following instructional design best practices is critical to driving maximum learning impact while also taking care of learners’ time and short attention spans. Further, it also ensures that knowledge transfer happens seamlessly, thus leaving a lasting impact on learners’ skill sets. This blog aims to outline some of the most important best practices adopted by expert instructional designers to make the most effective educational program designs. Best practices in educational program design 1. Set clear learning goals and objectives As an instructional designer, it’s important to clearly explain the goals and objectives of the course or the educational program you’re creating. Clearly understanding the overall learning requirements, the audience who needs to take the training, and how the training is supposed to benefit learners should be established before you begin to work on the course design. You must know what you want your learners to achieve at the end of the course. Remember that any content that does not align with a learning objective, course goal, or the desired learning outcome is irrelevant information. It is something that students do not need to know to develop required skill sets, knowledge, or to be successful.  2. Promote active learning strategies When it comes to online learning specifically, it is often self-paced and self-directed, making active learning an important aspect for engaging with students, keeping them focused, and improving their motivation.  Active learning strategies help address various learning needs and cultivate a strong sense of community among students. Some of the active learning strategies you can employ here include- Connecting lessons to the real world to make the course material and overall educational program design more relevant to the participants Incorporating more interactivity into your courses, such as simulations, quizzes, polls, exercises, and drag-and-drop activities Facilitating active collaboration by either inviting learners to share their ideas/notes or generating a discussion prompt for everyone to participate in a discussion 3. Create 10-20 minute lessons Breaking down the content into 10-20 minutes short lessons is an excellent way to help learners stay focused on the topic while learning. Adopting such a microlearning approach of breaking your content into smaller, more manageable chunks makes it easier for your learners to fit it into their schedules, along with making it more accessible and easier to consume. While designing the course, make sure to review your content and consider ways to break it down into separate topics and sub-topics. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Gamify the content Gamification refers to the application of gaming mechanics to non-gaming environments to make difficult tasks more palatable. Some of the common game mechanics you can include in your educational program include points, badges, leaderboards, and levels. Incorporating these game elements while designing the courses makes learning more fun, engaging and also enables you to tap into some powerful human emotions. Learners in any scenario love to compete against others and get rewards. It also gives you several indicators of learner progress and makes the overall learning experience more engaging and effective.  5. Focus on reliable and measurable outcomes It is important to accurately and effectively gauge learner performance by making learner engagement and performance data the heart of your educational program design process. Some of the questions that can help you at this stage include- What exactly are you teaching and why? How will you know that your learners have met the desired level of mastery? What is your instructional goal, and what your learner’s participants will be able to do differently or what they will know that they didn’t know before? Apart from this, take advantage of a combination of various multimedia elements to keep your learners engaged and focused on the content. For instance, using a short, concise and relevant video clip to reinforce a concept/topic is much more impactful as compared to static graphics and on-screen text. 6. Provide feedback to the learners Providing clear and consistent feedback to the learner is just as important as the course design itself. It is also important to remember that feedback should be quick and explanatory in nature. For instance, if a learner selects a correct option, the feedback shouldn’t simply say ‘that’s correct!’ Instead, it should offer a brief explanation of why it is correct, which helps to reinforce the key concepts of the topic. On the contrary, if the learner selects an incorrect option, the feedback, instead of just saying ‘Sorry, that’s incorrect,’ should explain why the answer is wrong. Final thoughts Designing an educational program can be a challenging task for instructional designers. However, there are things that instructional designers can do to make learning programs more impactful. By following the above-mentioned best practices, you can make a real difference in learning. The key here is to start by thoroughly assessing your audience and clearly establishing their needs. This will allow you to fine-tune your program design until it’s perfectly optimized for learners. Once done, all you need to do is to craft active learning experiences and ensure that your content is easily accessible on all digital devices, and use various game mechanics to incentivize your participants into action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

webadmin November 12, 2021 No Comments

How to Develop Courses for Virtual Classroom Solutions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The world is quickly moving towards virtual classrooms and remote learning. It was already a trend before 2020, but it has become the norm for delivering learning worldwide since the pandemic. Developing interactive virtual classroom solutions is important to make the learning experience more impactful. Virtual classrooms have many benefits as students can learn from the comfort of their homes and at their own pace. Other benefits include the ability to have talent from around the globe participate in a classroom together. However, in order to make the most of the shift to remote learning, we need effective virtual classroom solutions. The first thing you want to do is plan out your course while keeping a virtual classroom setting in mind.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Here’s how to go about creating courses for virtual classrooms-” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:18|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1636708535975{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Plan for virtual delivery of lessons While developing a course for online delivery, there are a few things to keep in mind. Strategies that were effective with face-to-face delivery of classes may not work as well for virtual classrooms. It is harder to perform demonstrations and practical lab work successfully in a virtual setting. For precisely this reason, it’s important to plan your courses from the beginning for online delivery. Your students will have certain limitations when it comes to attending virtual classes. Some students may be viewing your material from a small smartphone screen, while some other students in remote geographical locations may have difficulties with their internet service. These are some of the limitations to keep in mind while adapting your course to be delivered in a virtual classroom environment. Avoiding lengthy lectures, involving students more in the learning process, and understanding the needs of each student can go a long way in making your course more valuable and engaging. Use 3D videos and simulations Virtual classroom solutions don’t have to be inferior to their traditional counterparts. Instead, they have their own advantages and strong points. Virtual classrooms can be used to achieve things that were not easily possible with in-person classroom sessions. For example, 3D interactive classes are easily implementable as almost every digital device can display these elements. To capitalize on these advantages, create simulated environments while designing the course that immerses students into the learning journey. Interactivity can be used to pique the interest of students and keep them engaged. With the use of 3D models and video, it’s easy to transform a drab, boring presentation into an interesting and engaging learning experience for your students. Check course compatibility with online learning tools While designing a course that will be delivered virtually, there are plenty of things you want to consider and make accommodations for. Firstly, making a course compatible with online learning tools that will be used to deliver your course is paramount. Institutions around the world are regularizing the use of LMS and eLearning solutions to deliver courses to students. Whether it’s a webinar application, collaboration tool, live conference, or any other virtual classroom solution, having your course integrated with a software can help take your learning program to the next level. Include actionable elements A virtual classroom solution such as an LMS or a content delivery platform enables you to include demonstrations and videos in the course, helping students understand the concepts better.  Besides this, an effective way to make sure that your students are paying attention is to increase the interactivity in your course. You can include interactive elements that test your student’s knowledge time and again. Some of the actionable elements that you can add to your course are – Quizzes Polls Learning games Create learning scenarios that simulate job environments Previously, while developing a course, it was easier to replicate actual job environments. Students were able to learn about scenarios that are common in the workplace. However, with remote learning and virtual classrooms, this can be slightly difficult. While developing online courses, it’s important to ensure that students can experience the virtual scenario in the most immersive manner. Here’s where technologies such as VR and AR come into play. Leveraging these technologies can help create a safe environment where students can learn more about performing certain tasks while on the job and gain relevant experience.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Conclusion” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:18|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1636708679135{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The shift towards remote learning and virtual classrooms has increased over the last year. Consequently, schools and universities have to adapt to predominantly remote learning modes of delivering courses. Courses delivered through virtual classroom solutions will make your classes more engaging and result in a better learning experience. Conducting online quizzes, including learning games, and even implementing actionable elements are all ways with which you can enhance your student’s learning experience. This will not only make your course more valuable to students but will also leave them better informed about the topics that they’ve just covered.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

webadmin October 1, 2021 No Comments

EP#02 The one with Michael Wolf

Michael D Wolf, PhD is Executive Vice President of EvermedTV, a medical-conferences-on-demand platform that is currently licensed by more than 30 societies to expand their reach and revenue globally. Michael has been a 3rd party publishing partner for medical societies for over 20 years. He was trained as a …