Author: webadmin

Best Online Learning Platform
webadmin March 17, 2023 No Comments

Investing in the Best Online Learning Platform for Education

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The eLearning landscape is rapidly evolving as more and more institutions and universities recognize the benefits that the online learning platform brings to learners. The industry is estimated to be worth $325 billion by 2025, and it demands educational institutions and instructors to adapt to this inevitable change. The statistics clearly suggest that this trend is not just growing in popularity but is already the primary medium for students attending school and taking part in learning, given the current scenario. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the various advantages of online learning platforms for schools, different kinds of online learning platforms available, and our pick of the top 5 platforms for institutions. Table of Contents: Understanding Online Learning Platforms 5 Advantages for Institutions Different Types of Online Learning Platforms Top 5 Online Learning Platforms Conclusion [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Understanding Online Learning Platforms ” 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_1679043700945{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;}” el_id=”understanding”][vc_column_text]An online learning platform provides the user with easy access to digital classes. Put simply, they are integrated systems that enable secure, web-based training and eLearning using a simple and intuitive user interface. 5 Major Advantages for Institutions The benefits of online learning platforms are numerous. Some of these are discussed below – 1. Efficient Management eLearning platforms make it easy for educational institutions to structure all of the information in one place in an organized manner, making it accessible to all users. Further, they allow effective control of the administration, automation, and communication with users, instructors, and trainers. It can be used as a great tool to create and manage content in a simple and intuitive way. 2. Personalization of Content eLearning platforms allow institutions the option of complete personalization. Apart from the option of adding different elements and features that can be tailored to the needs of students, they can also create multi–language platforms. Further, there can be multiple user IDs and portals that can be created without the need for additional installations. 3. Accessibility Online learning platforms eliminate all geographical restrictions, allowing students from across the globe to complete the training/courses they’re interested in. Those who are unable to be physically present in a classroom can continue their educational development through multiple online courses available on these platforms. 4. Reduced Costs  eLearning platforms offer a cost–effective solution to institutions as compared to other traditional forms of learning because learning through this mode happens quickly and easily. Further, a great deal of training time is saved with respect to trainers, resources, travel, course materials, and more. 5. Accommodates Everyone’s Needs Online learning platforms completely transform the way content is accessed, consumed, and shared. It allows institutions to accommodate the varied needs of learners and make the content accessible as per the availability and comfort of the students. Also Read: Online Learning Courses –  The New Reality for Institutions and Students Online Course Development – 10 Best Practices [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Different Types of Online Learning Platforms” 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_1679043821281{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;}” el_id=”different”][vc_column_text]eLearning platforms are of many different types and choosing the right one is critically important to help you achieve your goals. Traditional Learning Management System– As the name suggests, a traditional learning management system offers the basic functionality required for developing and hosting an online course. Content creators can design, store, and review their courses on the platform using the basic functionalities. Modern Learning Management Solutions– Service providers in this category focus on enhanced learner experience and on specific pedagogies, which are generally not addressed in traditional LMS solutions. Learning Destination Sites– It is a kind of shared website that offers online courses from multiple providers in one place. Learning destination sites allow you to design your courses using an LMS followed by either uploading or linking the courses to the site. Open Source Learning Management System– Similar to a commercial LMS solution, an open-source learning management system provides the basic functionality needed for developing and hosting an online course but completely free of charge. Custom Built Learning Platform – It is an excellent solution to address specific needs as it allows you to build specific courses designed to serve the customized needs of learners. Although time-consuming and an expensive option, custom-built learning platforms allow you to have complete control over the design as well as execution. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Top 5 Online Learning Platforms” 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_1679043855752{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;}” el_id=”top”][vc_column_text]Choosing the best learning platform among the sea of available options is a constant struggle for online instructors and trainers. Here we have compiled a list of the top 5 online learning platforms based on factors such as features and capabilities, customer support, pricing, and ease of use. 1. Skillshare With over 4 million students and as many as 24,000 lessons in various disciplines, the platform features dedicated course lessons made out of small videos, class projects lasting from 20 to 60 minutes. Classes are primarily divided into business, technology, creative arts, and lifestyle segments. Pros Offers the ability to take multiple courses for the same price The platform offers a dedicated, supportive discussion forum where students can exchange feedback Cons Students do not get any certificate of completion or any other formal recognition The content is limited to only the above-mentioned categories 2. Coursera Coursera is one of the popular online education platforms, with more than 23 million users and is committed to offering well-designed and high-quality online training courses worldwide. Pros The platform offers certifications upon joining their paid courses There are individual courses, specialized courses as well as degree programs available Offer high-quality educational tools and instructor interactions Cons Less flexible course creation options as compared to other platforms Limited to educators in partner institutions only 3. Udemy Udemy is an excellent online learning platform available on the web, with over 50 thousand instructors/subject matter experts and 40 million students benefiting from the online courses. It offers a wide range of online learning material, including PowerPoint,

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Active learning
webadmin March 17, 2023 No Comments

The Correlation Between Active Learning and Student Engagement

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“Learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a passive process.”- Kurt Lewin. It is high time we shift our focus from traditional learning techniques to active learning within and beyond the books. Traditional learning techniques involve professors completing their lectures for the day while the students either space out or only take notes. Then, two days later, they ought to forget what the teachers taught them in the first place.  You can notice a visible distinction in student engagement when professors undertake an active learning approach to the designed curriculum. They conjure up students’ problem-solving skills, and critical thinking abilities, and unleash their creative minds, all skills necessary to succeed in their future careers and develop a superior leadership personality.  What is Active Learning?  Bonwell and Elson in 1991 described active learning as ‘students doing things and thinking about the things they are doing.’ This means that students can only retain theoretical knowledge when they practically apply it in the classroom through some proven active learning techniques that are evolving in universities in recent times and contributing to massive student engagement in online learning.  In short, some inquiry-led tasks, open-ended questions, and other such active assignments in the classroom itself can imbibe the lessons more practically to implement them in real life as and when required.  The recent pandemic episode shifted education bases from classrooms to online window studying. Unfortunately, this shift has deliberately skewered the scope for budding active learning exercises in the classroom. Now, when educational institutions are once again opening their classroom doors and incorporating a hybrid system of education, active learning activities can resume.  Benefits of Active Learning Before learning the techniques to implement active learning in the classroom, it is imperative to understand why schools, colleges, and universities are encouraging its application within curriculums.  A Visible Improvement in Critical Thinking Ability  Due to the recent upsurge in fake news through social media accounts and other messaging app threads, it has become difficult to differentiate between a reliable source and an unreliable one. Collaborating Skills Development  Through group projects and demonstrations, active learning in the classroom ensures maximum student engagement. How?  In traditional learning techniques, students don’t participate in groups towards practical learning. Instead, they just mug up what they learn throughout the semester and churn it all out on their answer sheets. Student engagement sees its peak in active learning when they are clubbed together in groups for regular projects and questions. These exercises stimulate a potential collaborative spirit that is easily reflected in the future workspace.  Real Problem Solving Capacity  In recent times, curriculums have accepted that problem solving is an essential criterion for getting into a renowned job, so its exercise has become part of the syllabi.  Nevertheless, there is an unwavering agreement that problem-solving training provided in active learning surpasses the bookish problem-solving knowledge.  There is no single solution to any problem, and such activities in active learning ensure that at least two perspectives on the same question can be put forth.  Accelerates Information Retention  Dale’s Cone of Experience states that students can retain 10% of what they read, 20% of what is heard, and 90% of what they do. In active learning, thorough student engagement ensures that curriculum knowledge throughout the years is cemented through elaborate group activities, collaborative projects, and active problem-solving exercises.  Technical Usage Gains  In traditional forms of learning, students usually don’t have access to technology which has become an integral part of their lives. Instead, they only sit in a classroom while watching a student or a teacher present the lecture to the class. In active learning, however, there is a more lively approach to technical learning where the students are handed modern technological tools and machines to handle them on their own. These classrooms have up-to-date technology that students use to complete projects on a daily basis. In addition, it makes students tech-savvy for future job purposes. You might also like to read: Top 8 Active Learning Strategies to Enhance the Student Learning Experience Risk-Taking Encouragement Risk-taking has become a vital part of handling businesses and jobs. Traditional books don’t preach this; they preach the opposite. But the real world is far from perfect, and risk-taking has its good sides as well as bad. Active learning ensures maximal student engagement whereby they are grouped together to go through some vital risk-taking activities and, if halted, are meant to figure out how they must get out of it.  This prepares the students for their future, where they will have to undertake such activities independently in the workspace. Through active learning, they will understand how to chart their way out in case of an obstacle.  Techniques to Apply Active Learning in Class  Student engagement is a culmination of motivation and active learning activities in the classroom.   Although there are no hard and fast rules to implement active learning in class for maximum student engagement, here are a few ideas on which exercises you can implement in the classroom.   Low Complexity Techniques  One-MInute Paper- This is where students are grouped together and given a limited time period (1 minute) to solve a question after a topic is taught.  Muddiest Point- After the lesson, teachers ask students what was the toughest part of the lesson and explain it again through demonstrative activities.  Think-Pair-Share- Students think about the answers to the questions; they are paired with other classmates to discuss and share their viewpoints on the matter.  Medium Complexity Techniques  Case-Based Learning- This includes a thorough demonstration of lessons through real-life events or case studies. Invariably, these increase the retention capacity of the matter by students.  Role-Play- Students get to play out roles and demonstrate the lesson through real-time action. High Complexity Techniques Problem Based Learning- A problem-solving-centric activity where students are given situations of problems they must solve on their own.  Team-Based Learning- A laudable effort towards team building, these activities group students together so they can work on one project or question as a

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Virtual Field Trips
webadmin March 15, 2023 No Comments

How Virtual Field Trips Enhance the Learning Experience

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of the most exciting events in the traditional education system are field trips. Virtual field trips are a great way of engaging students in learning experiences in the real world. They help students find the relevance of what they learn. In addition, such trips improve their understanding and tap into new ways of learning while keeping students engaged and motivated. A lot of logistical planning and coordinating goes into organizing field trips. Geographic and time constraints limit the opportunity of students to fully explore trips. Furthermore, in recent times, COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown have led to students losing opportunities to experience both traditional schooling and field trips. Conveniently, technological advancements, interactive learning, and online resources have opened doors to offer real-time experiences to students despite the challenges associated with traditional field trips. Virtual field trips, specifically, offer opportunities to have real-world experiences at students’ fingertips. What is a Virtual Field Trip? A virtual field trip is a guided exploration through the internet into places and experiences that are pre-screened and thematically based to provide a structured learning experience. Virtual field trips are an interactive and dynamic form of learning that is freely available, making access no longer a concern.  There are various online learning activities for K-12 students.  With virtual field trips, students can study subjects and explore places to learn in real-time. They are also very cost-effective and less prone to risks associated with traditional field trips. It helps students make real-life connections by allowing them to go beyond book knowledge.  Scope of Learning through Virtual Field Trips Virtual field trips are essential to modern-day classroom requirements. They can be applied to all subjects and personalized based on the abilities and performance of different students. You can implement various strategies for virtual field trips in K-12 classrooms. Following is the scope of learning through virtual field trips.  1. Range of Subjects Virtual field trips benefit common subjects such as science, geography, and history. Students can witness outer space, nature, and micro-organisms, explore documented significant events in the past, and marvel at the works of famous artists. A study with biology students demonstrated how 80% showed a highly positive attitude towards the educational value of virtual trips. 2. Levels of Grades Classes of all ages and levels can use virtual field trips. The only requirement is to pick the most suitable and tailor-made trip for the age group. Virtual field trips are specifically curated for different grades, age groups, and difficulty levels as well. 3. Various Student Abilities Traditional field trips might pose difficulties for students with physical and mental disabilities. Such students might tend to skip or might even be forced not to get involved in field trips resulting in not experiencing their benefits.  Virtual field trips are a way to extend inclusivity to students of all abilities. It provides the opportunity for students to experience real-life learning together regardless of their hardships. Moreover, they can explore content in the comfort of their classrooms or their homes. Benefits of Learning through Virtual Field Trips 1. Range of Experiences With virtual field trips, students can explore places they have not and might not be able to visit. School trips for elementary students are especially constrained by distance and time. Virtual field trips eliminate such barriers and offer the experience to students of all ages. Such trips also expose students to experiences not common in their geographic locations. 2. Learning in Real-Time Virtual field trips give students real-world experiences. Students get to connect what they learn inside the classroom with what is happening out in the world. This helps them understand how academic learning can be applied to solve real-world problems that they grapple with. In addition, theoretical information can be compared with practical situations to make connections and develop students’ critical thinking. You might also like to read: Top 8 Strategies For Student Engagement In Online Learning 3. Educational Objectives Using virtual trips increases the quantity and quality of information that students obtain. Students have the freedom to pursue self-directed trips and can do it at their own pace. This makes lessons more memorable and presents clarity in concepts. A study showed that students who participated in science field trips scored better on science tests. Virtual field trips expose students to the lives and worlds of people from different places and circumstances. This makes students more tolerant and empathetic. It teaches them how to have a different perspective about situations, people, places, and things around them. It contributes to the growth of their social and emotional skills.  4. Engaging Experiences Traditional school trips are limited in the experiences they provide to students. Virtual trips provide experiences that students might not have access to in their geographical settings. They gain access to environments unavailable to them.  With virtual field trips, students can access the most recent, detailed, and diversified information from rich sources of materials and resources. Therefore, the experience of virtual trips reinforces academic concepts and solidifies learning.  Virtual trips are highly interactive. They give students complete freedom to navigate, wander, explore, and learn anything at any time. Students can also choose to visit and revisit topics of their interest at their own pace and interest. This makes them feel empowered and helps them be more motivated and engage in learning new information. 5. Equity in Access Virtual field trips are not limited by distance, time, or money. They are freely accessible by all students on using the internet. The economic limitations of families and schools that cannot provide access to real-time experiences are remedied with virtual field trips.  Moreover, virtual trips include audio-visuals and kinesthetics and cater to all learning styles. They provide equal access to everyone, regardless of the traditional hindrances in access to experiences and learning, such as social, economic, physical, and other barriers.   6. Safety Safety is always the first concern in traditional field trips. Despite the efforts of teachers, there are always chances of students getting lost or hurt on field trips.

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XML & DTD
webadmin March 15, 2023 No Comments

All You Need to Know About XML & DTD

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language that is primarily used to transfer data and text between driver hardware, applications, and operating systems, with little or no human intervention. The key advantage of using XML to transfer data is the ability to design the layout for android applications and to configure frameworks. It is used as a format for both storing and communicating your data between different systems in a platform-independent fashion. Instead of the predefined tags, the programmer in XML can write the tags based on the application. An XML document typically contains both the structure and the content. In the e-Publishing industry, XML plays a major role in publishing online books and journals on various web portals. Many organizations use XML format to convert data into various formats such as doc, HTML, PDF, ePub, Mobi etc. DTD (Document Type Definition), on the other hand, is a part of XML that helps to describe the language. It is mainly a set of markup declarations that is used to define a document type for a markup language. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”In this blog, we are going to explore the various aspects of XML & DTD.” 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_1612520084659{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_custom_heading text=”XML—Features and Terminology” 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_1612520144800{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]Among the key features of XML include Portability: Similar to HTML, you can easily ship XML data across platforms Extensibility: Since XML data describes itself, you can conveniently change the schema Flexibility: With XML data, you can represent any information including documents, structured, and semi-structured files Among the key XML terminologies include Tag name—e.g., book, title Start tags—e.g., <book>, <title> End tags – e.g., </book>, </title> The element—that is enclosed by a pair of start and end tags—e.g., <book>…</book> Elements here can be Nested—e.g., <book>…<title>…</title>…</book> Empty elements—e.g., <is_textbook/>3. Elements with attributes—e.g., <book ISBN=”…” price=”60.00″> [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”What Are Well-Formed XML Documents? ” 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_1612520233978{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]A well-formed XML document has the following features: It follows XML lexical conventions It contains a single root element It has properly matched tags and nested elements [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”What Are Valid XML Documents?” 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_1612520298707{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]A valid XML document conforms to a Document Type Definition or DTD with the following requirements: A DTD is helpful to specify grammar for the document Constraints on structures, values of elements, and attributes [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”What is DTD?” 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_1612520368079{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]As mentioned above, DTD refers to Document Type Definition and is mainly used to describe XML language in a concise manner. The primary objective of DTD is to define the structure of an XML file. It contains a list of legal elements and is used to perform validation. Put simply, DTD allows you to create rules for the elements within your XML documents. Although the XML document itself has its own rules, the rules defined in a DTD are specific to individual needs. The two main types of DTD are the following: Internal DTD—If the DTD elements are declared within the XML file, it is called an internal DTD External DTD—If the DTD elements are declared in some other file, it is called an external DTD The working of DTD is done through the following steps: Begin by creating a DTD file for your respective XML document Once done, outline the structure of the document You can now create DTD either with internal or with external references Make sure to include all the elements, entities, and attributes for the file DTD is essentially a way to describe XML language precisely. Since DTD defines the structure, legal elements, and attributes of an XML document, it helps to check both vocabulary and validity of the structure of XML documents against various grammatical rules of appropriate XML language. There are two ways to specify and keep an XML–DTD that is either inside the document or in a separate document. An XML document is well-formed if it contains the correct syntax. And a valid and well-formed XML document is one that has been validated against DTD.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Steps to Validate XML Using DTD” 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_1612520451245{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]An XML document that is well created can be easily validated using DTD. A well-formed XML document with correct syntax would need to follow these rules: It must begin with the XML declaration. The document must have one unique root element enclosing all the other tags. All elements must be closed with a proper end tag. For special characters, XML entities should be used. Values of all attributes must be in quotes. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”To Conclude” font_container=”tag:h3|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_1612520527735{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]XML is a technology primarily used for data transfer and DTD is related to XML. Since an XML file contains both the structure and the content, DTD is used to define that structure. It is a set of markup declarations that define a document type for a markup language. If your XML document is conformed to the DTD format, then it is valid and can be used in various business-to-business applications. The standard DTD is used by a number of applications to verify the valid data received from the external sources before being sent to the other clients. Therefore, it is a main element of the DTD to examine/test/convert the XML file before it is given to the business process. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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content development strategies
webadmin March 15, 2023 No Comments

7 Educational Content Development Strategies for Higher-ed Institutions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Educational institutions across the globe are experiencing a digital transformation today. Due to the influx of social media platforms, user-generated content, and increased mobile access, students have become more empowered than ever.  Therefore, universities, schools, and other educational institutions need to future-proof the content strategy to keep up with the digital transformation. They need to comprehend students’ goals and needs, and then respond to those with engaging content. These days, there are a myriad of platforms and channels to deliver content to the students. With the availability of different content formats, many educational institutes struggle to keep the content consistent and strategic. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Let us look at some of the content development strategies for higher-ed institutions through this blog post.” 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_1631439485439{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]1. Devise a clear structure Course creators in educational institutions often have to fit in plenty of information in a single eLearning course. Either intentionally or unintentionally, this creates an uninviting learning environment for students. To foster an engaging online learning environment, course instructors must ensure that the content has a clear and consistent structure. Moreover, each module within a course should follow the same structure. For example, collaborative opportunities, tasks, assignments, and reading materials should have the same format and location within the eLearning course. An important strategy you can incorporate is microlearning. It’s a current trend in educational content development wherein you present content in the form of short-term assignments or small learning units that have a clear structure. The strategy is very effective when it comes to memory retention in students. 2. Have a pre-defined purpose Before devising a strategy for educational content development, you have to think about its purpose. A strategy without a purpose is akin to shooting in the dark. You will find success with your content strategy because your actions will have a predefined direction. Think about these elements while planning a content development strategy: Goals: What do you aim to achieve with the eLearning course, and how would those goals align with your institutional objectives and priorities? If you do achieve success, what would it look like? Audience: For whom are you creating the educational content?  Message: What do you hope to communicate through your content? What do you wish students to learn through this course?  3. Personalize your content Personalization can help deliver exceptional content for classroom or online learning. It prioritizes a proper understanding of each student’s goals and needs so that the content can be tailored to address those unique goals and needs.  Personalized content enables students to learn independently and at their own pace. In particular, Generation Y or millennials are driven by personalization. According to a study conducted by American Express, personalization is the best approach to engage with the millennial generation.  This is why universities and colleges customize their offerings to suit the needs and preferences of generation Y. 4. Incorporate video content  With many social media platforms out there, creating and sharing video content has gained massive popularity. Established educational institutions such as Oxford University and Washington and Lee University use live streaming to deliver resources to their students, staff, and the general public. Offering valuable content for free may seem counter-intuitive. However, that’s how pull marketing works. It builds public interest and showcases thought leaders and experts at your institution. This makes it one of the most pivotal educational content development strategies in today’s world.  5. Offering content on mobile When we talk about educational content development in the 21st century, missing out on mobile-friendly content is a big mistake. The daily mobile usage of the millennial generation is rising by the year. In fact, Generation Z is the first mobile-first, digital-native generation. This is why prospective students expect responsive and dynamic content on mobile. Many of them even prefer to complete the application process from their cell phones.  Many educational institutions have thus rolled out mobile-friendly content for their students.  Others like Ohio State, Maryville University in the US, and the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom have distributed free iPads to empower students through mobile-responsive content.  6. Develop student-centric content While generating user-centric content is important in general, incorporating this strategy in higher-ed is important. As mentioned before, Gen Z and millennial students lay great emphasis on personalization. Therefore, creating content that resonates with your tech-savvy students is extremely important. They are habituated to on-demand, real-time information. Hence, you should make it easy for them to find the information they want in the course modules. In addition to that, student-centric content improves participation, knowledge retention, performance, problem-solving skills, engagement, and more. Overall, it makes learning more fun since eLearning courses involve many different mediums, including practical assignments, podcasts, videos, etc.  These courses also have some group exercises which foster collaborative learning. Working with teachers/peers inculcates the spirit of teamwork which is an excellent quality to have in a professional environment.  A student-centric eLearning course with quizzes, games, challenges, and real-life examples increases the probability that students will retain the content.  7. Collect feedback and revise  To enhance the student learning environment, you need to improve your educational content development strategies continually. The best way to evaluate whether your strategy worked or failed is to collect students’ feedback. Use that feedback to analyze the effectiveness of higher ed content and make changes along the way.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Final thoughts” 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_1631440241536{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]When it comes to educational content development, there isn’t any single authoritative approach. As far as higher education is concerned, the content strategy is never approached via wide, comprehensive sweeps. Instead, you have to consider small wins and take intelligent, data-driven decisions to achieve successful outcomes. And collaborating with a content development partner that can not only plan the strategy but also create multi-device compatible, secure, and engaging higher-ed courses for you is the key![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Discover creative ways to make your online classes more engaging
webadmin March 15, 2023 No Comments

How to Make Online Classes More Interactive?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Despite the adoption of online education worldwide, some believe that this mode of learning can hardly compensate for physical classroom learning. Some educators believe that the online mode of education is inherently flawed and lacks some crucial elements of quality education. Many students tend to neglect their education simply because they cannot focus on the class, primarily due to an erratic network connection and lack of patience. They cannot wholly be blamed as this happens only because they are struggling to put up with the new normal, not because they don’t care. The good news is that there are plenty of strategies to make online classes engaging and exciting for both students and teachers. Here are the five best tips on how you can make online classes more interactive. The Top 5 Ways to Make Online Classes More Interactive   1. Offer Flexibility in Learning A foolproof way to make online classes more interactive is by introducing students to online platforms that let them access the course materials any time they want. Gone are the days when students did not get class materials or resources shared by teachers when they skipped or missed classes. Presently, they can enter a platform by entering their login ID and password and study any time they want. Hence, to make online classes more interactive, you must acknowledge that learning has now become more flexible than it has ever been.  Thanks to technology, learning has also become more immersive. Allow your students to imbibe technology and learning platforms to help them reach the next level organically. Online learning enables the holistic development of learners by incorporating the best practices of modern-day teaching and learning. It allows both educational institutions and students to develop their skills holistically and solve challenging exercises to learn better. Online learning makes delivering interactive lessons to higher education students easy.  2. Leverage Storytelling Storytelling is a primitive art of attracting people. Besides making a lesson more attractive and simplifying the trainer’s task, storytelling also offers several benefits. Hence, to make online classes more interactive, you must deliver more stories than lectures. Storytelling provides the following significant benefits: Instills Values – Since stories often involve humans or animals, they serve as a life lesson for learners. Let your students involve themselves in the story and pick essential life skills like kindness, compassion, humility, etc. Once they find something reasonable, they will naturally involve themselves more in the class.  Improves Listening – Online classes can sometimes be very boring. This can prompt learners to lose their attention. Storytelling can bring their attention back to the class and thus improve their listening skills. Aids Retention – In offline classes, body language plays a significant role in making the learners understand the topic of discussion. However, in online classes, the scope of comprehending body language is very limited. In fact, it appears robotic at times. Storytelling can help you break the monotony by allowing the learners to immerse themselves in the story and remember the things discussed in the class better.        You can use technology to improve the way you deliver content. Create a story with animation, video, and audio, and allow your students to soak themselves in the experience and understand the content better. Interactive video learning is a proven way to enhance student engagement. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 3. Check Students’ Progress More Often than in Offline Classes Just like you conduct short tests in a physical classroom to check how much the students have learned, you should regularly do the same in an online classroom. You can conduct tests from topics that have been covered so far or ask the students some challenging questions to see how they perform.  Another excellent way to engage students is by conducting online polls and quizzes and rewarding them for winning. You can conduct polls to check your student’s level of understanding of a particular topic. The main motive behind this is to ensure that no student is left behind. Modern-day technology lets you create quizzes and polls like a pro. You can also set the time when you want the tests to go live. Some platforms calculate the score all by themselves and generate a report for your reference. All of these can save your precious time and help make your online classes more interactive. 4. Gamify Learning Learners grasp concepts best when they become active participants in the learning experience. This is why incorporating interactive activities in your teaching session is a great way to make your students learn a topic quicker and make them enjoy the learning process. Make some room for challenging puzzles, strategic thought-provoking games, problem-solving activities, situational judgment scenarios, etc., to help them sharpen their problem-solving abilities and decision-making capabilities and to be more innovative and collaborative.  Also, encourage them to design PowerPoint presentations or a project on the topic you are teaching. This will make the students do more research on the topic, resulting in them understanding the subject even better. Conducting fun quizzes is a great way to ensure whether the students are constantly revising or not.  Rewarding students for their hard work keeps them motivated to do better. This will keep the learners on their toes and also drive a friendly competition between them. Digital learning helps you create a gamified online classroom to make learning seamless and impactful.  5. Scenario-Based Learning is The Latest Trend Scenario-based learning is the latest trend in the field of adult learning. Scenario-based learning means showing specific applications from the context of a role. For instance, you may ask one learner to play the role of a doctor while another plays the role of a medical representative. The trainer’s task will be to guide both learners in the threaded scenario and provide feedback at every step.  Scenario-based learning is best suited when you want to enable the learner to simulate and experience real-life scenarios. Once the learners involve themselves in the activities, you don’t have to think of how to make online classes more

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Unlock the benefits of competency based curriculum - Discover the challenges & solutions with Hurix Digital
webadmin March 15, 2023 No Comments

Top 6 Challenges Facing CBC (Competency-Based Curriculum)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The last few years have seen the increasing usage of competency-based curriculum (CBC) in higher education, but that has come with various challenges facing CBC. This is largely due to its innovative approach and being a self-paced, mastery-oriented program that leverages technology to a great extent. Apart from offering an alternative to traditional courses (whether held in-person or online), a competency-based learning curriculum allows students to master and demonstrate competency in various tasks and skills to complete courses. Although the model has many potentials, it does come with certain challenges and flaws that need to be overcome to make it a viable education model.  In this blog, we will explore the key challenges facing cbc for higher education institutions while implementing a competency-based training curriculum. Table of Contents: What are the Advantages of a Competency-Based Training Curriculum? 5 Main Advantages of Competency-Based Training What are the Challenges in Implementing a Competency-based Learning Curriculum? Conclusion [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”What are the Advantages of a Competency-based Training Curriculum?” 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_1677474544849{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;}” el_id=”what”][vc_column_text]A competency-based curriculum focuses on targeted learning processes that identifies specific competencies or skills in students. This enables learners to develop mastery of each of these competencies or skills at their own pace. Besides offering a more personalized path to the course completion, the competency-based approach is also structured to demonstrate learning in clearly articulated competencies. It emphasizes authentic assessment to evaluate what the learner knows and can do through real-life projects. The key objective of competency-based learning is to break away from the traditional classroom model, where every student studies the same subject matter at the same speed. A competency-based training curriculum primarily emphasizes on what learners are expected to do rather than simply focusing on what they are expected to know. A completely learner-centric curriculum and fully adaptive to the changing needs of students, CBC envisions every learner to have achieved the following competencies by the end of the course- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills Imagination and creativity Communication and collaboration skills Also Read: A Comprehensive 7-Step Process to Design a Competency-Based Curriculum There are 5 main advantages of competency-based training: Flexibility: Competency-based training allows learners to progress at their own pace and to focus on the specific skills and knowledge they need to achieve their goals. This can be especially useful for learners who may have time constraints or who may have prior knowledge or experience in certain areas. Customization: Competency-based training can be tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of the learner, rather than following a predetermined curriculum. This can be more effective in helping learners to achieve their desired outcomes. Measurable outcomes: Competency-based training focuses on specific, measurable skills and knowledge, which can make it easier to track progress and assess learning outcomes. Relevance: Competency-based training can be more directly relevant to the learner’s needs and career goals, as it focuses on the skills and knowledge that are most applicable to their chosen field or profession. Increased motivation: Competency-based training can be more engaging for learners as it allows them to see the direct relevance of what they are learning and to track their progress towards specific goals. This can increase motivation and help learners to stay focused and engaged in their learning. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”What are the key challenges facing CBC (Competency-based Curriculum)?” 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_1677474622065{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;}” el_id=”whatare”][vc_column_text]1. Achieving excellence A competency-based curriculum requires educational institutions to demonstrate an uncompromising commitment to excellence. Some of the key concerns they face here include- How to ensure that the rigor and quality of the curriculum-based programs remain equitable across the board? How will the curriculum realize this goal of achieving excellence? How will the competency-based approach break the path of mediocrity and move beyond the fate of other general education trends? 2. Large class size Another key challenge in the implementation of a competency-based curriculum is the large class size. A higher number of students in a classroom tends to affect student-instructor interactions and can also prevent peer exchanges during discussions in the classroom. Since every student learns differently, the instructor’s pace in a high-density class may work for some students but not for others. This greatly hinders implementation of competency-based curriculum and restricts educators from applying learner-centric interactive teaching methods. Limiting the class size can be beneficial for both students and educators, leading to improved performance of learners as instructors will be able to assist students with learning difficulties individually. 3. Infrastructure for learning Since a competency-based curriculum involves a fundamental shift from passive to active learning, the infrastructure needed for this model is very different. In order to implement a competency-based curriculum, educational institutions require everything from modern classrooms, creative centers, smart boards, laboratories, and the latest technologies at all levels, as it can help students to actively participate in the learning process. This essentially means that the administrators need to be fully convinced about the advantages that their institutions accrue from implementing the new competency-based learning model. 4. Assessment standardization One of the challenges facing CBC in higher education is standardizing the mechanisms in which competencies or skills are assessed. This is because, being a personalized learning approach, CBC focuses largely on subject mastery, irrespective of the place, time, and pathway to completion. Below are some of the concerns that institutions struggle with in terms of assessment implementation- How to measure each student for every performance outcome? How to identify opportunities for learners to demonstrate individualized subject mastery without adhering to standardized performance outcomes? Who determines the student learning outcomes, and should they vary from institution to institution? 5. Broad recognition and understanding  Competency-based learning is a relatively new learning model. Students graduating through this method of learning are sometimes greeted by skeptical employers who aren’t aware of the model. Additionally, many employers in the job market are rigid about hiring students passing from traditional educational programs and who attain a

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webadmin March 13, 2023 No Comments

7 Roles of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The AI market will grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025, according to research firm Markets and Markets. AI has become almost omnipresent in our lives. In fact, some people are even scared of a complete AI win over humans! While that is certainly an exaggeration, we have nonetheless weaved AI into our daily lives and activities. Even a simple search on Google uses AI to provide you with the most accurate results. AI has been beneficial in a wide range of industries for things such as optimizing logistics, detecting fraud, composing art, conducting research, providing translations, and many other tasks. There’s hardly a field that has not benefited from AI. In medicine, for example, AI has been used in the diagnosis of cancer, strokes, as well as broken bones. In the education sector, AI is being utilized at all levels, not only in teaching but in other systems that greatly influence academia. It is also widely used by enterprises for employee training. A lot of enterprises have already incorporated AI in their learning strategy. Table of Contents: Why is AI Important in Learning and Development? What is the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development? 6 Tech Innovations of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development Conclusion Why is AI Important in Learning and Development? AI, or artificial intelligence, is the computer system simulation of human intelligence processes. In learning and development, AI can enhance and augment learners’ educational experiences. Here’s how AI contributes in learning and development: Personalized Learning: AI enables personalized learning experiences for each learner. This can be done by analyzing the learner’s performance and adapting the curriculum or content to their needs and preferences. Intelligent Tutoring Systems: AI-powered tutoring systems can provide learners personalized feedback and guidance as they work through the curriculum. These systems can also analyze learners’ performance and adapt the instruction to their needs. Automated Content Creation: AI can create educational content, such as videos, quizzes, and other interactive materials. This can save time and resources for educators and trainers. Adaptive Testing: AI can create adaptive tests that adjust the difficulty of the questions based on the learner’s performance. This can provide a more accurate assessment of the learner’s knowledge and skills. Chatbots and virtual assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide learners with 24/7 support, answering their questions and providing guidance on the material. Predictive analytics: AI can predict student performance, identify at-risk students, and provide personalized interventions that can help them improve. AI in Learning and Development is a fast-growing field, and new ways of using AI in education are constantly emerging. The goal of using AI in education is to enhance the learning experience, improve the effectiveness of instruction, and provide learners with more personalized and efficient education. What is the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development? 1. Identifying Knowledge Gaps Most enterprise learning strategies depend on holistic teaching. What we mean is, they have the same course materials for all employees. However, not all employees are the same. Some may already have a skill that the job needs. So, forcing them to learn what they already know is not a very effective strategy.  AI has the capability to analyze huge data sets and derive conclusions using technologies like machine learning and predictive analysis. AI can also create learner profiles combining disparate data sources, something that will take days if done manually. It can successfully identify the skills missing in your employees, automatically, in a short time.  In fact, this concept is already in use. Popular online training providers can use AI to measure learner performance, skills, and knowledge gaps in an organization. Once the gap is identified, the L&D team can work on adapting their training approach to meet the knowledge gap. This makes learning more effective and doesn’t waste crucial employee hours.  2. Suggest the Most Appropriate Content AI can identify knowledge gaps and then automatically scan for the most appropriate content for the learner. All of us know how that works as we have all used Google to search for information.  Just like Google, AI can scan the internet, LMS, your proprietary content, and other sources to auto-suggest the most relevant content. This approach saves learners’ time as they don’t have to manually go through multiple pages of search results for hours.  3. Creation of Digital Content Creating educational content is time-consuming and challenging. For this reason, most enterprises outsource their content creation at a huge cost. AI can come in here and help organizations save time and cost. We discussed how AI can source information snippets and digital resources from the internet and other connected platforms. The same technology can also consolidate them and present them in an easy-to-understand manner. AI, through natural language processing, can even convert videos into texts. You can convert whole podcasts, webinars, and lectures into written words without any effort. It’s the same way by which YouTube provides automatic subtitles in videos. 4. Personalize Learning According to the Learner AI can personalize learning according to the pace, age, gender, and demographics of the learner. It can release materials to the employee gradually as s/he finishes a chapter or a module.  For example, you want to train an experienced employee in customer management. AI can automatically scan the employee’s skills and skip the basic training materials to suggest advanced resources. The technology is even fit to align learning with the employee’s learning style. Research has shown that each of us learn in a different style. Men learn better in some ways, while females have their own learning styles. Older adults, again, have a preferred way of learning that is not very effective in the case of youngsters. AI can track and identify employee learning styles, and then optimize the learning experience for the best results. Personalized learning makes way for greater retention, higher recall, and improved learning. 5. AI as a 24/7 Digital Tutor AI eliminates the need for a human trainer to some extent. Your employees

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Educational Explainer Videos (1)
webadmin March 13, 2023 No Comments

Benefits of Educational Explainer Videos for K-12 Learning

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We have said goodbye to the times when learning was a one-size-fits-all affair. As learners crammed the classrooms, they were greeted by weary-eyed teachers explaining topics by applying the same strategies and techniques year after year.  Controlling such a classroom would be an arduous task since teachers usually could not identify individual students’ unique needs and preferences. Moreover, teachers got overloaded with the mundane tasks of report compilation and test preparation. Furthermore, all of these issues contributed to a lack of exclusivity and made education cumbersome.   In the 2020s, we have catapulted into the digital era. From how we order things to where we go to seek entertainment, everything is influenced by technology. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), etc., are disrupting the ordinary and making learning more personalized. Since people are biologically wired to react to fast-moving objects more than stationary things, videos can quickly grab viewers’ attention and make learning more impactful. There are various ways to use video learning in K-12 education.  However, when it comes to producing a video, you might get overwhelmed by looking at the many types of videos you can create. For example, when you jump on the bandwagon to create educational videos, you will hear terms like educational explainer videos, how-to videos, promo videos, thought leadership videos, case study videos, demo videos, and whatnot. When done rightly, an educational explainer video can pack the best features of all other video types to create a powerhouse of information in the most attractive way. Educational explainer videos are a must-have for creating future-ready lessons.  These crisp, brief, and impactful videos imbibe animations, music, sound, images, etc., making boring textual content more exciting. They engage students to understand concepts and apply them in real life.  The following sections enlist the top benefits of creating educational explainer videos to make your K-12 institution future-ready. What is an Educational Explainer Video? An educational explainer video assimilates the best practices of how-to videos, demo videos, animated videos, and case study videos to produce super-catchy, attractive, and crisp videos to engage learners. These videos explain complex and sensitive topics efficiently through stories.  These videos are also hugely popular not only in K-12 institutions but also among primary educational institutions, corporate firms, and adult educational institutions. Educational explainer videos are frequently referred to by people seeking information on complex science, maths, and language topics.    What are the Top Benefits of Educational Explainer Videos? The following are some reasons why top K-12 educational institutions incorporate educational explainer videos as an integral part of their education strategy: 1. Harness the Power of Videos It is a proven fact that videos grab learners’ attention more than text or lectures. Research shows that humans understand things better when they see them through their eyes. For instance, while we understand 83% of the things we see with our eyes, we internalize only 11% of what we hear, and a dismal 6% when we experience something through smell, taste, and touch.  Conservative estimates show that videos are at least twelve times more powerful than textual content. No wonder, YouTube, the world’s most popular video-sharing website, is also the world’s second most visited search engine/website.   Videos are here to stay and become more powerful. Hence, if you haven’t already made plans to produce fascinating educational explainer videos, it’s time to do so now.  2. Engage Students More Students’ engagement is broadly divided into a behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. Videos are proven to have a positive effect on all three engagement types.  Behavioral engagement evaluates how students engage with the institution by measuring their attendance and participation in class events. Explainer videos can catch their attention and improve attendance records.  Cognitive engagement refers to how focused the learner is on the taught topic. You can measure learners’ cognitive engagement by exposing them to tests through explainer videos. For example, you can create highly effective videos explaining a concept and asking questions about the concept being taught. As your students answer the questions, you can check their understanding to improve their cognition levels.  Emotional engagement refers to how interested the learners are in receiving the content you share. Since students generally get more engaged when they watch a story, educational explainer videos can hook them with something exciting and make them emotionally attached.    So, video-based education in general, and educational explainer videos, in particular, positively affect the three types of engagements mentioned above. You can easily improve the learning outcomes with video learning.  3. Videos are Everywhere Statistics show that video-based learning is adopted by almost all educational institutions worldwide. A survey of K-12 institutions found that online educational videos have emerged as the most common eLearning material. In addition, over 90% of educational institutions accept that videos are a prime medium to enhance students’ satisfaction levels.  In another survey, 97% of teachers admitted that they show videos regularly in their classrooms to engage students and make learning easy. As much as 55% of them assign videos as homework. However, not everything is good about video-based learning. In a survey, 60% of teachers said they feel frustrated looking for appropriate content for students. Furthermore, almost 80% of teachers recognize that a dedicated website for accessing educational videos will be beneficial for both teachers and students.  This is where digital educational content delivery platforms like HurixDigital come into the picture. HurixDigital makes your video-based K-12 content creation efforts more streamlined and systematic.  You can harness the power of AI and ML to produce fascinating educational explainer videos and make your mark in the digital era. As learners understand the extra efforts undertaken by you to make learning more impactful, they become your loyal partners in expanding your business to new territories.  In Conclusion Creating educational explainer videos can be super fun when you know the best platform for creating such videos. Now that you know the top benefits of producing such videos, head to HurixDigital to make your K-12 institution future-ready.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Test Documentation
webadmin March 13, 2023 No Comments

Test Documentation : Types, Best Practices, Merits and Demerits

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The documentation of artefacts created prior to and throughout the testing of software is called Test documentation. The testing team uses the test documentation to estimate the testing effort (that is needed), execution progress, resource tracking and test coverage.  It is a complete suite of documents that allows one to describe and document test planning, test design, test execution, and test results that are derived from the testing activity.  While it is generally believed that testing is executing the various sections of code on an ad-hoc basis and verifying the results, in actuality, it is a very formal activity which is documented in detail.  Test documentation makes the planning, review, and execution of testing verifiable and easy. Functional testing or even any other type of testing without documentation renders it difficult to see the complete picture. Every team member can access complete information about all the testing activities that have been and will be undertaken in the project.  Since every member may have a different understanding of a common goal, it is important to be specific about it and test documentation accomplishes that. The degree of test formality depends on: The application type under test The standards followed by the organization How mature the development process is Typically, testing takes up anywhere between 30% and 50% of the effort of a software development project. And documentations are a big help in identifying the test process improvement that can be applied to future projects.  Without documentation, the QA engineers’ task will be seriously impacted, especially while working on complex products and under oft-changing requirements.  The lack of documentation will render it impossible to figure out how a feature is supposed to behave or why it leads to errors in the first place. Wrong prioritization as a result of lack of documentation results in skipping defects and presenting incomplete reports. Types of Test Documentation Test Policy It is a high-level document describing the principles, methods and important testing goals of the organization. Test Strategy It is a high-level document that spots the test levels that need to be executed for the project. Test Plan It is a complete planning document containing the object, scope, approach, resources, strategy, risks, work schedule, etc. of all test activities. Everything that a tester needs to do in the project is made available here. Typically, a test plan is drawn up by an experienced testing professional. Requirements Matrix It is a document that connects the requirements to the test cases for configuration testing as well as other types of testing.  Software Requirements Specifications It is a complete description of the properties and features of the software under development. It helps avoid misunderstandings of the objective and the process in the team. Test Scenario It is an item or event of a software system that is verified by one or more test cases. Use Case It is a less official document which is based on assumptions about what a user will do and which button they will click, thereby allowing testers to check the user paths. Use cases are created in order to address business requirements and objectives.  Test case It is a document containing a highly detailed and specific description of the steps that a QA engineer needs to perform to test one portion of functionality, comprising a group of input values, execution preconditions, expected execution postconditions and results. It is developed for a test scenario. Test Data  It exists before a test is executed and is used to execute the test case. Defect/Bug Report It is a documented report of flaws in a software system that does not perform as expected. It provides full information about the defect and the steps to reproduce the bug. Test Summary Report It is a high-level document that summarizes test activities and the test results. Best Practices for Optimal Test Documentation  Involving the QA right from the beginning of the project so that test documentation is created in parallel Using version control to track and manage documents Documenting what is needed for an understanding of the project and what is needed to produce to the stakeholders Creating and, importantly, regularly updating the document Using a standard template like an excel sheet or doc file for documentation  Storing all project-related documents in a single location that is accessible to the team for reference as well as updation Providing adequate detail while creating a test document You might also like to read: All you need to know about Usability Testing.  Merits of Test Documentation It reduces or eliminates any uncertainties about the testing activities and it resolves ambiguity about task allocation. Showcasing test documentation reveals a mature testing process and is a fine marketing strategy for the organization. Documentation offers a systematic approach to software testing and it serves as training material for beginners in the software testing process. Offers a standard quality product to the client within a specified time and improves transparency. In software engineering, test documentation helps to configure the program through the configuration document and operator manuals. Demerits of Test Documentation The time-consuming nature of test documentation means that the costs surpass the value. Often, when the document is written by people who either cannot write well or are not adequately aware of the material, the documentation is of little use.  It is a tedious and tiresome task to keep track of all the changes requested by the client and to update the corresponding documents. Poor documentation directly reflects the quality of the product, leading to a misunderstanding between the client and the organization. Conclusion In conclusion, the larger the project, the more detailed documentation is required. Using a checklist alone will surely cause misconceptions about the goal and scope of the project.  Test documentation is not merely a static report or document but is dynamic in nature: it needs to be regularly updated. When requirements change and priorities shift, test coverage and the necessary resources change as well.  Failing to record this in the documentation will

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