Choices will motivate your learners. If you have very little participation in your courses, try offering choices right from the start. Not only do choices give a sense of control it also makes the content more relevant.
How can you employ this strategy in your online courses?
As an example, let's delve into a small business course. An assignment asks learners to create a financial strategy for success. What can a designer do to provide choices?
Provide 2-3 options on how the assignment can be completed.
Offer several templates for your clients to choose from.
Offer 2-3 different tools that could be used.
If you provide add-on services, one choice could be to hire your company to complete part or all of the plan for them as a consulting service.
If clients are to share their plans with others in the class, provide choices for how this could be accomplished.
Perhaps they use a Google Spreadsheet and open it up so others in the class can comment on the specifics.
Perhaps students post their plans in a discussion board so students can learn from each other.
Perhaps the plan is submitted to the instructor for a free evaluation.
Perhaps the student just keeps the document and does not share. However, I highly advise you to include interactivity in your courses as much as possible.
The idea of offering choices stems from an education strategy called differentiation.
Simply put, this means teaching to everyone at their own level. Choices are one way to reach everyone in your course.
Other ideas for course choices might include:
How assignments are submitted.
The content that is read/watched.
The mode of content (such a video, audio, interactive web tool).
The order that the student progresses through the course.
Course pacing.
Working alone, with a partner, in a group.
Technology tools.
As your course progresses and you get feedback from your students, you will find more choices to add. You will also find choices to get rid of. If no one ever chooses one of your options, it is time to delete it and find an alternative choice.
Speaking of feedback, your learners are an excellent source of information. If you cannot think of a choice to present, ask your students to make some up. Take the best of these suggestions and implement them in the next iteration of your course.
Everyone can be challenged once in awhile. Keep this in mind as you are designing your choices.
According to Simply Psychology, pushing people just past their comfort zone requires support and guidance.
Check in with your students often to see what kind of support they need as you implement choices.
Offer choices to your learners. It will keep them engaged and make the course relevant for them.
Please SHARE this article if you know anyone who might need to add choices to their online course. I am excited to see more tips and tricks from readers so please COMMENT.