Personalizing e-learning for learners may sound like a mammoth task at first, but that's not the case! Find out now what you should pay attention to when creating personalized learning content and why the motto "one size fits all" does not apply to e-learning. After all, your learners are as individual in their learning behavior as their own fingerprints.
Personalizing e-learning is the key to sustainably successful further education, and most trainers and HR managers are aware of this. But what exactly does it mean?
Definition: Personalized Learning
According to Wikipedia, personalized learning generally describes the learning practice that is oriented towards the individual learner – in the spirit of a new learning culture. The learner thus determines their own learning process, sets appropriate learning goals, and usually checks them independently as well. You as a trainer or training manager usually accompany the learning process more passively.
Personalized learning is oriented towards
the learner themselves
prior knowledge
experiences
and interests.
Reading tip: In the blog, we have already explained in detail why personalized and individualized learning is not the same: Personalized and individualized learning – What is the difference?
Why Personalization in E-Learning is So Important
Digital learning or distance learning has a crucial disadvantage: the direct exchange with other learners or the trainer is missing. As a result, e-learning quickly becomes impersonal, and actual learning performance declines. And that is the crux of the matter!
The solution to the problem comes from science: Researchers like Richard Mayer and colleagues have found that colloquial formulations lead to better learning performance, especially in digital learning environments. This phenomenon is known primarily as the personalization principle.
In simpler terms: People who feel personally addressed respond more strongly to content and process it better. And thus, they learn new things faster.
3 Techniques based on the Personalization Principle by Mayer
Address your participants directly and avoid sentences with "one ..."
Example: "What you can take away from this course!"Supplement your learning content with supportive comments to the learner
Example: "Pay attention to your posture when performing the exercise."For spoken texts, such as videos, the text should sound natural and ideally be as accent-free as possible, so that all participants can understand it.
If you want to read more about the personalization principle, you can find the complete texts at Springer and Uni Trier.
In digital learning environments, such as e-learning, the presentation of documents and learning materials also plays a crucial role. These should be stimulating and support the independent learning process. Pages of texts and too much information can quickly be demotivating. Therefore, videos are a good way to make your course more varied and personal.
Do you want to learn how to create your own explanatory videos with your smartphone? Then visit our info page and find out more about the three phases of video shooting!
3 Measures to Promote Personalized E-Learning
Of course, it's easier said than done, so we would like to give you three expert tips to ensure that you successfully implement personalized learning.
1. Meaningful Preparation for E-Learning
As in other areas of life, it applies here too: Preparation is half the battle.
Specifically, this means: Create a good foundation for your course success even before your course begins by winning the trust of your learners in advance. Get to know your participants better before the course starts to consider strengths and weaknesses. Address possible fears ahead of time and provide them with an initial overview of what to expect:
Discuss your intended curriculum.
For example, explain tasks in advance or
inform them about the final form of the exam.
All of this helps to strengthen your learning content and learning motivation.
2. Microlearning as a Method
The principle of using small, self-contained learning units is not new in e-learning. Nevertheless, microlearning is still rarely used.
Especially with personalized learning concepts, microlearning is helpful: Learners can thereby decide even better whether and how they want to process specific learning content. For optimal implementation, you group topics and then pack them into small chapters with very short learning content. This way, learners get a better overview of what to expect in each content. Moreover, motivation increases when a chapter is completed and finished. Learners have many small successes and feel good while working through your course.
Together with the first tip, you can selectively choose content for your microlearning, remove, add, or replace content from the course – depending on what suits your learners! With the small learning units in microlearning, personalizing your course becomes easier, as you do not have to overhaul the entire course.
3. Learner-Supported Learning
The best opportunity for a more personal e-learning experience arises when you involve the learners directly in the learning process. This is, of course, not always possible to the full extent, but keep this advice in mind nonetheless.
If you involve learners personally, you have the advantage that they can directly communicate their level of knowledge to you. You can incorporate their experiences from previous training, build on that, and adjust expectations accordingly. In this way, personal learning goals can be set more realistically, and your participants are more engaged and motivated in the learning process.
These were just three ways to personalize your e-learning more and improve learning motivation and success. Can you think of any other possibilities?
If the topic of e-learning is new to you, we have a recommendation for you: Our e-learning checklist helps you get started with your own e-learning course. Learn step by step what is important in e-learning.
Simply download our free checklist and start directly with your own content!
Free Checklist
Successfully Start E-Learning in Companies
Start with your own e-learnings in your company! The checklist guides you step by step through the preparation, content creation, and motivation of your employees with many expert tips.
Get the checklist now
Do you have questions about blink.it or this article?
Please feel free to write to us if you have questions about the product or specifically about this article. Our marketing team is available to you via email or forwards your request to a suitable Blinkie 😊
