Educational Technologists use branching scenarios to provide learners with an immersive narrative experience that embodies learning concepts and allows them to make impactful decisions on how the learning journey plays out. This has some key advantages over more traditional, passive ways of learning, such as promoting learner engagement, allowing better retention, giving immediate...
Short online training courses are gaining popularity, particularly among those wishing to acquire specific skills to add value to their professional CV. In this frenzy of new terms and concepts, some are misunderstood and sometimes confused. Such is the case with micro-credentials and badges. Let's take a closer look at what distinguishes these two concepts and why it's essential to understand their differences.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, online learning has emerged as a powerful medium for delivering knowledge and skills to learners worldwide. Within this digital realm, instructional designers play a pivotal role in crafting engaging and effective learning experiences. We are thrilled to share that one of our courses has been honoured with the Award of Excellence and Innovation in Instructional Design by the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE).
Micro-credentials are a type of short, targeted training and certification that is beginning to carve out a place for itself in the post-secondary education system. In recent years, UNESCO and several countries have taken a close interest in this concept, aiming to grasp its potential better, define it and integrate it into established education systems.
Many of the judgments we make in our daily lives, while seemingly well thought out, are in fact far from rational and can lead us to make poor decisions. These erroneous judgments are called "cognitive biases," and some 250 different ones are known to date. Although the teaching profession encourages the development of critical thinking skills in those who practice it, the learner-teacher relationship is conducive to the development of some of these biases, which can have a significant impact on learning. The Pygmalion effect is one of them, and the first step to better prevent it is to know it better.
Fast, versatile and engaging, microlearning is a significant trend in online education. This mode of learning, which fragments knowledge into "bite-sized chunks," is now taking on innovative forms to serve more structured online courses. In line with our technological habits, our information consumption patterns and our learning dispositions, its possibilities look very promising.
Neuroscience has made remarkable advances in unravelling the mysteries of the human brain. As our understanding of how the brain functions expands, so does our ability to apply this knowledge to various fields, particularly education. Instructors can create an environment that maximizes engagement and retention by aligning teaching strategies with the brain's natural processes. Here are five teaching strategies backed by neuroscience that can enhance learning experiences.
In the world of training, the prefix "micro" (for "very small") has been in vogue lately. You may have heard of microlearning, micromodules, or even micro degrees. This article discusses micro-credentials, a type of short, focused training and certification that is beginning to make its way into the post-secondary education system, including universities. The growth and diversification of online learning, the new training needs of workers and employers that have emerged during the pandemic, and the profound changes in the labour market are all accelerating the movement to integrate micro-credentials into higher education.
Knowing more about how a learning brain works allows us to re-evaluate our approaches to teaching and studying. As we know, studying is just as important, if not more so, than attending classes. However, thanks to neuroscience, we now know that not all study strategies are equal and that some are counterproductive, even though they have been used for generations.
The shift to online learning is a growing trend, even more so since the recent pandemic. However, its numerous advantages of learning everywhere and at any time have also been counterposed with a few challenges for educators and learners alike. Keeping engagement at a high level in online learning is one of the significant hurdles. However, educators may increase student engagement using several different strategies and methods. Here are a few of them that educators and online course developers could offer:
