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Online course creators often need help to catch students' attention. And storytelling is a powerful tool that meets different project needs (including eLearning). Adding specific stories to your course material can make students more interested, increase the quality of learning, and help them gain new knowledge to apply long after the course ends successfully.

But how do you accomplish this? In this article, we will look at what storytelling is and how to use it when creating online courses on a distance learning platform. Besides, we will give some tips on how to do it effectively.

What Is Storytelling?

Storytelling uses specific stories to convey messages, create emotional connections, and lead to action. Stories have tremendous power because they help us understand the world, connect with others, and learn from our own experiences.

In online education, stories can help students understand complex concepts, see the significance of their study topic, and remember information more effectively.

Therefore, storytelling is more than just the usual narration. It is the creation of incredibly unique stories that grab attention and affect students' feelings and emotions. However, it is vital to learn the basics and understand when the mechanics of storytelling can be applied.

How Can You Apply Storytelling in Education?

Exciting stories can capture students' attention and make learning more fun and enjoyable. If you need to create an online course , it should be used to make an e-course that stands out. That's why course creators are increasingly googling, "storytelling what is it?” Storytelling can help you complete the following tasks.

Making an Emotional Connection

Storytelling is also a powerful way to create an emotional connection with students. When students feel engaged, they will pay attention to the new material, better assimilate what they have learned, and apply new knowledge in the future.

Making Learning More Relevant

Stories can increase the relevance of learning by providing real-world examples of how to use the concepts being taught. This type of storytelling helps students understand the value of what they are learning and encourages them to apply new knowledge to new tasks.

Improving Memory Retention

Stories can help students remember information better by enhancing its context and making it more meaningful and memorable.

Creating a Feeling of Unity

When a tutor needs to create online school, he can use stories to create a sense of unity within the group through sharing experiences. Sometimes people have similar life moments that can bring them together even more. Storytelling also helps students feel more comfortable in the course.

How To Use Storytelling When Developing Online Courses

If you are interested in incorporating storytelling into education as a course creator, here are some tips for a successful start:

• Catch your student. A specific "hook" is needed to draw students in and keep them interested. It can be a surprising fact, a provocative question, or an intriguing life story;
• Create some characters. Characters are an essential part of any story. When creating characters for your course, consider the target audience you want to attract and what kind of characters they might like. Then such an approach will definitely be beneficial;
• Present the context. It is imperative to help students understand the importance of what they are learning. The context can be a historical or cultural reference or examples of real-world use of the concepts reviewed in an online course;
• Use visual media. They can bring your story to life, making it more engaging for students. Use photos, videos, or other multimedia elements to illustrate your story;
• Be simple and concise. Although storytelling can be a powerful tool, it's important not to do just what is necessary. Even if your stories are simple for your audience, they must fit the purpose of the course;
• Create a storyboard. A frame-by-frame illustration of a story can help plan your story and make the narrative flow smoothly. You need to create a visual representation of the story, including characters, setting, and plot;
• Be authentic. Authenticity is the key to compelling storytelling. Be true to yourself and your voice, and create stories reflecting your experiences and values.

These tips will help you successfully incorporate storytelling into education on an online teaching platform for any target audience.

Examples of Storytelling Mechanics in Online Learning

You have probably figured out by now that storytelling is a powerful tool for increasing student engagement and turning learning on an online course creation platform into an exciting and memorable experience. Here are a few examples of storytelling mechanics that improve the user experience:

Personal Stories

The tutor can share personal experiences to help students better assess the learning material in an online class. And it is especially vital if they share the emotions and experiences of the particular moment. This kind of storytelling has the most significant effect.

For example, if you are conducting a public speaking course, you could share a personal story about the first time you had to give a speech in front of a large audience and were very nervous.

Use Cases

Tutors can also use storytelling during an online course to illustrate the concepts reviewed. Instructors can use case studies to help students understand how the material applies to real-world situations.

For example, a marketing course can show case studies of successful new product launches by different companies.

Interactive Fantasy

Another example of storytelling in online learning is interactive stories. During these games, students make choices that ultimately influence the story's development. You can use such activities to help students analyze different scenarios and see the outcomes of their decisions.

Here is a basic example: you could organize an interactive game during a business ethics course to show different behavior choices during meetings and negotiations. This type of storytelling has a high degree of engagement.

Video Stories

Videos are a great way of storytelling to engage students. You can use videos during a course to share personal stories, case studies, or expert interviews.

For example, you could show students of an entrepreneurship course a video interview with a successful entrepreneur who shares his success story.

Metaphors

Metaphors are another powerful way to explain complex concepts to learners. They are suitable for explaining specific concepts by relating them to other things the audience knows so far.

Here is a simple example of such storytelling: a tutor can use a metaphor to explain how a statistical model works during a statistics course. It can be compared to a recipe since it also has a specific list of ingredients and a precise algorithm of actions.

Conclusion

Overall, storytelling is a versatile tool that enhances the effectiveness of electronic courses. Using personal stories, case studies, interactive games, videos, and metaphors, you can create engaging and memorable learning experiences. They will help students better assimilate knowledge and use the new material in the future.

We hope you understand what storytelling is and how it is used in education. If you still have questions about the use of storytelling in online courses, write them in the comments below. We will do our best to help you!

The educational sphere continues to actively upgrade with technology. As a result, newly discovered ways of obtaining knowledge are exceptionally convenient for students and teachers. One of them is mobile learning. Let's consider mobile learning definition in more detail.

What is mobile learning?

Mobile learning (or m learning) is a new phenomenon in education. It became especially popular in 2020-2021, when the educational sphere was completely rebuilt against the backdrop of the coronavirus epidemic. Then distance technologies became the basis for many areas, but it was in the context of learning that the greatest changes were implemented. So, the smartphone has turned from a distraction into an indispensable assistant.

Mobile learning technology lets you learn from anywhere at any time, since the mobile device is always at hand. Students and teachers get access to an advanced online platform to help turn boring lessons into fun experiences. For example, teachers can create automated tests and use interactive panels to present material in the classroom.

What are the challenges of mobile learning?

The goals of mobile learning are extremely simple, so they can fit into three key areas.

Learning new material

Mobile devices allow you to quickly access educational materials: mobile applications, audio and video content, as well as textbooks in .docx and .pdf formats. For example, ordinary maps for geography lessons can be replaced with an interactive map from Google Earth. And if you display an image of our planet from a satellite on an interactive panel, then it will be much more difficult for students to be distracted by other matters.

The same effect can be achieved in the lessons of algebra and geometry. So, mobile learning through the Geogebra application allows you to carry out complex calculations and build three-dimensional graphs and models. This solution of m learning will make math even more fun.

Conducting tests

With the help of mobile technologies, teachers can create interactive tasks with tests, open-ended questions, and other formats. They can add both mandatory and ongoing tasks.

And most importantly: knowledge testing can be automated. Thus, students can independently control their progress and save time for teachers.

Organization of project work

Educators can create online school, structure online courses and ensure fast and efficient exchange of information using convenient tools - instant messengers, online team boards, cloud storage, and webinar platforms.

Mobile learning definition proves it to be an effective tool for learning live or offline. And the use of smartphones attracts even the laziest students and guarantees greater involvement.

Advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning

Interestingly, there are more mobile device owners than toothbrush owners. According to Review42, over 2.87 billion users use smartphones and tablets. At the same time, about 70% of Internet traffic is occupied by the niche of mobile devices. It is not surprising because people hold smartphones in their hands for several hours a day. This led to the development of new ways of teaching, which brought the educational sphere to a new level.

With the help of mobile learning technology, students can freely view photos and videos, listen to audio lessons and podcasts, and take tests anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. Here are more benefits of mobile learning.

• Fast access. Students can open the teaching platform and find the material they need in just a few seconds. The site itself is available 24/7;
• Mobility. M learning allows you to gain new knowledge or improve your skills anytime, anywhere. It often happens that the teacher and students are in different countries, but at the same time they freely communicate with each other and study;
• Thrift. Using mobile learning technology saves money, time and effort. Students do not need to spend time on the road to the classroom, and teachers save the cost of renting a room.
• Possibility to combine formats. The online teaching platform allows you to watch videos and presentations, read e-books and educational articles, and review photos and complex graphics. All this increases the involvement of students and improves the quality of the knowledge gained;
• Interactivity. Educators can add elements of gamification and personalize the learning experience.

However, mobile learning, despite its innovation and convenience, has several disadvantages:

• dependence of students' attention on the surrounding conditions at a certain moment;
• difficulties of working on a small screen with visual impairments;
• unstable internet;
• problems in mobile applications.

But all this cannot overcome the benefits of mobile learning.

What are mobile learning tools?

In general, mobile learning uses distant format tools:

• video and audio lectures;
• educational articles;
• abstracts;
• webinars (online seminars);
• presentations;
• mobile applications;
• cases, etc.

You can also add online training and master classes to this list, which can be attended from a smartphone or tablet.

Well-known examples of mobile learning

What is mobile learning? It is a trend that is gaining popularity. Many companies are investing in teaching platforms to make learning more accessible and efficient. Let's highlight the most successful platforms for mobile learning:

• MasterClass. This educational platform offers courses from many experts in various fields, as well as read high-quality electronic textbooks. Popular areas include cooking, writing, music, acting, and entrepreneurship.
• TED. This is a famous application with a collection of lectures from leading speakers from all over the world. The platform offers useful knowledge on different topics. In addition, this is a great opportunity to improve foreign languages, since most of the lectures are in English.
• CodeAcademy. A great solution for those who want to “get into IT”. Hundreds of lectures and practical tasks in different programming languages are available here.
• A.R.T.S.Y. Art lovers and future museum guides can develop themselves. Descriptions of more than 10,000 paintings are available here letting you learn a lot of interesting facts.
• Anatomy 4D. It offers mobile learning through a smartphone for those interested in pumping up their knowledge of anatomy. The only caveat is the English-language interface. However, high interactivity allows you to understand everything even with zero English.
• Algebra Tutoring Course. An online math tutor will help you deal with various problems: from the simplest equations to mathematical analysis. Moreover, you will analyze all kinds of errors in calculations and methods for eliminating them.
• Google Podcasts. It's an app from tech giant Google that offers thousands of categorized podcasts. You can listen to recordings of various authors and subscribe to them.

These applications are just a small part of the huge amount of knowledge that is available to people around the world and is increasing daily.

Mobile Learning Examples with Kwiga

The platform for creating online courses Kwiga also has several mobile learning cases:

• The Ruban School offers author's courses and webinars in a convenient mobile application;
• Educational courses allow you to learn how to create animated characters in just 3 days;
• Healthy Weight Loss Marathon Body Help offers a path to a healthy body through mobile courses.

And that's not all that mobile learning with Kwiga has to offer! Kwiga allows you to create an online course within 30 minutes.

Mobile Learning Definition and Perspectives

The outlook for mobile learning is very promising as it provides a unique opportunity to learn and grow in an ever-changing world. Huawei estimates that by 2025, more than 6.1 billion people will have access to the Internet through mobile devices. This opens up even more opportunities for learning on the go and has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning.

M-learning can be especially beneficial for students, who can now access course materials, lectures, and assessments from virtually anywhere in the world. It also enables educators to provide an interactive teaching experience, as mobile devices can be used to access engaging content (such as videos and animations). Mobile learning also provides a personalized learning experience as it allows instructors to tailor course material to individual students and provide unique feedback.

The possibilities of m-learning are only limited by our imagination, and with the ever-increasing number of mobile devices, there is no doubt that mobile learning will continue to evolve and become even more popular.

If you have any questions regarding mobile learning with Kwiga online teaching platform, write in the comments. We will gladly help you!

Now more and more people are enrolling in online courses and even getting a full-fledged university education via the Internet. This approach is based on virtual communication when the presence of a teacher in the classroom is not necessary. Therefore, hundreds of teachers decide to create online school and make money on knowledge.

There are a huge number of courses online - from drawing and mathematics to acting and playing musical instruments. However, there are still people who prefer to attend classes offline. Learning more information on classroom learning vs online learning helps you make the right decision on how to get new knowledge and skills.

Why is this happening? Let's try to understand the question of what is online learning and what is classroom learning!

What is online learning

Online learning is the process of gaining knowledge and skills using various Internet resources and learning platforms. Modern technologies help students to study up-to-date information in a comfortable and familiar environment. Online learning can be in the form of video and audio recordings, slides, chats and other interactive elements.

Online learning is a great way to get a quality education without having to attend classes in person. It provides flexibility for students as they can watch courses from anywhere, at any time, on their own schedule. Online learning also allows for a variety of learning styles as each individual can tailor their experience to personal needs and preferences.

Advantages of online learning

Online learning has many benefits for both students and teachers.

• Flexibility. It offers students more flexible schedules and the opportunity to study from the comfort of their homes.
• Mobility. Students can move at their own pace and access a variety of materials and resources.
• Availability. Online learning can make education more accessible to people from low-income backgrounds or people with disabilities.
• Coverage. Educators can use the online teaching platform to reach a wider audience and offer courses to more students than in a traditional classroom.
• Personalization of learning. The online environment allows teachers to track student progress more closely and provide a personalized learning experience in real-time.
• Qualitative assessment of knowledge. Educators can save time and resources by using online quizzes and grading tools.

Cons of online learning

One of the most significant disadvantages of online learning is that it is much less interactive than face-to-face classes. Lack of direct interaction with the teacher can make motivation difficult, as students may lack support and feedback, unlike traditional teaching. And in the case of a single course, the student may experience a sense of isolation.

There are other disadvantages you get when you create an online course:

• Some students are unable to keep track of homework deadlines and the publication of new learning materials.
• It can be difficult for students to ask questions and receive timely feedback as communication in an online course is often asynchronous.
• Online learning requires a certain level of self-discipline and technical literacy. Therefore, students should feel comfortable using the learning platform, be able to manage their time, and take initiative.

Overall, online learning has some drawbacks, but with the right approach, it can be just as effective as learning in a traditional classroom. And for some people, the answers to the questions “Should I choose to study online or offline?” and “Why online schooling is better?” will be obvious.

What is classroom learning

Classroom education refers to the traditional form of learning that takes place in a physical classroom or another educational environment. It includes face-to-face lectures and discussions between faculty and students, as well as other forms of learning such as field trips, workshops, and co-education.

Classroom learning gives students the opportunity to interact face-to-face with their peers, ask questions, and receive immediate feedback from instructors. In addition, traditional education allows for physical demonstrations and experiments, which is not always possible in an online environment.

As the name implies, for classroom learning it is absolutely not necessary to have a laptop, smartphone or tablet with an Internet connection. It is enough to come to the designated place at a certain time and start practicing.

Advantages of classroom learning

Traditional training courses have the following advantages:

• Learning experience. Learning in a traditional format gives students a deeper learning experience. This makes it easier to focus on learning materials without being distracted by the Internet.
• Availability. Classroom learning is more accessible to students in remote areas or those who do not have internet access.
• Practicality. Hands-on activities such as building a model or demonstrating skills are best done in a class.
• Flexibility. Traditional learning can be tailored to the individual needs of each student and delivered at their own pace.
• Interaction. Classroom learning allows for constructive interaction between the teacher and the student, which can lead to a deeper understanding of the material.

All these advantages are the main arguments of supporters of traditional education.

Disadvantages of classroom learning

The main disadvantage of classroom learning is that students may not have access to the same resources as online. For example, online learning platforms typically have access to a range of learning materials such as videos, books, and lectures that students can access from anywhere.

There are other disadvantages of the traditional approach to gaining knowledge:

• Students do not get access to interactive components - a chat with a teacher and discussion boards. Therefore, students may feel disconnected from their peers and teachers.
• Studying in a class can be more expensive than studying online, as students must pay for materials and other costs associated with attending in-person classes.
• Sometimes you may need to move to attend classes. This can become an additional financial burden as well as disrupt their lives.
• Students of classroom courses are limited to a certain place for conducting lessons and a clear schedule. This may limit opportunities for students who are unable to attend classes due to work or family commitments. Online learning, on the other hand, can be more flexible, allowing students to access materials anytime, anywhere.

One way or another, the traditional approach to gaining knowledge continues to be popular.

Which is better: online or classroom learning?

To summarize, both formats for gaining knowledge have their pros and cons. However, online courses are very popular. They allow you to receive teacher assistance and attend classes without the risk of being late to the classroom and with the ability to watch lessons anywhere in the world. Therefore, you can study in electronic courses from any device that is connected to the Internet.

There are two types of courses on the market - distance learning and online courses. Why did they get such names, and what is the difference between both training formats? Let's get to the bottom of this question!

What Is Distance Learning?

If we consider offline learning, this format affects the distance form. But this is far from the truth because getting new knowledge involves taking a short-term curriculum online. While taking a distance learning course, students perform the following tasks:

• Independently familiarize themselves with the materials provided;
• Watch records of classes;
• Do their homework;
• Get answers from tutors in direct messages or online chat;
• Submit completed homework for review.

This type of learning is asynchronous. It operates in a split time mode (i.e., the student chooses what time it is convenient for them to learn new material). Therefore, students can plan to work on acquiring knowledge.

Distance learning emerged in the 1990s, but the most significant breakthrough in its development happened during the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, people from big cities and remote settlements could find time and an opportunity to get an education. And now, the distance format is perceived not only as an addition to the usual formats of education; it has become an independent way to learn a new specialty. Thus, many classical universities and large companies now offer short-term courses, enhance expertise in well-known areas, and even get a degree.

What is eLearning?

However, the online learning format has some differences, despite some similarities with distance learning courses. First, it involves learning new materials "here and now," so most (or all) classes take place live.

The format also has another name, "eLearning." All because it is considered a new degree of development of the distance format, but with new realities. And the prefix "online" (or "e") testifies to the method of acquiring new knowledge and skills and interaction with the tutor.

Thus, each student in an eLearning course should watch recorded or live lectures, take tests or open-ended assignments, submit assignments for review and receive feedback from a tutor. After that, learners can share impressions or asks for advice and group chat, track progress in their studies, etc. It allows for fewer distractions and a better immersion into the educational environment.

How Is eLearning Different From Distance Learning?

Electronic learning differs from distance learning in the very principle of education. Whereas in traditional distance learning, the distance between students and tutors and the availability of recorded lessons on a particular platform is essential, in the case of online learning, a person can use any gadget with an Internet connection and watch the classes live.

But if we consider the other aspects, there are no differences. Both distance and online learning stand out for the following advantages:

• The ability to study at your own pace without being tied to the place of living, study group, or time zone;
• Availability of training from any device with an Internet connection (PC, smartphone, tablet);
• The ability to receive clear feedback from teachers on both homework assignments and all progress during the course;
• The feature of watching a missed lesson at any time and downloading the materials provided by the tutor;
• The ability to do homework and turn it in for review in the interface of the learning platform.

This allows students to gain new knowledge and succeed in the future effectively.

Why are these concepts still confused?

Experts are still researching the issue, but most believe that the confusion over the concepts is caused by the continued penetration of many English words into other languages. And some ideas can mean the same things. Also playing a role in this is the lack of regulation of using terms to explain certain aspects of learning.

However, the main problem is different: everyone involved in eLearning and distance learning has been disconnected from the beginning. Every university, college, or individual business has always been sure of the right approach to providing valuable knowledge to others. However, discussions about what single concept to use for online learning began relatively recently. The reason is simple: the market has grown so large that it is time to introduce uniform standards and rules.

Moreover, there is no unified understanding of EdTech (educational technology). Some educators understand digital solutions for creating and running learning projects, while others understand online courses and training sessions using innovative approaches. However, most often, the term EdTech describes everything that concerns education and digital technology (i.e., the word itself has a pretty broad definition).

Why the Concept of eLearning Is Outdated

Also, according to some experts, the eLearning term is considered very outdated. Indeed, companies try to show their experience in the market using this word, but on the other hand, such data use shows irrelevance. Therefore, the industry now needs to use different terms, "online learning" or "digital learning," which better reflect the essence of the education format.

There is another argument in favor of the new terminology: eLearning as electronic learning made sense when they opposed traditional methods of gaining knowledge (i.e., without a digital component). However, the situation is somewhat different: electronic means and networks are actively used even in classical learning. Thus, we can not talk about another format of electronic learning.

Therefore, the variant with "online learning" fits best because it reflects precisely how students acquire knowledge and are relevant at this moment in time.

What Role Does the LMS Play in Creating an Online Learning Course?

If we talk about online learning, it is only possible to imagine it with a learning management system (LMS). It is a kind of control center that allows you to configure many aspects: learning content, lesson schedules, testing, homework, group communication, and much more.

Some systems are so complex that individual developers are hired to customize them to the needs of the company or school. It is understandable because they know how to properly plug online learning tools into an e-course and use their full potential. Recently, however, LMSs with an intuitive interface and user-friendly builder that allow you to launch the first lesson in just 30 minutes have appeared on the market.

An online learning management system has several significant advantages over the traditional format:

• It offers tutors and coaches accessible tools for easy course organization and content delivery.
• All students get access to learning materials from any device.
• The LMS requires no additional software installation; everything is available directly in the browser.
• Students have complete control over their progress as they can view class notes conveniently.
• The LMS allows teachers to create interactive tests with instant results. It reduces the time commitment of both the student and the tutor.

All these advantages attract thousands of teachers and entrepreneurs who enter the educational product market and launch their unique products. And it allows the creation of a no-nonsense competition to classical training sessions.

We hope that in this article, we have answered all the questions that you may have. But if certain things remain unclear, write in the comments. We will try to help you!

Technology has long gone beyond developing gadgets for work and entertainment. As of now, they allow you to take learning methods outside the school or university bench. Online courses, webinars, mobile learning, and chatbots are already commonplace for today's students.

While in 2020-2021, it was still possible to enter the market with recordings of average quality. But now, the demands of students are much higher than just a series of video classes. Online platforms have begun to adopt new technologies to retain old audiences and attract new students. But how can all this affect the further development of the industry? Let's take a closer look at this question.

Cloud Technologies

They can solve the server load problem and become an effective way to work on the content together. It is always relevant because online course creators often face similar issues at all stages of project development, from LMS implementation to activity expansion.

There are several ways to solve this problem. The first one is to buy the necessary equipment (if there is a sufficient budget), limit the time of using the online learning system, and set a limit on the file size for downloading. And the second way is not to consider expanding the physical servers and renting computing resources in the cloud.

According to Gartner consulting company, about 50% of large international companies are ready to transfer their management systems to cloud solutions. In addition, such solutions are great for the collaborative development of electronic courses. Currently, the two most popular cloud services are Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots

A chatbot is a program that imitates human communication and helps with specific tasks. It can have a meaningful conversation, just like a live speaker, and sometimes it can work as a voice assistant. Siri (Apple) and Alexa (Amazon) are the most famous chatbots.

At first, this technology was entertaining and was used for small tasks on the device (searching for information, working with media content, etc.). However, it is now becoming an integral part of business processes and online education.

Virtual assistants can help find answers to questions. There are many chatbots available in Telegram for searching information on Wikipedia, practicing pronunciation, studying lectures and articles on interesting topics, and even learning a foreign language.

Bots can also be used as simulators for practical assignments. For example, such programs can present a service or product or simulate communication with a problematic customer.

As a result, AI can accelerate the learning process and consolidate the acquired knowledge on new topics. Therefore, it is worth considering using intelligent bots in an e-course to improve learning outcomes and achieve your educational business results.

Webinars

Many online students (and not only them) have known for a long time that an online course is not just a set of presentations or several modules with theory and practice. Instead, everything is much more interesting: each student joins an online platform and receives their own individual development plan. And to achieve high results in the learning process, attending group sessions and performing practical tasks with the teacher is necessary. And webinars are the best way to do this.

Students can easily take online classes anywhere there is an Internet connection from any device, so mobility is vital for any e-course. Furthermore, Webinars can be conducted either live or recorded. In this case, it is worth remembering the inherent advantages of meeting with a live expert: students' motivation through stories and advice and the opportunity to practice theoretical knowledge through various activities.

And most importantly, such interactivity improves the assimilation of knowledge and saves time for both students and teachers.

Learning Personalization

Experts in online education are noticing a growing demand for the personalization of content. It means that people are interested in using unique learning solutions that consider all their needs. This is where the capabilities of artificial intelligence, which we wrote about earlier, come into play.

What does AI have to do with personalizing online learning? The answer is simple: the system where the e-course takes place tracks the student's progress and makes an individualized progress plan. Thus, personalization directly affects the quality and value of online learning.

The most commonly personalized aspects are as follows:

• Class schedule;
• Learning content (course creators set separate blocks of tasks for beginners and students with specific knowledge of the topic);
• A roadmap (the artificial intelligence itself assembles a training program for each student).

Unfortunately, not every online learning platform has all the features needed for personalization. That is why course creators are looking for a service that will allow them to fully adjust to students' desires, especially in cases where there are no clear ideas. Such a platform should have everything you need, from a course and website builder to automatic knowledge assessment tools.

AR and VR

Augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have been actively discussed in society for several years. And now, this trend has become an integral part of the eLearning sphere.

Today, many spheres are developing and improving, and education is no exception. People become less and less interested in gray textbooks and presentations every year. Moreover, videos on YouTube, Instagram, and other social networks, as well as hundreds of messages from colleagues at work, compete for students' attention. Therefore, AR and VR are coming to the forefront because of their ability to create vivid and engaging content that will appeal to students.

Now augmented and virtual reality is actively used in corporate training. For example, in September 2018, the American retail giant Walmart bought 7,000 Oculus Go headsets. They must train store employees on special virtual polygons, which are organized in each of the 5,000 outlets. Among other things, Walmart salespeople and consultants are trained to provide responsive customer service on peak days (e.g., pre-Christmas and Black Friday).

And combined with the growing popularity of metaverses, online courses may move entirely into a virtual space with avatars instead of teachers and students.

What Is the Overall Outlook for eLearning in 2023?

The global market for online education continues to grow strongly, despite the waning impact of the pandemic. According to HolonIQ, a global education market research platform, in the next 30 years, the number of people needing education will increase by almost two billion, from 7.8 billion to 9.4 billion. But, of course, traditional education methods are not designed for such a workload, so it is necessary to look for other ways.

Over the past 3-4 years, many platforms for gaining valuable knowledge and skills have emerged. And in 2023, this trend will continue because the existing platforms will only grow. Moreover, the number of online programs at classical universities will increase several times, allowing young people to get a prestigious education anywhere in the world.

We hope that you found our article helpful. If you still have questions about working with online courses, leave them in the comments. We will answer every question and review the most interesting ones in new articles.

Every startup owner dreams of one thing: to develop their brainchild into a major company and take a significant market share. However, sometimes this is not the case because entrepreneurs may not have enough ideas to develop a new niche or expand a project. As a result, business people start looking for help on the other side. It is where online consulting platforms come to the rescue, but how exactly can they be useful for startup owners? Let's consider this question in more detail.

Is It Easy for Startups To Succeed?

To succeed in the market, a startup must have three basic things: a strong product, a well-thought-out launch, and go-to-market strategy, and a solid corporate culture. Each of these elements is critical, but ensuring they are compatible and work together is challenging.

It leads to the fact that about 40% of startups fail sooner or later, and investors lose their investments forever. There is a pattern that a new company turns a profit in two years. However, two-thirds of startups do not make it to their second year and leave the market.

Other reasons can also lead to the failure of business development. First, it is worth mentioning the ordinary lack of demand for the product or services offered by the new company. In addition, the collapse of a business is possible because of a weak or poorly developed marketing strategy.

And the last reason that causes 50% of new companies to fail is the lack of employee training programs. Company employees must regularly acquire new knowledge. If this is neglected, there will be problems with marketing and the effectiveness of the technology used.

Of course, it also affects the startup's profitability because the company has to show a high-income level and afford to maintain a team. Besides, when a new company needs investment, it should also offer a high level of profitability. That is why business people should invest in eLearning programs to turn an idea into a successful project and achieve the expected results in the target market.

However, entrepreneurs do not always understand how to perform such a vast amount of work independently. It can happen for various reasons: lack of ideas, few internal resources, or a small budget. Employees may also have problems if they lack the knowledge and skills to perform their work tasks.

All this forces them to seek help from other people online or in person. And turning to a consulting platform is one superb idea. But why should they ask for professional assistance?

Why Do Startups Need the Help of Online Consulting Platforms?

When discussing business development, consulting employees and founders of startups is one of the primary things. After all, it is impossible without new knowledge: companies cannot recruit new employees, and founders cannot introduce new ideas and technology into their work processes. Consultations can be in different formats: individual and group, via video and text messages. Both options can help achieve training goals.

Every startup needs up-to-date knowledge for the entire company, which can be one of the crucial steps to success. If there is a lack of consistency in workflows (especially in the sales funnel), customers may lose faith in the brand. And that is entirely unacceptable for a company that tries to gain the trust of its target audience. Online consulting platforms can create a unified knowledge base in the company, contributing to the professional growth of sales, marketing, and operations pros.

Help With Sales

New companies often need counseling and support as they begin to build their workflow and gather a team of professionals. Among other things, it is essential to conduct sales training based on the information provided by consultants online. The goal is to educate employees about the product and its unique features, which are worth considering when planning a sales strategy.

In addition to unique information from experts, startups can use video interviews with more experienced employees with vast sales expertise. They can help teach new staff members about building a unique selling proposition and creating scripts for working with customers.

Targeted Marketing

Most startups need help with marketing. The reason is quite simple: they have a reasonably limited budget that can cover operating expenses and employee salaries. And despite the availability of many available promotion options, they cannot choose one of them and get started. So they have to solve the problem quickly to retain customers.

Online consulting platforms can help advise management and marketing staff on strategy choices. However, it depends on the behavioral pattern of the target audience. For example, advertising on social networks will not bring the right effect if potential customers do not have time to search for products and services on online platforms. For example, if the company is engaged in computer literacy courses for people 60+, it is better to use other communication channels.

Procedural Knowledge

Startups often use many business processes during product development and promotion. Therefore, clear instructions should be developed for employees to work by. With this information, it will be much easier for them to understand the company's goals and how it plans to succeed in the marketplace.

Moreover, training in new companies may not be appropriate because only company employees can conduct training. And if they are unfamiliar with a new field, it is much better to turn to professionals. Using an online consulting platform that allows meetings to be held even for disparate teams is ideal here.

What Is the Likelihood That the Counseling Will Not Have the Proper Effect?

Indeed, this scenario is quite real. But it is possible only in one case: if you have not thoroughly worked out an employee training strategy. If you want to raise the team's level of knowledge, it is worth spending more time and effort to understand the company's needs better. Otherwise, it is not worth discussing conquering market share and making big profits.

In any case, you can always get valuable advice on developing a startup, improving operations, correcting mistakes in marketing strategy, and managing a team on an online consulting platform. So the help of experts will always be helpful when planning the work of a young and promising company.

Conclusion

For all of these reasons, online consulting platforms can provide professional assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to launch a startup and succeed in a chosen market. Such online solutions are helpful for new companies because most entrepreneurs are extremely busy people. They have a whole bunch of things to do, so making time to meet in person is extremely difficult. That leaves only one option: a simple app for PCs and mobile devices that will help business people in real time.

Besides, online consulting platforms are a convenient option for any company that aims to conquer the market. These advanced systems can be a key to significant business results and customer trust.

We hope you found our article helpful. If you still have questions about the use of online consulting platforms, leave them in the comments below. We will definitely answer them, and the most interesting ones will become material for new articles.

Some business creators and marketers dismiss web page development using a website builder. Therefore, even those companies that start out order custom website development but do not get the expected result. They have no applications and no quality pages.

However, a website builder is a great way out for companies just starting their way into the business. But is it worth using such a solution? Let's analyze the strengths and weaknesses of using such a solution during creating pages and situations where the builder is best suited.

Is Constructor a Solution for Beginners?

As we have already written, website creation with the help of a builder is one of the best solutions for beginning entrepreneurs. Such a solution is inexpensive, which allows small businesses to save money for other purposes. Among other things, the website creator can be used by online store founders who need to create a page in a completely visual canvas with no code.

However, companies tested by time and the market also pay attention to website builders. They allow for quick and inexpensive testing of hypotheses and draw customers' attention to a new product being prepared for presentation.

What Types of Designers Are Available on the Market?

Website builders are conventionally divided into two types: with a monthly payment and a yearly subscription and the purchase of a template for permanent use. And there are dozens of variants of both types available on the market.

Among the products with a monthly subscription are the most popular, Tilda and inSales. Here you can find ready-made versions of web pages for almost all CMS solutions. Users can choose both free and paid templates.

All templates are integrated into the marketplace, which can be found on a separate page. The user should only choose a category, decide on the option and fill in the template with the necessary information. The most popular solutions with ready-made templates are Bitrix: Site Manager and WordPress.

If you need to create a professional website, it is better to choose one of the paid templates. They are made of very high quality and are easy to manage. You can easily place the template on hosting and fill it as you see fit, dragging and dropping blocks from place to place.

The Main Advantages of the Website Builder

So, we have learned the features of the constructor. Now consider the most critical advantages of website builders that can benefit customers.

Ease of Use

Each online designer is designed so that the work does not require special training. That is, using such solutions can be any person without experience as a programmer or designer. And, of course, there is no frightening code. To work with the blocks, just click on them to open a menu of available options.

If difficulties arise during the website creation, step-by-step wizards come to the user's aid. They are virtual assistants who are accompanied by tips on each step of working with the template. Usually, in such cases, the user also gets access to more detailed explanations for the assembly of the page in the help section.

Library of Ready-made Templates

Each builder offers many ready-made templates for different types and themes of pages. Each of them has template data to evaluate the project and decide on choosing a particular template.

The user can access a massive set of settings for basic blocks, from setting the background and colors to editing the page structure. It allows you to make the template more suitable for a future web page.

Quick Startup

If you are working on a typical project (landing page or business card website), working on it will not take much time. The reason is simple: the technical requirements for such a page are minimal. Sometimes you just need to choose a favorite template, build the necessary blocks and add the required information.

In short, operability depends more on having ready-made content and a clear understanding of the website's structure than on the chosen constructor. In some cases, the system offers step-by-step tips for quick site creation and launch.

Basic Functionality Is Available for Free

It allows you to design a ready-made website with minimal restrictions on features. At the same time, the user has to pay for the page based on the online constructor only after the trial period (from 1 to 4 weeks). In some cases, the system gives access to all the features to achieve high page conversion rates in the shortest possible time.

Sometimes the builder allows you to keep the website on the built-in hosting without any time constraints and additional charges. But there are two nuances: the user must specify the developers of the service in the footer section and use only a third-level domain (e.g., yoursite.tilda.com).

Subscription System

The option of the monthly or annual payment is another advantage of sites on the web page builder. After all, not everyone can afford the services of individual web development, which may cost thousands of dollars. And we are not talking about paid systems when the price of just the CMS can be several hundred dollars.

Therefore, democratic prices for constructors (starting from $5) attract thousands of users with enough basic functionality to develop and run a simple site. They make builders an excellent choice for any kind of business.

The Disadvantages of Developing Websites With the Help of a Website Builder

But like any other online solution, online constructors have disadvantages. Let's consider them in more detail.

Limitations on Functionality

If you want to create a page for a technology startup, then we hasten to distress you: this is unlikely to succeed. And all because of restrictions on the part of the developers. You can use what is already available, with no specific features. And to expand the range of options, you need to choose a more expensive subscription plan from the builder.

In the case of a regular site, the problem of lack of functionality can be solved simply. The developer should add plugins or write the necessary script. However, the constructor is only a SaaS platform that does not provide access to the source code. Users cannot change the template layout or add their own scripts, so the customization options are limited.

The Actual Lease of the Site From the Builder Service

In the case of creating a website with the designer's help, the user binds it to a particular page without the possibility of abandoning this solution. Therefore, there is a problem: moving pages to another hosting if the user cannot access files, databases, and other essential elements. Besides, the cases of successful transfer of the site from the constructor to another domain are still unknown.

In addition, the terms of service may state that the user actually rents a website from the platform, as developers have exclusive rights to templates. Therefore, moving web pages to another hosting can be a problem.

The Monotony of Such Solutions

If you look at many of the pages created with the help of online designers, you can notice their similarities. Primarily it is traced on pages created using one CMS's tools. There's nothing wrong with that because builders' opportunities are significantly reduced and are often available for an additional fee. But if uniqueness is a priority for you, it is better to pay attention to individual development.

Possible Problems With SEO

Web pages created with a particular service have their drawbacks before the individually designed pages in terms of SEO. Because the capabilities of the builder are limited, there is also a lack of search engine optimization: there are only meta tags settings, SEF URLs, internal linking, etc. Therefore, sites with the constructor often do not reach the level of elaboration of pages on WordPress.

In rare cases, you can find essential things in the website-building solution. These can be HTTPS certificate, Sitemap, adaptability, micropatterning, etc.

Profitability of the Content in the Future

At first, the web page on the designer seems to be an economical and profitable solution. If we are talking about a period of up to 6 months, then a minimum set of ready-made elements and quick assembly of pages really justifies itself. But in the long term, all the disadvantages of using such a solution are revealed.

Among other things, when working with CMS or ordering custom development, a person pays a certain amount for a license or execution of works and gets a ready-made website. If we are talking about the designer, it is necessary to pay a subscription here. The complete package can cost thousands of dollars each year, which can be demanding for a business founder.

When Is It Worth Paying Attention to the Designer, and When Is It Better To Choose Another Solution?

We have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of creating websites with the help of a ready-made solution. But who is best suited for this option?

The website builder can help you in the following cases:

• You have not previously engaged in the launch of web pages, and the budget for work is limited.
• You must create a simple landing page or business card website for your product.
• Your task is to test the chosen niche to understand the feasibility of investment.
• You need to launch the page as soon as possible.

These are primary cases where online designers do save the day. However, they will not help in these situations:

• You need an advanced web page with extensive functionality and hundreds of content pages.
• You plan to refine and update the website constantly, so you need to edit the source code of the web pages.
• You work primarily with forums, blogs, and other types of websites with complex structures and filling.
• You expect to use the full range of digital marketing and SEO tools.
• Your priority is uniqueness and broad capabilities, so it is difficult for you to anticipate the site's look in the long run.

As a result, the online web page builder is more suitable for creating simple websites for companies just starting. Using the usual CMS or ordering a custom development is a better option for more serious projects.

We hope that this article was helpful to you. If you have any questions about using the website builder, ask them in the comments. We will definitely answer them, and the most interesting ones will become the basis for new articles on our website.

Our world is slowly moving toward total digitalization. So it is not surprising that some courses are taught with artificial intelligence. It can explain the material, test, and interact with students. But how can a machine make such a big difference from live instructors? All this is possible thanks to Deep Learning technology. Let's take a closer look at this question and find out why machine learning is a promising phenomenon for eLearning.

How LXP Platforms Can Improve Online Learning Experience

LXP systems are SaaS platforms that run in an open cloud environment. It allows various internal and external resources to be combined into a single learning ecosystem with tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). While traditional LMSs focus on managing the learning process, LXPs make an e-course more personalized and exciting for students.

That said, you cannot call LXP a separate technology. Instead, it is a system that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver learning content and create a personalized learning environment.

LXP provides course recommendations based on prior knowledge and modules completed. In doing so, students are given greater freedom to choose what and when to study.

Online learning has proven effective in remote and hybrid formats over the past few years. Now, students no longer need to attend in-person classes. However, they can participate in classes or simply communicate through virtual rooms and self-study solutions.

The benefits of online learning are appreciated not only by online schools but also by large companies. After all, every business wants employees to succeed and stand out among other professionals. And the best way to achieve this goal is to improve their skills, thereby increasing the value of each person. LXP allows employees to understand company goals better, improve team performance, and encourage career growth.

Does Deep Learning Mean That Machines Work With Students

People who are not familiar with technical terminology often confuse eLearning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Let's clarify: the latter two concepts are designed to automate the learning process using computers. As of now, Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence are actively used in the eLearning industry.

The concept of Deep Learning sounds louder and more unusual simultaneously. At the same time, Deep Learning does not involve the use of artificial intelligence as such. In this case, AI techniques are simply used to train an online learning system to find solutions to various issues on its own. Computers are responsible for analyzing data and identifying specific student behaviors.

In this case, computer solutions work much faster than humans due to preloading the data and applying unique algorithms. It's also much better than creating a separate automation system to iterate through the tasks of an electronic course. That is why Deep Learning technology is increasingly being used in eLearning.

What Are the Benefits of Deep Learning Concept

Machine learning is already becoming a familiar phenomenon for online learning after the success of streaming services and video platforms. It has several decisive advantages that make Deep Learning an indispensable tool for any online course.

Individual Development Plan for Each Student

Due to the rapid development of digital technology, the period of obsolescence of knowledge has shortened. For example, applying less than half of the knowledge acquired 4-5 years ago is still possible. But if a person learned something at the university 10 or even 15 years ago, they must be retrained. And it is desirable to pass the course without giving up on the main work to make a successful career in the future.

In the end, it is critical to start improving their own skills to keep up with the times and fully meet the expectations of employers. But how do we know exactly what a person needs to learn? To do this, you first need to determine your current knowledge; then, the system will understand the student's learning style and create an individual development plan for each user. To do this, you should correctly choose a software solution based on machine learning techniques.

Chatbots as Virtual Assistants

A chatbot is a particular program simulating a real user conversation using artificial intelligence and machine learning. In addition, it can sometimes replace a live teacher in an online course. The reason is simple: the system can be trained to explain material in class and answer students' questions, like a real teacher.

Chatbots act as a means of providing a clear structure to an e-course. Like Siri or Alexa, virtual assistants can give homework assignments, monitor their completion, and track each student's progress. In addition, chatbots can provide motivating tips and meaningful feedback for your tasks. You can add a chatbot to your curriculum to make learning fascinating and engaging.

These virtual assistants are often great for giving lectures on essential topics. In that case, they do a great job as online consultants and can improve student interaction during the course. However, involving live instructors for more complex topics requiring thorough preparation and unique knowledge is better, making the learning process more effective.

In the future, chatbots may become like virtual tutors, participating in every dialogue with students. It will make it possible to offer help as quickly as possible on questions of interest to them.

Learner Profiles for Better Target Audiences

Creating student profiles results from processing student data with machine learning algorithms. For example, when you use a browser or a search engine, you probably see personalized ads or recommendations for products and services. These are suggested based on your previous purchases or search engine queries.

Similarly, an online learning platform creates student profiles based on data about previous education and actions throughout an e-course. It includes different data types: a place of work, hobbies, interests, learning goals, etc. As a result, each e-course participant gets a personal profile with all the necessary information. And Deep Learning technology allows you to build an individual learning scheme based on this profile.

Increasing Student Engagement for More Effective Learning

It is another benefit of using Deep Learning technology. After the first edition of a course, its creators often wonder how successful it was. Were the first students interested? Did they have trouble when passing modules?

Usually, online course creators rely on student feedback or anticipate possible engagement. However, they cannot always be sure that some students were unhappy with the course or had problems while taking it. The best option is using the online solution based on Deep Learning algorithms.

Conclusion

Integrating Deep Learning into an educational course will take learning content to the next level and allow you to track each student's progress qualitatively. Deep Learning technology answers the following questions:

• Do students spend more time understanding specific information?
• How much time do users take to complete midterm and final tests?
• What is the retention rate for video lessons and text materials?

Once the system has collected all this data, the online Deep Learning-enabled platform can offer personalized content to students to gain valuable insights into specific topics. If an experienced person attends the course, the system will provide material for them to learn the chosen topic in greater depth. As a result, the e-course becomes more effective by increasing student engagement, and this means that interest in the learning material will grow many times over!

We hope that you found our article helpful. If you still have questions about using machine learning algorithms in electronic courses, write them in the comments below. We'll undoubtedly answer them, and the most interesting ones will become the basis for our future materials!

The field of online education is developing at a rapid pace. According to Forbes, the industry will grow to $325 billion! And as online learning software becomes more widespread, many more software options exist for organizing classes. The two most common types of software are LMS (Learning Management Systems) and LCMS (Learning Content Management Systems). Their names and structure are generally similar, but there are also a few critical differences. Let's consider them in more detail.

What Is an LMS?

The LMS (Learning Management System) is software for organizing, conducting, and managing courses, training sessions, and webinars in an online environment.

This program replaces outdated curricula with advanced training methodologies, clear assessment criteria, and suggestions for improving student learning.

The primary function of the LMS is to manage the online learning process and monitor students' progress and development.

Interesting fact! Thanks to a well-designed learning management system, the teacher can monitor the control points in the development of each student in the course or training series.

At the same time, the developers focused on creating separate functionality for three types of users: administrators, teachers, and students.

What Else Makes an LMS Stand Out?

Professional management systems allow you to store data and student accounts and create various forms of communication with students (e.g., email newsletters and live broadcasts).

Because of the breadth of functionality, LMSs can often be adapted to online learning systems. For example, corporate development programs can get additional features: personal student accounts, online tests, and online seminars. It allows you to track employees' progress in mastering new knowledge and ensure that the company's money makes a visible difference.

What Is an LCMS?

LCMS (Learning Content Management System) is software for creating, storing, and playing personalized text, audio, and video lessons. Teachers and designers can use this option to create more effective and fascinating content.

The main functions of LCMS are to manage instructional materials, automate the testing process, and create a step-by-step learning structure for each student.

For example, there could be two steps:

1. Testing knowledge after completing homework.
2. Opening a new level after receiving a certain number of points.

The system then automates the learning path for each student. Those students who needed to learn the material better got additional assignments. And those who score high automatically get access to new lessons.

What Else Makes an LCMS Stand Out?

Another feature of learning content management systems is the ability to learn during the job. In this way, students can absorb new knowledge using a kind of electronic encyclopedia.

They also allow you to combine LCMS and LMS capabilities to simplify access to the learning system and improve communication with different groups. For example, eLearning platforms offer built-in chat rooms, localization of the interface and content into other languages, and other additional features.

While LMSs are tools for delivering online training and courses, the additional features of LCMSs can take this software beyond classic learning management systems. As a result, teachers and students have access to a more comprehensive platform.

Similarities and Differences Between LMS and LCMS

Now let's look at the similarities and differences between both types of online learning software.

Similarities

The main similarity between LMS and LCMS lies in their nature since they are platforms for managing learning in professional environments and organizing online schools. They modernize training programs and make the process of educating people better.

It is also possible to automate each course or series of pieces of training thanks to special tools. For example, an instructor can prepare content once and execute it automatically for each group of students.

In addition to the regular training of students on new topics or updating knowledge on already known phenomena, online learning programs facilitate continuous learning. LMS and LCMS allow content to be tailored to individual student progress, which is integral to quality student preparation.

Despite the different purposes of these types of software, the ultimate goal of LMS and LCMS is to deliver new knowledge to students. Both e-course and workshop software is used in schools and training centers as a comprehensive solution for students' general education and corporate training.

Differences

While talking about the similarities between learning management software and learning content management software, we should also remember their differences. Just look at each program's main functions and purpose to see them.

As we said earlier, LMS is used for organizing and managing learning content, as well as for checking knowledge and monitoring students' progress. The LCMS is more for creating and posting text, audio, and video content for lessons.

With this in mind, we understand that an LMS has broader features than an LCMS. That's why some online learning software developers suggest recording content directly in learning management systems and adding pre-created files in LCMS and other programs.

Therefore, the main difference between the two types of software is the purpose of the application. A learning content management system allows you to create materials for classes, while a learning management system allows you to use them. Therefore, the target audience for each program is also different. For example, LCMS is used by teachers and course administrators, while students use LMS.

How Do These Systems Integrate?

The organization of e-seminars, courses, and workshops involves implementing both an LMS and an LCMS. Integrating both modules is of practical importance: the Learning Management System is responsible for using training materials, and the Learning Content Management System is responsible for creating and storing courses.

Thus, both software options are intertwined with each other. To understand which tool the course creator needs, it is necessary to decide on the learning objectives and assess the current technical infrastructure.

With a clear and proven training structure in place, it is sufficient to implement an LCMS and manage the online school with its help. For example, a learning content management system allows you to organize and update existing training modules.

If these are the first courses that do not have separate classes, it is better to use a combination of LMS and LCMS. It will help expand the system's functionality for teachers and simplify the learning process for students.

When choosing between systems or platform integration options, you should consider the following aspects: technical capabilities, timing, and cost.

Conclusion

LMS and LCMS are two fundamentally different types of online learning software. Both allow you to conduct and fully control the organization of courses, seminars, and training sessions, but each tool has a different role. At the same time, using these types of software allows you to take your work on your educational products to a new level.

We hope that you found our article helpful. If you still have questions about the different types of software for online learning, leave them in the comments. We will consider the most exciting suggestions in our following materials!

If you expect to test the e-course users' skills, you should create and launch an online test. But already at the stage of its development, many questions arise: how many questions to add to the test, what question formats to choose, what score to set for passing the test, etc. We are ready to answer all these questions in our guide on creating a test on the eLearning platform.

Benefits of Online Tests

Each eLearning platform offers an easy-to-use test builder. They have different features and functions that tutors and learners can leverage. But they all have common advantages:

Convenience for the Student

Each learner can take tests at any convenient time on the online platform. It is crucial for cases when a student takes an asynchronous course and determines the lesson schedule for himself independently.

Saving Time

Online tests allow the course creator to quickly check the assimilation of knowledge of students through automatic testing. It makes the entire process easier, faster, and cheaper.

Deep Knowledge Check

Each test uses different question formats, so students cannot answer randomly and shift to the following session.

Maximum Involvement in the Educational Process

Modern eLearning platforms allow you to create unique tests that increase students' motivation and improve the quality of knowledge testing.

Objective Assessment

Automatic marking of answers eliminates the human factor and the influence of personal interactions between tutors and learners.

Instant Feedback

Modern eLearning platforms allow testing customization, so each user gets an explanation when choosing the wrong answer.

Detailed Analytics

Teachers get access to the test result statistics. It allows you to focus on the results of specific students or make changes to the course program.

7 Easy Steps To Create a Test on the Online Platform

And now, it's time to familiarize yourself with the process of creating online tests. Here is a step-by-step guide.

Choose a Tool To Create a Test

In our case, it's pretty simple. LMS Kwiga has a built-in test builder that allows you to create a list of tasks in different formats.

Determine the Testing Type

There are two types of tests in online courses:

1. Interim. It strives to consolidate the student's knowledge. Thus, they involve more time and attempts to choose the correct answer.
2. The final test. The test has a precise time limit and only one attempt to give the correct answer.

Before choosing the testing type, you should review the course program and consider the test purpose.

Choose a Question Format

Tests in the eLearning courses provide various formats of questions. Here are the most widespread types of questions:

• The choice of one answer — users have to choose only one correct answer.
• A choice of multiple answers — the principle is similar to the previous type, but here you should choose more correct answers from the list. This question format is more complex and requires precise expertise in the domain.
• True/False — the user determines the truth or falsity of the statement.
• Brief answer — the user has to enter the answer in text or number format. It is impossible to choose a random variant here.
• Order task — the learner has to put the options in the correct order. Often, this format requires reconstructing the sequence of historical events or the number arrangement.
• Fill in the blanks — this format involves tasks concerning certain concepts or patterns. The user needs to fill in the gaps by dragging words or parts of phrases from the list or typing the answer.
• Conformity — users have to connect paired words, pictures, or phrases. They can also add deliberately incorrect options to add some complexity to a question.

The complexity of testing depends on the selected number of formats. However, it would be best not to make the test too complicated.

Work on Questions and Answers

The online test effectiveness is affected by the correct wording of tasks. Remember that learners cannot look for help when doing them. And if they do not understand the subject matter, they will not know how to choose the correct variant. Therefore, you should carefully work on questions and answers. Here are our tips:

1. Keep questions simple and straightforward. Ideally, it is a sentence of up to 20 words without complex speech patterns.
2. The text should not have repetitions or mutually exclusive phrases, which applies primarily to "True/False" tasks. Otherwise, students may not understand the question.
3. Mention exact facts. Online tests do not tolerate approximation.
4. Open-ended questions should start with the words "what," "why," "how much," etc.
5. Think carefully about answer options that fit the structure but are distracting.
6. Avoid using "all of the above" and "none of the above" response options.
7. As for tasks that ask for filling in gaps, do not use options of accidentally writing a lowercase letter instead of a capital one or adding extra letters. Therefore, the answer may be correct, but the system will not automatically count it.

All these rules are critical to creating clear assignments that assess student knowledge properly.

Set Specific Parameters for Your Online Test

The choice of parameters depends on the specific purpose of testing: to consolidate the acquired knowledge or to check the material assimilation. In any case, course creators set four essential parameters.

Passing Grade

When working on an online test, you may doubt the passing score. Thus, we cannot provide some universal tips, so it is better to start from the course goal.

For instance, you are developing an intermediate test on web design basics. Its main goal is to consolidate the material learners covered and fill in knowledge gaps. The optimal passing score is 70 out of 100 possible.

If you are testing the healthcare worker's knowledge, you can set 100 points out of 100. The reason is simple: the patient's fate depends on the doctor's actions. And any mistake is high-cost.

Set Specific Parameters for Your Online Test

As for the test volume, teachers often ask to answer 25 to 30 questions. However, experts recommend making the total task pool somewhat larger (from 75 to 120 items). In this case, the system will automatically select questions from the list and offer them to students. Such tests will be unique for each student and reduce the possibility of cheating.

Number of Attempts to Answer

If you plan to conduct a final test, give only one attempt to your users. It is complicated to answer randomly, but learners will receive more objective marks.

Branching

This parameter is vital for interim testing events. The essence of branching is simple: when students make a mistake, they get an explanation of the correct answer. If they choose the right option, they will move on to the following question. This approach helps users to perceive the eLearning material better.

Take Some Time To Create a Perfect Design

Not every student enjoys passing the test. And for specific users, this event is akin to a nightmare. But every course creator can turn this process into a more enjoyable and exciting pastime. Just work hard on the issues and add some interactivity. There are two ways to ensure this:

• Visual design. Choose a new layout for each question (a unique font or background color).
• Voice acting. Add a pre-recorded file or record audio directly in the Kwiga LMS. Then, you can use the internal features to cut extraneous noise from the recording.

With the right approach to interactivity, you can add exciting tasks to increase testing efficiency.

Determine the Time Limitation To Pass the Test

Another major factor is the time constraint. You should set it so that learners do not have any options to cheat. On average, course creators set a time limit of 10 to 30 minutes. However, it depends on the volume and complexity of the test.

It is enough to solve all the tasks. After all, if learners understand nothing about a topic, then cheat sheets will not help them.

5 Tips for Creating a Test on an Online Course Platform

If you want to create your first online test easily and quickly or improve existing ones, you should follow some rules. Here are five practical tips for working on online testing:

No to the Complex Wording

Questions and possible answers should be clear and understandable. Thus, forget about no ambiguities, complex turns of speech, and mutually exclusive phenomena. A perfect length of a regular test is 20-25 questions.

Originality and Diversity

The more fascinating and diverse questions users answer, the more pleasure they will get. Moreover, different task formats allow you to assess the learner's expertise better.

With an online platform, you can add many tasks. Then, the platform automatically generates a unique set for each user. It reduces the possibility of cheating and increases assessment objectivity.

30/40/30 Rule

This rule shows the optimal ratio of question formats, which makes testing effective. The test should have 30% of questions with one correct answer, 40% - with several correct answers, and 30% - with open-ended questions (detailed answers to the question or practical task).

Feedback

Classic school or university tests lack feedback. Remember how you received a piece of paper with incorrect answers crossed out? You probably wanted to ask the teacher, "Why do you think so?".

Testing in an online course is almost similar to a traditional one, but students can get quick feedback on all assignments. For example, the system automatically displays an explanation of correct answers. Therefore, students can easier understand why they answered incorrectly.

Optimal Number of Tasks

If you choose a massive set of questions, you will scare off students and quickly demotivate them for further learning. Thus, choose the optimal test volume: 10-20 questions for a regular test, 30-50 - for an intermediate one, and 50-60 - for a final knowledge test. This approach will allow you to evaluate expertise qualitatively and not scare users.

Conclusion

Online tests are an appropriate way to measure knowledge and help students better understand the course material. And test automation makes the process less routine, and the results become more objective.

We hope that this article became helpful to you. If you want more information about creating online tests on the educational platform, leave them in the comments. The best questions will become topics for our new materials.

Unisender is an advanced platform for creating and launching email campaigns. Its services are used by small and medium-sized businesses since its functions are quite enough for basic tasks.

This service is not overloaded with tools and offers ready-made options for integration with popular CRMs. In addition, you can use the service API to integrate with custom systems. As for other advantages, there is a Russian-language interface and a vast number of templates that are adapted for Eastern European businesses.

Unisender is used in many areas (journalism, telecommunications, e-commerce, gambling, education, etc.). Let's find out more about the platform's capabilities and how to launch the first email workflow.

What Are the Main Features of Unisender

This service offers tools for creating the following types of workflows:

1. Emails (letter constructor, analytics tools, creating testing options, an audience segmentation for targeted work, subscription forms, etc.).
2. SMS (sending service messages or promotional offers on behalf of the company, adding variables to the text to address the recipient by name).
3. Viber (sending messages in various formats with support for many tools, such as pictures, videos, buttons, UTM tags for analytics, emoji, etc.).

Unisender also has social media tools. Therefore, this service offers to save addresses from Facebook contacts, collect a database of subscribers through chatbots, and create subscription pages.

Creating and Launching an Email Workflow

The Unisender service allows you to send bulk emails, analyze their effectiveness, and fix problems with unsubscribing from newsletters. First, let's look at five key steps to launch the workflow.

Registration Process

First, you should enter the registration page and specify your email address to get a confirmation letter. Remember that regular email is not suitable for creating an account, so you should create a mailbox on the corporate domain. You can also use Google, Facebook, VK, and other social media accounts to register.

In addition to the login, you must create a password to enter your account. It must contain at least eight characters (including uppercase and lowercase letters) and include at least 1 number and one special character.

After going to the next screen, the system will offer you to confirm the email. You should enter your mailbox, find the letter from Unisender (it may also be in the Spam folder), and click on the "Confirm" button.

Next, you should fill in the data (name, phone number, business area, number of employees, and your role in the company) and click "Continue." The registration is complete! You will be taken to the main UniSender page.

Adding an Email Database To the System

The next and also vital step is adding an email database. Again, we advise creating it in advance to save time.

If you need to send letters to many people, you should add the list from an Excel spreadsheet. However, it should have a clear structure and not contain excessive data. For example, a column with email addresses should show only them.

Besides, you can add data from a .txt file. In this case, the first line is the field name, and the second line is information about the recipient. The same principle applies to the manual adding of contacts.

After loading the list, you can set up unique fields, such as company name, recipient's birthday, and other valuable data. If they do not play a critical role in mailings, select the "Do not import" option.

The final touch is the name of the list. Again, we advise you to name it according to the type of mailing list or target audience unless otherwise provided. After that, you can proceed to the next step.

Creating a First Email Workflow

So, you have worked on an email database of subscribers. Now let's prepare the first mailing list. And since the Unisender service is excellent for beginners, some hints will be helpful when creating a workflow.

First, you should find the "Create Email" button at the top of the page and select the option you like. In this article, we will show this process using the example of an email campaign.

Next, the system will offer to choose one of three options: a code editor, a unique HTML set, and a constructor. Let's review each of them in more detail.

Working With the HTML Editor

This option is suitable if you have a code that needs to be edited before creating an email campaign.

You can download the template from a .rar, .zip, .html or .7z file (there is also a web page option). In any case, the system will automatically load all the files and settings for future workflow.

After downloading, a preview of the letter from the subscriber opens. If you need to fix some items, click the "Source" button. It will take you to the HTML editor, where you can make the necessary revisions. If you are familiar with HTML, you will do this job in a second.

Uploading a Unique Code

This option is ideal when you have code and will not change it. You should copy your code, paste it into the required field and click the "Continue" button. Then you can work as with a regular mailing by choosing a topic, setting personalization settings, and forming a workflow.

Creating an Email Through the Constructor

However, if you are unsure about your code knowledge, using the constructor is much easier and more convenient. UniSender offers a unique solution where you can add and remove elements, swap them and customize the parameters of each block. You should select the items you need from the menu and drag them to the email field; there is no code.

First, select a ready-made template from the list or a "New Constructor" option with an empty field. In the case of standard templates, you will need to adapt them to your needs (remove unnecessary elements and add the necessary ones, change the writing style, font, colors, and more).

Once you have completed your letter, click the "Save" button.

In these three cases, it is vital to remember the maximum letter size of 8 MB. A more significant number will take a long time to load, and spam filters may block an email.

Checking the Display of an Email Campaign

If you need to check how the email is displayed on different devices and email clients, send a test letter to other addresses and open it on different devices (smartphone, tablet, or PC). You may also ask colleagues to check the campaign and ensure it is correct. Again, it will help reduce the chance that your workflow will get into a spam folder.

Click the "Send Test Letter" button, enter the desired email address and click "Send Email" to do this. After that, the system will notify you about the successful test sending.

Sending a Campaign

As soon as you are convinced of the correctness of the mailing, double-check all the data in the letters (text, pictures, links). If there are still issues, go back and edit the email in the builder or HTML editor.

After creating a letter template, you must enter the subject of the letter, the sender's address, and the recipient's address. Below you will see how the incoming message will be displayed in the email box. It will allow you to predict whether subscribers will be interested in the subject of the letter and whether they will want to open it.

The following detail is the sending time. Initially, the system offers to send the email immediately. However, you should select the "Send later" option and specify the day and time if you plan to send a campaign later. You will receive more specific data after A/B testing.

In the "Additional settings" section, you can specify the format for displaying images, set up a block for unsubscribing from the newsletter, and specify an email address to receive replies from users.

You also can specify settings for collecting data on letters for further analytics in this menu. For example, you may enable and disable monitoring of reads and clicks on links (they will not be displayed in the report after disabling) and add UTM tags for individual analytics services.

In addition, you can add the necessary files separately as attachments. However, we advise you to place them prudently on a cloud service and include links in the text of the letter.

Once you have completed all the preparations and verification, click "Submit Newsletter." After that, subscribers will receive letters instantly or at the specified time.

How To Analyze the Results

Go to the "Campaign History" section to check the results of launching workflows. Reports are available here for each launched campaign.

Initially, you can find standard indicators on the screen (sending, delivery, opening a letter, and clicking on links). Click on the title to find out more. Remember that all information has a percentage. Move the mouse pointer over the required indicator for more accurate data.

In the advanced section, you can compare your mailing metrics with industry averages. Select a business area from the drop-down list and click "Compare." The received data can improve the email database and the campaign itself.

Besides there is also a click map, a conversion table with traffic indicators, and a "Behavior" tab with detailed information about subscribers (region, device, and email reading dynamics).

What other types of campaigns are available in Unisender

The service allows you to configure more types of email workflow. You can also launch the following campaigns:

1. SMS campaigns. However, only corporate clients can do this. To access the function, you must add information about the company to the settings and deposit 5,000 RUB or the equivalent in another currency to your account.
2. Viber messages. In addition to registering a company, you also need to pay for a Viber ID (the minimum monthly amount is 380 EUR) and constantly revise the text of campaigns. Creating an email workflow for Viber is similar to working with an SMS campaign, but here, you can add emojis, CTA buttons, and other elements.

Conclusion

Let's summarize an article. The Unisender platform is excellent for those who are just getting started with mailing lists. The interface has enough elements, so freelancers and small business owners can easily figure out how it works.

The most prominent advantages are an intuitive interface, dozens of integrations with CRM and chatbots, a well-thought-out API, several options for creating a letter template, and a convenient code editor.

As for disadvantages, you cannot embed a survey in the text of the letter, and a small number of ready-made templates in the constructor are available.

We hope that you found this article helpful. If you have any questions regarding the email workflow creation, write them in the comments. We will answer each of them and choose the most interesting ones as the basis for our following articles.

If you decide to interact with your learners as actively as possible, look for opportunities to exploit third-party solutions in your LMS. Thus, educational systems allow you to connect various solutions to improve the learning experience and attract other experts to develop your e-course.

Video conferencing tools are an excellent choice for you. It does not require many funds, and the popularity of technology has only increased in recent years. Moreover, it allows using video conferencing widely in eLearning. We offer to consider the impact of technology on online courses and how to integrate third-party solutions into LMS.

How Videoconferencing Has Changed Education

Even 20 years ago, videoconferencing was available only to large companies and required a lot of time and money. In addition, not everyone could use the fast-speed Internet at that time. But now everything has changed: a person from any country or territory who has a smartphone/tablet/laptop with a camera can take part in a video conference. It saves you time and budget on conducting online training, which directly affects the success of the online course.

Plus, videoconferencing makes your students even more involved in the educational process. Using such a powerful instrument, you can convey the necessary knowledge to the audience as quickly as possible. Moreover, students have the opportunity to ask their questions directly and express their opinion on a particular phenomenon. In this regard, the video captivates much more than the audio recording.

And since many educational platforms support integration with video conferencing tools, you should invite experts with expertise in the e-course topic. It will make your LX more valuable and allow students to expand their competencies. Therefore, video conferencing is an excellent instrument for achieving clear goals.

How To Integrate Videoconferencing Into Learning Management System

In this case, it is worth remembering the six suitable formats for implementing video conferencing solutions. Let's consider them in more detail:

Ready-made video

First, you can give students access to pre-recorded lessons. Any LMS has all the necessary instruments to record and publish material. It allows students worldwide to get valuable knowledge anytime and increases learning autonomy.

Plus, educational platform solutions have tools to gather a collection of short and turnkey lessons. With their help, students will get an opportunity to quickly refresh their knowledge or get more answers to particular questions.

Live Group Classes

Your main goal is to create an excellent online course that will turn a solo journey into an exciting experience for learners worldwide. Therefore, a specific place in the learning program should be occupied for group lessons when students discuss the module's topic or do homework. Often, weekly calls are practiced to summarise the module results and work on the mistakes.

Group lessons are an excellent way to increase interaction with the audience and the interactivity of learning because students are responsible for each other. They should participate in the discussion to take advantage of the experience gained and provide feedback on the learning program.

You can implement an innovative approach to providing new knowledge to your audience. For example, students get an opportunity to ask each other important questions, vote for decisions, and perform specific actions within the live group class. In addition, visual contact (albeit through a camera) increases students' confidence in the teacher.

Q&A Session With Guest Speaker

Another good idea is to arrange a meeting with an expert on your module/course topic. Speaking from an authority figure makes your eLearning more valuable and helps you analyze your target audience thoroughly. Although you involve your partners' efforts in the lesson, learners can enjoy all the face-to-face communication benefits.

Plus, classes with an invited speaker can make him part of the team. Therefore, you will be able to strengthen relationships with students and learning partners.

Separate Webinars on Improving Specific Skills

Further, video conferencing tools allow you to run separate online training seminars. Each webinar focuses on particular topics and competencies, which helps students gradually improve their skills.

For example, a lot of classes are devoted to working with communication skills. So many processes in business depend on the expression of ideas, active listening, and reading body language. If you text in the educational platform's chat the whole time, you get nothing from these actions.

Therefore, you should implement custom video conferencing solutions. They consider all the nuances of communication with other people and help you demonstrate the acquired knowledge in practice. And do not forget to record the webinar and share it with your students, and they can learn new skills at any time.

Demonstration of New Tools and Services

Students do not need to know a cold theory about efficient solutions because it is better to learn how to apply them correctly. Therefore, it will not be extra to conduct live presentations of new products. Instead, it will allow students to know more about their benefits and what they can bring.

In addition, students can ask questions during the live stream to learn even more details about the product and how it helps solve problems. Another idea is to ask an expert to demonstrate a new product in action and give a personal opinion or share the secrets of using this tool.

Mutual Mentoring Programs

Mutual coaching is another fun way to use video conferencing tools on educational systems. In addition, you have a chance to run individual or group mentoring programs, depending on the e-course goals and students' preferences.

The purpose of mutual mentoring is straightforward: all participants meet at a specific time to discuss their progress, ask for help, and compare the results with their objectives. Further, you have a chance to host mentoring sessions for the LMS team. For example, teachers can meet in Zoom twice a month and discuss future critical tasks.

Tips for Finding the Proper Educational Platform Integration with Video Conferencing Tools

There are some key factors to know when selecting a third-party LMS integration solution. First of all, we are talking about support for mobile devices. The majority of your target audience spends whole days with a phone in their hand, and mobile educational solutions are paramount for them.

Plus, it should support video recording and editing. This set of tools usually includes cropping, sound editing, and image adjustment (contrast, color, etc.).

Also, your learning management system should be user-friendly so that students can quickly log in and join a group conversation via video conference. Finally, one of the core benefits of video conferencing is speed and convenience. Learners can highlight the main moments of a module and share their impressions of the live online course. Therefore, the LMS should make collaboration even better.

It also provides benefits for the creators of e-course. Thus, the integration of third-party tools helps you develop a strong EdTech business. Even if your squad consists of 5-6 people, it will be much better for you to ask for experts who can detect problems and fix them. Hence, integrating a video conferencing solution will enhance your workflow by creating an independent and dynamic work experience. Everyone will benefit from this, including developers, analysts, marketers, teachers, etc.

3 Most Popular Video Conferencing Platforms for LMS Integration

In addition to the built-in solutions, you can connect third-party solutions with more features. For example, consider the three most common options for implementation in the educational system.

Zoom

Integrating this software into your learning management system will boost the development of your e-course. Everyone can get valuable knowledge wherever with stable internet access. In this case, you should use a special Zoom connector, which helps you create a unique environment for collaboration between tutors and learners. As a result, your audience can watch lessons online without installing additional software.

Zoom is suitable for organizing many types of activities (lessons in virtual classrooms, meetings with experts, demonstrations of new products, etc.). And by combining this solution with your LMS, you will provide a comfortable environment for video conferencing. As a result, you will offer quality electronic education to your audience.

Google Meet

Google Meet is an excellent option for organizing group calls with your learners. You can use it to talk with your audience, demonstrate your screen, and work on documents or presentations. Talking about popularity, Google Meet is comparable with the first option.

To leverage this integration, your students must have a Google account. If they don't have it, it takes only a couple of minutes to create a new one. In addition, Google Meet provides tools for creating a virtual room without leaving the educational platform and sharing files on Google Drive.

Microsoft Teams

A well-known video conferencing software has a unique instrument for online and offline schools. With Teams for Education, you will add some new functionality to your learning management system. Hence, this solution complements the learning experience.

First, Microsoft Teams allows you to organize group video communications. You do not need an account to create a virtual room for a call. Just get a unique link and send it via the educational platform's chat, so students can instantly join the call and communicate with the teacher.

Conclusion

Let's sum it all up. Video conferencing will give your students the most required skills to succeed in their profession. And it does not matter whether they are learning something new or just refreshing their knowledge. However, students can only make meaningful progress when they can interact with you and find a common language.

Moreover, video conferencing does not require huge investments of time and money. On the contrary, as soon as you integrate such an innovative instrument into the learning management system, you will develop a first-class user experience. After all, direct communication is essential for any person. Therefore, pay special attention to adding video conferencing to your educational platform when developing an e-course program.

We hope that our article helped you implement innovative tools into your eLearning. Plus, we will talk more about third-party solution integration in the following articles, and you can help us look for more topics. Write your variants in the comments section!

Many eLearning course creators do not think about how to properly assess the students' progress, preferring to offer them learning content. But this is the wrong strategy. Without proper measurement of learning outcomes, you will not know how well your students have learned the online course material. And the effectiveness of their work in the future depends on this.

So how do you know that your knowledge is benefiting students? The most reliable option is to create online tests on an educational platform. They allow you to assess skills, identify weaknesses in the e-course, and quickly correct them. We have prepared five tips to help make your testing as effective as possible.

Why Do You Need To Create Tests for Students

But before starting to learn about the methods, let's look at the reasons for the high efficiency of tests in eLearning courses. Here they are:

Using the Test Effect

It is a well-studied psychological phenomenon. The testing effect tends to improve long-term memory through continuous learning and knowledge retention. Instead of constantly training and repeating skills, students gain valuable knowledge that needs to be tested once in a while. It is one of the reasons for including tests in the e-course curriculum.

Presentation of You as an Expert

Quizzes will help show your students how much new information they have learned and how valuable your online course is to them. Therefore, students will leave positive feedback on social networks, continue to attend classes, and invite friends.

If you choose the wrong testing strategy on the educational platform, you can get the opposite effect. Therefore, take this matter very seriously.

Finding Weaknesses in the Course

Online quizzes allow you to discover topics in your course that are the most difficult for students. It, in turn, will help improve the learning experience to make it more valuable. This approach to identifying problem areas is vital for creating a high-quality e-learning course.

Benefits of E-learning Tests

In addition to the facts mentioned above, there are other equally essential advantages of online tests. Let's consider the most significant of them.

Using Different Question Formats

Students can interact with different question formats while taking the online test:

• with the only correct answer;
• with multiple choice;
• matching tasks;
• placing elements in the right order.

This approach allows measuring knowledge and improving the assimilation of new information within the course.

Instant Results

It is another significant plus because you do not need to spend precious time on manual checking. Immediately after the testing, the participant sees his result on the screen. Everything happens automatically, which makes life easier for both students and teachers.

Saving time for students

Students do not need to change their plans and go to school to complete the task and wait for results. Questions can be answered 24/7 in any place with an internet connection. The result is known immediately, and this approach attracts students much more and increases the learning effectiveness.

Adaptation for Each Student

Qualitative testing will help to adapt the curriculum for each student. If he has got a bad mark on a test, the educational system automatically transfers him to the lesson with the most mistakes.

Advanced Analytics

The eLearning creator gets access to detailed learning data. It includes both standard testing metrics (number of correct tests, retries, average time to complete tasks) and more complex data (overall course value, student engagement rate, individual progress, etc.).

Setting Test Parameters

You can set your limits for passing the test (for example, the time to complete tasks or the maximum number of attempts). It also includes blocking the next lesson if the student has not passed the test for the current one. You can also define the minimum threshold for correct answers so that the system counts the test passage.

How To Improve Testing Efficiency

So, we talked about the benefits of online tests. Now let's look at the top 5 tips that will help improve the effectiveness of knowledge testing.

Learn More About Gaps and Challenges

Before developing online tests, it's worth learning more about your audience. Ask students about the problems they face most often. The reason is simple: if your eLearning course does not solve real problems, no one will be motivated to learn. Consequently, the knowledge test results will also be far from expected.

There are many ways to raise test scores. For example, create a survey on social networks or an educational platform. Then, you can use the results you get to show in similar surveys or new courses.

If you need to create a corporate training program, check with your manager about what points need to be addressed first. Then, it will allow the launching of online testing based on the most crucial knowledge students need to acquire.

Set a Time Limit

Not every student is motivated enough to complete all assignments on time. However, some people need the motivation to jump right into the test and answer questions as quickly as possible.

However, eLearning experts recommend maintaining flexibility in terms of time limits. For example, your students are likely to have busy schedules (work, family, household chores, etc.). Also, some of them may face technical problems (e.g., slow Internet speed) that prevent them from taking the test. Therefore, the best option is to give access to questions for a few days or a week.

Choose the Optimal Difficulty of the Questions

Questions should not be too easy or too difficult. If the test is simple, students will not spend time going through the entire course. On the other hand, if the questions are too complex, the students will feel that you are teaching very badly.

It is much better to combine simple and complex tasks in online testing. Another good idea is to run a mock test and collect feedback from your audience. The data obtained will help understand whether it is necessary to simplify or complicate testing.

Create a Database of Various Questions

There are three main types of training:

• visual;
• sound;
• tactile.

To create the most effective online course, you need to use all these methods. Therefore, the benefit should come not only from educational content but also from testing. Tasks should involve all the senses to remember the information qualitatively.

Here is a basic example: if you want to start a series of visual art video tutorials, don't forget to include paintings, exhibition videos, and architecture photos. It will emphasize your expertise and give the course more value. Another example is a course in psychotherapy. Here, fragments of reconstructions of sessions with a psychotherapist will already be appropriate. You can show them to students and then ask them to point out the mistakes of the specialist and suggest ways to correct them.

At the same time, you should not focus on one type of task. In addition to traditional multiple-choice questions, there are other formats. For example, sequencing, retelling, or filling in gaps in sentences also allows you to assess the level of students' knowledge. The more versatile you are in creating tests, the more essential your results will be.

In addition, it is worth setting a random order of questions. Then the students will receive new questions each time they pass the test again. It will allow you to check that the students learned the knowledge and did not remember the answers.

Provide Quality Feedback and Assistance

Most people like it when others recognize their achievements. Therefore, do not forget about this feature of human psychology when creating tests.

It may seem like an almost impossible task to provide a personalized approach to a large number of students. But there are simple ways to win over students. For example, display the phrase “great job” on the screen after passing the test or issue a certificate of completing an electronic course. It will show students that you are very attentive and responsive to them.

What Are the Difficulties of Online Testing and How To Avoid Them

Tests bring significant benefits during eLearning courses. But they have certain drawbacks. Fortunately, they can be fixed with the help of educational platform tools.

Issue

Solution

Cheating

You can block access to classes for the time of the test.

Completion of tasks by other people

Each student enters the educational platform with a personal password. You can also connect to the administration system when the moderator monitors the student's actions through a webcam.

Arranging results

Modern eLearning platforms use advanced protection during tests and particular algorithms to detect falsifications.

Random choice of answers

You can add open interaction question formats. For example, continue a sentence or enter an answer option on an empty line.

Transferring the correct answers to other students

You can set up a random selection of questions in the settings menu. In this case, each student will receive a random set of tasks from a database.

The educational platform has everything you need to provide an objective and efficient knowledge test. And the difficulties with passing online tests are explained quite simply: some people are still more accustomed to completing tasks manually. However, modern verification approaches bring benefits to both teachers and students.

Conclusion

Let's sum it all up. First, online courses allow everyone to gain valuable knowledge. This approach saves time and money. In addition, students acquire crucial skills and experience that can be applied in work or a new profession.

Therefore, do not forget the importance of qualitative knowledge testing during eLearning. Here is a summary of our tips for making your online tests more effective:

1. Create assignments based on the interests and needs of your students.
2. Make knowledge checks regular and set the time limit for answers.
3. Pay due attention to the complexity and variety of tasks for testing.
4. Finally, constantly give positive feedback and issue a document (certificate) on completing the course.

These guidelines will help you create a curriculum that contains valuable knowledge and benefits your students.

We hope that you found this article helpful. If you have any questions about creating tests on the educational platform, write them in the comments below. We will answer them and review the most interesting ones in the following articles.

MailChimp is considered one of the most convenient solutions for beginners. It is compatible with other apps and marketing tools, and you can install it on any device. But for many users, there is one thing - the English-language interface. So let's see how to build up a set of letters and start a mailing campaign in MailChimp.

Benefits of MailChimp

This platform has many advantages:

• free launch of campaigns for databases with up to 2,000 customers (or workflows for 12,000 letters per month);
• additional options, such as creating landing pages, subscription forms, setting up targeted advertising, etc.;
• integration with dozens of analytics platforms and APIs for integration with custom CRM and CMS;
• the convenient work with automated emails through a mobile app;
• tools to segment the audience, send personalized workflows and A/B tests;
• easy to understand interface;
• you do not need to know programming languages to create a campaign so that you can look for everything you need in the constructor.

And now, we will provide a detailed guide for launching your initial set of letters on MailChimp. So let's check it out.

First Steps To Implement MailChimp Platform

Registering process on this platform is straightforward.

1. Open the main page and select the "Sign Up Free" option.
2. Come up with a username, or use your mailbox to sign up.
3. Enter a password of 8 or more characters. It should consist of Latin letters (upper and lower case), at least one number, and a minimum of one symbol.

Attention! Turn off autocomplete when creating an account. Otherwise, you may encounter error #3057 (Too many login attempts). The fact is that autocomplete covers a hidden field to protect against spambots.

1. Click the "Show" button and check if the entered password is correct. If everything is right, click "Get Started."
2. You will get the specific verification email in your mailbox. Just find it in your mailbox and click on the button or copy and paste the attached link to the search bar.

Advice! If you cannot find this letter in your Inbox, open your Spam folder and look for it. We also recommend you check the proper spelling of the email address. There also can be some troubles with registration through corporate mail. Finally, contact your system administrator because, often, the letter does not pass the firewall or spam filters.

1. After confirming your address, the system will offer you to solve a captcha. For example, you need to pick all pictures with images of traffic lights, fire hydrants, or pedestrian crossings.
2. Indicate your first and last name or the company name. In the last option, check if you filled both fields. Click "Continue".
3. Add your company's name, specify a link to the corporate site, and click the "Continue" button.
4. Specify a place of business (your actual address) to check your future letters for compliance with international anti-spam requirements. Here you can enter a corporate address or enter random data. Click "Continue".
5. Select the number of customers in your address database (if any) or indicate their absence. Other options are also possible:

• You do not know about the rights to leverage your customer database.
• Previously, your list had another purpose (e.g., letters about payment for goods or services).
• You are not sure if your address database is correct.
• You do not understand what is meant here.

If here is your case, select "I'm not sure," your option, and click "Continue."

1. MailChimp will also offer to link your Facebook or Twitter account to share your workflow data on social networks. If you are not ready yet, skip the step and click "Continue."
2. Pass the survey to tell us more about your company and get marketing recommendations via emails. It takes no more than a minute. If you are not interested in it, click the "Not right now" button. If yes, click "Ok, Let's Go It."

Then, you can start using the platform for launching email workflows.

Building the First Workflow With the MailChimp Platform

This process divides into four stages:

• domain confirmation for automated letters;
• building a database of addresses;
• creating a letter template;
• launching an email flow.

Verifying a Domain in MailChimp

Before working with the list of customers, you must verify ownership of the domain. Unfortunately, MailChimp does not recommend verifying an address from well-known services (Gmail, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), so you should add the corporate mailbox.

Then, you need to verify the domain on the platform. Here are five key steps:

1. Select "Account," → "Settings," → "Verified domains," → and "Verify a domain."
2. Enter your email and select the "Send Verification Email" option.
3. A verification code will be sent to the specified address, so enter it in a new field.
4. Follow this procedure with the email addresses of other employees who will use Mailchimp to create workflows (if required).
5. Click "Verify another."

Then, start preparing your first chain of letters.

Building a New Workflow

It is the initial step in the process of launching automated emails. First, open your account using the details you used during registration. Next, arrange your addresses in a separate table in Google Sheets, save the database in the CSV format, and import it into the system. You can exploit this algorithm to add several databases (for company clients, employees, partners, etc.).

If you did not connect a particular script for collecting leads on the web page, you should create a table yourself. The MailChimp platform has all the necessary instruments, and it will tell you how to work with the table. You should specify four types of data:

• the name of the creator of the company;
• the address of your client;
• the reason to receive letters;
• the email address of the recipient.

Attention! Switch between fields using the cursor to get all the fields in the table filled.

After that, set up follow or unsubscribe notifications. For example, if you build a workflow for the first time, select "General Activity Alerts." Next, click "Create a list and proceed to import."

Finally, you should upload the CSV file with the address base, confirm the user agreement, click "Next," and confirm the email list creation.

Creating a Letter Template

It is not required to code to build your email flow because all tools are already available in a constructor. You can choose one of three options in the "Templates" tab:

1. "Layouts" (standard work).
2. "Themes" (templates with ready-made pictures and styles).
3. "Code Your Own" (building a unique letter layout).

After choosing an option, you get access to the designer's section. It divides into two parts, the letter body and blocks for building a template. Each element can be moved and edited: by hovering over the block, you can review the available functions and open the context menu by clicking on it. This menu provides instruments to add texts and pictures, insert social media links, etc.

To attach a new element, select the "Content" tab, pick your desired block and drag it into the letter body. The "Design" tab allows you to customize the background, text styles, alignment, and indents and make some changes to the layout of the mobile version.

You can review the intermediate result by clicking the "Preview & Test." Then, when you have finished the work with your template, click "Save & Exit."

Sending Your Actual Workflow</strong >

Select the "Automated" option in the "Campaign" section. For example, let's choose the "Welcome new subscriber" variant as the most popular type of workflow that usually contains a greeting or a promo code for a discount. At the same time, you can gather an unlimited number of letters in one chain and use the "Welcome new subscriber" variant to launch them.

You can choose one of the four options to send your actual workflow:

• regular text;
• text without pictures and formatting;
• three variants for testing the design options and time of sending automated letters;
• a letter about a specific event: subscription, update, product purchase, etc.

Then, specify the sender's name and select the previously loaded address database. Initially, the workflow configures for the entire list, but you can pick individual groups of customers.

If you want to add a new letter to the mailing, click "Add Email" and specify the initial data: sender, recipient, the subject, and the letter template.

In the "Edit Trigger" menu, you can work with the settings for sending a new chain. First of all, we talk about the time to send the letter. Then, you can select "Immediately" or indicate how many hours or days will pass after the automatic welcome letter.

The "Change Trigger" menu allows you to specify the activity that launches your workflow. The standard choice is to send letters after subscription, but you can choose another option. For instance, indicate a specific action — an abandoned cart, a purchase, a new update, etc. In addition, you can select particular clients via the "Trigger when subscribers are imported" section.

With the "Segment" menu, you have an opportunity to work with specific workflow groups. This menu is only available if you have divided the address database into different segments. The "Actions" section helps you assign an action to your receivers.

After that, enter the "Schedule" menu and customize sending for a specific day or time. For example, mailing can go at 10:00 on weekdays.

The following step is sending a test letter via the "Preview and Test" section to check the performance of your workflow.

When you have finished your mailings, click "Schedule Campaign." It will start delayed sending your set of letters. To launch it immediately, click "Save and Exit" and click "Send" and "Send Now."

Conclusion

Let's sum it all up. The MailChimp platform makes the creation of workflows faster and more straightforward. However, you must be careful when building a flow since you cannot correct it after sending letters. Here we are talking more about links and small spelling mistakes. Therefore, remember to send tests, and offer your colleagues to review your workflow.

If you have more questions about launching automated mailings, leave them in the comments. We will use the most interesting ones in our new materials.

Remote work has become more and more popular in recent years. However, this concept isn't new as well as online learning. But the pandemic has made these phenomena the standard because every company has been able to test these concepts in practice and see their undeniable advantages.

Employees are not always ready to return to the office on a full-time job. Therefore, companies are shifting to a hybrid model when office work and remote work are combined. It combines the best practices of team management and employee development.

However, if the company finally switches to a hybrid schedule, then the training of employees should be consistent. You can adapt an existing program or create one from scratch. But designing an effective hybrid learning plan is no easy task. Let's consider the benefits of hybrid training and analyze six simple steps to create a successful training strategy.

Benefits of Hybrid Corporate Training

Hybrid learning provides many new opportunities for workers. Students can improve their productivity and develop healthy habits through efficient hands-on activities. Here are the top 5 benefits of hybrid corporate training.

• Using the principles of experiential learning. In this way, hybrid plans differ from classical briefings, which concern the learning of theoretical knowledge. A practical approach allows you to not only develop the necessary skills. It also encourages students to change their way of completing specific tasks.
• Compliance with actual business processes. It distinguishes hybrid learning from classic virtual instructor-led training (VILT). The reason is quite simple: it allows your employees to apply their knowledge here and now. In this case, you can use both tasks that affect the business and simulations.
• Increase team cohesion. Not every type of distance learning can bring a team together. But hybrid corporate training is quite capable of doing this. Using the trial-and-error method, students fail first and then turn to their colleagues for help (they possibly have not collaborated before). As a result, they compare their experiences and help each other.
• The fun of the learning process. Gaining new knowledge should be fun. Therefore, it is not uncommon for hybrid corporate training plans to include game mechanics, visual elements, or business environment modeling. It creates a fun and exciting process, allowing students to acquire new knowledge and skills qualitatively.
• Using unique techniques to preserve knowledge. Quite often, employee training is designed around the forgetting curve. They include only ordinary video viewing or text reading and regular repetition of information. Such an approach will help assimilate vital knowledge and retain it in long-term memory.

These advantages help to combine traditional methods with an online environment qualitatively. However, any curriculum should also include learning outcomes.

What Should Be the Possible Learning Outcomes

There can be one or more learning outcomes in the plan. Here are examples of specific goals for hybrid corporate training:

• Improving leadership qualities by developing vital character traits for a healthy corporate culture. It will allow students to reach new heights within the department and the company.
• Increasing the productivity and experience of the personnel. More specific results can be an increase in the speed and effectiveness of projects, a decrease in stress levels, and the creation of conditions for the development of employees, regardless of social signs.
• Strengthening the involvement of employees. If an employee can name his manager as one of the primary company values, it shows a high level of the corporate culture.
• Improve business performance by aligning your hybrid corporate learning plan with your company's current strategy and needs.

All these aspects are crucial for business development. Therefore, you should think carefully about the goals of hybrid employee training.

6 Steps to Create a Hybrid Training Plan

At first, it seems impossible to develop an effective curriculum. But if you understand in which direction to move, you will succeed. Let's look at six steps for creating or adapting a hybrid corporate training plan.

Assess Your Needs

Despite the general transition of the business to an online environment, the concept of a hybrid schedule is different in each company. Therefore, it is not always obvious what your employees need to be able to build and implement an effective business strategy.

First and foremost, you should analyze the level of preparation of your employees and their current knowledge. Next, find out which skills are most in-demand in your industry. Then, it is better to ask the employees' opinions on what they want to know or study for further work. The last aspect is the ratio of the training format (office/remote). The feedback you receive will help you create relevant content and deliver it in the best possible way. This approach will allow you to analyze the current and future students' needs.

If your content does not meet the requirements of the students, they can quickly forget what they learned before. Therefore, it is vital to assess the needs of the business and satisfy them with the help of high-quality training of employees. You also need to review the training strategy regularly. After all, content should always correspond to the business goals and the audience.

Focus On Improving Communication Within Your Team

As in any other case, disagreements can also arise in a hybrid team. The reasons are different, from different views on the task to personal conflicts. Many companies prefer to develop interpersonal communication through special training sessions.

You should take the creation of a communication curriculum seriously. It should consider all issues related to your team. For example, you can work out the skills of email correspondence or work in instant messengers. At first, there is nothing easier than writing a letter. However, its proper design directly affects the efficiency of the hybrid team and avoids conflicts between employees.

Put Yourself in the Student’s Shoes

You may not always be able to clearly define what is needed to maintain and increase the employees' productivity. It is especially noticeable in hybrid teams, where employees have different experience levels and preferences regarding acquiring new knowledge.

Before developing a curriculum, you should learn more about the students' problems and the most critical issues. For example, what do your students need to master new skills? At what stage do they understand that they need to improve their current abilities to increase personal productivity? When will they be ready to share their experience with other people?

Plus, remember about a human-centered approach when creating the training plan. It will help to prioritize and adapt it to hybrid corporate learning. That is how students can easily find answers to their questions in a constant stream of information.

Customize Content for Your Employees

As we said earlier, online learning is an excellent choice for teams worldwide. However, it should not be the only way to learn. After all, you probably have employees who can come to the office.

Employees probably have their schedules, which directly affect all processes in the company. Therefore, be sure to take this into account when creating courses.

For example, some learning materials may be asynchronous (that is, students can review them at any convenient time). It will be helpful for both office workers and remote workers who find it complicated to find time for self-study. Allow employees to focus on vital tasks and access the educational platform only when they can concentrate. This approach helps to remember much more new information.

In addition, you can apply a microlearning strategy to increase student engagement. Dividing the program into short sessions increases concentration and memorization of new knowledge. Again, ordinary psychology works here: a person can better remember one concept at a time than a dozen in an hour and a half lesson.

Interact With Your Audience

Your content should be valuable for all employees. But it is equally important to understand how the place of work affects the quality of tasks. Therefore, you must work with each student individually and help learn the nuts and bolts of their position.

For example, content for a remote team might include online customer service sessions. You can also tell how to concentrate on working from home or being effective in the office. However, there is one obligatory concept for everyone - cybersecurity. After all, the success of the entire company depends on the correct behavior of each employee on the web.

In any case, you must constantly interact with the audience. It will allow you to create consistent and valuable content for each employee and understand if you need to develop unique courses for specific teams.

Choose a Modern Learning Management Platform

Every company that shifts to a hybrid work model understands the importance of eLearning. In this case, the approach depends on each specific team. For example, some people like to take courses in the office, while others like to watch videos online at any convenient time. The latter option is excellent for teams that work in different time zones.

But despite the convenience of hybrid learning for employees, eLearning creates problems for organizers. So, training in the office depends entirely on logistics. And if you regularly run classes for different teams and constantly monitor their progress, you face new difficulties.

A quality LMS will help solve this problem. It allows you to create engaging and dynamic eLearning courses compatible with a hybrid approach. So, you can attend classes in the office and do practical work online. Plus, convenient analytics tools will help you easily track progress in employee training. For example, you can create the first module in just 30 minutes.

Conclusion

Let's sum it up briefly. Hybrid corporate training has many nuances, so you should seriously develop a curriculum and apply it to practice. However, a high-quality adaptation of existing programs or starting from scratch has advantages. It allows you to guarantee the successful development of the company. Moreover, students can increase the personal efficiency and productivity of the entire team.

We hope that you found our article helpful. If you have any questions about creating training programs, leave them in the comments. We will answer and consider the most interesting ones in the following articles.