When it comes to online courses, less is definitely more. In general, people have shorter attention spans when they’re taking an online course as opposed to sitting in a physical classroom. As such, it’s important to keep your lessons concise and to the point. That said, don’t feel like you have to condense everything into bite-sized pieces—just make sure each lesson covers one specific topic.

 

We live in a visually-driven world, so ensure your course reflects that. Including engaging videos and graphics will not only break up the text but will also help capture and hold your students’ attention. Plenty of sites (like Canva) offer easy-to-use tools for creating high-quality visuals if you’re not particularly well-versed in graphic design.

 

Not all assessments need to take the form of a traditional essay or multiple-choice test. In fact, incorporating different types of assessments—like fill-in-the-blank exercises and matching games—can actually be more effective in gauging your students’ comprehension levels. And if you really want to mix things up, try incorporating group projects or case studies into your course material.

 

There’s no denying that technology has changed the education landscape—so why not take advantage of it? If you’re not already using an online learning management system (LMS), now might be the time to invest in one. An LMS will allow you to create a comprehensive online learning experience for your students by incorporating all of your course content—lessons, videos, assessments, etc.—into one easy-to-navigate platform. 

 

Lastly, don’t forget to get feedback from your students! Not only will this help you improve your current course offering, but it will also give you some great ideas for future courses down the road. You can collect feedback by sending out surveys at the end of each session or by setting up a forum where students can post questions and comments.