How can I help online learners manage their workload?
Course design and workload
Chunking
Learners can often cope with online information more easily if it is broken up into manageable ‘chunks’. This applies to web based information such as the density of text in reading resources and can also apply to course structure.
Having discrete modules or units allows learners to visualise their progress more easily and can give them a sense of satisfaction at the completion of each section.
This technique can work with deadlines as a way to help learners stay on track.
Keep a balance between group and individual tasks
Group based activities such as discussions, collaborative projects or paired activities will often take considerably more time than individual tasks as learners have to fit in with the work schedules of others.
This is particularly true if communication is asynchronous (not in real time) as delays in responses can spread a discussion out over days, even weeks.
Ensuring you have a reasonable balance between task types and enough time between group-based tasks can help learners manage their workload.
Understand what the workload actually is
You may be underestimating how much time learners will be spending reading resources, communicating with each other and completing activities.
This can be especially true if a course has been converted from traditional face-to-face to online delivery, as the latter often requires a lot of active learning and doesn’t accommodate the same level of passive learning, such as listening, that face-to-face does. If in doubt, study the course yourself.
Plan for work that can be done offline
Work done whilst online can often be more time consuming due to time delays in accessing web pages, differences in download speeds, the difficulty of reading text on a computer and the general unreliability of online technology.
You can help learners work off-line by having course materials and reading resources that can be easily downloaded or printed and by using asynchronous communication.
Use reliable technology
The reliability of online technology can never be guaranteed but you can help learners by hosting your own resources (course materials, communication areas, reading material), by aiming to fix technical problems promptly, by using ‘low-tech’ facilities and by having back-up options of all key course areas if there is ever a major failure.
Online facilitators aren’t necessarily technical gurus, although it’s understandable why some learners would assume they were. Make sure you have a technical person available that can help and support you with technical issues that arise.
Learning styles
Because each individual learner will have his or her own style of learning, it’s important that your online course design is engaging, stimulating and challenging for a range of learning styles.
Try to minimise passive learning activities such as reading text, and add some visual interest to your online course by using effective colour design and screen layouts. Incorporate as much active learning as possible, and remember to utilise discussions as a learning tool.