The document discusses ways to make eLearning more engaging and meaningful compared to traditional lecture-based online courses. It suggests using presentations with animation and narration, demonstrations to guide learners, practice activities with real-world context, labs for hands-on learning, assessments gamified into games, resources to support research, team activities to promote interaction, and ways for learners to get help through questions. The overall goal is to create rich learning environments combining different techniques.

1. MAKING eLEARNING Meaningful Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 www.ciu20.org

2. Steve Spengler, Coordinator Educational Technology Services [email_address] 610-515-6533

3. THIS IS BORING

4. Talking heads Books dumped online Virtual un-reality classrooms

5. THIS IS ENGAGING

7. PRESENTATIONS Use animation and narration to clearly explain concepts, principles, facts, and procedures

8. Give learners control Provide immediate practice Tell stories

9. DEMONSTRATIONS Guide learners through a procedure or environment

10. Guided tours Getting started videos Tutorials

11. PRACTICE ACTIVITIES Provide a way to practice, practice, and practice some more

12. Put learning into a real-world context Monitor progress Provide support, coaching, practice

13. LABS ( laboratories ) Use labs for hands-on practice and discovery

14. Allow imitation then innovation Direct learners Make goals flexible

15. ASSESSMENT Make tests, quizzes, and self-evaluations more appealing

16. Make learning terminology fun Turn assessments into game shows!

17. READING AND RESEARCH Help learners identify, evaluate, and use external sources of knowledge

18. Link to other resources Send learners on a treasure hunt WebQuests are exploratory!

19. TEAM ACTIVITIES Bring distant learners together to promote interaction

20. Allow learners to play roles Integrate directly into content

21. ASKING QUESTIONS Make it easy and convenient for learners to get answers to their questions

22. Invite comments at any time Email IM Telephone Face to Face

23. TOURS AND TRIPS Visit examples in the wild… … and in the museum

24. Museums as tools to search Field trips and virtual tours

25. JOB AIDS Tools to encourage and facilitate

26. Calculators Ask an Expert

27. COMBINE LEARNING EXPERIENCES Create rich, sophisticated, learning environments from simple activities

28. Make learners salivate with excitement

29. MAKING eLEARNING Meaningful Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 www.ciu20.org