E-learning is all about retaining attention as well as interest of the learner in such a way that she or he accomplishes the objectives of going through the course. In order to ensure this, many learning techniques are out so that the learners can learn in the best possible manner. Although it is true that learning is at its best when the learner sets the goals, the learning strategies play an effective role in helping the learners to get the most out of the course. Therefore, implementing the most effective strategy for maximum learning is an indispensable responsibility of an instructional designer.
One of the most common but highly effective learning strategies is progressive revealing information in a visual manner. For example, you can show a procedure as sequential visuals and highlight each one as you explain. You can highlight the first visual and talk about it while fading out the others. This gives enough time to the learners to remember and recall information about that particular visual. Even the experts are of the opinion that this instructional strategy is powerful in storing the information in the long-term memory. Overloading the memory with all information at once increases the chance of the learner to forget it. However, splitting the information into different pieces and concentrating only on one piece at a time makes it easier to understand and digest.
Another great way to initiate learning with interest is a role-based simulation, a learner-centred strategy. With the help of relevant roles, you can convert your learners into role models or active participants. Such a dynamic technique has a great impact on the learners, as they are encouraged to take their own actions in a particular scenario. Moreover, they are able to understand and store more information quickly. Such a technique can also help the learners to identify and rectify the mistakes happening in the same situation in real world. You can implement such a technique via a myriad of ways, such as modelling and observation. For example, you can animate an interactive scenario wherein the learner is a business manager who wishes to learn how to prepare a project plan.
Even mind maps are useful, as they aid the learners to think on a broader basis but creatively. A mind map is much more than including some words and lines; it is actually a tool to generate, restructure and classify. It aids in dealing with overloaded information by understanding via links and relations, all trapped in a single panorama.