How to Select the Right Online Learning Platform

With access to an abundance of Online Learning Platform options; how can you ensure you are selecting the most suitable platform for your student learning journey?

In a previous article, I spoke about the transition to online teaching. One recommendation was to create a minimum requirements checklist that supports your analysis and research on suitable platforms.

I referred to this process as an MVP — minimum viable performance checklist. While an MVP is more commonly known as a minimum viable product my recommendation is to adopt a similar process.

Let’s expand on this a little further.

An MVP is used to define the minimum features a product needs to have prior to being available to its users. We see this most commonly in the software industry when a beta version is released, allowing the feature to go through vigorous testing, by the actual users, to collate feedback, conduct analysis and make improvements.

Then, of course, we rinse and repeat!

We use this process often when we are modifying class lessons, student activities and assessment to ensure continuous improvement.

If this method has been proven successful across multiple businesses and industries, why do we not put online learning platforms through the same scrutiny?

Taking the time to identify the effective eLearning functions and features before design will save you time in the long run. It will negate the situation of manipulating functionalities to deliver the desired results, creating a smooth learning journey free from chaos and confusion.

Here are my recommendations:

Step 1: Determine learning outcomes and KSAs

Clearly identify the learning outcomes of your entire course or at least the eLearning sections — for now. Further, break these outcomes into the knowledge the student needs to attain, the skills they need to demonstrate and the abilities they will grow — otherwise referred to as the KSAs.

This will form the basis of the learning journey, allowing you to create a strong foundation that will support your students in achieving their objectives — with all content leading back to the learning outcomes.

Step 2: Brainstorming lessons and activities

Select a tool for mind mapping and start to brainstorm! Begin by collaborating with your peers as to what lesson types, student activities and assessments will support the student in attaining competency. Write all these down.

Consider these questions:

• What types of activities will support the student in learning?
• What tools will enhance the transfer of knowledge?
• Which activities can encourage active participation?
• How will the student demonstrate their skills?

Now that you have an idea of the types of content and activities you want to build; consider the functionality you want your platform to have and continue building your mindmap.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want the learning journey to look like?
• How do you want the student to transition between lessons? Is there a menu tab easily visible?
• Will you restrict students from progressing until pre-requisites are attained?
• Will students have access to all content, or will you have drip content?
• How will courses be purchased? Standalone, bundles or both?
• Are they always to remain on the one screen or do you want lessons and links to open in new tabs?
• How will they interact with the platform?
• Do they need to download an app and is it easily accessible?
• Can the system support external files?
• Can you send reminders and track student progress?

It is vital that the platform you choose meets your minimum requirements. Adapting a lesson to fit an unsuitable online platform can be detrimental to the learning journey.

This leads nicely into the next process.

Step 3: Create a Storyboard

Begin to map out the desired learning journey by creating a storyboard. There are many techniques, tools and applications you can utilise to complete this step.

Regardless of which you choose, the outcome is that you have a clear structure outlining how a student transitions from attaining knowledge to demonstrating their application of skills, and, eventually, building on both of these.

This process will allow you to clearly see any gaps in the learning or where a combination of lessons simply does not blend well; providing an opportunity to reshuffle the delivery of content.

These identified gaps can be replaced with suitable or additional supporting lessons and activities. At this point, I recommend to return to you mindmap and ensure any new functionalities or requirements are accounted for.

Step 4: List and Prioritise

We now organise the mindmap into a logical list of required functionality and features so we can start to priorities. You are at liberty to choose whichever prioritising system works best for you. Should it be colour-coding, ABC method or points-based; the purpose is to ascertain which are MUST HAVE features and which are NICE TO HAVE features.

You now have your MVP Checklist!

Now you can easily search for an online learning platform that is going to meet all your requirements. During your search, you may find that your requirements are supported by utilising multiple applications and authoring tools that can all be launched from the one platform

Happy searching!