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Perhaps you are in the process of setting up digital education. Or are you looking into other forms of online learning. Then you are most likely already aware of a major advantage that e-learning offers. Namely, that you can ensure that your students can gain knowledge in many different ways.
These forms go beyond just reading, watching and listening. This is because online, there is the possibility to make real-life simulations. Or to set up an interactive game. Acquiring knowledge in various ways provides a rich learning experience, which contributes to better learning efficiency. Creating such a rich learning experience is done with the help of digital tools. In this blog, we provide 4 examples of effective digital tools for use in education or elsewhere.
But what are digital education tools actually?
Digital education tools are technological tools that you can use to prepare, support, or enrich your lesson. E-learning is an example of a digital tool. But in addition to e-learning, there are many other tools you can use to give your students an optimal learning experience!
In addition, digital tools are ideal for a long-term behavioral change to achieve. Think about teaching a new learning strategy that you want your students to keep applying themselves in the long term.
A challenge, but with digital tools, this is possible! Provided, of course, the e-learning meets certain conditions. In this blog, we give examples of digital tools that contribute to effective and long-term behavioral change.
1. Microlearning
Microlearning also falls under the category educational tools. It consists of small, manageable pieces of information that are aimed at achieving a certain learning goal. Often, these pieces of information are put into an attractive media format such as podcasts, gifs, videos, quizzes, and so on. As a result, the information is easily and quickly accessible from various devices such as a laptop, tablet and phone. And you can learn in just a few minutes.
Microlearning is extremely suitable for achieving small steps in behavioral change. For example, think of making a 3-5 minute video showing what the student can do each day to make progress. Or discuss one important message per microlearning that the student should really hear. The clearer, more focused and shorter the message, the greater the chance that the message will actually stick. Provided it is also presented in a fun, interesting and convincing way, of course.
You may be familiar with the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Here, Clear discusses that small changes in habits can have a huge impact on long-term behavior.
The book provides a clear example. Because if a pilot were to adjust his plane by 3.5 degrees, do you think a lot would change? It doesn't seem like much, huh? Nevertheless, the plane arrives at a different destination. It's the same with habits. A small change in behavior can lead to major changes in the outcome.
Moreover, the shorter the learning intervention, the greater the chance that someone is willing to learn. In our busy lives, it's simply easier to free up 5 minutes than an hour or more. With a short learning element, such as a video with daily tips, there is a good chance that the student will also complete the next microlearning.
And so it is a misconception that these lightning-fast learning moments are not effective. Especially when we talk about behavioral change. Daily repetition is simply the key to permanent behavioral change!
2. Start a community
You might not expect it, but a community certainly also falls under the category digital tools. A community of people who have the same behavioral change in mind is a rock-solid tool for achieving behavioral change. For example, consider a group of people who all want to lose weight. Or a number of entrepreneurs who all want to be visible on social media. Or just a group of enthusiastic people who want to learn a certain skill.
After all, we humans are social beings and find recognition from our fellow human beings important. Whether we want to admit it or not.
That is why starting a community is an ideal way for students to support, help and encourage each other during the process towards the desired behavioral change. You can do this by creating a joint group on Facebook. Here you then pay weekly, or even daily, attention to celebrating successes. Offering additional challenges or in-depth material is also an effective addition. Also, don't discount the ability to ask questions or share information with each other!
If you're looking for online teaching tools, it's a bit more obvious. The class is a community! It is then a missed opportunity if you did nothing with it. Benefit from each other by using tools that allow students to ask each other questions about the subject matter themselves. So you have two birds with one stone! Coming up with questions leads to a deeper processing of the material. And you don't have to do it anymore!
For example, implement the following digital tools:
3. Gamification & real-life simulations
When we talk about digital tools for education, gamification is perhaps the most striking. For children and young people, there's nothing like playing a fighting game with each other.
But don't underestimate it. Adults are often just as competitive when it comes down to it ;-)
Gamification is using game elements to make learning activities more challenging and fun. In addition, traditional game elements are used to increase engagement in learning. This includes scoring points, competing with others and following the rules of the game. In addition, receiving feedback on your learning process is also essential to stay motivated.
For example, if a student sees that another student earned more stars, points, or awards that week, this encourages them to show more commitment and finish higher on the digital leaderboard. This game element can form the basis for interesting (or funny) conversations. That's when learning really comes to life.
In addition, gamification can also be used effectively to make students aware of the added value of behavioral change. Because the first step towards an effective change in behavior is for someone to understand that it is actually going to help them in daily life. So, for example, that the new learning strategy will actually lead to better grades...
This is because gamification actually brings what you have learned to live. Especially when it comes in the form of virtual role-playing games. If the virtual role-playing games are arranged in such a way that different answers lead to different outcomes, we speak of a real-life simulation.
For example, training on how someone can become more assertive. You could confront someone in the game with a cheeky interlocutor. If someone then responds from old patterns (too restrained or too polite), you can make the other party react more and more rudently and aggressively. However, if someone responds from new knowledge gained about assertiveness, the conversation then leads to a better, more constructive outcome in the simulation.
So you see that online tools being able to get very close to physical learning moments.
Very nice tips are:
4. Analytics
Finally, it's always good to make use of a digital tool that allows you to monitor progress. To stimulate new behavior, it helps to analyze existing behavior. How often are your students active in e-learning? At what times of the day? For how long? What do they interact with?
Collect this information and explain it to yourself. This tells you exactly how to organise your training even more effectively so that you meet the student's needs.
Perhaps you also offer “live” online sessions or “Q&As”? Then this data can tell you exactly when you are most likely to have the largest number of students present and thus reach the largest number of people.
An effective tool to get started with analytics is, of course, the electronic learning environment by Pluvo. Here's where you turn in no time issue reports with data about your students. This way, you can see what percent they got right and how long they spent on a teaching module within your e-learning. Within this online learning environment, you can integrate an infinite number of digital tools. Think about Mentimeter, Kahoot, PowerPoint, or a tool that lets you have online meetings.
We have just a few examples of effective e-learning tools mentioned, which can be used to achieve behavioral change. Digitisation, as a supplement to physical education, not only makes learning easier, but also more fun and interactive. There is simply more possible! As a final tip, we would like to say that it is advisable to combine synchronous tools with asynchronous tools. By synchronous tools, we mean that your students use the technological learning tool at the same time. With asynchronous tools, your students are busy at different times, in their own time.
The mix of synchronous tools with asynchronous tools is also known as blended education mentioned and contributes to a better absorption of the subject matter!
You don't have to ask us that more often. We are happy to think along with you. Take contact contact us to discuss the options.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
