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During an e-learning, students gain a lot of knowledge. They read articles, they watch videos, listen to podcasts, and absorb the information.
Now, as a company, of course, you don't want it to stop here. If you invest in the professional development of your employees, you want them to translate into practice.
How do they apply the acquired knowledge and skills in their daily work practice?
Reflection is an important part of learning. During reflection, students reflect on how they apply the knowledge they have acquired, what skills they use and how they feel about this. Reflection helps to make the important transition from theory to practice.
How do you apply reflection in e-learning?
When you challenge students to think actively, they are much more likely to remember the course material.
For example, posting a statement that students can discuss, a link to a related event in the news, or links to social media channels where the topic is being discussed or discussed.
Asking open questions also encourages reflection on what the student has learned and how he or she applies this to their own life.
Letting students search for practical examples themselves is also an effective way of translating passive knowledge into actively thinking.
The teaching material only really comes to life when the students reflect on it together. This can be done in several ways.
For example, present students with a practical problem, divide them into small groups, and let them solve the problem.
When the small groups then share their solutions with each other, a valuable exchange occurs.
During this exchange, there is a good chance that students will be confronted with different ways of thinking and a different approach.
This ensures reflection on their own knowledge and skills and encourages them to think “outside of the box”.
A blog is a valuable tool for reflection. Students can post their contributions in an accessible way and fellow students can then easily provide feedback on them. The student then applies this feedback again in a subsequent blog post.
At the same time, this creates a portfolio that clearly shows the student's growth.
You can also use a blog to post a case study that students will then comment on.
“Mapping your learning” can be difficult for many students - it's just a somewhat vague assignment. However, there are many ways to let students make their “learning journey” visual.
For example, they can keep a “log” that shows when they are working on which topic, what sources they consult, what questions they had while learning and how they subsequently answered them, etc.
In this way, the student also has a clear view of their progress and can get timely help should he or she get stuck.
Another way to make a learning process, or, for example, a brainstorm session, visual is to create mind maps. The teacher can start an online mind map by placing a topic or statement in the middle of the mind map and students can then supplement the mind map with their own ideas, questions, sources, illustrations, etc. A mind map then becomes a creative representation (and a valuable reflection) of the group's thinking.
Photo collages are also very suitable for this and are just a little bit more personal than a mind map..
Students often want to know where they are.
Interim feedback moments are a valuable way to reflect on learning in the meantime.
These feedback moments can be designed in various ways. For example, consider an interim quiz.
However, if the student answers a question incorrectly, it is important that immediate feedback is then available - for example, by directly displaying the correct answer and providing sources where the student can then find more information and clarification on this topic.
Another example is splitting orders. Do students submit a major assignment at the end of the training? Then let them submit smaller subassignments in the meantime, which you will then provide feedback on.
This way, the students know exactly where they still need to make adjustments to ultimately achieve a good result.
Offering practical examples and practice scenarios is perhaps the best way to translate theoretical knowledge into practical skills.
When the students are presented with a real-life scenario, this immediately makes it clear where they feel confident in their skills and knowledge and where they don't yet.
That is why it is also important here not to wait until the end of the training to offer practical examples.
Role-playing is an effective example for practicing practical skills. For example, talking to customers, practicing management skills, having bad news conversations, etc. These role-playing games are recorded and the fellow students then provide feedback.
So reflection is an important part of learning. E-learning offers students various ways to reflect on their learning process and to switch effectively between theory and practice.
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!
