Four Secrets to Creating Engaging Digital Content

The birth of the internet in the 90s did more than just change the way we communicate, it changed the way we learn. Learning material today is more accessible and personalized than ever, making it dynamic and enticing to learners.

It can be difficult to know how to personalize your learning material, so Jonathan Halls, the Founder and Principal of Jonathan Halls Consulting, gave us four secrets to create engaging digital content in our on-demand webinar How to Use Digital Content to Give the Learner More Control.

1. On-Demand Content

Before anything else, make sure your content is on-demand. Creating lessons that are pre-recorded and accessible at any time gives the learner the control. They are able to access it no matter what time zone they’re in and what platform they’re on. This ensures that the material is self-directed and set at a comfortable pace.

2. Interactive

Traditional learning content was very one-way, meaning the facilitator would talk at their students with no opportunity for feedback. Today, adult learners look for content that enables active participation in the form of games, discussions, and more. However, in the pursuit of interactivity, don’t make your content too hampered down with miscellaneous information. Use hyperlinks to further reading so students can choose how in-depth they want to study. Additionally, animations and online games are great ways to make your lessons easily digestible. Adding additional content like chats, blogs, and social media allows students to talk to one another and share ideas. This greatly increases learning retention. Even something like allowing user-generated content increases the students’ feeling of being involved in the lesson.

3. Shared Authorship

Learners value shared experiences. It helps them remember the material and feel connected, and bringing users together to create content for your page is a great way to ensure this. Give users the opportunity to submit their ideas or collaborate to create online work. 

4. Non-linear

Today’s learners are self-directed and have a strong foundation of prior knowledge, according to Jonathan. They need to have content that matches that. Give your learners more control by allowing them to decide what concepts to learn and when. Provide your chapters in a video format and allow them to search through the text you post.

[Webinar] How to Use Digital Content to Give the Learner More Control

Traditional media’s rigid schedules and one-way learning is long gone. Today’s students value open communication with interactive elements. Make sure your lessons are giving the most to students by checking out our on-demand webinar with Jonathan Halls.