How to Create a Strong Lesson Format
1. Write a title and short description for each lesson. When learners enter your course, they will see all of the individual lessons listed (shown below). Use this space to summarize, explain the key points, or to highlight the benefits of the lesson.
2. Write a short overview and 2-3 learning objectives. These objectives should focus a learner’s attention on the “meat” of the lesson and provide them insight into what they should be able to do, know, or understand by the end of the lesson. Make sure they are aligned to your overall course objectives and goals.
3. Use the blue headers to title sections, pose questions, or highlight important key terms. As shown below, break content into smaller sections and use checklists to help learners digest content in smaller chunks.
If you have a lot of content to include in a particular section or lesson, consider more bit-sized chunks that someone can complete in a short amount of time as within Corrections, Learners may have to stop suddenly for many reasons.
Therefore, the shorter, more digestible pieces of content you can set out for Learners, the easier it is for them to resume where they left off. In general, try to limit the quantity of text available to the following:
- >1,500 words
- 2-3 Engagement Questions
- 1-3 Videos, PDFS, or Images
4. Insert images to help learners visualize complex concepts. Images could also be illustrations, photos, tables, gifs, or cartoons that help learners connect with the content.
5. Include a lesson recap. Use short lists or paragraphs to review key concepts. These should be concepts covered in the lesson and relate back to the objectives you outlined. They will also help a learner know if they understood the lesson well enough to move on.
6. Conclude the lesson with 3-5 questions that relate to the lesson objectives. Multiple choice, true/false, or open ended questions are all excellent ways to check in with learners and help them reflect on how well they understood the concepts covered in the lesson.
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