Category: Digital learning

As a team who works as an extension of our clients’ teams in the non-profit and healthcare sectors, we’ve undoubtedly all experienced the challenges of 2023 together.

Budgets have become more restricted, whilst the demand for services have soared. It’s been a bumpy ride.

But, what has emerged this year, is that more than ever, the spotlight is now firmly on digital learning, with many more charities and non-profits exploring its versatility as not only a means to provide access to a wider audience of learners, but also a force to greatly amplify their brand voice and impact much beyond their budget and scale.

Digital resilience

We know charities are creative, innovative and resilient, it’s in their nature.

In 2024, we feel this will mean embracing digital in all its glory, joining the digital dots to create a bigger, more unified and impactful message, and using digital platforms to amplify that message like never before, and in a way that can help create a more passive and sustainable income stream to support their growth objectives.

So, here are our predictions for the digital learning trends for 2024.

Gaming for good

The use of VR and AR can help create immersive learning experiences, allowing learners to step into virtual situations. This kind of learning is memorable and helps build an understanding of and alignment with the people they seek to support.

The downside to VR and AR is that this may be out of reach because of high costs to develop, however using video and animation can be a great, more cost-effective way to turn educational content into storytelling, or simulations to educate learners and keep them actively involved in the learning process without investing heavily in VR.

You can see a sample of our work in digital learning, animation and video in our Eggu showreel.

AI

The landscape of digital learning is continually evolving, and as we step into 2024, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a transformative force within digital learning.

Although its impact on content generation has sparked debates among educators and industry stakeholders around the elimination of human creativity, its speed and efficiency can provide a free and effective additional resource to generate outline learning ideas, structure content and break down language barriers.

User-centred experiences

Digital learning gives us so much opportunity to better understand our learners, and to create a unique and tailored learning experience, but at the moment our reporting is most widely used to track enrolments and completion rates.

By further enhancing our analytics of how our learners engage, we can truly create tailored and intuitive digital learning. In 2024, we should all be looking to create more user-centred learning by using the data we have available.

Accessibility

Accessibility needs to be embedded in everything we do, and as a sector we should be leading the way. In 2024, accessibility should mean everyone can access digital learning, and that every piece of learning content should be accessible. It’s something we feel so passionate about, we’ve assigned our own internal accessibility champion to review and ensure accessibility best-practice for everything we do.

For more information, why not start our four-part mini-series on how to create accessible digital learning?

Micro-learning

When focus and time is at a minimum, bite-sized, easily digestible content is key to a successful digital learning program, which can engage learners wherever and wherever it suits them. In a time when the majority of people are now home based, this is also key to company-wide training initiatives.

Not only will this help your digital learning to reach more remote learners, it’s also critical to organisations who need to train on the move, like our range of ambulance service clients, when rolling out urgent training during the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Why not check out more about our work and game-changing projects with charities and health-based organisations in our cracking digital learning guide?

You can also take a look at our demo micro-learning course, all about Eggu, to see how it works in action.

Innovation in Action: Brook Learn

We’ve proudly worked with leading sexual health charity, Brook over the last 8 years. Over that time we’ve developed their digital learning to include an award-winning digital course on Consent, designed bespoke animations to support them to lobby the government over sexual health policies and we host the Brook Learn platform, which houses a range of online training courses, resources, animations and videos for teachers to support the delivery of effective relationships and sex education (RSE) in schools.

Year on year, we have seen a consistent increase in engagement with Brook Learn. Today, we now have over 32,000 users registered, and the rate of growth continues to rise. Now Brook can easily track user activity data, which demonstrates an increase in user knowledge and confidence after completing Brook digital learning, with the majority of users ranking the online training as easy to access, useful, relevant, engaging and well-structured.

Brook Learn has not only helped to build brand awareness but has introduced the charity to whole new markets, with users in almost all local authority areas in the UK.

It has unlocked the opportunity to develop paid for content and market new education products to a growing list of subscribers. The latest figures for 2021-22 show that 36% of educational income at Brook has come from digital products developed with Eggu.

“ The digital learning we’ve created together over the last eight years is changing young people’s lives – that’s no easy task.”

Laura Hamzic, Director of Digital and Communications
Brook

You can find out more about some of our recent projects with Brook in the following blogs:

• My Best Friend Fund
• Consent

Eggu is ready to push the boundaries, and create change

Let’s get cracking.

Part 1: Top tips for writing content

Welcome to our four part guide on accessibility for digital learning. In this first blog we will explore four key points you need to consider when writing content to make your elearning accessible for everyone, including those with learning, visual, physical and auditory difficulties.

1. Bullet points

Bullet points are commonly used to introduce a list of points or itemise items in numerical or alphabetical order.

They can also be used to draw attention to important information, making it easy for the reader to pick out key points when scanning content. It is important that bullet point content is written in a way that a screen reader can read successfully.

Therefore, make sure to keep the following in mind:

• Always capitalise the first letter, with the exception of lists using a semicolon.
• Make sure to use punctuation, such as a full stop at the end of each bullet point, to indicate to a screen reader there is a pause before reading the next point. If you do not do this, the screen reader will read the bullet points as one continuous sentence.

2. Fonts

Although it can be fun to play around with different font types to jazz up text, this can cause issues for accessibility.

People with learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, can find it difficult to read text where letters are too close together, for example. This is also the case for capitalised words, e.g. “THIS IS THE TITLE”.

For easy reading, Sans Serif fonts are recommended, such as Arial and Comic Sans. These fonts appear less crowded, meaning it is easier to identify the individual letters being used.

3. Styles

The use of italics is not recommended for accessibility purposes as italic words become slanted, and the letters appear to have jagged lines making it more difficult to make out the words clearly for some users.

Instead, try using a bold type to highlight words of importance. This is easier to read and can also draw clearer attention to the content.

4. Quotes

Usually to visually indicate a quote, we might use quotation marks, and the source name is placed underneath. However, in this format, a screen reader will read the quote out as if it was just another sentence, making it unclear to users this content is a quote.

It is therefore important to explicitly state that forthcoming content is a quote from a certain source, before the quote itself is presented.

What’s next?

In part two, we’ll look closer at how to write link text for effective digital learning.

Part 2: Top tips for writing link text

Let’s talk about the good stuff that comes with online learning. This modern way of learning, with all its technology and cool methods, brings a bunch of benefits to students, teachers, and organisations. So, here’s a rundown of the perks:

Learning Your Way

Online learning is super flexible. You can learn when and where you want. Got a busy schedule? No problem. Different learning styles? It’s got you covered. And those geographical limits? Poof, they’re gone. You can learn from your cozy couch or your favourite cafe.

Learning Made for You

Online learning treats you like the unique person you are. It’s like a tailor-made education. Computers track how you learn and serve up lessons that match you perfectly. This personalised approach makes learning interesting, and you’ll get it faster.

Super Cool Resources

The internet is like a treasure chest of learning stuff. From videos and interactive tools to virtual trips and more, it’s way cooler than old-school textbooks. These resources make learning fun and take you deep into the subjects.

Teaming Up Globally

With online learning, you’re part of a big worldwide team. Virtual classrooms, chats, and tools let you connect with people from all over. You can chat, share ideas, and work together on projects, even if you’re miles apart.

Learning for Life

Online learning isn’t just for school. You can keep learning your whole life. Cool courses, webinars, and learning platforms are all at your fingertips. So, whether you’re a pro or just curious, you can keep adding skills and knowledge.

Savings in Your Pocket

Online learning can save you money. Online courses are often cheaper than in-person classes. Plus, you’ll skip costs like commuting, textbooks, and accommodation. Businesses also save by training employees online, cutting down on travel and paper costs.

Instant Feedback

Online learning gives you quick feedback. Online quizzes and assignments let you know how you’re doing right away. Teachers can track your progress and help you where you need it. It’s like having a learning buddy always by your side.

Saving the Planet

Going digital is good for the Earth. You use less paper and cut down on pollution from traveling to classes. It’s like learning and helping the environment at the same time.

So, there you have it – the upsides of learning online. From choosing your learning time to getting personalised lessons and saving the planet, online learning makes education work for you. It’s more than just learning; it’s learning with a bunch of cool bonuses.

Learning with technology comes in many flavours, each with its own special benefits. Let’s explore these different ways and see how they’re changing education.

Online Courses

These are like classes on the internet. You can learn everything from math to music, all from your computer. You watch videos, do activities, and chat with teachers and other students online. It’s super flexible because you can learn whenever and wherever you want.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Fancy name, but it’s simple. These are top-notch courses from big universities that anyone can join. You get video lessons, quizzes, and chances to chat with others. It’s like taking a university class, but without the hassle of admission.

Blended Learning

Here, learning gets mixed up! It’s a combo of regular classroom learning and online stuff. You learn in person sometimes, but also use computers and the internet for extra lessons and activities. It’s like the best of both worlds.

Virtual Classrooms: Imagine a classroom in your computer! With video calls, you can join class discussions, ask questions, and do group projects online. It’s like being in a real classroom, but without leaving your house.

Mobile Learning (m-learning)

Learning on the go. You use your phone or tablet to watch videos, do quizzes, and use special apps. This is perfect for quick learning moments during your busy day.

Gamification

Learning becomes a game. You earn points, badges, and rewards as you learn. It’s like turning education into a fun competition where you’re the winner!

Adaptive Learning

It’s like a smart tutor. Computers learn how you learn, and then give you lessons that fit you perfectly. So, you learn faster and better.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

These are techy and cool. VR makes you feel like you’re in a different place, and AR puts digital stuff into the real world. These are like magic glasses that take learning to a whole new level.

As technology keeps growing, we’ll probably get even more ways to learn online. What’s important is that these ways make learning exciting, easier, and just plain better. Whether it’s taking online courses, chatting in virtual classrooms, or playing with cool technology, online learning makes education fit into your life, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. So, let’s dive into these ways and see how they’re shaping the future of education.

Digital learning, also known as online learning or e-learning, is all about using computers and the internet to help us learn. It covers a lot of things, like online classes, virtual classrooms, educational apps, videos, and tools for working together. Digital learning uses technology to make education different from the old-fashioned way. It’s like opening up a world of learning with just a click.

At its heart, digital learning changes how we learn by using the internet and digital tools. It breaks away from regular classrooms and lets us learn from anywhere, anytime. Whether it’s students studying from their homes or professionals joining workshops during breaks, digital learning gives us a lot of freedom.

One of the coolest things about digital learning is that it fits how each person likes to learn. It uses videos, interactive games, podcasts, and other stuff that matches our own style. This special touch makes learning more exciting, helps us understand better, and lets us remember what we learn. Plus, we can go at our own speed, revisiting stuff when we need to, so we really get it.

Digital learning also opens up a huge world of resources and chances to learn throughout our lives. With tons of online courses, learning platforms, and communities, we can keep learning new things forever. Whether we want to learn a language, dive deep into a subject, or get better at work, digital learning is like a magic door to all kinds of knowledge.

Thanks to technology, digital learning can also be super smart. There are clever systems that use data and AI to track how we’re doing, find what we’re good at, and suggest what we should learn next. It’s like having a personal learning assistant that helps us learn better and faster.

Digital learning has even changed how businesses train their employees. They can use online platforms to teach new skills, run courses, and keep everyone up-to-date. This means workers can become even better at their jobs without leaving their workplaces.

But, like with anything new, digital learning has some things to figure out. Not everyone has easy access to technology and the internet, which can make learning online tough. Also, since we’re not in real classrooms, we might miss out on making friends and connecting with teachers like we used to.

Still, the train of digital learning is moving full steam ahead. As technology gets better and more people want flexible education, digital learning is turning into more than just a trend – it’s reshaping education itself. This article dives into the heart of digital learning, unwraps its benefits, looks at how it’s used, and unveils the fresh ideas that are shaping education’s future. It’s time to explore how technology and learning are teaming up to offer exciting ways to learn, for anyone and everyone.