It all boils down to making it easy on your users when it comes to instructional design, whether your are putting together onboarding training or induction modules. You want your customers to use your product. And to make that easier, here are some pointers.
First, design for low bandwidth. That means technology and attention spans. You may have some users who are out of reach of 4 and 5G network connections when they are mobile. So make sure there is a variety of content that can accommodate those different tech capabilities. That could mean a podcast, because audio doesn’t chew up a lot of bandwidth. It could also mean downloadable content over a slow connection that can be played later.
In terms of graphics, a low bandwidth approach might also mean stripping away some graphics that are very complicated, like hard-to-read tables that may reduce writing and numbers to something that requires a magnifying glass to decipher.
If you are designing a video-heavy course, you should also include closed captions and scripts. That might be a hassle from a production standpoint but it will help viewers who have hearing difficulties.
We dealt with the subject of microlearning, or chunking content into smaller, bite-sized pieces to increase information retention. So make microlearning a valuable tool in your design plans. That usually means learning objects that are concise with supporting modules for each objective.
One of the most frustrating aspects of designing online content can be technology barriers. If your course requires the submission of assessments, try to think of ways that can happen such as hooking into Facebook or some other popular social media platform that can accommodate uploads.
Finally, take into consideration cultural differences. That means using straightforward language that is not open to widespread interpretation. When it comes to assessments, there can be a variety of solutions to problems. If possible, try to be inclusive on the assessment pathway by designing different approaches. Perhaps you can employ online or face-to-face interviews instead of rigid multi-choice exams with right and wrong answers. The pathways to correct answers can meander through this rocky terrain of culture bias.
My Learning Space can help you design an inclusive eLearning design program. Contact us to learn more.