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The ”bridge” to next steps in online learning

06-07-2020

Under the name “Capacity building for your organization”, MSM’s International Project Department has set up monthly webinars for its project partners to keep the capacity building projects up to speed in these difficult times. The second session of our webinar series took place on the 29th of June and was aimed at online learning.

Many organizations worldwide have been pushed to move activities online, the same goes for our project partners and beneficiaries. Many are still in the beginning face of online learning and online teaching. With this webinar session provided by Ms. Sandra Adriaansens, the participants where provided with handles to improve their distance learning knowledge and skills.

Preparation and change are key
Moving from face-to-face education to distance learning is not as easy as it sounds. You can’t pick up your regular program and start teaching it online without any change. Online learning will need a different didactic student approach and a “change” of traditional “face-to-face” education patterns.

Keep in mind that preparation is key in virtual classroom settings. Where face-to-face classes leave room for improvising, direct communication and less preparation, with online classes it’s important to master your agenda, content, planning and conference tool. Also, participants of an online session on average have an attention span of 20 minutes, therefore less is more. More to the point content will have a higher impact.

Remember that virtual classroom teaching has a 25 – 40 percent higher retention rate and requires around 25 percent less learning hours when condensed and focused materials are offered, shared Sandra Adriaansens as a key take away with the participants.

Learning from an international environment
One of the main challenges that all the participants are facing is how to organize the continuation and assessment of practical skills. Assessments are an important part of MSM’s projects and a relevant issue that needs solving now that face-to-face assessments are complicated.

Besides learning about the enormous potential of virtual learning, the participants, coming from our capacity building projects in Indonesia, Egypt, Mali, Uganda and Colombia were also able to learn tips and tricks from each other.

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