Designing & Delivering Effective Online Courses for Academic/ Learning & Development Professionals

Regardless of anyone’s preferred choice of name; E-Learning, Online Education or Virtual Learning, there is yet to be a clear line of distinction among learning arrangements that are electronically provided, virtually accessed or by online means; regardless of whether or not they are real-time. This electronic, online, and virtual mode of learning has been in existence for a long time, categorized as a type of distant learning arrangement. However, in Nigeria and most of Africa, it was not accepted or appreciated by many and did not come into the limelight until the disruptions to physical arrangements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic-induced debut of online, virtual or e-learning in most parts of Africa has made many educational institutions rethink their methods of delivering instructions.

Nevertheless, there is a gross inadequacy of knowledge of online learning types, arrangements, instructional designs, and methods of delivery. This has created a huge gap in the exchange of knowledge between traditional instructors and students who have become used to physical classroom arrangements only. If this challenge is not properly addressed, learning goals will be truncated and the end result will be disastrous for the global body of knowledge.

Well designed and delivered online learning prove to be as effective as face-to-face classroom learning. This goes beyond sharing pre-recorded visual or audio lecturing sessions. Local educational institutions should be able to level up to international standards in delivering online classes.