“Education is the foundation of life” – so why restrict it?
Courseware design plays a critical part in how education is received. Today, landline phones are not enough, music on radios are not enough – why should courseware books be enough?
Today’s generation is all about doing things online. It’s time to move education online too! Courseware development in Mumbai has seen major changes in the way education is delivered. The new medium includes online portals and apps.
While education is not limited to only books, quite some common services are required to create the online content. These include content writing services, academic editing and proofreading services, academic copy editing services, graphics design services, etc.
Let’s have a look at the different educational options available in addition to courseware books.
Online Books
These are simply PDF files containing the same content that is available in the printed format. These can be helpful to study while traveling, as carrying heavy books is quite a challenge. In addition, children are more attracted to the colorful pictures online as the colors look more bright and lively. Also, it is easy to navigate to a page using the online book.
E-learning Courses
These are short modules developed to explain difficult concepts. The concepts are explained through animated examples and images. These courses may also contain assessments and interactivities. Children can navigate through the different screens of a course at their own space. This is especially helpful because not all children grasp knowledge at the same speed.
Online Videos
These are quick and short videos explaining one concept at a time. The videos may include character animation, video shoots of professors or animated images and text. These are very interactive and engaging. If the designer has visualized it correctly, it has a very high success rate. These videos are very real and give a real-life feel. For example, explaining the different parts and functions of a heart can be very effectively done with a video.
Online Assessments
These are online question (like question papers) that a student needs to attempt. These are available as subjective and objective type of questions. Some assessments provide auto-assessment and immediate feedback is given regarding the answers. Some assessments can be submitted for the teacher to assess later. Online assessments can be randomized, such that no two students have the exact same set of questions making it difficult to cheat.
Online Activities
These are interactive questions where the child may be required to drag and drop items or click to select the correct answer. At times based, on the selection made by the child, the next question is presented. Some activities may also provide you with a real-life environment to perform tasks. For example, you may be provided with different acids and asked to mix the correct ones. Based on the acids you choose to mix; the reaction is shown. You can also perform steps in a simulated environment. For example, you can change admin rights in a simulated online environment, thus preventing the child from causing any damage to the computer.
These online options are made available usually through an online portal that can be accessed over the Internet using a username and password. Another common medium of distributing online media are mobile apps. You can install the app of the given publication and access its resources like online PDF books. A less common method of distributing these options include the CD and USB.
While printed courseware books form an integral part of education and cannot be replaced, the new form of media can surely aid the learning.