Teaching to Tech: Tips From an Educator Using the Reelyze Course Builder

Hey readers, I’m Charlotte 👋

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I’m the newest team member at Reelyze, so allow me to introduce myself! I have a varied background in different areas of design, but found my passion for learning and education as a Graphic Design teacher in a secondary school. Working with young people has cemented my belief that learning should be enjoyable, relatable, and engaging.

Since joining Reelyze as a creator, I have spent my time developing conversational learning courses using the creator tool. Whilst my experience in traditional face-to-face teaching has provided me with a solid foundation for understanding how learning works, transitioning this knowledge into conversational course design has presented its own set of challenges. To navigate the transition effectively, I've found myself drawing parallels between classroom dynamics and the digital learning environment. This process has been instrumental in helping me leverage my teaching and learning skills to apply them to conversational course design. Below, I've outlined the top ten lessons I've learned from this experience and the parallels that can be drawn between the two styles of teaching and learning.

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1 - Keep it conversational 🗣️

As a teacher, you are constantly implementing conversational learning in the classroom without thinking. However, curating a conversation learning course for a stranger is a different challenge.

It sounds obvious, but there is a balance to strike between keeping the learning content in-depth, and making it feel like a real conversation. I have imagined I am sending messages to a friend to explain something to them which helps maintain an approachable tone of voice, whilst still authoritative enough for the learner to feel supported and informed. Though it may take some adjustment and practice, discovering the right tone is key to effective engagement.

2 - Chunk your content 🤏

It’s old news, but breaking content down in to manageable chunks makes it easier for the learner digest information, and avoids cognitive overload. In the classroom this happens quite naturally, but the same effect can be created in the course builder by incorporating prompts in to the flow of a module. This creates pauses that give the learner space to absorb information before moving on to the next part of the flow. I like to use a prompt every three to four messages, and after a gif or video to break content up effectively.

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3 - Bookend your modules 📚

Much like a lesson's "starter" and "plenary" activities, providing a brief recap at a module's outset reinforces connections between modules. This bookend structure helps to provide a sense of continuity, and allows learners to contextualise their knowledge from individual modules within the broader content of the course.

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4 - Set clear intentions ✅

Similarly to the last point about bookending your modules, it is good practice to establish learning intentions at the beginning of each module - in my former classroom I would set three learning intentions at the beginning of every lesson using a specific set of command words. In the course builder I haven’t used such a formal structure, but setting learning intentions in a conversational manner provides the learner with clear expectations and enables them to track their progress effectively. This is especially true when these learning intentions are re-visited at the end of the module to reinforce comprehension and provide a measure of achievement.

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5 - Quizzes aren’t just for fun! 🤩

Everyone involved with education knows that the act of imparting knowledge is not enough. We need evidence of learning. I have found that incorporating a quiz at the end of each module is a valuable assessment tool, and an aid for reinforcing key concepts, in the same way that targeted questioning would be used in a classroom environment. If a quiz is too informal, there is the option for a test, which is well placed as a form of final assessment at the end of a course.

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6 - Embrace emojis 🤗

Coming from a traditional teaching background, the use of emojis in my learning content did not feel natural to start with, but once you embrace them, there is no going back! They add a touch of personality to the content, making the learning experience more enjoyable and relatable for learners of all ages.

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7 - Gifs are your friend 🤝

One of the most enjoyable things about a school environment is the humour that you share with a class. Not only does it foster positive relationships, it helps the learner to maintain interest.  The same effect can be achieved in the Reelyze course creator by using Gifs to inject humour into courses. It keeps the learning light hearted whilst also encouraging engagement. In addition to adding humour, gifs can serve as a powerful learning resource as visual additions to the learning content.

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8 - Diversify the content 🧐

In the classroom, your imagination is the limit when planning lesson activities, so I was naturally apprehensive about the scope for variety within the world of online learning. However, Reelyze’s course creator makes it easy to include a diverse range of learning resources. By integrating videos, gifs, messages, and interactive elements, course creators can enrich the learning experience, promoting depth and variety.

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9 - Provide context 💬

In the same way that teachers always explain an image or diagram to a class, it is good practice to give context before adding an image, gif or video to the flow. It lets the learner know what they are about to see, and why. After and image or video it can also be useful to add a prompt, which will create a pause in the learning and allow the learner to digest the content before moving on.

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10 - Consistency is key 🔑

If I have learned one thing as a teacher, it’s that students need consistency. Whether it’s in tone of voice, the structure of a lesson, or expectations, consistency allows the learner to focus on the learning material without distraction. When the learner knows what to anticipate, they feel more secure and are better able to engage with the material.

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