How do you know what turns off your learners? Ask! That’s exactly what several studies have done and the results may surprise you. The results of a recent survey completed by Articulate (shown above) make it pretty clear.

Nearly 40% of learners … find the courses boring.

In a slightly older Canadian survey, 67% viewed the “quality of instructors” better in person than in the online version of the same course. In another report, this time by Giga it warns, “poor online learning content is leaving users frustrated and disillusioned …

[Employers] risk doing some serious damage. A lot of employees have already been put off online learning because it was so boring.”

Hmmmm …. there’s that “B” word again.

I have read many articles, research studies and surveys over the last few years and there is an interesting pattern. The benefits of online learning are pretty obvious, but the ACTUAL EXPERIENCE of learning online is disappointing for some learners.

Students WANT more elearning as an option, but they continue to have lower completion rates in those courses.

So why the high percentage of negative experiences in online courses? The learners are telling us they need:

Engaging, relevant  content.
Interaction with a human.
Ability to self-pace.
Clear organization and assessment.
Incentives, decision-making scenarios (gamification)
… and Mobile access.

So let’s give ’em what they want! We have so many opportunities to reach learners in new and innovative ways.

For some resources on how to set up a moodle course with engaging design visit my YouTube channel. You can also stop by my elearning resources page, or read this article on The 3 Biggest Myths about eLearning (and how to bust them).

I’d love hear your thoughts on the difference between the hopes of eLearners, and the actual experience in our online courses. Drop me a note in the comments below!