An Approach to Strategic E-Content Development and Delivery for University Educators

Kanchan Thakur

Assistant Professor

Department of Commerce and Management

Kalinga University, Naya Raipur (C.G.)

kanchan.thakur@kalingauniversity.ac.in

Integrating digital technologies into standard classroom settings is not only a choice, but a must in the constantly changing world of higher education. As colleges and universities try to meet the needs of students in the 21st century, creating and delivering e-content has become an important part of modern teaching. Digital learning materials, or e-content, give students experiences that are flexible, interesting, and engaging, which can greatly improve their learning. According to Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2008), for university teachers to get the most out of e-content, they need to take a planned approach to creating and delivering it. This piece talks about how important e-content is in universities, spells out the best ways to make high-quality digital materials, and gives ideas for how to distribute e-content in a way that makes learning fun.

Alqahtani, A., & Rajkhan, A. (2020) answered that why e-content is important for college students? The widespread use of digital technologies has completely changed how students find information, connect with learning materials, and work together with teachers and other students. Digital textbooks, online tutorials, multimedia presentations, and interactive modules are all types of e-content that can help teachers go beyond the limits of traditional print-based tools. It gives students the freedom to learn at their own pace, get materials whenever they need them, and see things from different points of view through digital features.

There are many reasons why e-content is important in higher education:

Better Accessibility: Students can get to their schoolwork with e-content at any time and from anywhere. This is especially helpful for students who are learning from afar or who have disabilities and may have trouble with traditional tools.

Enhanced engagement: Adding videos, animations, quizzes, and interactive tasks to e-content makes learning more active, which helps students remember what they have learnt and stay interested in the material.

Customised Learning: E-content makes it easier to create unique ways to learn. Focusing on areas that need work, going over difficult ideas again, or exploring extra material that fits their hobbies and learning needs are all options for students.

Cost effective: When it comes to cost, digital tools can cut down on the costs of physical textbooks and printed materials, making school cheaper for students.

Global Collaborative Opportunities: E-content makes it easier for students and teachers from different parts of the world to work together, which can lead to cross-cultural learning experiences.

Because of these advantages, creating and sharing e-content strategically has become an important duty for university teachers.

Key Elements of E-Content Developing

Coming up with useful electronic material requires careful planning that takes into account the different needs of students, the topic, and the technology that is accessible. Here are the most important things that teachers should think about when making e-content.

1. Pedagogical Design

Mctighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2005) pointed that pedagogical design is the methodical making of things and situations that teach. It includes setting learning goals, choosing the right topic, and coming up with activities that help students understand and master the material. Pedagogical design usually follows the ADDIE model, which has five steps:

Analysis: Figuring out what the students already know, what they want to learn, and what they need.

 Design: Making a detailed plan that includes the structure, material, and ways to evaluate.

Development: Creating the e-content itself, which includes writing, multimedia, and interactive features.

Implementation: Giving the material to students through a Learning Management System (LMS) or other systems.

Evaluation: Figuring out how useful the material is by looking at feedback and performance.

Teachers can make sure that their e-content is well-structured, pedagogically sound, and in line with the learning goals by following this process.

2. Integration of Multimedia

Mayer, R. E. (2009) emphasized multimedia learning, according to him one of the great things about e-content is that it can include multimedia elements like videos, audio records, pictures, and animations. Multimedia can improve learning by adapting to different learning styles and getting students more involved, according to research. Still, it is important to make sure that multimedia parts have a clear teaching purpose and do not distract students with unnecessary things. Teachers should try to use video in a smart way by: Providing visual tools for intricate ideas (e.g., animations of scientific processes). Zhang, D. ET. Al. (2006) quoted that using videos of interviews with experts or examples from real life.

3. Interactive Content

Many types of interactive elements, from simple quizzes and flashcards to more complex simulations and case studies, are important for encouraging active learning. These elements encourage students to interact with the material, test their understanding, and use what they have learnt in real-life situations. Some examples of useful interactive elements are discussion forums, which allow students and teachers to work together and talk about the material, quizzes and self-assessment tools that let students test their understanding and get immediate feedback, case studies and scenarios that let students use what they have learnt in the real world, and simulations that immerse students in a world where they can try different things and see what happens.

4. Modularization of Content

Breaking up material into smaller, more manageable modules makes it easier for students to take in information at their own pace. Learners can easily move through materials with modular content, focusing on specific topics of interest and going back to modules as needed. Each module should have its own focus, clear learning goals, and tests that help students keep track of their progress.

Strategies for delivering quality e-content

Alqahtani, A., & Rajkhan, A. (2020) pointed out critical success factors of e-learning. As e-content grows, it becomes even more important to make sure it gets to the right people. For sharing e-content, colleges and universities often use Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard, or Canvas. Still, professional delivery requires more than just putting things on an LMS. Here are some ideas for strategies:

1. Integrated Learning Approach

Siemens, G. (2005) discussed that traditional face-to-face teaching and digital content distribution are both parts of an integrated learning method. Picciano, A. G. (2017) proposed a model which is the best of both worlds, students benefit from the guidance of in-person teaching while also taking advantage of how flexible and interesting e-content is. Within an integrated learning milieu, educators can utilise digital content to: Provide supplemental materials, such as reading tasks or videos, to bolster in-class dialogues. Allow students to interact with material before or after lectures. This will encourage a “flipped classroom” model in which class time is used for in-depth study of subjects. Include online tests to see how much students understand and to find out what needs more work.

2. Mobile optimised content

Content that works well on phones Mobile devices are becoming more and more common, so e-content needs to be made mobile-friendly. With mobile-optimized information, students can easily access materials on their phones or tablets, which make it easier for them to learn while they are on the go. When educators create e-content, they should think about how mobile users can access it by making sure that videos, quizzes, and other engaging elements work on mobile devices. Using ideas of responsive design to make content fit different screen sizes. Making it easier to find things and reducing the number of steps needed to get to them.

3. Feedback and support

Help and feedback on a regular basis to make sure that students can use e-content successfully, teachers should give them regular feedback and help. In this include:

 Interactive Feedback: Use LMS tools to give students immediate feedback on quizzes or tasks, which will help them figure out what they need to work on.

 Discourse and Cooperation: To encourage students to work together and learn from each other, get them involved in online forums, group projects, and virtual conversations.

Technical Help: Show students how to use the LMS, fix common technical problems, and get the most out of digital tools.

4. Improvement through feedback

Constant Improvement Based on Feedback Giving out e-content should be a step-by-step process that is always getting better based on what students say. Educators can find out what works and what needs improvement by using surveys, discussions, and success data to get feedback. Important areas for review include: How clear and easy to understand the material is. How useful multimedia and engaging parts are participation and success on tests by students. Teachers can improve their e-content and delivery methods to better meet the needs of their students by using comments from those students.

Opportunities and Challenges in e-content implementation

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016) discussed some problems with incorporating e-content into colleges, even though it has many benefits. To achieve good assimilation, it is important to be aware of these problems and come up with solutions:

1. Problems with technology some students might not have access to reliable internet or the gadgets they need to interact with e-content. To get around these problems, universities should try to provide tools like computers on campus, items to borrow, or access to materials when they are not online.
2. Knowledge of technology not every student is as good at using digital tools as others. Students can get to know the Learning Management System (LMS) and other tools better if they get digital literacy training before an academic term starts
3. Too much content Students may feel overwhelmed by the amount of content because there are so many digital resources accessible. Teachers should carefully choose materials, putting more emphasis on quality than number and giving clear instructions on how to navigate the material.

Creation and sharing of electronic material are important parts of modern college education. Teachers can make digital learning experiences that are interesting, easy to access, and useful for all kinds of students by adopting them in a planned way. E-content gives students more freedom, keeps them more interested, and lets them create their own learning paths, all of which lead to better academic results.

As education continues to become more digitalised, it is important for university teachers to stay up to date on the newest tools, platforms, and best practices for making e-content. With careful planning, teamwork, and ongoing feedback, e-content can play a major part in shaping the future of higher education.

References:

1. Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F. (2004). Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University Press.
2. Alqahtani, A., & Rajkhan, A. (2020). E-learning critical success factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive analysis of e-learning managerial perspectives. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10090216

3. Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.).
4. Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2008). Blended learning in higher education: Framework, principles, and guidelines. Jossey-Bass.
5. Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
6. McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD.
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8. Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 2(1). http://itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
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