The design of the platform for online and blended programmes should be user-centred with interactive features to enhance student engagement.
Purpose
The purpose of this practice is to reduce the isolation that may be felt by students of online and blended programmes. Opportunities for interaction between staff and students and among students themselves are numbered due to limited face-to-face classroom activities. Online learning platforms built with “interactivities”, for example, posting staff videos containing words of encouragement with a personal touch, helps form an online learning community. A user-centred and highly accessible website supports students working from a distance, provides them with a seamless user experience, ignites their interest in online learning and keeps them motivated. The high accessibility of the website is important to support self-directed learning which is a crucial feature for online learning.
Outcome
The outcome of employing this practice is keeping online learning students interested and engaged in their studies. This contributes to increased commitment of students to their studies and helps reduce the attrition rate of online programmes.