Format for readability
“If you really want to reach more people, you need to create readable courses. For instance, a block of text won’t be able to have that impact on readers that you are looking for. Instead, your students will give up soon and they will not rate your lessons favorably.”says Rena Hubbell, an author at Draftbeyond and Writinity.
However, if you manage to make it readable, it can be truly amazing for your students.
Use headings, subheadings, bullet point lists, a lot of white space so that the readers can rest their eyes. Use images, graphs and similar visual cues to illustrate your point.
Create compelling titles
Titles are what will drive your students through the lessons. If the titles are boring and unimaginative, the student will presume that lessons are the same.
The first thing you need to do is split your lessons into bite-sized information bits. Then give each one a sensational title. You can use some marketing tricks here, like using headlines with numbers or asking questions and so on.
There is a lot of room here to be creative, so don’t let your students get bored with your slides.
Be clear and concise
Confusing lessons are a common issue. If you want to keep the attention of your students, you need to be clear and concise. This is where splitting the lessons into small bits can be useful again. You can elaborate each part in clear language and you will not confuse the student. Illustrate each of these parts with a creative graph or image.
Avoid heavy jargon
Jargon can be confusing in lessons. Keep in mind that your students are still learning and that technical words can only cause frustration. Use simple language that anyone can understand. Be engaging and interesting instead of trying to prove a point that you are smarter than anyone else with your complex words.
Use active voice
“Passive voice sounds boring. You need to use active voice and strong verbs in order to get the message across without losing the student’s attention. Use descriptive language as well. Immerse the reader into the subject with all senses and a compelling story. However, don’t use flowery prose. No one likes that and it’s distracting,” says Zoe James, a tech writer at Last Minute Writing and Researchpapersuk.
Be specific
When talking about something they know, people tend to get too broad since they have already been through the subject more times than you can imagine. However, because you are writing for students, you need to focus on placing yourself in their shoes – would they understand your loose explanations?
They won’t.
Be specific and elaborate everything you say. Provide proof and facts. Illustrate if necessary. If you are not specific, your users will look for other lessons.
Add humor and personality
Just because you are trying to teach them something, it doesn’t mean that you should be dry and dull. While professionalism is okay – even better than okay – cracking a joke or adding some flair and personality to your lessons is a good idea. It will help your student connect with you on a personal level and they will hardly replace you.
You can tell them some of your personal experiences with the subject.
Polish your text
Grammar and spelling mistakes are not something students want to see on their lessons. This discredits you right away and lets them know that you are not their best option. Make sure that all of your slides go through a spell check and grammar check before you publish them. If a mistake does happen and you notice it, fix it immediately. If a student points it out, admit that you made a mistake and thank them.
Use visuals
Visuals are a strong point-maker. Everyone likes to study a good graph – if it’s simple and understandable – or a cool infographic. Use these to enhance your lessons. Maybe you could add a few print-ready infographics which have all f the most important points of the lesson at the end of each one.
Images are there as a way to give your students a break and videos are there to either show them something or give them a new format to study in.
Make sure that your lessons are engaging and entertaining. Be funny and interesting but also add facts and elaborate where necessary. Hopefully these tips will help.
Martina Sanchez is an entrepreneur and a content marketing specialist with Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays. Martina loves writing articles for her her blog where she discusses topics like digital marketing, SEO, writing and so on.
