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Online learning platforms have gained substantial popularity due to the increased reliance on remote education. To get the best out of your time & money it is mandatory to select the best online course platforms.

In this article, we will elaborate on the best e-learning platforms and their key features. The online learning platforms equip educators and academic institutes with the resource and tools for creating intuitive online courses. Your needs may be varying. Some may require frequent usage of online video courses. Others may need only hosting and selling online courses, whereas some prefer interactive courses. Therefore it is essential to review each of the online training platforms and judge the best usage for your business.

 

Also read: Microlearning 101: What is it and how to use it?

Content Index

1. How to select the best online course platform?
2. How to design an online course?
3. Best online course platforms

Best Online Course Platforms 2020

• Thinkific
• LearnWorlds
• Teachable
• Podia
• Click4Course
• Kajabi
• LearnDash
• Ruzuku
• Academy of Mine
• WizIQ
• SkillShare
• Udemy
• TalentLMS
• Udacity
• Alison
• OpenSesame
• Digital Chalk
• PathWright
• Zippy Courses
• AccessAlly

How to select the best online course platform?

• Provision to conduct quizzes, polls, questions and answers, games and projects
• Accessible from various online and mobile devices like desktops, laptops, tablets, mobiles
• Features enabling interaction and collaboration among the students like instant messaging, chats, sharing of documents
• Support of various content types like PowerPoint presentations, word documents, excel sheets
• Ability to impart instructions via videos, webinars, streaming, simulations

The above features are the key ones that you should look for in the online training platforms for crafting a robust learning management system.

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How to design an online course?

Before proceeding into the list of best online course platforms, let us understand the steps for creating an education platform:

1. Firm the objective of the course

Students and learners primarily focus on understanding the learning objectives before registering for a course. Hence it is essential to state the purpose concisely and clearly without any discrepancies. It also helps the learners to judge the outcome and the benefits. While setting up the objectives, you must not ignore the fact that online courses are meant to fast pace the learning.

2. User-Friendly Interface

The education platform must be user-friendly, easily accessible, and navigation convenient. It is the best way to gain the interest of students and learners. Searching for the courses, duration, and mode of learning must be available easily on the UI for the participants. Registering for the courses need to be self-guided with proper instructions and explanations.

Also read: 21 Best Online Teaching Tools | For Better Virtual Teaching

3. Planning and Organizing

This is a crucial step in designing online courses. Since the classes are attended virtually in remote locations, the content must be precise yet containing the required logic and facts. Providing inline videos and hyperlinks is an effective method to engage the students. Use cases and real-life examples are preferable options to attract participants.

4. Enable self-guided and learner-enabled training

Learners avail online courses as per their convenient time and duration. Many prefer self-guided learnings at weekends or out of office hours. Therefore it is essential to provide different learning modes and methods.

Also read: How to cultivate self-directed learning? | Definition, Strategies, Models

5. Interactive content

Interaction between participants is the critical success criteria for an online course. You must ensure the contents are supported with images, gamification, quizzes, and audio. The students gain interest and turn out to be effective in knowledge enhancement. 

6. Assessments

Assessments and exit tests are important to judge the progress of the students and learners. The feedback helps to understand the strengths and weaknesses for further enhancements. You can design questions, quizzes, and tests and provide evaluation scores.

 

Also read: A Teacher’s Guide To Formative Assessment Strategies

7. Certifications

The majority of the learners prefer attaining certifications after completing a learning course or program. If you can provide the same through your platform for online classes, then you can invite more registrations from the students. It is good to build up a partnership or affiliation with any recognized university or institute or education board. Authentication will provide the students with additional confidence in the courses.

The Best Online Course Platforms 

1. Thinkific

Considered as one of the best e-learning platforms. It is quite popular when it comes to creating and selling online courses. Its key features include:

• User-friendly front end interface for easy navigation and usage
• Tools and resources for selling content via email marketing
• Provision to provide certifications
• Supports creation of unlimited courses and training programs
• Ability to create different pricing plans and educational packages
• Embedded Templates for selecting and designing the course content and assessments
• Integration with almost more than 1500 apps for email, payment, campaigns and many more
• Easy to send marketing brochures and social media notifications 
• You can either opt for a free trial or register in their monthly plan

Also read: Best Online Gradebooks | Free and paid grading software for teachers

2. LearnWorlds

Very popular as one of the most interactive and best online education platforms. It provides all the facilities to create, sell and promote online learning courses. Its key features include:

• Drag and drop facility to create course content templates with ease and comfort
• Embedded e-commerce platform for selling online courses to prospect learners
• Integrated marketing tools for reaching to the targeted audience
• Provides course building academy and facilities to conduct live virtual classes
• Ability to attach videos, online assessments, documents, ebooks, accessible to students during the course programs
• Free trial provision coupled with a monthly pricing package

Also read: How to be a better online teacher | Best practices for teaching online

3. Teachable

Teachable is considered as one of the best online course platforms, similar to Thinkable. It offers the best marketing facilities for selling and promoting your online courses. Its key features include:

• Ability to customize your website through their repository of designs, templates and themes
• Provision for granting certifications to the participants
• Facilities to conduct quizzes and assessments

When it comes to comparison Thinkific vs Teachable, one is strong at design and themes while others have robust features for marketing and campaigns, respectively. Both consist of robust resources and tools for creating online learning courses. There might be slightest differences in the features. It is advisable to perform a comparison of Thinkific vs Teachable before deciding on the right platform for your business.

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4. Podia

One of the best online course platforms, providing easy usage facilities and assisting in for a well-designed course structure. Its key features enlisted below:

• An excellent user interface, with provision for customizations as per your preference
• Provision for placing your sales widgets on your web page
• Facilities to add membership and also coupons for added discounts and benefits
• Easy to access and search learning courses
• Integrated with various social media platforms and other marketing tools for campaigns
• They offer a free trial and a monthly plan too

5. Click4Course

One of the new and best online course platforms competing with market leaders. It offers similar interesting features and has gained quite popularity among the learners. Some of its key features include:

• Facilities to create unlimited courses under multiple categories
• Supports different types of learning modes like audio, video, PowerPoint presentations, etc
• Provision to conduct surveys and tests
• Ability to create certificates for the respective courses
• Generating analytics and reports on the course performance and learners’ progress

Also read: How to improve student motivation? | Effective strategies

6. Kajabi

Considered as one of the robust and best online course platforms. Compared to other platforms, its pricing is a bit higher, but its facilities are amazing. It has earned the trust of millions of online businesses and educationists. The key features are:

• Easy to use templates for course design
• Embedded pricing, membership and subscription facilities
• Integrated with the social media and marketing platforms for the promotion
• Convenient e-commerce platform for selling your online courses
• Provide real-time insights, analytics, and reports on your performance
• Accessible in all mobile and smart devices

7. LearnDash

One of the best-integrated platforms for online courses. Its fully integrated with WordPress and is considered to be very reliable and secure. Its key features:

• Special drip-feed content allowing automatically delivering the desired content as per the pre-defined schedule
• Easy selling of courses based on the selected pricing model
• Provision for certificates and badges 
• Facilities for interactions with students through chats, instant messages, surveys, feedback, quizzes 
• Provides forums to the members for discussions and consultations

Suggested read: Webb’s Depth of Knowledge | A Teacher’s Guide

8. Ruzuku

Easy to use online course software and platform. Instructors and teachers are preferring it due to the convenience and comfort it offers in designing the courses. Its key features are enlisted below:

• Facilities for configuring subscriptions, and coupons
• Easy access to unlimited courses
• Capability to embed streaming facilities, videos, audio in the content
• Ability to use powerpoints, images, PDF and word documents for the course materials
• Students can create their profiles as part of their membership programs
• Dashboards and reports providing learners’ progress
• Marketing tools and resources provided for promotion

Also read: Classroom management 101 | Techniques for regular & online classes

9. Academy of Mine

It is considered one of the best online course platforms when it comes to personalizing the learning programs. Medium and small education businesses mainly prefer to leverage this platform. The key features are:

• Robust analytics and dashboards for tracking performance
• Effective marketing tools and resources for promotion
• Accessible in all mobile and smart devices
• Serves multiple industrial sectors for their learning management
• Provision for live virtual classes, webinars, self-paced learning

10. WizIQ

They are pioneers in providing facilities for live virtual classes and online video courses. Its key features are:

• Customized creation of virtual classrooms
• Provision for online course creations
• Facilities to conduct tests and assessments
• Embedded e-commerce platform for selling online courses and learning programs
• Analytics and dashboards for real-time performance and progress insights
• Creative learning templates and themes for course design

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11. SkillShare

Their main objective is to build up a professional environment in the learning world with creativity. Its key features are enlisted below:

• Unlimited online courses on various categories
• Forums for students to discuss and deliberate
• Course planning and organizing is easy and convenient
• Feedback and assessment of the learners’ progress can be shared easily
• Facility to select courses revolving around the latest trending technologies and subjects

12. Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular and best online course platforms. With its huge number of instructors, students, and online courses, it dominates the marketplace. Its key features include:

• Creating videos with multiple lectures
• Easy promotion of the online courses and learning programs
• Provision for marketing through emails and campaigns
• Facility to create unlimited courses under a wide array of categories

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13. TalentLMS

A cloud-based online course software and platform. It is easy to use and does not require any high-end technical skills. Some of its key features are:

• Facility to conduct webinars, online courses, and training programs with ease
• Ability to post quizzes, surveys, and feedback
• Provision for granting certifications to the participants
• Provides capability for interactive content creation through images, infographics, video and audio facilities
• Integrated with various marketing tools for promotion and campaigns

14. Udacity

If your motive is to create technology courses, then Udacity is the best platform for you. It has a rich category to select from like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Autonomous systems, and many more. Its key features are:

• Guarantees creation of certificates for the learners
• Surveys and feedback mechanisms were provided for collecting comments from the students
• Templates, themes, and categories were provided to design the online courses
• Equipped facilities for virtual classes as well as self-paced learning

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15. Alison

Alison is a free and easy-to-use online course platform. The courses are offered under various categories like Health, IT, Science, Humanities, Marketing, and many more. The key features are enlisted below:

• Supports multiple languages like English, Italian, Spanish, French
• Easily accessible from any region in the world
• Provision to create courses for certifications, diploma,s and various other learning paths
• Facility to conduct courses for specific jobs or to enhance career skills

16. OpenSesame

Suited for Corporates and considered one of the best online course platforms. It supports multiple courses, categorized under various heads. Its key features are:

• Facility to conduct webinars, presenting white papers, ebooks and case studies
• Courses are offered based on industry, product, role or by regions
• Provision for a free trial followed by monthly subscriptions
• Provides instant messaging and chat facilities

Also read: 10 Best Online Whiteboards For Better Remote Meetings

17. Digital Chalk

It provides a unique feature by supporting the SCORM model. The full form being the Shareable Content Object Reference Model. You can create your online courses offline and then import them into the platform. The other features include:

• Offers various formats for designing your online courses
• Provision for conducting instructor based training, online virtual classes or self-paced learning
• Create your brand with logos and images for marketing and promotion
• Ability to track the progress of students
• Real-time insights into performance through analytics and dashboards

18. PathWright

It is one of the best online course platforms when it comes to distance learning. It has a huge database of instructors, learners, and courses. Its key features are:

• Superb design templates and themes to select for designing online courses
• Provision to embed case studies and real-life examples into your course content
• Use interactive modes for content in the form of video, audio, etc
• Facilities for surveys, feedback, question and answers and discussion forums
• Free trials followed by various monthly plans to choose from

Also read: Best Pomodoro App 2020 | All About Pomodoro technique & how to use it

19. Zippy Courses

A good to use platform for selling online courses. Its key facilities and features are enlisted below:

• Drag and drop facilities for creating a well-designed content
• Set pricing plans for the courses as per your preference
• Provision to modify the enrollment dates
• You can schedule the release of your content
• Email notification facilities for sending across to students as reminders

20. AccessAlly

The platform is well integrated with WordPress. It provides all the features to facilitate the selling of online courses with ease and convenience. The key features are :

• Provision to create high-end course material and content with embedded video, images, audio and infographics
• Create pricing plans and memberships for the online courses easily
• Provision for offering group licenses or enrolling into bulk courses
• Tracks the progress of the students through dashboards and analytics
• Helps in creating affiliate dashboards and commission structures
• Facilities for robust marketing tools and resources for promotion

Also read: How to become an Instructional Coach? | Instructional coach jobs 2020

Once you have selected the online course platform, you must register and start designing your courses as part of the free trial programs. Once you are comfortable with the tools and software and satisfied with the performance, you can try the monthly plans.

Learning a new topic or subject can seem daunting. No two-person may face the same difficulties while doing so, and each takes their time to do it. This is because learning skills are dependent on one’s intellect. But no matter how developed the intellect of one person is, they will face a problem if asked to cram broad topics without understanding them. If someone is already busy with some kind of job of study, needs only a basic idea of a topic, spending hours on understanding the intricacies of the topic might not be required. This is where the benefit of microlearning lies. With the help of microlearning, it becomes easier to grab an idea of something if not entirely within a short time.

But before we get down to analyse the various aspects of microlearning, we need to answer the most critical question, ‘What is Microlearning?’ So, let us understand what it is.

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What is microlearning?

There are several microlearning definitions given by experts, none of which is regarded to be the official one. However, all of them agree that microlearning is the method of learning a subject or skill in short bursts of lessons. Here, instead of long lessons or lectures, the information is provided in a compressed way to make it easier for the person to understand.

Microlearning makes the process of studying easier by breaking it down to compartments, so one doesn’t need to cram everything at once.

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The origin of microlearning

Though official records haven’t been found regarding the actual microlearning definition or origin, it is believed to be present for millennia. Some even believe microlearning to be an innate skill of humans as we all learn things in short doses.

Hector Correa first mentioned microlearning in his book, ‘The Economics of Human Resources,’ published in 1963. Though after that it didn’t come into the limelight much later when computers came into being. Especially after the invention of smartphones, microlearning found its foothold. Credit needs to be given to the rising popularity of e-learning tools and methods.

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What are the methods of microlearning?

Though there is no fixed rule about the methods used for imparting microlearning, there are commonly used ways. Here are the most common and popular methods of microlearning in current times:

• Short games with levels and challenges.
• Pieces of text.
• Audio lessons like podcasts, recorded lessons, etc.
• Short video lessons.
• Graphical content like sketches and charts.
• Quizzes, tests, etc.

However, it needs to be remembered that all the methods mentioned above for microlearning might not be available for every type of topic or skills.

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Why is microlearning popular?

With the dependency on technology and lack of time, people are always on the search for short alternatives, unlike traditional learning methods. People want to learn more in less time, something that isn’t possible with traditional learning. And so, more and more are moving away from traditional learning methods and adopting ways like microlearning, etc.

Everyone is busy, running from one place to another with the constant goal of reaching somewhere. So, asking them to sit and study a subject or learn a skill in a detailed manner seems impossible. They neither have the required time nor interest.

But give them lessons that are short and can be accessed from anywhere, they’ll be up for it in an instant. Due to this reason, e-learning is becoming more and more popular nowadays. And the same is the case with microlearning as it is a significant part of e-learning.

Also, microlearning lessons are specifically designed for smartphones, as they are convenient to be carried everywhere. So one can keep learning even when commuting from one place to another. Microlearning lessons are divided into a series, so it doesn’t put pressure on the learner to learn everything at once. This increases the accessibility of learning, unlike traditional learning.

Thus, a simple search on Google today lists out hundreds of microlearning platforms and apps. And apps like Duolingo, Ted-ed are more popular than traditional learning methods nowadays.

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What are some of the microlearning examples?

Though it will require way more than 1 article to list all the available examples of microlearning, our researchers have meticulously curated a list consisting of the most popular and convenient ones. So here are the best five microlearning examples you can use in 2020:

1. Language learning

You must be wondering, don’t we already know the languages? Yes, we do, at least our native language. But it doesn’t serve us much when we are on foreign grounds. So why not learn a second language that might help us in future. For example, if you desire to visit Italy someday, learning a bit of the language will help you go a long way. But as you only need a brief idea instead of the intricate details and nuances, it won’t be effective to enrol in some traditional lessons. So microlearning language apps are the way to go. Duolingo, Easy 10, etc. are some of the most popular apps out there that make learning new languages easy like games.

Also, as they are available on smartphones, you can carry them with you anywhere and everywhere. So maybe the next time when you’re on the subway, pop in the earphones and take a lesson on these apps?

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2. Vocabulary and grammar

Grammar and vocabulary play a significant role in the way you express our thoughts. For example, you might have the perfect idea in our mind, but while expressing it, you can’t think of the word that would explain it best. If this happens with you, trust me, you’re not the only one. Almost everyone faces this problem from time to time.

But it’s straightforward to solve this problem by continually updating our vocabulary and grammatical skills. And that doesn’t need one to cram huge volumes of dictionaries and thesauruses anymore. There are several microlearning platforms and apps that will teach you one word or sentence a day. That not only breaks down the whole lesson into consumable amounts but also makes it more convenient.

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3. Developing skills

No matter if we are a student or an adult associated with any kind of profession, there’s always a scope and also desire for learning new skills. For example, a teenager may desire to learn drawing, but due to his studies can’t afford to take traditional drawing classes. However, with microlearning apps and platforms, he can learn to draw at his own pace and time. And this way, he won’t be hampering his studies also as both the things are done simultaneously.

Again, an adult working in a bank is being considered for promotion. So, now he wants to do M.B.A to increase his value and help get the promotion. But traditionally doing an M.B.A course requires him to leave his job to attend the classes. So, he can easily sign up for any of the microlearning platforms and start taking a similar course at his own pace without compromising the job.

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Not only that, in some cases, but even employers also use such microlearning apps or platforms. They do so to teach their employees about the new skills required for working properly in the company. Courses, for example, cryptocurrency, finance, customer services, business management, etc. are only some of the vast range of available courses.

4. Reading books

Many of us have a hobby of reading, and for some, it isn’t less than a passion. But, with constant work and less attention span, it isn’t easy every time to complete a book of three to four hundred pages. But what if you could simply get to know the gist of the story without the need of skimming through all the pages. Yes, there are many microlearning reading apps which will provide audiobooks to the users to listen. So one can listen to the book even when some other thing needs to be done. Some even have audio summaries of the whole book so that the user can know the key takeaways of the book within a few minutes.

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5. Preparing for tests

Preparing for tests is always a tough thing to do, no matter whether you are a student or an adult. Let us take this instance. A student has to sit for an American College Test or A.C.T, but he doesn’t have the time and means to enrol in a traditional class for its preparation. Though earlier it would have meant that s/he wouldn’t be able to sit for the examinations, it is not so today. Thanks to several online microlearning tutor apps and platforms, he can easily prepare for the tests. After completing the lessons, he can also check his progress through several mock tests.

Again, few microlearning tools help people learn about particular entrance exams like MCLAT and several others.

What are the benefits of microlearning?

Though the list of benefits of microlearning is quite long, we are mentioning a few of them here. So, some of the most common benefits of microlearning are:

1. Content is super easy to create & consume

This benefit is for educators who prepare such courses. As microlearning courses have shorter content than their traditional counterparts, it becomes easier to create them and deliver them faster.

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2. Affordability of the courses

Due to the small structure, educators don’t need to spend a huge amount on high-end tools to create the programs. Thus they can design and produce courses with a bare minimum amount. This also helps the users to enrol in such courses without the need of paying a hefty amount yet getting proper knowledge of the subject.

3. Flexibility of the learning process

Unlike traditional learning methods, the microlearning methods don’t follow a rigid pattern. The learner doesn’t need to adhere to the fixed timeline of the traditional courses. Instead, he can incorporate the microlearning lessons into his timeline according to his preference. For example, he can take them while commuting, having meals or maybe just before going to bed. This increases the flexibility of the course. And thus the user is more interested in sticking to it.

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4. Better knowledge Retention

In traditional lectures, learners don’t have the option to go back and listen to them time and again. But in microlearning, the course material is always available. So they can go through it over and over. This helps them retain more knowledge about the subject. Thus the depth of their learning is more in case of microlearning.

5. Engaging content

Traditional learning methods can become boring at times, whereas microlearning has more engaging content. Usage of pictures, audios, visuals in it makes it more interesting. Also, as most microlearning tools are in the form of apps, it resonates more with the learners. This is because they already spend the majority of their days on apps ranging from social media to games.

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6. Gives the users freedom

The key goal of microlearning is to enable the learner to use his or her free time to learn sometime instead of forcing them into doing so. So it provides them with the freedom to study at their will. Being small in size, they are also easy to download and finish within a short period.

What are the disadvantages of microlearning?

Though there are several good aspects, there are also some disadvantages of microlearning. Here are some of them:

1. Not suitable for complex subjects

Microlearning is best suited for simple to medium level subjects. However, it fails in delivering proper results in the case of complex issues because of their complex nature.

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2. Lack of in-depth training

Microlearning is designed to provide a surface-level idea of a skill rather than an in-depth training. For example, someone can have a basic knowledge of playing the guitar through microlearning, but he won’t be able to be a virtuoso through it.

Conclusion

Seeing all the aspects of it, it won’t be unjustified to say that microlearning is here to stay. The attention span of users is decreasing day by day, and everyone wants immediate action. This is what will drive microlearning to the future of learning methods.

For a teacher, it all comes down to giving out the best possible education for the students. Learning doesn’t merely mean cramming up lots and lots of information without an understanding of them. Education in the truest form means to uplift students’ knowledge or anyone on the receiving end.

And this is why the teachers need to use the depth of knowledge in their works. Depth of knowledge since its invention has become an important tool for educators to impart proper knowledge. In this article, we’ll talk about the various aspects of the depth of knowledge and how teachers can benefit from its use.

Content Index

1. What is webb’s depth of knowledge?
2. Stages of depth of knowledge
3. What is the Dok Wheel?
4. Why educators use Dok?
5. Depth of knowledge activities

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What is Webb’s Depth of knowledge?

Webb’s depth of knowledge or Webb’s dok is a method that helps the teachers in recognition of a student’s understanding. It provides them with a framework of reference along with the needed vocabulary to analyze how a student thinks or analyses content.

It helps the teachers to understand the assessments, tasks and lessons while preparing them. And to answer the question of whether they would improve the cognitive rigour of students or not.

Depth of knowledge is regarded to be an important part of Common Core Standards in the 21st Century.

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History of Webb’s dok

Norman L. Webb of Wisconsin Center for Education Research is the creator of Depth of Knowledge or dok. In 1997, Webb came up with a framework for identifying the level of rigour of a student during the assessment. The general methods generally measure the level of understanding by the students. It doesn’t measure how deeply they have learned the matter and are capable of using them in real life.

The goal of the depth of knowledge is to set up the context and level of the learning by a student.

What does rigour mean in education?

Educators use the term ‘rigour’ to mean educational expectations and learning experiences that are intellectually and educationally challenging for an individual.

In simple words, rigour in academics means that the students’ thinking and analytical skills develop to a higher level from their original level.

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Stages of the depth of knowledge

There are four depth of knowledge levels or stages. They gradually increase in complexity, starting from the least to the maximum. The four depth of knowledge levels are as follows:

• Level 1: This level is called the ‘Acquired Knowledge’. It consists of recall & reproduction. This means how much does the student remember the facts explained to them till then. If he or she can define the procedure properly.
• Level 2: The second level is called the ‘Knowledge Application’. It consists of skills and concepts. A student at this level is supposed to answer questions using the learned concepts.
• Level 3: The third level is called ‘Analysis’. It consists of strategic thinking. Students are required to explain how answers can be found based on the concepts and procedures. They use tools like justification, reasoning and planning in this stage.
• Level 4: The fourth and final level is known as ‘augmentation’. This level includes extensive thinking. In this level, students are to go beyond the standard levels and find out how the learned concepts can be used in the real-world scenarios.

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What are the depth of knowledge questions?

All four depth of knowledge levels have certain questions that increase in complexity gradually. These are called the depth of knowledge questions.

What is dok wheel?

The dok wheel is considered to the graphical representation of the depth of knowledge. It is a circle divided into four equal parts. All the four parts consist of several tools that the students are required to use to demonstrate their depth of knowledge on a certain subject.

Though very popular among educators and institutions, the dok wheel is a controversial thing. This is because no credible origin of the wheel or its creator is known. However, it is known for sure that Dr Webb didn’t design the wheel. So it cannot be considered to be the perfect graphical representation of the depth of knowledge. Thus, there is no credibility of this wrongly used depth of knowledge chart.

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According to some experts, this depth of knowledge chart is a poor attempt of visualizing Webb’s assessment standards. They believe, all it can be considered to be is a futile shortcut of understanding the new measure of rigour.

Why do institutions and educators use depth of knowledge?

With the constant changes in the education sector, the term ‘rigour’ is gaining more and more popularity. From institutions to educators, everyone is trying their best to improve the rigour of the class.

But the problem in doing so is that there is no perfect understanding of the word amongst them. Thus, kids are forced to read books tougher than their intellectual levels, do piles of homework, etc. The proper meaning of rigour is to make the students learn and think at a higher level, popularly known as the higher-order thinking.

Higher-order thinking means that the students must think on levels beyond the common standards. They shouldn’t just memorize facts about a concept taught to them and repeat them in the same manner when asked. Instead, they should have the potential to think deeper on it. What this means is, they should move past cramming and understand the subtleties and intricacies of the subject. They should be able to use the learned information in a real-world context.

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Thus, educators use measures like Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of knowledge. This is done to develop the skill of critical thinking in the students. They should be able to think in creative, evaluative ways and express it properly to others.

Therefore, by properly using depth of knowledge, they can design their teaching methods in a better way. Doing so will help the teachers improve the rigour of the class more effectively.

Why is the depth of knowledge effective?

The design of the depth of knowledge levels plays a significant role in its effectiveness. This is because the students in this method are not simply cramming without understanding. They need to master each level before moving on to the next and higher level.

For example,

• The Depth of Knowledge level 1 asks – ‘what do we know so far?’
• The Depth of Knowledge level 2 asks – ‘what makes it important, how do we use it?
• The Depth of Knowledge level 3 asks -‘why is it needed?’
• The Depth of Knowledge level 4 asks – ‘how else can we use it in real-world scenarios?’

All these questions help the students to have a deeper idea about the things they are learning. And as they understand the information provided to them in a better way, it improves the way they communicate it with others.

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This is because the depth of knowledge focuses on the context than uses. Thus, if used properly, it enables them to think critically and answer complex questions.

Using the depth of knowledge in teaching

Teachers can use the depth of knowledge framework while designing assessment for various reasons like:

• Assess the level of learning.
• If the learning objectives are met or not.
• Set what levels of learning objectives need to be met.
• Assess the depth of the students’ learning of the subject matter.
• Evaluation of alignment between instructions, curriculum and assessments.
• Review and improve assessments like quizzes, tests, etc.

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Which subjects are suitable for the depth of knowledge framework?

The depth of knowledge framework can be used for subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and also Fine Arts.

Depth of knowledge activities

Depth of knowledge activities are the tasks that can be set by the teachers for the students to perform based on the depth of knowledge levels for assessment of cognitive rigour.

Here are some depth of knowledge activities for teachers to choose from, based on the level of the students:

Dok activities for Level 1

1. Step-by-step directions to make something.
2. Basic calculations like addition, division, subtraction, etc.
3. Memorize lines for recitation or poem.
4. Draw or paste cut-outs to portray an event, story or scene.
5. Retell a story or event using their own words.
6. Find the measurement of objects.
7. Recall and recite formulas, tables, etc.
8. Locate and find the meanings of words from the dictionary or thesaurus.
9. Calculate using formulas where at least one of the values is given.
10. Report the findings of a topic in front of the other students.

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Dok activities for Level 2

1. Explain a scene or event by making a diorama.
2. Write a summary or report on a given topic.
3. Complete complex calculations like standard deviation, etc.
4. Prepare a photo essay on a given topic.
5. Demonstration of a particular task.
6. Prepare a survey or questionnaire on a given topic.
7. Complete complex measurements like Ven diagram, pie chart s, graphs, etc.
8. Explain the steps required to solve a particular problem.
9. Prepare a functional model.
10. Write a diary/blog piece on a personality.

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Dok activities for Level 3

1. Take part in a debate.
2. Analyze the results of a survey or questionnaire.
3. Propose a potential solution to a problem studied earlier in the class.
4. Participate in a panel discussion and talk on a given topic.
5. Write a review for a product.
6. Write a creative literary piece like essay, story, poem, etc.
7. Conduct an investigation on a research topic.
8. Prepare a speech on why you support a particular topic.
9. Solve complex mathematical problems.
10. Explain how an abstract concept can be applied to a real-life scenario.

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Dok activities for Level 4

1. Explain how a real-life or fictional problem can be solved by studying various disciplines.
2. Research on a topic using hypothesizes.
3. Take part in any task that requires strategizing and taking decisions based on new information.
4. Conduct a social service program or organize a school-based program or event.
5. Take part in a task that requires working and collaborating with a group. For example, filmmaking, acting, scriptwriting, etc.
6. Find a topic and draw conclusions regarding it from multiple sources after analysis.
7. Take part in an internship program.
8. Create a newspaper report of an event.

Is it possible to apply the depth of knowledge in online classes?

Due to the global pandemic, like other sectors, teaching also has taken a digital approach. Instructors are using video-conferencing software and app to conduct classes over the internet. This raises the question if the depth of knowledge can be applied to online classes or not. The answer is yes, like traditional classes, a teacher can also use dok in online classes to increase rigour.

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How to increase rigour in online classes using the depth of knowledge?

In present times, many teachers are using platforms like Unremot, etc., to conduct online classes. They can use the following techniques to conduct formative assessments of the students in both regular and online classes:

• Ask the students to present any topic of their liking taught so far in the session. This will help the teacher gauge what percentage of the knowledge that the students have been able to grasp.
• Use question-answer sessions and quizzes to assess the participation of the students.
• Give the students tasks like drawing, doodling, sketching on topics to explain certain topics. This will help understand if they can visualize the topics or not.
• Ask them to prepare models and charts to see the logical understanding they possess on the topics taught in the class.
• Encourage them to work with others by giving group projects they need to present in front of others.

Why should teachers opt for Unremot for conducting classes?

Though new in the market, Unremot is becoming the first choice for online classes, webinars, conferences, etc. This is mainly because of the robust yet straightforward UI of the platform. It is more than a simple video-conferencing software and has an array of other services.

Conclusion

Looking at all the aspects of the depth of knowledge, it is justified that Webb’s dok plays a significant role in teaching. Teachers can improve their teaching by the proper use of Webb’s dok levels and activities.

We all know it is essential to learn grammar which is helpful to form the structure of the speech. Though, words being the leading carriers of meaning. Learning more words and learning how to handle them accurately helps to understand English in a better way. In this blog, we will discuss how to teach vocabulary, teaching vocabulary strategies, fun ways to teach them, etc.

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What is a vocabulary?

A vocabulary is a set of words used in a language. Vocabulary serves as a fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. 

How to teach vocabulary?

Merely repeating the definitions of words from the dictionary is not the right way to learn/teach vocabulary. Learning vocabulary can be direct and indirect. Indirect learning is associated with the routine like speaking to others and reading books. The teacher strategises direct learning.

1. Indirect learning

One usually learns the meaning of most words indirectly. It comes along with everyday experience with written and oral language. Indirect learning comes along mostly in two ways – listening and reading. People tend to talk to each other, listen to the news, listen to the speech of great speakers, etc. In all these processes, they meet several people or watch videos or hear the audio of many personalities in daily life. A word is familiarised as it is used in a different context and several occasions.

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But on these occasions, the learning is limited to the extent of words that are in practice. The other way of indirect learning is reading. One gets to learn many new words by reading extensively on their own. The more you read, the more words you will encounter and the more word meanings you learn. The learning is not limited or hampered by reading books. 

2. Direct learning

Direct learning of vocabulary helps the students to learn difficult words. Although one learns a lot of vocabulary indirectly, some vocabulary is required to be taught to the students directly. Through direct learning, students learn words that are complex concepts that are not part of the student’s everyday experiences. Direct instruction of the meaning of words relevant to given texts enhances the student’s reading comprehension. Direct instruction also includes providing students with specific vocab instruction and teaching student’s word-learning strategies.  

Teaching specific words before reading books, repeated exposure to vocabularies in different contexts, and engaging students in activities to use the familiarised vocabularies are the three teaching vocabulary strategies to be used by a teacher to teach students.

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a. Teaching specific words before reading

Before students read a book, it would be convenient, and as a teacher, you can make it suitable for students by teaching them specific words they will see in the text. In the initial stages, it is important to teach vocabulary before reading as it helps the students to comprehend the text. This is apt for children. For adults, generalised teaching is required. And for this generalised teaching, a teacher should adequately prepare a course plan in prior. 

b. Repeated exposure to vocabularies in different contexts

Vocabularies are effectively learned only when a person witnesses the same word in different contexts. The more you seem to listen, see and use, the better you learn them. As a teacher, you should keep this aspect into consideration and prepare the work plan accordingly. Provide extended vocab instructions that promote active engagement and exposure to new words. Repeated exposure to new words helps in familiarisation.

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c. Engaging students in activities to use the familiarised vocabularies

It is not difficult to learn hundreds and thousands of vocabularies over time. It is important to not forget those vocabularies that a student has learned over all the classes. For this, a teacher should engage the students in vocabulary activities that would familiarise the vocabularies and sticks to the brain of the students for an extended period. A student learns words best when they are provided with instruction and when that instruction has them work actively with words. Create a platform and engage students in spoken and written communication where they can practically use the vocabularies learned theoretically. The more the students use the new words and the more they come across in different contexts, the more likely they are to learn and retain the words throughout their life. 

Tips to learn vocabulary: Daily or once in two days, ask a student to write down 10 – 15 different vocabularies in a chart and paste it in the classroom. By seeing it continuously, it automatically registers in the minds of the students. Like this, all the students should take up their turn and follow this systematically.

Fun ways to teach vocabulary

Learning vocabularies is definitely not the exciting thing students do in a school. Incorporating fun elements while learning vocabularies curates the interest of the students. Let us discuss the fun ways to teach vocabulary.

1. Odd-one-out

The title itself pretty much covers what it is going to be all about. Yes, you are right. Choose 4 or 5 words related to the theme you are talking about. Among them, 1 word should be relevant, and other words should sound to be strictly relevant, but definitely irrelevant. The irrelevant ones are eliminated, and the relevant one is the odd one out. This activity is for the beginners to introduce vocabularies to students in the initial sessions.

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2. Act it

Learning vocabularies should definitely be in a fun way, at least in the beginning sessions and this topic ‘act it’ is a must to keep the students engaged. Assign students a word and ask them to act it out to the rest of the class to figure out the word. Students can take a turn to act out the vocabulary words while other students try to figure out what it is. For this, the class should be familiar with those words. There is a lot of vocabulary in English, and students can’t randomly answer them without any basis. Thus, the teacher should plan out before teaching the vocabulary and conduct such vocabulary activities once they are familiar with it. For example, a teacher can conduct a teaching session on Monday and make the students to act it on Tuesday and can continue it as a routine in alternative days. 

Tip: Prepare a worksheet for a month or for certain days encompassing complex vocabularies. Prepare them in a chart titling ‘the word of the day’ and paste in the classroom. As one sees it for the entire day, they are likely to learn complex words easily. This works out perfectly for both vocabulary activities, primary students and vocabulary activities high school students. 

3. Story writing

Than writing is there any better way to retain the memory of what we learned? When we keep learning different things, it is common for everyone to forget what we learn. For these instances, as a teacher, you can assign stories on an individual basis or make it a class project. Students having incorporated all the words they learned into the texts of the stories clearly understands how to use the word in a context. This also enhances the ability of the students to learn proper spelling and definitions of the word.

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4. Using emoji

Emojis are something that kids, as well as adults, can relate to. As both kids and adults are in continuous touch with social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and messenger app Whatsapp being the most common among them, they get to use emojis during a conversation in any above-said applications. You can use emojis for themes like sports, food, drink, modes of transport, directions, face emojis and get students to write what strikes their mind while seeing it. Further, add more ideas in pairs and small groups and finally complete it as a group activity. 

5. Lego bricks

Using lego bricks is an excellent method to learn, teach and practice synonyms, antonyms, building a sentence using new vocabulary, or previously taught vocabulary. Once the session is over, a dry white marker can be used to erase the words off. The play is simple here. You can keep the synonym for a word on one side and the meaning of the same on the other side and ask the students to pick the right one. This method is helpful to learn vocabulary and antonyms. Lego bricks can also be used effectively in building sentences. You can also use this activity with stickers on bricks. An extension of the same is to create a story using vocabulary from a certain number of lego brick blocks. Using lego bricks to teach vocabulary is fun and interesting.

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6. Brainstorming

Teachers who help students to learn new words associating with words they already know well will help students with long term retention. Vocabulary builds upon itself and associating with words they already familiar with students is one of the most effective ways to teach unfamiliar words. Brainstorming is one method of associating vocabulary with familiar words. Once students have heard a word and its definition, teachers can write down the word on the board and ask the students to say words that go along with new vocabulary words. For example, if the word is a calf, students might say cow, herd, and cattle. It creates a visual reference for students while writing the words on the board. 

Tips to improve vocabulary skills yourself: While this ultimately comes from the student’s end, the teacher can at least motivate the learners to read books. Reading different kinds of literature help the students to see words in different contexts. The most valuable thing you can do as a teacher is to encourage your students to read. Extensive reading is the main pathway to acquire knowledge of learning different words. Students need to find the new words they encounter in daily reading. Try to reuse them in another context to familiarise them. Reading different kinds of literature/book is perfectly suitable for vocabulary activities for high school students.

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FAQs

1. How to teach vocabulary?

Teaching vocabulary can be strategised as teaching specific words before reading a book, repeated exposure to vocabularies in different contexts, and engaging students in activities to use the familiarised vocabularies. 

2. What is a vocabulary?

A vocabulary is a set of words used in a language. Vocabulary serves as a fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. 

3. How to teach vocabulary to children?

Vocabulary is not a difficult thing to learn. Also, it is not easy to teach vocabulary to kids. Theoretical teaching to students would most probably be a dull session for children. Incorporating fun elements is very important to teach vocabulary to children.

4. How to teach vocabulary for adults?

As adults are quick learners compared to children, a mix of theoretical and practical sessions are better. Suggesting students read books and asking them to note down the complex words and discussing everyone’s word in class is also a better way to teach vocabulary for adults.

5. How to teach vocabulary in fun ways?

The fun ways to use emojis are to incorporate the fun elements like using emojis, lego bricks, brainstorming sessions, acting it out, finding the odd one out, engaging in story writing activities, etc. 

6. How to teach vocabulary online?

Teaching vocabulary online can incorporate fun ways. Acting it out, the odd one out, using emojis, brainstorming sessions and engaging in writing activities are the perfect fun ways teaching vocabulary online.