Benefits of Using Characters in Your eLearning Courses

Online learning (eLearning) is different from traditional classroom settings in many ways. There are many advantages of eLearning. However, one of the disadvantages is that it can feel monotonous and dull, especially if the learners only see pages and pages of text. Adding characters/eLearning clipart to your courses can make them more exciting and help learners be more engaged. It will benefit you in the following ways:

Having characters in your courses can foster an emotional connection. In addition, it can provide a representation of the text and make the content more relatable. When the content is relatable, it will increase information retention for the learners.

Whereas in traditional classroom settings, we have teachers interacting with learners, in an eLearning course, we can have a character interacting directly with the learners. Of course, the character cannot provide the same level of interaction as one would have with a teacher; nevertheless, it will help increase learner engagement.

Furthermore, displaying a character in your course can add visual balance to the screen. It helps to break away from texts and reduces information overload. For example: Compare the two screens below. Which one is easier to look at?

People love stories. We grow up reading storybooks, and sometimes we unconsciously create a narrative at the back of our minds. Another added benefit of having character(s) is that it can build a narrative within your course, which leads to increased engagement and information retention. Moreover, when used correctly, characters can add humor and keep learners entertained. It can also be used to add context to case studies. 

Characters are crucial for scenarios. You can use two or more characters and show how they interact in different scenarios in your project. 

In addition, they can bring an extra dimension to games and quizzes, making them more engaging. For example: Compare the two quizzes below. Which one looks more appealing to you? 

Using a particular character throughout a course brings familiarity. Additionally, it gives learners a sense of continuity and consistency and helps with the disjointed feeling that often occurs in online learning. 

Taking everything into account, having characters in your eLearning projects has many benefits. Consider having one in your course to make it more engaging. Download our free character set and try adding it to your projects.

There are many ways you can use a character/eLearning clipart in your courses, which we will discuss in another post. Until next time!