When designing eLearning courses or trainings, I usually ask myself whether the information in the content is going to help learners understand a point better or it will hinder their understanding because of their prior knowledge. If you have access to your blended or face-to-face training participants, you can find out about their prior knowledge concerning certain concepts in the content by asking them questions; but what if you are designing an online course for a mass number of learners whom you can’t have access to? To accomplish a well-designed course, I believe we should always be mindful of this learning principle: ‘Students’ prior knowledge can help or hinder learning.’
Tags: Activating Prior Knowledge • adult learners • adult learning • Learning Retention • Prior Knowledge