Once you get used to Connectr’s modules and the different functionality on offer and being a content writer (if this is your first experience writing for a platform of this nature), you can start getting inventive with how you unpack the information you’re sharing. Implement the ideas below to ensure your modules are structured, informative, and impactful for learners.
Think like a teacher or facilitator
Look for ways of moving away from an information dump. Think about how teachers or instructors engage a group of learners and see if you can mirror some of their techniques. After all, you want to engage your users by replicating human connections online.
You could try experimenting with the following:
Asking your users questions. There are five quiz formats to choose from. Quizzes are a valuable way of encouraging learners to self-assess or test knowledge. For example, ask, “What excites you most about your future career?” Questions can also be used to reinforce learning and measure distance travelled.
Introduce mini-activities. This will encourage the users to engage with the platform for longer and to invest more in the content. You could ask them to list their strengths and areas of development or something simple like ranking examples of interview questions from best to worst.
Link your parts. Make sure your parts knit together and flow, creating a well-rounded task. Where possible, try to link the different function types together. For example, you could ask your users to watch a video and then ask them a short series of reflective questions on the video using a quiz on the following parts.
💡Top-tip! Remember, you can upload resources for users to download in a written part. This feature can encourage your audience to explore a slightly more in-depth activity away from their device.
Accessibility
Offering variety in your modules and including plenty of imagery will make the information more accessible.
You will inevitably need to include some written content, so below are some tips on making text more inclusive of those with neurodivergence.
Use an active voice: Writing in a passive voice usually increases the length of each sentence and decreases comprehension. As a result, some users will find it challenging to maintain focus, and those with dyslexia will have increased difficulties reading.
Don't use metaphors. Metaphors can alienate some users, who might struggle to understand flowery language, figures of speech, and idioms. Therefore, avoid these written flourishes.
Format your writing: Most people find large walls of text off-putting. Blocks of text can make it challenging for neurodivergent people to maintain focus, so break up your copy wherever possible. Try using bullet points to create space within your text.
💡Top-tip! Ensure you put aside enough time to edit your modules. A first draft of something can often contain information that isn’t relevant or overly complicated, so give yourself or your team enough time to do a couple of rounds of edits.
Test your modules
Our final advice is to test your modules or, at the very least, get someone impartial to review them before they go live. They might suggest something useful or spot something, even if it’s just a spelling mistake!