Harnessing the Power of Visual Content for eLearning Courses
Our brains are naturally wired to process visual information much faster than text. In fact, studies show that presentations enhanced with visual aids are 43% more persuasive than those without. It’s no surprise that platforms like Instagram and Pinterest have thrived, or that posts with images on social media are shared significantly more than those without.
So, how can you use this visual preference to make your eLearning courses more engaging?
To ensure your learners engage and retain the information you’re sharing, integrating powerful visual elements into your courses is essential. Visuals simplify understanding by reducing reliance on dense text, eliminating confusing jargon, and helping to clarify complex ideas.
Here are seven types of visual content to include in your eLearning courses for better engagement and improved knowledge retention:
1. Characters
Humans are social creatures, often influenced by the personalities and opinions of those around them. Did you know that over 96% of U.S. schoolchildren can recognize Ronald McDonald? That’s the impact a memorable character can have.
Incorporating characters into your eLearning courses can add an engaging, relatable layer to your lessons. It mimics the experience of having a teacher or mentor, making the course feel more personable. Characters help learners associate key concepts with familiar, easy-to-remember figures.
Tips for creating impactful characters:
- Tailor your character to your audience’s demographic for better relatability (e.g., a corporate character like Dilbert for office workers).
- Use natural, engaging language for the character’s speech.
- Create authentic, human-like characters that quickly form a connection with your audience.
If designing from scratch seems daunting, consider using well-known figures, like Bart Simpson or Jedi Master Yoda, to make learning fun and memorable.
2. Illustrations and Icons
Illustrations and icons are fantastic for breaking down complex ideas into digestible visuals.
How to use illustrations effectively:
- Use illustrations to explain parts of an object (e.g., software features or machinery) or step-by-step processes (e.g., customer service workflows).
- Icons are ideal for organizing content, simplifying key points, and offering quick, accessible information. They help learners scan and digest content rapidly.
For example, try using icons for bullet points to make the content more visually appealing without overwhelming the screen.
3. Visualizations (Charts and Graphs)
Visualizations are an excellent tool for showcasing trends and complex relationships. Compare the two representations of data below—where do you spot the trend more easily?
- Tabular data: Hard to see growth patterns.
- Line graph: Clear and immediately understandable.
When using charts and graphs, it’s important to select the appropriate format for your data:
- Flowcharts: Great for multi-step processes or conditional scenarios. These are perfect for walking learners through processes in your organization, such as sales approaches or support systems.
- Pie charts: Ideal for displaying percentages and relationships of parts to a whole, like showing how different marketing channels contribute to overall revenue.
- Bar charts or line charts: Perfect for tracking trends over time, such as monthly revenue growth.
4. Animated GIFs
Animated GIFs have quickly become a fun and effective way to communicate ideas. While often associated with memes or lighthearted content, they can be highly effective in eLearning environments as well.
Here’s how to use GIFs effectively:
- Icebreakers: Use GIFs to make your course approachable and grab attention right from the start.
- Demonstrations: Illustrate short processes, like creating email templates, without the heavy bandwidth of a video.
- Emotions: Use GIFs to celebrate milestones, such as congratulating learners when they complete a task.
GIFs help create a fun, casual atmosphere, making the learning experience feel more relaxed.
5. Infographics
Infographics are an ideal way to convey complex data or processes in a visually engaging format. Whether it’s analytical reports or a simple business process, infographics break down information into a visually appealing narrative.
Tools like Canva, Piktochart, and Infogram allow you to create eye-catching visuals that turn complicated data into digestible stories.
6. Images
Relevant, well-chosen images are a powerful tool to drive engagement and simplify learning. They not only make content more visually appealing but also reduce cognitive overload, making it easier for learners to process information.
Best practices for using images:
- Use high-resolution, striking images that captivate your audience’s attention.
- Avoid generic stock photos that don’t resonate with your audience.
- Incorporate a series of images to walk learners through a complex idea.
- Try lifestyle images that show people actively engaged, rather than static, posed shots.
- Ensure any people featured in your images reflect the diversity of your learners to help them connect more easily.
Images can evoke emotions and create lasting impressions, helping concepts stick.
7. Videos
The rise of platforms like YouTube shows that video is one of the most captivating forms of content. Studies indicate that by 2017, 74% of online traffic would be video-based.
Here’s how to use videos to make your eLearning courses stand out:
- Instructional videos: Use these for step-by-step tutorials (e.g., how to use Excel to create a balance sheet).
- Customer testimonials: Share stories from learners or customers who have benefited from the course.
- Interviews and case studies: Showcase real-life scenarios to give learners practical, relatable examples.
Videos are an excellent way to keep learners engaged, with the added benefit of making your lessons feel dynamic and interactive.
Final Thoughts
Visual content plays a crucial role in making your eLearning courses more engaging, impactful, and memorable. By integrating the right visuals, from characters and illustrations to videos and GIFs, you can transform a standard course into an exciting learning experience. Experiment with various visual formats to see which resonates most with your learners and continuously refine your approach for maximum impact.
How can we help you?
We will help you in end-to-end learning development including:
- Instructional design
- User-interface and visual design
- Creative asset development
- Animated video creation
- Video production and recording
- Localization and translation
- Custom elearning development and QA