Teaching Mastery Academy for Digital Course Creators

How to Get Rave Reviews for Your Digital Course | Course Design Secrets

• Francesca Hudson: Teaching Mastery Academy • Season 1 • Episode 3

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Can you imagine transforming your digital courses into engaging experiences that cater to every type of learner? This episode promises to arm you with the secrets to doing just that! We start by uncovering the unique needs of visual learners, delving into how charts, videos, and infographics can simplify complex ideas. With practical tips on using tools like Canva, PowerPoint, and Google Slides, you'll learn how to create stunning visual aids without being a design pro. Discover why minimal text and strong imagery can significantly enhance material retention and comprehension.

Next, we shift our focus to auditory learners and kinesthetic learners. Learn how voiceovers, podcasts, and live Q&A sessions can captivate auditory learners, making lessons more memorable through storytelling and sound effects. We wrap up with actionable strategies for kinesthetic, reading/writing, and social learners. Explore the benefits of breaking lessons into manageable steps, providing text-based resources, and fostering group discussions. By blending video, audio, text, and interactive elements, you'll be well-equipped to create inclusive courses that resonate with every learning style. Join us in this enlightening conversation and transform your teaching methods today!
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Speaker 1:

Have you ever found yourself wondering why some students devour your video lessons while others seem disengaged, even though you're giving them the same material? Well, maybe it's because they aren't connecting with the way the information is being delivered. Every learner absorbs information differently, and today we'll uncover how you can create those unique learning preferences. Stay tuned, my friend. In this episode we'll explore the different learning styles visual, auditory, kinesthetic and more. We'll dive into practical strategies to help you structure your lessons so they connect with every type of learner. By the end, you'll know how to track your courses so that no student gets left behind, ensuring that everyone feels seen, engaged and motivated. So why should you care about learning styles? Well, the truth is, when your content doesn't resonate with your students' preferred way of learning and we all have different ways of learning, we are all unique then you will lose interest from your students, and that means that your course completion rates drop. Your students don't get the outcomes they hope for. But when you tailor your material to match how different students process information, you're able to create a course that sticks, and this leads to higher retention, better feedback and more students becoming your loyal advocates, which is great, because then that means that you become the go-to thought leader in your niche, in your field. So we're going to look at four different learning styles today, because all of us learn in different ways, right? We can break us all into four main groups of general learning styles, and the first one are visual learners. So these are the students amongst us who often say things like I need to see it to understand it. They process information best when it's presented visually, whether that's a chart or a video or even color-coded notes, and these students thrive on being able to form mental pictures of the material you're teaching, right? And this is important because visual information can often simplify complex ideas. So when you've got a visual learner who's taking one of your courses, then make sure to integrate a lot of diagrams or a lot of pictures into your slides, because that way they will be able to process the complex ideas that you're talking about, and it makes them easier to grasp and to remember the material.

Speaker 1:

Let's look at infographics for a moment, because infographics are powerful tools just for summarizing information visually. They combine text and images in a way that's really easy to digest, and also another tool are flowcharts and mind maps. These also help learners to understand relationships between ideas, breaking down complex processes into smaller, more manageable steps. So imagine you're teaching a course on entrepreneurship. You can use a flowchart, for example, to show the stages of launching a business, from the idea phase to scaling up, and for each step you can add visual clues like icons or diagrams that make the information stick. So think about how you can start to integrate some visuals into your presentations and into your lessons. So maybe have a think about using some online tools like Canva or PowerPoint to create these visual aids, because you don't need to be a graphic designer or you don't need to go and find somebody to create fancy infographics for you.

Speaker 1:

Some very simple visuals can go a long way. Think about the power of a symbol. Think about the power of one picture and what that can represent. You know, for example, I'm just thinking of the peace sign and all the connotations that that conjures up when you think about that. Or a dove a dove for peace. You can choose one or two very effective, simple images to convey deep meaning.

Speaker 1:

Videos are also another great way to engage with visual learners. Visual learners when you're explaining complex topics. A video with visual aids like animations or on-screen text, or even a simple whiteboard, can make a world of difference. Let's say you're teaching a concept like cash flow, instead of just talking through the numbers, you could create a short video where you visually map out the inflow and outflow of money, and you could include diagrams that show how cash moves through the business. So you're really giving it that visual integration. Now remember to keep your videos concise, under five minutes with strong visuals to maintain the engagement. So think about tools like Loom or Camtasia, or even simple animations in PowerPoint can help you to create visually rich video content without the steep learning curve of spending hours and hours and hours trying to work out how to edit things and, once again, I use Canva most of the time as well to create images. So if you're already familiar with Canva and you're already using it, then look at how you can start to create little videos or little transitions between diagrams.

Speaker 1:

Talking of PowerPoint, though, powerpoint slides and whiteboard explanations are definitely old favorites for a reason they allow you to emphasize key concepts and provide structure for your lesson. So if you are filming a lesson and you have to have a whiteboard close by, it's really easy to draw what you're discussing at the same time, because, for the visual learners, this helps them process and organize the information. So, for example, if you're teaching about customer segmentation, you could create a PowerPoint slide that visually breaks down the different types of customers, using icons and charts that represent each segment. Or, if you prefer a more informal, on-the-fly approach, you could use a digital whiteboard tool to sketch out these segments as you explain them. So I guess the objective with all of this is that you basically want to avoid text heavy slides. Instead, use minimal text and strong imagery, and, once again, canva has got a great range of really interesting PowerPoint designs. Or you can look at Google Slides or Prezi P-R-E-Z-I. These are both easy to follow, both easy to use for creating visually engaging slides as well.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes visual learners just need a simple visual summary to pull everything together. So, after you teach a complex topic, provide a one-page visual handout or a summary slide. This can be a flow chart or a diagram, or even a step-by-step visual checklist. Visual learners will love this. So, for example, if your lesson covers multiple strategies for time management, let's say that's what your course is, your niche you could provide a flow chart that walks students through the decision-making process for choosing the right strategy based on their needs, and I love this one color coding.

Speaker 1:

We use color coding in teaching for visual clarity, and color coding is a subtle but powerful tool for visual learners. It's really, really effective. It helps visual learners group related information and can highlight the most important points. So, for example I'll give you an example In a marketing course, if you're a marketer, you could color code different marketing channels, so blue for social media, green for email marketing, red for paid ads. This helps students quickly distinguish between the topics and recall information way more effectively. So the way that you could introduce or integrate color coding into your lessons is maybe you start using some different colored fonts or backgrounds in your slides or in your documents or in your videos to help categorize information and make it easier for visual learners to follow along. So when you are teaching one particular theme, then that's all in one colour and if you're talking about a different theme, then that would be in a different colour. Or maybe, module to module, you change colours so that visual learners realise they've made the progression through the course that way. Remember, visual learners need to see information clearly to process it, whether it's a well-designed infographic or a short video. The more ways you can show your material, the more likely these learners will absorb it. So take a look at your current content that you've got in your lessons now, and what visual elements can you start to add or improve or sprinkle through?

Speaker 1:

Okay, so let's move on to our second type of learner that all of us listening could be. Remember, we're one of four, all of us are and so the second group of learners are auditory learners. Now, these are students who prefer to hear information. They're the ones who might say I need to hear this explained, say I need to hear this explained. You've probably noticed them in your courses. They love podcasts, they love engaging deeply in discussions, and they learn best when they can process information out loud or through listening. And auditory learners will make up a significant portion of your audience, especially those who are drawn to spoken word formats. So engaging these learners is about creating a sound, rich learning environment where they can hear, discuss and even repeat information to be able to process it fully. So why does this matter? Well, auditory learners thrive when they can hear the content they're learning. These are your podcast fans, your students who engage deeply in webinars, or those who benefit from voiceover explanations and videos. If you only ever offer written content or visuals, you're missing out your students who engage deeply in webinars or those who benefit from voiceover explanations and videos. If you only ever offer written content or visuals, you're missing out on keeping these learners engaged. And remember they are a big portion of your audience. So I've got some strategies for you to be able to support these auditory learners in your courses.

Speaker 1:

So, for auditory learners, keep in mind a voiceover explaining your slide content or lessons can be the difference between a disengaged student and one who's fully engaged with the material. And digital courses lend themselves naturally to this anyway, because you're talking through the content. So we've kind of ticked that box naturally. But even if you have got a lot of written text on the screen, hearing the information can help them better retain and process it. This is why we circle back to try and keep text on your slides to a minimum, rather than having a text heavy slide because your auditory learners are not going to read it.

Speaker 1:

So let's say you have a slide presentation on leadership skills, instead of just showing the bullet points, add a voiceover explaining each point. Talk through the details, using emphasis and tone to engage your listeners. This turns a static presentation into an auditory experience that auditory learners can connect with. You can use a piece of technology like Zoom or Loom to record audio explanations over your slides If you feel that the slides could do with an additional voiceover. They don't need to be complex, they just need to be conversational enough to guide learners through the content. I guess the basic rule of thumb is we can't assume that every student in our courses is going to be reading the slides along with us. Some won't be. So it's making sure that you've got enough auditory explanation that goes along with what you're teaching and a great strategy that I use for my courses and also for my lead generation as well.

Speaker 1:

My lead magnets are podcasts. See, I do secret podcasts and they are an excellent tool for auditory learners because they allow for passive learning. Your students can listen while they commute or while they exercise or do other tasks, and offering your lessons in an audio format can cater to learners who prefer to absorb information through listening. For instance, if your course covers marketing strategies we use the marketing example again you could record a podcast where you dive deeper into key concepts or interview industry experts, and this not only provides additional value to your course but also engages your auditory learners, who are more likely to retain the information when they hear it. So you could create short supplemental podcasts that recap the lessons as a bit of a summary or provide deeper insights into specific topics that maybe you didn't go into during the lesson, and you can even offer these podcasts as bonus content for auditory learners. So use it as an upgrade.

Speaker 1:

Another strategy that you can do to support your auditory learners is remember that auditory learners, so use it as an upgrade. Another strategy that you can do to support your auditory learners is remember that auditory learners often need to talk through ideas to fully understand them. So creating opportunities for discussion, whether in live webinars, q&a sessions or discussion boards, can help these learners verbalize and process the material. For example, let's say you're teaching a course on public speaking. After each lesson, you could host a live Q&A session where students can ask questions and discuss what they've learned, and you could encourage participants to explain concepts in their own words, which helps auditory learners cement their understanding. Now, if live sessions aren't possible, if you've got an evergreen course running, for example, you could consider encouraging discussions via audio messages in communities or forums that you've got running.

Speaker 1:

So here are some tips to be able to support auditory learners, and I've got two tips for you. My first one is using storytelling, or narration, in your content, and we've talked about storytelling in previous podcast episodes, but storytelling is a powerful auditory tool, so narrating case studies or personal experiences or industry stories can make your lessons more engaging and relatable for auditory learners. These stories add context and emotional depth that facts and figures alone can't provide. For example, if you're teaching a finance course, instead of listing steps to create a budget, you could share a personal story about how you helped someone reduce their debt, and the narrative not only provides a real world example, but also keeps auditory learners hooked. Now my second tip is to include sound effects or music. I love this one. I do this a lot with teenagers in my courses for the classic high school teacher, because auditory learners also respond really well to other sound-based cues, such as sound effects or background music that complements the tone of your lessons. These auditory signals can create an emotional connection or help emphasize key points.

Speaker 1:

So, for example, if you're teaching a course on, let's say, creativity, you could use upbeat music during brainstorming sessions or calming sound effects to signal transitions between sections of the lesson. Just be mindful, though, to keep it subtle and relevant to avoid distractions. And I use a great website called Motion Array that do royalty-free music and sound effects and all that, and they have a whole library of different styles and moods and genres. So that's a great place to start. But just a tip that if you are using audio, make sure it's balanced so it doesn't overpower your voice or all the core content. Keep it low, keep it at a lower pitch to your voice, and I use Descript D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T Descript. I use Descript when I'm editing and adding sound. It's really easy to be able to move the bar. You turn the music down while you're talking. It's very easy, user-friendly to use. So that's my tip on using music.

Speaker 1:

So auditory learners need to hear and they need to talk through information to fully grasp it, whether it's offering audio versions of your lessons, hosting live Q&A sessions or even adding sound effects to your content. The more you can engage their ears, the better they'll retain the material. Take a look at your current course now and ask yourself where can I add more auditory elements? Okay, my third type of learners. Can you guess what they are? We are moving on to kinesthetic learners, which means learning through movement.

Speaker 1:

Kinesthetic learners absorb information best when they can do something physical or interactive. So people listening. Now, if you're listening to this podcast and you're nodding your head and you're saying, yes, that sounds like me, then that's a completely normal way to absorb information, because you're processing knowledge through hands-on activities, physical interaction with the material or actively engaging in the task. You learn best by doing rather than by watching or by listening. You might hear your students who are kinesthetic learners say I need to try this myself to really get it. And your students who are kinesthetic learners thrive in environments where they can interact, they can move and they can apply what they've learned in a practical way. Now, kinesthetic learners need to move or to do in order to truly absorb information right. So they excel in environments where they can interact with the material, whether through simulations, role-playing or practical exercises. If your course is all theory and no practice, these learners might check out. You'll want to offer opportunities where they can get their hands dirty, so to speak.

Speaker 1:

So let's look at some strategies to be able to support our kinesthetic learners amongst us, and we can look at interactive quizzes or challenges or practice exercises, because these allow kinesthetic learners to actively engage with the content. So, rather than passively watching or reading. They get to apply what they've learned right away, and these learners thrive when they can do something, even if it's just clicking through options or working on a problem. For example, if you teach a course on copywriting, let's say, instead of just presenting theories, you can offer a practice challenge where students write a headline and get immediate feedback. This way, they're actively engaging with the skill as they learn it. Now, we've talked briefly about quizzes in previous podcast episodes, but you can use tools like Typeform, google Forms or leading platforms like Thinkific and Kajabi have their own built-in interactive quizzes that let students apply concepts immediately, and these can be evergreen courses as well. You don't have to be there to be able to provide that instant feedback. It all runs on automation.

Speaker 1:

The other strategy you can look at is using case studies in real world scenarios, because they offer the chance to step into the shoes of someone in a real life situation, which kinesthetic learners love. Your students who are kinesthetic learners can work through the problem as if they were actually in the scenario, which helps them apply the material in a meaningful way. For example, if you're teaching business strategy or, say, present a case study where students act as the CEO of a company facing a challenge. Have them work through the scenario, making decisions along the way. This level of interaction gives kinesthetic learners a tangible way to process the information. So how do we integrate this into our course? Well, we can create case studies for students to work through, especially those involving problem solving or decision making. In our lesson, we can present a scenario, we can offer key data or insights and let our students navigate the case as if they were in charge. It's almost like solving a mystery.

Speaker 1:

My third strategy for supporting our kinesthetic learners in our courses is incorporate some live demos or role-playing activities, because these are powerful tools for kinesthetic learners because they get to actively participate in the lesson. Role-playing is especially useful for subjects like leadership, sales or public speaking, where students need to practice behaviours in real time. For example, let's say well, let's take a sales training course. You could conduct a live role-playing session where students take turns being the salesperson and then being the customer. This hands-on practice allows kinesthetic learners to apply the techniques in real time, making the content stick. Now, if live sessions aren't feasible or they're not available, then you can record these demonstrations as part of your lessons and provide accompanying exercises where your students can practice on their own. So my two tips for engaging kinesthetic learners.

Speaker 1:

Tip number one is break lessons into step-by-step tasks. Kinesthetic learners often benefit from breaking down complex lessons into smaller, actionable steps. Giving them a sequence of actions to complete makes the material feel more hands-on, even if it's a digital one. So they love a checklist. A good checklist goes a long way with a kinesthetic learner. And let's take another course example. So let's say you're doing a coding course, rather than showing the entire process of building a website, break it down into bite-sized steps. Let your students complete small tasks, like setting up a homepage, before moving on to the next part of the project.

Speaker 1:

And my second tip is encourage movement during the learning. So sometimes even small physical actions can help kinesthetic learners retain information. You might like to encourage your students to take notes by hand or stand up during activities or use hand motions as memory aids. For example, if you're teaching public speaking, encourage students to stand up and rehearse their speeches physically, practicing their body language as they speak. The movement helps them remember and embody the content more fully. Kinesthetic learners thrive when they can do something, whether it's through an interactive exercise, a real-world scenario or a step-by-step task. The more you can engage their bodies and hands in the learning process, the more they'll retain and apply what they've learned. Look at your current course and ask yourself how can I get my learners more physically or mentally involved in the material? Okay, now my last segment of our learning audience and this fourth group could be for you, and we'll call them other learning styles.

Speaker 1:

Now, predominantly, they're made up of reading and writing learners, but there are others which I'll touch on quickly, but reading and writing learners process information. There are others which I'll touch on quickly, but reading and writing learners process information best when it's in the form of written text. Reading and writing learners enjoy reading articles, textbooks or guides and prefer taking notes to organise their thoughts. So these types of learners amongst us are often the ones who will ask for a handout or a written explanation to refer back to after a lesson. And these learners amongst us retain information by seeing it in words and writing it down themselves.

Speaker 1:

Now, sadly, reading and writing learners can be overlooked in multimedia heavy courses, for example, if they don't have access to text-based materials. So while they can certainly watch videos or listen to lectures or listen to a podcast, they will often need written support to fully grasp and retain the content. So having a workbook, for example, a downloadable workbook that accompanies each of your lessons, is a great way, or a great start, to support these reading and writing learners, because you always want to make sure there's a written component in your course and, as I say, this can be as simple as providing written summaries for your video lessons, or you can create downloadable guides or even transcripts of your audio content, and the goal is to give them something they can read, highlight or annotate at their own pace. For example, let's say, if you're teaching a course on digital marketing, after each video lesson, you could offer a PDF summary that breaks down the key points in text form. You could also include worksheets or note-taking templates where students can write down their thoughts and organize information in a way that helps them process it. Tools like Google Docs is great for this because it's all cloud-based, so you can write it, save it and then, if you happen, to log in on another computer to finish off editing your lesson. It's all sitting there in the cloud. I use Google Docs. It's great.

Speaker 1:

Now, the next type of learner that might fall into this category is social learners. Now, social learners are the students who thrive in group settings. Does that sound like you? They need to discuss ideas, share insights and hear others' perspectives to fully understand the material. Social learners will often say things like I learn best when I can talk about it with someone else. So these are your learners who benefit from group projects, discussions and face-to-face or peer-to-peer interactions. Our lovely social learners will typically struggle in isolated learning environments that don't allow for collaboration, because, for social learners, learning is a social experience and they need opportunities to connect with others to deepen their understanding.

Speaker 1:

So I've got a tip for you how can we support our students that are social learners? You all want to create opportunities for group engagement, right? So this can be through live workshops where students can interact in real time, discussion boards where they can exchange ideas asynchronously, or even group projects where they work together to solve problems. These learners will thrive when they're part of a learning community. For example, in a course on project management, you could have students break into small groups for a project simulation where they take on different roles within a team. Or, if it's a self-paced course, you can set up a discussion forum where learners can ask questions and share their experiences with the content. Facebook groups, for example, is a great platform for this type of thing. Facebook groups, for example, is a great platform for this type of thing because it's really important that addressing these additional learning styles can help you cater to a more diverse range of learners and it ensures that no one feels left behind, regardless of their preferred way of processing information.

Speaker 1:

If you can create a course that offers a balance of video, audio, written materials and interactive elements, it can accommodate learners who span the spectrum of preferences. Can you imagine how much more engaged your audience will be? When we think about creating inclusive courses, it's important to remember that not everyone learns the same way. While visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners are more common, we can't overlook reading writing learners and social learners, who need different types of interaction to fully engage with the material. By offering a mix of written content and group activities, you can ensure that every learner has the opportunity to thrive.

Speaker 1:

Let's say you're teaching a lesson on how to build an email list. A visual learner might prefer watching a flow chart that outlines the process step by step. An auditory learner might prefer listening to you explain each step in detail. Meanwhile, a kinesthetic learner would benefit from a worksheet where they actively write down and organise ideas for their own email list. The more ways you present the content, the more students you'll connect with. Take a moment to think about your current course. Are you mostly catering to one learning style? How can you start weaving in elements that speak to other styles so no student feels left out? Remember, it's not just about providing more content. It's about creating a deeper, richer learning experience.

Speaker 1:

Let's quickly recap what we covered today. We talked about three primary learning styles visual, auditory, kinesthetic and how you can adapt your course content to engage each of these learners. We then looked at the fourth additional group, which is reading, writing learners and social learners. For visual learners, we discussed using infographics, videos and slides. For auditory learners, we explored adding narrated content, podcasts and discussions. And for kinesthetic learners, we looked at hands-on activities like quizzes, real-world case studies and interactive projects.

Speaker 1:

The key here is to remember that no two learners are the same, but by including a mix of visual aids, auditory elements and interactive activities, you can create a more inclusive course. This way, all your students will feel supported and engaged, no matter how they prefer to learn. Now, I know this might seem a lot to take in, but remember you don't have to reinvent your entire course overnight. Even small changes like adding a narrated version of your slides or introducing a hands-on project can make a big difference in how your students connect with your material. The goal isn't perfection. It's about meeting learners where they are and offering multiple ways for them to engage with your content. Remember, every small tweak you make to include different learning styles will increase engagement and make your course more effective. It's all about making your students feel seen, understood and supported.

Speaker 1:

If you're excited to dive deeper into mastering these teaching strategies and creating even more engaging courses, I'd love for you to join my VIP list. By clicking the link in the show notes, you'll get early access to my upcoming in-depth training on how to master the art of teaching, engage students on a deeper level and elevate your course creation game. It's completely free. Plus, you'll be the first to know about exclusive content and offers designed just for you. Thank you so much for tuning in today. I can't wait to see how you apply these strategies to your courses and connect with your students in new ways. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or success stories to share. I would love to hear how you go implementing these strategies. Until next time, my friend, keep teaching, keep inspiring and keep making a difference in the lives of your students. Bye for now.

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Francesca Hudson

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