Minimal materials equal maximum interaction

In the online learning environments, keeping your participants focused on the content and interacting with one another is paramount. We often get asked, how many slides should be an online session? Ideally, no more than 12 to 15. The maximum number would be necessary if you also needed to teach participants how to use the tools in the online environment. When you have less slides, the design is naturally forced to require participants to work together-either through discussion, putting comments in chat, going to break out rooms, etc.

Recently, we came across a design that used only three slides for a 60 minute course! The design was incredible. In one activity the participants were asked to whiteboard a number of responses that related back to the pre-work they were required to do. This activity came very early in the learning process and was useful in setting the stage for the rest of the class because:

1 – The onus was put on the learners right off the bat - there was an expectation that they would participate in building the content

2-If the information had been presented in the classroom, by the facilitator, the topic was so dry it would have been a boring lecture

3 –The facilitator had the ability to gauge whether or not people did their pre-work at all. Peer pressure was involved 

4 –The activity is very engaging because after completing the activity on one's own, there is a natural inclination to "look around" and see what others contributed.

The design went on to use chat activities and breakout activities well, as well. 

It does take some effort to create a design that pulls the content from the participants rather than simply pushing information at them - but that is the kind of effort that is required for a successful online learning offering.