12.3. LOWER THE HURDLES
Far too many potential learners never get started with WBT. They never even try. They take a look at the long list of technical requirements for taking the course and walk away, muttering, "Who do they design these courses for?"
12.3.1. Identify technical barriers
No course is effective unless learners can and will take it. The surest way to prevent learners from taking a course is to require more computer resources and skills than learners possess. Take a look at the following list of requirements and see what barriers you spot.
If you want to ensure that few take your course, require a rigid and impossibly high set of requirements:
A more powerful computer than most learners will have.
Faster network connection than many will have. Remember, some may need to take courses from home or hotel room over a modem.
Many obscure, unsupported, or beta-version plug-ins that learners must download and install.
Extensive changes to basic browser settings.
And do not bother providing help meeting the requirements or testing compliance.
On the other hand, if you want as many learners as possible to take your course, reduce requirements and help learners meet them.
12.3.2. Reduce technical requirements
Even the most humane WBT designers are subject to bouts of gizmania, also known as bell-and-whistle syndrome. This disease manifests it with symptoms of excessive (some ...
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