What Makes MagicMarks the Best eLearning platform for Engineering?

MagicMarks is a fast growing digital learning platform for engineering students studying in Indian colleges and universities. It is India’s largest library of visual tutorials consisting of concept-based lectures, assessments and multiple-choice questions in different engineering disciplines like First Year, Mechanical, Civil, Electronics and Electrical. The course content has been presented to students in a way that is easy to comprehend and apply. Those studying for competitive examinations can also benefit from the Magic Marks courseware. There are many factors that have made MagicMarks appealing to students and led to its growing popularity. Some of the factors are discussed as follows:

100% Visual Content: All the lectures and concept-based learning has been converted to high-definition 2D videos with rich animation and imagery. It improves the engagement level of students as well as their comprehension of the subject.

User-friendly Voice-over: The video tutorials and lectures are accompanied by a high quality voice-over that is easy to understand and follow. The tone and accent of the voice has been designed keeping in mind native speakers. The visuals and voice complement each other well for an effective learning session.

High Quality Imagery: All the video tutorials on MagicMarks have rich images and high quality picture. This helps in explaining concepts better due to highly engaging videos.

Course Mapped to Curriculum: The creators of MagicMarks courseware have made sure that the online course content is in line with the curriculum followed in most technical institutions in India. Students can learn easily by following their college course and prepare well for university examinations.

Self-Assessments Provided: There is no way to measure learning except by tests or assessments. MagicMarks provides students with assessments, MCQs and self-evaluation tests. The students can test their learning and track their progress as they keep studying the different subjects.

Courseware based on proven Pedagogies: The MagicMarks courseware is based on validated educational pedagogies that helps in achieving the best possible results. These pedagogies are scientifically tested and implemented ideas that are followed by most digital learning platforms all over the world.

Free Trial Period - MagicMarks offers a free 7 day trial period for every person who registers. Students can browse through the courseware, take up free lectures and do assessments during the trial period. Once satisfied, they can convert their trial period to a paid MagicMarks membership.

Register with MagicMarks and join the revolution for Smart Education!

The Popularity of Dick and Carey Model in Digital Learning Platforms

All digital learning platforms have a common foundation - a defined method or practice of imparting knowledge. The guidelines that are defined in the pedagogy not only determines how effective the learning platform can be but also how successful the eLearning program can be.

There are different forms of eLearning models that are available. One that has specifically grown in popularity as the modern day standard for instructional design in the digital learning sphere, is the Dick and Carey Model. The following points highlight the 9-step approach to Instructional Design as created by Dick and Carey:

Identifying Goals and Objectives: This is the first step for developing an eLearning platform. It includes creating an objective-map that shows what learners will be able to execute on completion of the training program. To state an example, the final objective of a digital learning program for engineers could be to build an electric circuit or a mechanical model.

Completing Instructional Analysis: This second step analyses the present competency level of the student, which is used to determine the learning gap. eLearning assessments, interviews and surveys are conducted to map the learner’s current skill set and proficiencies. This information is used to create a specific instructional design for the digital learning software.

Determining Entry Behaviours and Learner Characteristics: This step analyses the attributes, traits, preferences, proficiencies of the learner as well as the factors that led him/her to enrol for the digital learning program. Based on the information that is obtained in this step, an instructional designer can create tailor-made and relevant content for a particular learner. 

Writing Performance Objectives: The performance objectives clearly outline the criteria that will be employed to measure the learner’s progress during the program. It also specifies the process to be used like watching the audience on-the-job or any other real life scenario.

Developing eLearning Assessments: Assessments form a crucial part of any learning schedule. Not only do they help with performance and progress measurement, but also act as a tool for self-analysis to know the speed of the learner. Assessments include multiple choice questions, case studies and other interactive scenarios.  

Developing the Instructional eLearning Strategy: After the goals and criteria have been finalized, the next step is developing a sound eLearning strategy based on them that would be a complete package for the target audience. The strategy also depends on the subject content and the type of digital learning being used. For example, an engineering learning program would differ in strategy as compared to a K-12 program.

Selecting Instructional Material and Online Activities: In this step, the ideal tools and learning matter is selected based on the objectives and target audience. It includes creation of video lectures, tutorials, instructional aids etc. 

Conducting Formative Evaluation: A formative (internal) evaluation is a method used to estimate the value of a program while its activities are in progress. This kind of an evaluation helps the instructors, managers and designers track how well the objectives are met. A formative evaluation serves the purpose of identifying any deficiencies that may be present in the program so that appropriate steps can be taken to fix them.

Conducting Summative Evaluation: This is the last and the most important step in the entire process of building a digital learning program. It analyses whether the digital program is actually able to accomplish the desired result. The analysis uses tools like online tests, post-assessments or by looking at business statistics.

MagicMarks (www.magicmarks.in) offers digital learning solutions for engineering students in Indian colleges and universities. Their program is entirely visual and complemented by 2-D animations, amazing imagery and an English voice-over to help students learn easily. MagicMarks ensures that the content strictly adheres to industry-recognized learning pedagogies to achieve the desired learning outcomes.  

Relevance of Bloom’s Taxonomy in digital learning (Part I)

Despite having been conceptualized many decades ago, learning pedagogies like Bloom’s Taxonomy are extremely relevant to the digital learning solutions being created today. In fact, what makes it all the more relevant is the fact that digital learning solutions are built on an accurate structure containing curriculum and learning objectives that define the entire content and learning flow.

Reference and understanding of Bloom’s Taxonomy is extremely relevant to the creation of learning objectives that form the very basis of digital learning programs. Developed in the 1950s, Bloom’s Taxonomy tracks the learner’s journey as he progresses from lower order thinking skills (LOTS) to higher order thinking skills (HOTS). 

Even before a digital learning solution is designed, the instructional designer needs to track the learning outcomes across the various Bloom levels that progress from knowledge and comprehension to synthesis and evaluation. It follows the natural flow of learning process as the learner first needs to know what a concept is, then go on to how it works and then progress to higher order skills like synthesis and evaluation.

Over the last 15 years, education scientists have further added value to this concept by modifying the levels into remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. Digital learning analysts need to painstakingly map each level to the relevant learning outcome before initiating curriculum design.

Remembering

Remembering is the very basic level that a learner can take and this includes sub-steps like recognizing, listing, describing, naming and locating. Remembering includes being able to retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory. For example, recognizing the dates of important events and then recalling the same. 

Action words used for creating learning outcomes: describe, identify, know, label, list, match, name, outline, recall, recognize, reproduce, select, state.

Understanding

At this level, the learner should be able to decipher meanings from oral, written or digital communication. It includes sub-processes such as comprehension of the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. 

Understanding corresponds to learning outcomes such as:

Writing steps for performing a task.

Paraphrasing a document.

Categorizing a set of objects or points.

Drawing a logical conclusion. 

Constructing cause and effect models.

Action words used for creating learning outcomes: explain, classify, summarize, comprehend, convert, infer, interpret, paraphrase.

The rest is continued in the next blog titled Relevance of Bloom’s Taxonomy in digital learning (Part II)

Magicmarks.in offers digital learning solutions for students studying engineering in Indian colleges and universities. These solutions are entirely visual powered with 2-D animations, amazing imagery and an English voiceover to help students learn easily.

BYOD Benefits for Engineering Students

Digital Learning is not just a technically advanced platform, it also brings the essential promise of learner independence. While it does place a huge responsibility on the leaner to be able to steer the course and pace of learning, yet it provides the much needed flexibility and power of freedom as well.

The all important ‘Device’

The concept of eLearning/digital learning has always been extremely device dependent. It could be a PC, laptop, Netbook, tablet PC or an iPad. The Digital Device is at the very core of eLearning be it a K12 program or a professional engineering eLearning module.

The evolution of the BYOD concept

BYOD, short for ‘Bring Your Own Device’, is a powerful fast evolving concept in digital learning. The concept essentially enhances the element of freedom in any digital learning scenario.

Especially in the space of engineering or other technical genres of digital learning, BYOD brings in the essential level of decentralization in the learning system.

Student-driven learning

Modern day learning is an interactive process that involves effective two-way communication as well as participation. With BYOD, students become more proactive towards the learning and can add more value in the process.

Encourages collaboration

Apart from improving student participation, BYOD creates avenues for peer-to-peer  communication in the context of the learning. When learners bring heir own device, they receive greater opportunity to interact virtually with the facilitators and collaborate with fellow students for assignments, projects and assessments.

Personalized instruction and assessments

While digital learning is pre-customized  to cater to specific  learning  audiences,  BYOD  creates avenues for further individual-based fine-tuning of the instructional content.  Learners can conveniently carry projects and assignments in their own device. Most importantly, the assessment process becomes more effective and efficient using the BYOD concept.

Saves on institutional capital cost

BYOD partially shifts the cost burden of implementing eLearning from the education provider to the learner. Due to this, the institutional hesitation or bottleneck goes away paving way for an easier transition from traditional learning to digital learning ultimately providing benefit to the learners.

Complements blended learning

The concept works equally well for blended forms and instructor-led learning systems. The faculty members can fully leverage the BYOD concept in the form of avenues for guided learning and one-to-one communication.

Among the fastest growing providers of online education, Magic Marks offers digital learning solutions for students undergoing engineering courses in Indian colleges and universities. Their video tutorials and materials can also be used by students studying for competitive examinations. These are entirely visual training videos powered with 2-D animations and an English voice  over to help  students learn and grasp concepts easily.