Online fatigue and how we should design our online programmes

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Online fatigue and how we should design our online programmes

Posted by Krystyna Gadd on October 21, 2020 at 12:30pm in Design

We know that 'zoom fatigue' exists and maybe some ways individually how to avoid it:

My question is:

Is there any research or empirical guidelines somewhere to say when we are designing:

Maximum length of sessions and breaks needed (if at all)
Time between sessions on a longer programme that would normally be a week long course, lets say? One day after another or a days break in between each?
If you had a session in the morning and then one in the afternoon, any data to support length of break in between morning and afternoon?

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Replies

Kerry Worthington October 21, 2020 at 12:39pm

This doesn't directly address length of session etc but John Sweller's research on cognitive load helps you think about designing your sessions and how much information you should be including at any one time.
- Krystyna Gadd > Kerry Worthington October 21, 2020 at 12:41pm
  
  Thanks Kerry. Do you have a link to John Swellers work?
  - Kerry Worthington > Krystyna Gadd October 21, 2020 at 12:45pm
    
    Hi Krystyna, for a quick read of the main points have a look at this:
    
    https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cognitive-load-theory.htm
    
    Cognitive Load Theory: Making Learning More Effective
    
    Make your training delivery more effective by presenting information in a way that fits with how learners' minds work.
    - Krystyna Gadd > Kerry Worthington October 21, 2020 at 1:19pm
      
      Brilliant thank you!
Jo Cook October 21, 2020 at 1:06pm

Great question. There's research from Cindy Huggett, CPTD about what people do, but that's not the same as research about what is best! https://www.cindyhuggett.com/blog/2019sovt/
- Krystyna Gadd > Jo Cook October 21, 2020 at 1:20pm
  
  Thanks Jo I have seen this one and it is a good remonder!
Jo Cook October 23, 2020 at 3:13pm

Hi Krys, a couple of links that might be interesting.

I haven't looked at them in detail yet to see if they answer your question, but thought I'd share rather than delay! :D

Twitter chat:#LrnSciChat on 27 May 2020 | Applying Cognitive Scienc...

The Learning Scientists Digest #146: The Psychology of “...

#LrnSciChat on 27 May 2020 | Applying Cognitive Science Principles During Remote Learning

This is the summary of the #LrnSciChat on 27 May 2020 on Applying Cognitive Science Principles During Remote Learning hosted by Dr Carolina Kuepper-T…
- Krystyna Gadd > Jo Cook October 23, 2020 at 3:33pm
  
  Thanks Jo!
Jo Cook October 23, 2020 at 5:47pm

This is for webinars, and from the ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report 2019.

Obviously it's not specifically what you are asking, but it gives a clue that over the years people are still wanting to a) watch most of a webinar and b) that investment of time is creeping up.

I would interpret this to mean that an hour live online is absolutely doable (and more besides), but that's based just on this webinar data.
Krystyna Gadd October 28, 2020 at 4:06pm

Here is a link to the discussion on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/posts/krystynagadd_there-seems-to-be-littl...

Krystyna Gadd FLPI on LinkedIn: There seems to be little quantitative research out there around bes…

There seems to be little quantitative research out there around best practice, when designing ONLINE learning programmes and how to space out the ses…