When building an eLearning program, it’s easy to focus on the content—after all, that’s where the knowledge is. But have you ever stopped to think about how your learners know if they’re really getting it? This is where quizzing comes in, and it’s more important than you might think.

The Problem with Skipping Quizzes

Imagine taking an online course where you simply read through the material or watch videos with no quizzes or tests to check your understanding. It might seem easy, but without these checkpoints, how do you really know if you've learned anything?

Quizzes aren’t just about testing knowledge—they’re about building it. When you skip out on quizzing options, your eLearning program can run into some serious problems:

1. Learner Disengagement‍

Without quizzes, learners may start to feel disconnected from the material. Quizzes offer a chance to interact with the content, making the learning process more engaging.

2. No Feedback Loop‍

Quizzes provide immediate feedback, helping learners understand where they’re excelling and where they need more work. Without this, they could be missing key concepts without even realizing it.

3. Increased Dropout Rates‍

Learners who aren’t sure how they’re doing might feel lost and frustrated, which can lead to them dropping out of the course altogether.

4. Inconsistent Learning‍

Without regular assessments, it’s hard to ensure that everyone is absorbing the material in a consistent way. This could mean that by the end of the course, some learners are fully equipped with the knowledge they need, while others are left struggling.

Now that we’ve highlighted why skipping quizzes is a bad idea, let’s dig into the two types of quizzes that can save your eLearning experience: formative and summative assessments.

Formative Quizzing: The Secret to Keeping Learners on Track

Formative quizzes are like small checkpoints scattered throughout your course. They’re designed to help learners stay on track, providing real-time feedback and giving them a sense of accomplishment as they progress.

Engagement Boost‍

Formative quizzes break up the material and keep learners engaged. They’re a great way to reinforce what’s been taught before moving on to the next topic.

Immediate Feedback‍

These quizzes offer instant feedback, so learners know right away if they’ve understood the material or if they need to review it. This helps prevent small misunderstandings from turning into bigger problems later on.

Course Correction‍

If a learner struggles with a particular concept, formative quizzes help identify these areas early, allowing instructors to provide extra support before it’s too late.

Example

For example, a university offering an online biology course noticed that students were struggling with a specific module on genetics. By incorporating more formative quizzes throughout the module, students were able to gauge their understanding better and get the help they needed before moving on to more complex topics. The result? Higher pass rates and better overall performance in the course.

Summative Quizzing: Ensuring Learners Have Truly Mastered the Material

Summative quizzes are the final test. They assess whether learners have achieved the course’s learning objectives and can apply the knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Measuring Outcomes‍

These quizzes measure how well learners have absorbed the entire course content. They ensure that by the end of the course, learners are ready to apply what they’ve learned.

Accountability‍

Knowing that there’s a final assessment motivates learners to stay engaged and work through the material thoroughly.

Consistent Learning Outcomes‍

Summative quizzes ensure that all learners have met the same standards, making the training more reliable and effective.

Example

Consider another example: A corporate compliance training program that relied solely on instructional videos without any final assessments. Employees completed the course, but when it came to applying the new regulations in their daily work, there were inconsistencies and errors. After adding a summative quiz at the end of the program, the company saw a significant improvement in how well employees applied the regulations, leading to fewer compliance issues and a more knowledgeable workforce.

The Bottom Line: Quizzing Isn’t Optional

If you’re serious about creating an effective eLearning program, quizzing options are a must. Both formative and summative assessments play a crucial role in keeping learners engaged, ensuring they understand the material, and helping them apply what they’ve learned.

When you don’t include these quizzing options, you’re risking learner satisfaction, retention, and the overall success of your program. With quizzes, you’re setting your learners up for success, making your training more effective, and ultimately, providing more value to your organization.

Next steps

If you want to incorporate quizzes effectively into your eLearning experience, Simple Movement can help. Whether for corporate training or online education, let’s ensure your learners stay engaged and succeed every step of the way.