Use Issuu to Sell and Teach your Online Course

Knowledgeable people, just like you, share their expertise with the world through webinars, video, audio, and eBooks. Give back to the community and share what you have learned over years of hard work by publishing an online course. Unfortunately, digital classes are plagued by low completion rates. So, Issuu designed a the customizable multimedia solution for digital learning environments. Together we can tackle the challenges of keeping online students engaged throughout the entirety of the class.

Setting up Your Online Course

Online education experts have identified five main archetypes of digital course structure: supplemental, complementary, social, evaluative, and holistic. All of these structures have interactions with course materials ranked either first or second for time spent [1]. This means that no matter how you organize your online classroom your students will be spending a significant amount of time with your material. Therefore, you should make this material as readily accessible and understandable as possible. Transforming your e-textbooks into an attractive and simple reading experience is easy with the Issuu Embed. This flip-book style reader is customizable for your website, and can be set on private so only students with the link can access your course.

However, scholars agree that simply digitizing your content is not enough. If we want to use technology we need interactive and individualized learning experiences for the best results. Plain eBooks don’t appeal to students anymore than a heavy hardcover text [2]. Issuu has the multimedia capability of creating differentiated paths in your classroom so you can speak to all learning styles.

Designing the Learning Environment

So, what goes into creating an adaptive online learning environment? Largely, this comes from your experience as an educator responding to the needs of a particular student group. Additionally, in the technological landscape, this means setting up multiple modalities for the same learning goal [2].

Remember the digital classroom styles mentioned earlier. Let’s focus on the two highest performing styles: social and holistic [1]. Social learning styles are like virtual seminars with heavy focus on discussion forums. This archetype that ranks second for student interaction. Prompt your students within the text to visit discussion boards at the end of a unit or critical learning goal. Issuu makes it easy to link anywhere in your publication. Make it so there is no excuse for missing the discussion requirement.

The highest student interactivity is in holistic classrooms. This has a heavy focus on low-key, ie low stress, assessment opportunities. Think like Amazon, but with your teacher hat on: “people who viewed this also viewed this” [2]. Issuu Analytics empowers adaptivity with stats broken down by page and publication. Areas of the text where students are spending more time might be places you need to focus more attention and review. Include embedded video demonstrations and links to hands on practice natively in your text. Or, even create flashcards and review sessions directly from your pdf in the form of Visual Stories. Just a few clicks and your long form educational content can be segmented into pieces of interactive exam prep.

More: How to Sell Your Online Course with Issuu 

Promote and Sell your Online Course

Issuu provides you with an entire suite of ways for attracting prospective students. One simple way is setting up preview settings in your text. Treat it like a version of your syllabus. Reveal just enough so people can get an idea of your course and you as an educator. Answer why is your course is valuable without revealing your secrets. Additionally, Issuu Sales makes it simple for your students to purchase material and for you to get paid. Our Stripe integration ensures purchases are secure on all devices and that you receive direct deposit. Lastly, advertise your course on social media. Use our gif maker and create an attractive sneak peak of your text for posting across all your accounts.

What is missing from most technology targeting education is their focus on the educator. While you as the educator are indispensable, Issuu recognizes that for educational content and technology to be truly valuable it must meet the needs of both the teacher and the student. Issuu provides education with the tools necessary for making holistic and engaged online learning environments.

Upload your course material now and learn how we can help you reach your maximum potential as an educator!

[1]

Patterns in Blackboard Learn tool use: Five Course Design Archetypes

[2]

Not Like Other Media: Digital Technology and the Transformation of Educational Publishing