Distance learning has been a reality for many years. But the COVID-19 pandemic has brought it closer to home for all of us. Before, it was merely an option. Now, distance learning has become essential, changing the way we learn. 

With the absence of in-person learning, the need for clarity has increased even more than usual. There are more barriers than face-to-face learning. If you can’t understand something you read, you can’t simply turn to your teacher to ask. There is a slight delay. Therefore, it’s imperative that resources are readable. This will save student time.

A conventional learning model is highly structured. On the contrary, open learning means students have to more heavily rely on their ability to self-learn. Tutors aren’t always available. So resources need to be sufficient in and of themselves. As in any industry, good readability reduces queries. Therefore, it saves time and money. 

There are also different resource formats to consider. All must be readable and accessible. As well as web-based resources there are PDF files, slideshows, and more. Many readability issues can be resolved by optimising resources for the web.

Readability is an excellent quality assurance measure for any kind of resource. 

With Readable, you can score as many Word documents, text, PDFs, files and eBooks as you like. Try our free trial for your resources. 

Another challenge distance learning brings is email. Many teachers are communicating with their students via email. The readability of email is just as important as any resource. A long email can be difficult to focus on. Especially when so many other aspects of distance learning bring focus challenges. Keeping emails clear and concise will greatly improve focus. You can test your email readability with us. 

In essence, learning online requires a lot of reading. If resources are difficult to read, they fail to serve the learner. It is essential to consider how easily students can read learning materials.

Laura Kelly

Laura is a freelance writer and worked at Readable for a number of years. Laura is well-versed in optimising content for readability and Readable's suite of tools. She aims to write guides that help you make the most out of Readable.