7 Common Problems Graphic Designers Have With eLearning Templates
You think the eLearning templates built-in to your authoring tool are going to help you save time, money and effort. Well, you might as well save time and money, but you’ll end up with an eLearning course that most likely doesn’t meet your expectations. Imagine you’re decorating your house. You’ve been given a single paint color, a paintbrush, and a ladder. Feeling restricted? Uninspired? Unable to apply the best tools for the job? That’s what a graphic designer encounters when they are working with an eLearning template that misses the mark. Here are 7 common reasons why graphic designers abhor eLearning templates, as well as tips to use them effectively in your next eLearning project.
You may not realize it, but an eLearning template can add hundreds of hours to the design process if it’s the wrong one. Graphic designers forced to use unsuitable tools will not deliver the kind of impactful, creative work they are famed for. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just a lack of understanding. Here’s what causes the biggest problems in the world of eLearning templates.
1. Complex Or Outdated Templates
It can take longer to transfer your content to the eLearning template than it does to design it from scratch, which is frustrating for a graphic designer who is more than capable of creating far better. Outdated eLearning templates limit your abilities and force you to work within the confines of a sub-standard layout. Likewise, overly complex eLearning templates stretch out the eLearning course development process and cause unnecessary headaches.
2. Hard To Make Edits Or Review
As you progress through the eLearning course development, a graphic designer and a testing team should be able to work in tandem. Revisions should be made regularly and throughout. An eLearning template that makes reviewing the eLearning course more difficult does nothing but add time to the eLearning course development. This is particularly important for topics that require frequent updates, such as compliance or product knowledge online training.
3. Difficult To Create Duplicates
If a new or updated version of an eLearning course is required, it should be easy to create a new version. These should be easily tracked for compliance purposes. eLearning templates can make the process of duplicating eLearning courses far more difficult.
4. Customization Of The eLearning Template Is Difficult Or Impossible
To give an eLearning course impact, the font, graphics, backgrounds, button colors, and other elements should be easily customized. Too often an eLearning template does not allow for this without complex and time-consuming coding. One of the perks of using an eLearning template is that you don’t need programming knowledge to personalize the content.
5. Unable To Create A Theme
A theme is a great time-saver, as it can be changed once and applied globally to all linked eLearning courses. eLearning templates that don’t allow for linking eLearning courses create unnecessary development work.
6. The eLearning Template Is Too Inflexible
If a graphic designer is unable to include everything you need such as images, audio, video, tables, there will be disagreement. Getting an eLearning course to look exactly as required is very difficult on a standard eLearning template.
7. No Real Choice In Assessments
Another bugbear is the inability to vary or specify assessment methods. eLearning templates don’t often allow for different types of questions or can’t place multiple assessments at different points in the eLearning course. They may not be able to provide formal confirmation of assessment completion for auditing purposes.
How To Effectively Use eLearning Templates
1. Make Sure They Are Responsive
Develop an eLearning template that has been tested on all the variances of IOS, Windows and Mac devices in your environment. Your eLearning authoring tool should feature a built-in previewer so that you can evaluate the eLearning template in different screen sizes and resolutions.
2. Create A Unified Design That Will Enable Engaging eLearning
Keep the screen clear; don’t overuse text; plan out visual elements on a grid plan; stick to consistent navigation.
3. Verify They Are Designed With Reusability In Mind
An eLearning template should be able to be called into action many times over, with minimal changes. One of the perks of eLearning templates is that they save time on future projects and maintain consistency.
4. Use A Rapid eLearning Authoring Tool
Rapid eLearning authoring tools allow for a variety of features alongside review and testing. They also typically feature online asset libraries so that you can create your own reusable eLearning template from scratch, as well as customize built-in templates to custom tailor them to your needs.
5. Choosing An eLearning Template Is A Team Effort
Keep in mind that everyone has to work with the same eLearning template to achieve a cohesive outcome. Thus, every member of your L&D team has to be on board, from the Instructional Designer and Subject Matter Expert to the graphic designer. Get their input before deciding on an eLearning template and lay a solid foundation beforehand. For example, fine-tune the color scheme or placeholders to align with everyone’s needs. This allows you to dive right into the eLearning course development process with a layout that your entire L&D team is happy with.
The path to a bad eLearning template is strewn with miscommunication and lack of knowledge. Working in conjunction with your entire L&D team is the only way to ensure your eLearning authoring tools are up to the job. Whether or not a standard eLearning template is suitable depends on the type of the project. For general, everyday online training courses, you and your collaborators can come to a happy agreement. You can use rapid eLearning authoring tools and master themes to meet those cost and timing deliverables. Showing your L&D team that you consider their requirements will save many wasted and frustrated hours. You might have great eLearning content, but is it being overshadowed by outdated eLearning templates.
Wondering how to develop reusable eLearning templates from scratch? Read the free eBook eLearning Templates From A To Z to find out why to use eLearning templates, how to choose the right eLearning template for your eLearning course, how to create a reusable eLearning template from scratch, its essential elements, as well as how to refresh outdated eLearning templates on a budget.
