5 Top Tips for Great eLearning Design

1.         Start simple and be realistic. Don’t try to run before you can walk. Great elearning design takes skill and a certain amount of experience, much like learning to play the violin.

2.         Study Instructional Design. A bit of knowledge can transform your learning solutions. There are many excellent books and instructional design courses out there to give you the design foundations that you need to produce great elearning.

3.         Use the right tool for the job. Think about your training need. Does it require a full-blown elearning solution or could you use something cheaper and simpler, such as informal media? Would an audio or video clip help to convey the message more effectively?

4.         Work with your peers and share knowledge. Just as collaboration can enrich an online learning experience, it can also be key to improving our understanding of what great elearning design means. Professional networks, such as eLN and elearning-related groups on LinkedIn can be an excellent way to get answers to those tricky design conundrums. Alternatively, it can also be very cost-effective to buy in some consultancy and learn from an expert.

5.         Practice, practice, practice. To gain confidence in your instructional design skills you need to be using them regularly. For practically any training need, there can be an online element. A blended solution is guaranteed to reinforce the learning and add value to the training.