Helpful Material

Effective eLearning Projects

Organizations looking to tap into the significant advantages of eLearning should consider the following issues, whether you are creating custom online courses in-house or working with an outside content developer.

• Articulate a clear strategy for why eLearning will be implemented; identify major assets to leverage and barriers to overcome; define how eLearning will be integrated into the organization's overall learning environment
• Design courses based on clear performance-based and content-based objectives
• Create learner-centric courses which address felt needs of the learner
• Present information in the most effective way possible
• Use multimedia appropriately and strategically - not as a "magical additive"
• Provide structure for the learner with solid instructional design
• Give the learner many opportunities to practice (guided and/or self-guided)
• Actively engage the learner, rather than passive one-way information dump
• Assess the effectiveness of the course - did it meet objectives?
• When possible, provide opportunities for interaction with teachers and other learners
• Listen to the learner and solicit honest feedback; implement appropriate changes
• Standards compliance, compatibility, portability of the content in a rapidly changing marketplace (SCORM, AICC, etc.)