Designing Effective eLearning: What You Need to Know Before You Start

In a previous blog post, we gave a high-level overview of the benefits of eLearning, and now we’ll look at design requirements. eLearning design and development require many of the same processes as traditional classroom learning. The differences, however, are substantial.

Both classroom and eLearning require a Project Overview (Purpose, Need, Scope, Audience) as well as defined Learning Objectives, Outcomes, and Content Requirements.

Where eLearning diverges is in three major areas:

• Overall Design and User Experience
• Technical and Media Requirements
• Assessment and Tracking

It’s no secret that for eLearning to be successful, careful thought must be put into it. The Brandon Hall Group, one of the early pioneers in eLearning research and development, found that eLearning typically reduces learning time by 40 to 60 percent. Training Magazine reported that organizations can save 50 to 70 percent in training costs when switching to eLearning. To make those kinds of benefits possible, we must give careful consideration to the basic elements of eLearning.

 Overall Design and User Experience

Unlike printed course materials or slides with text and graphics, eLearning screen design deserves careful consideration. In addition to the way things look, there are the dynamics of navigation and interactivity, two areas where an eLearning Developer plays a crucial role.

If learners can’t figure out what they’re supposed to do—and how to do it—they will likely become frustrated and disengaged.

• Navigation involves how to move around the screen and advance through the lesson
• Interactivity includes actions like clicking, dragging, hovering, or choosing screen elements

PowerPoint slides and rapid development tools like Articulate or Adobe Captivate often serve as templates to plan these interactions. Showing proposed layouts to learners early can help gather essential feedback before moving forward.

User experience is the result of thoughtful design. The goal is not just to make the content fun but to make sure learners feel their time was well spent, that they made progress, and that the lesson met their expectations.

Technical and Media Requirements

Modern learners expect an engaging experience with video, audio, images, and interactive tools. This section outlines critical areas an eLearning Developer must evaluate:

Media Purpose and Alignment

• Does the media support your learning objectives?
• Are all visual and audio elements clear, simple, and relevant?
• Are formats aligned with intent (e.g., videos for demonstration, animations for processes)?
• Have you reviewed visuals for potential confusion or offense?

Accessibility and Alternative Formats

• Are captions, transcripts, and audio downloads provided?
• Is your content usable with screen readers?
• Can users navigate via keyboard if needed?

 Interaction and Engagement

• Have you included instructions for interactions (click, drag, choose)?
• Are the expected completion times clear?
• Have you offered practice activities or knowledge checks?
• Is content broken into smaller, more manageable sections?

 Performance and Compatibility

• Is the media streamable without lag or sync issues?
• Has it been tested across devices (desktop, tablet, mobile)?
• Does it work across different browsers?

 Effectiveness and Measurement

• Can you track metrics like time on task or high failure rates?
• Are you capturing abandonments and progress drop-off points?
• Can the system adjust content based on learner behavior?

 Maintenance and Version Control

• Are all media files stored centrally and clearly labeled?
• Can assets be updated easily?
• Is there a plan for reviewing and revising content regularly?

 Licensing and Third-Party Media

• Are proper licenses in place for third-party media?
• Have you considered Creative Commons or open-source alternatives to lower costs?

A skilled eLearning Developer manages these elements in close alignment with instructional designers and project stakeholders.

 Assessment and Tracking

Good tracking systems are essential for measuring the return on your learning investment. Without meaningful data, it becomes difficult to secure funding or support for future development. Below is a structured breakdown of what to consider:

 Assessment Types and Formats

• Formative Assessments: Quizzes, polls, and knowledge checks embedded throughout lessons
• Summative Assessments: Final exams, projects, presentations, or simulations
• Authentic Assessments: Case studies, real-world tasks, and applied responses
• Adaptive Assessments: Questions that adjust in difficulty based on previous answers

 Checkpoints and Practice

• Include frequent checkpoints to reinforce learning
• Provide feedback for “almost correct” quiz choices
• Allow learners to retry practice assessments with supportive guidance

 Interactive Features

• Use interactive elements like drag and drop, hotspots, reveal on hover, and matching activities
• Incorporate branching scenarios to reflect real decision-making, often scripted and developed by the eLearning Developer

 Feedback Strategy

• Offer immediate and meaningful feedback for learner actions
• Make sure feedback is clear, specific, and tied to performance

LMS and Platform Integration

• Ensure assessment data is trackable within your LMS (e.g., SCORM, xAPI)
• Confirm compatibility with LMS reporting features (attempts, completions, scores, exits)

 Learning Analytics and Visualization

• Track important metrics such as:
  • Time spent
  • Success and failure rates
  • Incomplete tasks
  • Points of frequent abandonment
• Use dashboards to display learner progress and keep stakeholders informed

 Technical Reliability

• Test assessments across browsers and devices
• Enable autosave and resume functions for long modules or quizzes
• Provide safeguards for connectivity issues (retry options or offline tracking)

 Accessibility and Inclusion

• Make sure assessments are compatible with screen readers
• Use descriptive alt text for visual questions
• Follow color contrast and plain language standards

 The Reward is Worth the Investment

Designing eLearning takes effort, but the rewards are significant. While it may require upfront investment in time, planning, and expertise, the long-term benefits—efficiency, learner satisfaction, and actionable data—make it well worth it.

If you’re new to eLearning, partnering with experienced eLearning developers or Learning Solutions providers such as TTA can provide a helpful starting point. Once you understand the process and tools available, you may choose to bring more development in-house using platforms like Articulate or Adobe Captivate, or even open-source solutions.

Don’t let the planning phase intimidate you. With attention to detail and a strong design foundation, eLearning Developers can become one of the most effective and scalable tools in your learning toolkit.