Instructional Design
The theory behind good instruction — how people learn, what makes training actually work, and the thinking behind course decisions.
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Make Your Compliance Training Better
Most compliance training is designed around assumptions about what regulations require, not what the regulations actually say. Here’s how to build something…
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What Do We Know About Adult Learners
Last week I had a kidney infection that almost put me out for good. Stuck in bed with nothing to do but…
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Build E-Learning Courses That Keep Learners Engaged
When a course has nothing to do with what learners face at work, they disengage. Building engagement isn’t about adding more interactivity.…
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Why You Should Stop Locking Your Course Navigation
A manager once told me the people who designed his company’s e-learning were “e-learning fascists.” He wasn’t wrong. Locking navigation doesn’t solve…
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Why Your E-Learning Course Solves Only a Small Part of the Problem
Most e-learning is built as a one-shot event. The problem is that people learn constantly, not just when they’re in a course.…
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How I Built This Interactive Scenario in Rise
Older PowerPoint scenarios can be hard to manage and even harder to update. Rise offers a cleaner alternative that’s fully responsive and…
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What Instructional Designers Actually Do (And How to Explain It)
Someone emailed me a question I’ve been asked a lot: what is the role of the instructional designer, and how do you…
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What Slot Machines, Video Games, and Legos Have to Do with E-Learning
Slot machines pay out 90% of what you put in, and people still lose everything because they keep playing. That near-miss mechanic…
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Why Course Navigation Matters Less Than You Think
When e-learning developers say they want more engaging courses, they usually mean more branching. But navigation type has almost nothing to do…
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Want to Build Better E-Learning Courses? Think Beer
Most e-learning gets judged by how interactive it is or what tool built it. That’s like judging a beer by its ABV.…