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Pull a Color Palette, Fonts, and Assets From Any Website in Seconds
Here’s a problem many course builders and other presenters run into. They…
tipsqueak
Helpful ideas. Squeaky value.
tipsqueak
Helpful ideas. Squeaky value.
Why Starting With an Activity Beats Starting With Content
Flipping the usual course structure sounds counterintuitive. But when you start with an activity instead of content, learners arrive at the instruction already engaged and aware of what they don't know. The HAT model makes that shift practical.
Why E-Learning Often Falls Short and What You Can Do About It
Most e-learning doesn't live up to the hype. Not because the tools are wrong, but because internal teams are often set up to build the wrong kinds of courses. Understanding why helps you start changing it.
Stop Designing Courses Around Content Structure
You can build a course with well-organized content, clean navigation, and solid visuals, and still end up with something that doesn't stick. These three principles address why that happens.
3 Ways to Define Interactive E-Learning
I hear "make it more interactive" constantly. But no one ever defines what that means. Once you understand the three main ways a course can be interactive, you can make smarter decisions about where to invest your development time.
4 Ways to Move Past Click and Read E-Learning
A common pattern in e-learning is to list what people need to know and then quiz them on it. That approach measures recall, not understanding. Four design changes can close that gap.
Your Course Can’t Ask “Did That Make Sense?”
Real communication goes back and forth. Most e-learning doesn't. Here's how to build feedback and assessment into the course itself instead of leaving it all to a quiz at the end.
How to Build Training Objectives That Matter
Some courses need learners to prove they can do something. Others just need to build awareness. Here's a simple framework for figuring out which one you're building, and how to write objectives that actually match.
Tips for Working With Subject Matter Experts Who Don’t Report to You
A good SME relationship pays off long after the project ends. This roundup of tips from other e-learning developers covers how to respect their time, earn their trust, and keep the door open for next time.
How Alien Abductions Make You a Better E-Learning Designer
Real-world content can actually work against your course. Here's why flipping the scenario, even into something as odd as an alien abduction, keeps learners focused on the objective instead of the details they already know.
Four Reasons to Open Up Your Course Navigation
"We have to lock the course or people will just skip to the end." Sound familiar? Locking navigation is a common default in e-learning, but it solves the wrong problem. This post explains why, and what to do instead.
Four Things to Consider Before You Build That E-Learning Course
A training request doesn't automatically call for an e-learning course. Many of them can be handled faster and cheaper with something else. Four questions will help you figure out which approach fits.
The Assumptions That Wreck Your Course Design
Every course is built with some idea of who's going to take it. The problem is that idea is often wrong. Getting clear on who your learners actually are — not who you assume they are — changes everything about how you design a course.
Help Your Client See E-Learning from a Different Perspective
When a client asks for an e-learning course, they usually describe what they've experienced as a learner. That almost always means click-and-read, linear slides. The fix is simple: show them what other options look like before you agree on scope.
How to Make an Online Course Less Boring
Stuck building another content-heavy compliance course? These 7 ideas show you how to add context, drama, and decision-making without a full redesign.
