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Helpful ideas. Squeaky value.
Helpful ideas. Squeaky value.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every course has two sets of stakeholders with different priorities. The organization wants business outcomes, but the learner wants something relevant to their actual job. Bridging that gap is the real design challenge.
Most project plans look great on day one and get ignored by day three. You don't need a formal plan to keep an e-learning project on track. You just need to work through the right areas, and this post breaks them down.
Most bad courses don't come from bad design. They come from skipping one question before you start building. This post walks through how to ask it, using a real case study about a monument and bird poop.
Locked course navigation is one of the most common e-learning frustrations, and it usually comes from good intentions gone wrong. This post breaks down why courses get locked and offers three practical ways to give learners more control without sacrificing your objectives.
Reality TV competitions have more to teach you than you'd think. From taking criticism to giving better feedback, here are five lessons from shows like Top Chef and Project Runway that can make you a sharper e-learning designer.
Spending months on needs analysis before building a single thing is its own kind of failure. Here's how to find the right level of analysis for each project.
You've probably worked with a subject matter expert who knew everything about a topic but couldn't explain it in a way a new learner could follow. That's not a knock on them. Teaching is a different skill from knowing, and most SMEs have never been trained to do it.
Every training request doesn't need to become a course. Here are three techniques for saving time and money while still delivering real value to your learners.
The ROI question comes up at every training conference. But the real challenge isn't calculating a number — it's knowing how to show that your work matters. Here are three approaches that actually work in practice.
Working with subject matter experts is one of the most challenging parts of building e-learning. The goal isn't to capture everything they know. It's to help them surface what learners actually need.
