by Ethan Edwards, chief instructional strategist

Take a moment to consider two possible interactions for an e-learning module intended to teach driving safety and rules of the road. These alternatives illustrate ways to teach new skills and assess comprehension. 

Version 1	Version 2

1. Which interaction would give you useful information about the learner?
2. If a learner makes an error, which would give you more specific information to give useful feedback?
3. If a learner would get it “correct,” which one would give you more confidence?
4. Which would be more interesting for the learner to complete?
5. Which would you actually expect to see in an e-learning program?

I hope your answer to the first question is “Version 2.” I fear your answer to the last question is “Version 1.”

I work with a lot of e-learning designers who want to create great designs, yet they still end up creating many interactions like Version 1. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by countless examples of ineffective e-learning—modeled by the templates available in almost every authoring tool, by modules offered through off-the-shelf libraries, and even by some of the lesson models typically offered by custom development houses—and it is easy to ignore our inner voices of common sense.

As we strive to make use of the latest technologies, we MUST remember what we know about learning, about teaching, and simply about human nature as we devise online experiences. 

And then use that perspective to create e-learning interactions that motivate the learner, require attention and thought, and provide powerful opportunities for adaptive feedback.

10 Practical Principles Webinar - April 1st 

I’ve assembled a set of practical principles for design, grounded both in educational principles and experience in e-learning, that guide us to create better interactions—ones more like Version 2. I’ve just begun the process of gathering them into a book that will serve as a guide to good e-learning design, but more immediately, I’ll be sharing a few of these principles in a free webinar presented through ATD on Wednesday, April 1. Join me as I share 10 Powerful Principles for Creating Impactful e-Learning. My hope is that this webinar provides practical ways to improve your e-learning interaction design and also gives you confidence to trust your own common sense and experience in creating learning that makes a difference to your learners and to your organization. It’s time we stop repeating the same mistakes that have limited the impact of e-learning for too many years.

register for the 10 Practical Principles for Creating Impactful e-Learning Webinar