10 Tips for Designing High Quality E-Learning Programs

By Susan Barksdale

From needs analysis to review and approval, the author's ten tips (each with at least a half-dozen sub-elements) can serve as your checklist for covering all the steps in designing an e-learning program.    

Oftentimes those designing e-learning programs place too much emphasis on technology and neglect to follow design standards for producing high quality programs. Designing instructionally sound e-learning programs is probably more important than for traditional classroom design because the programs have to stand on their own without the interpretation of instructors who sometimes can make up for poor design.

When designing your e-learning programs, keep the following tips in mind.

1. Conduct a needs analysis that validates the business need for the program and determines the scope of the design.
This involves identifying the following things to determine the value of the design for the targeted audience and the organization:

* The costs versus the benefits for the program
* The performance problem to be solved
* The linkage of the program to business needs
* The target audience
* Subject Matter Experts
* The internal and external resources
* The data collection method to be used in the analysis
* The instructional strategy
* The evaluation plan

2. Use sound project management to manage the design of the e-learning program.
The following actions may be helpful in doing this:

* Document and publish a project plan
* Identify the scope of the design project
* Identify the design milestones
* Identify timelines and deliverables
* Identify the budget
* Identify ways to track progress to goals
* Identify change management and problem resolution strategies
* Identify a method for tracking status reports and exceptions

3. Identify, gain commitment from and orient Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to the design project.
SMEs are among your most valuable resources in designing an e-learning program and therefore, you should consider the following:

* Hold a kick-off meeting to orient SMEs to the e-learning design project
* Articulate the benefits to them of their involvement
* Communicate the needs analysis findings
* Identify SMEs' roles and responsibilities
* Communicate design review guidelines
* Establish operating principles for the design team
* Develop and communicate a "communication strategy"
* Hold regularly scheduled meetings

4. Conduct research to gather the background information needed to design the e-learning program including primary and secondary research.
This research should be focused on:

* Subject matter best practice searches within and external to the organization
* Interviewing or surveying SMEs and other key individuals and groups within the organization
* Reviewing and analyzing relevant internal background materials * Conducting external literature searches
* Analyzing research data and reporting key findings
* Identifying and upholding material copyrights

5. Identify and integrate performance measures in the design of the e-learning program to help ensure the program meets the desired business goals.
To accomplish this it is important to:

* Link performance measures to the objectives identified for the program
* Review and approve the performance measures with SMEs and the sponsor(s)
* Clearly articulate the performance measures in the design
* Measure expected performance through the program content, learning activities and assessments
* Use a variety of performance measurement instruments

6. Develop and implement an evaluation plan for the e-learning program that includes both summative and formative evaluation.
This is best accomplished through the following actions:

* Identify the levels of evaluation to be included in the plan as well as the levels of intensity at which these levels will be evaluated
* Communicate the evaluation strategy to the design team and to program clients and owners
* Develop instruments for evaluating at the levels and intensity identified in the evaluation plan
* Transfer the implementation of the evaluation plan to clients and owners as required by the identified level of evaluation

7. Create a design document for the e-learning program design that includes the following things:

* The job competencies or skills to be developed or enhanced
* The performance objectives
* The content outline
* The length of time of each component/module/section of the program
* Prerequisite knowledge requirements
* Pre and post work requirements
* References used to develop the program
* Existing and related training and support materials
* Learner activities

8. Make sure the e-learning program is clearly linked to the organization's business objectives.
This can be accomplished through the design by:

* Stating the business outcome that should result from the program up front
* Stating the expected performance that will produce business results
* Incorporating business objectives into activities and exercises
* Identifying the skills and knowledge needed to meet business objectives
* Identifying and integrating performance measures into the program

9. Meet adult learning requirements through the design of the e-learning program by:

* Addressing a variety of learning styles appropriate to the level of the audience
* Building in practice
* Building the program based on the audience's existing knowledge and skills
* Ensuring the program is relevant and applicable to the audience's jobs
* Including exercises and activities that are realistic and reflect the organization's business environment
* Building self-evaluation into the program
* Addressing the benefits for the audience's involvement in the program

10. Build in review and approval of the design of the e-learning program to make sure clients and owners are in agreement with what has been designed.
This is best accomplished by:

* Articulating the purpose of the review of the program
* Identifying those who will need to review and approve it
* Communicating reviewer roles and requirements
* Establishing and communicating review guidelines for each level of review
* Communicating review dates and the impact of changes in advance of the due date
* Developing a plan for negotiating and prioritizing suggested changes
* Identifying approval levels within and external to the design team

Reprinted from ASTD Techknowledge Conference Site