50 Quick Fire Elearning Tips

We’re sharing 50 quick fire elearning tips aimed at helping to make elearning the best it can be. Whether you’re new to the industry or a veteran, there’s something for everyone in this list of bite-sized hints. Originally created for Twitter, they really are bijoux but there’s always a link if you want to delve a bit deeper:

1. ‘Device-proof’ your elearning by using a responsive tool like Adapt so content adjusts to fit any size screen.
2. Chunking helps learners to absorb the content so design your elearning with this in mind.
3. Brush up your marketing skills and promote your elearning with a campaign - before, during and after. Tip 3
4. For induction elearning use actionable information, avoid high level concepts and focus on the individual.
5. A Cloud-based LMS is a good idea if your organisation employs a lot of remote workers or operates across multiple time-zones.
6. Custom-made elearning is best for organisations that have a very specific training need or workforce.
7. Gamification can positively enhance a learner’s level of activity, motivation, interactivity & engagement.
8. Consider the impact of unconscious bias when designing your elearning.
9. Aim to have one master version of your elearning completely signed-off before starting any translation and localisation.
10. For soft skills elearning interactive scenarios work really well.
11. If you’re completely new to elearning, it’s good to start by identifying your audience.
12. Remember, short-term memory can hold 5-9 bits of information so bear this in mind when designing your elearning.
13. Interactive video can work really well for instructional or task-based elearning.
14. If you are moving your training approach online, start with a needs analysis.
15. If your elearning needs to be translated into multiple languages, design for expanding text.
16. Always be mindful of the different ways people learn when designing your elearning course.
17. When giving feedback within your elearning be timely and constructive.
18. The elearning industry should already be thinking about how best to leverage wearable technology.
19. Consider which elearning authoring tool will best suit the needs of your learners.
20. The new negative scoring feature in Articulate’s Storyline 2 is useful to help gamify your elearning.
21. The best elearning is performance focused not content focused.
22. Designing for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is essentially responsive design so focus on simplicity.
23. Do a Tone of Voice Exercise before starting your elearning to make sure you use the right language for your learners.
24. The employee engagement funnel can help be a helpful concept to aid elearning design.
25. Utilise problem-solving in your elearning course to aid learning and engagement.
26. Music can aid emotional connection within elearning particularly within a narrative or scenario.
27. For game elearning focus on how the game play can deepen the learning rather than simply make it fun.
28. If your elearning is destined for multiple countries than consider cultural differences & national laws.
29. If authenticity is a key requirement for your elearning, you may want to use actual employees for stills & video.
30. Before starting a project, weigh up whether the best approach for your elearning is synchronous or asynchronous.
31. Borrowing techniques from the world of game design can help bring your elearning to life.
32. Choose a responsive tool like Adapt to save time and money.
33. Open up creative possibilities for your elearning by using illustrated characters.
34. Game elearning is most effective when it deals with real risks and real consequences.
35. Follow up questions or micro-learning quizzes after an elearning course can help the learner retain knowledge.
36. Flexibility, clarity and measurability are key consideration when designing elearning for induction.
37. Have a mixture of reading, listening and doing to help address multiple learning styles within one elearning module.
38. Retention rates can be increased if the learner’s new knowledge is tested within a real world setting.
39. Combining gamification with a three act narrative structure can be a powerful and effective elearning tool.
40. Elearning can help address unconscious bias and negative patterns in the workplace.
41. To aid translation , minimise the use of embedded text with elearning.
42. Good elearning simulations accurately model real workflow systems.
43. Quizzes and gamified options are good choices for effective responsive elearning design.
44. Use the VARK survey to help inform your thinking about different learning styles.
45. For elearning feedback avoid criticism, be constructive and offer alternatives.
46. New motion paths and triggers are useful to help enhance animation within Articulate’s Storyline 2.
47. Always explain why in your elearning to aid relevance and engagement for the learner.
48. Using good quality sound effects in your elearning can aid immersion within scenarios or enhance an elearning game.
49. For compliance elearning , always make it relevant and explain how it affects the learner and their job.
50. Quantified Self could offer an exciting oportunity for elearning but the industry needs to start investigating possible applications.