In order to lay some ground rules for being successful creating eLearning, we have put together 10 commandments that will ensure instructional designers and businesses alike can reap the rewards of their training efforts.

1. The
eLearning
Commandments
10
By:

2. Similar to having a mission statement
or defined company goals, your
eLearning development should rely on
these few general pillars of success.

3. Thou shall start with
#1good beginnings.

4. Begin with a bait, an offer, or an honest
introduction as if you are meeting
someone for the first time.
If your opening lines are good, learners
will happily read your introductory
material.

5. Thou shalt love thy
#2learner as thyself.

6. The spotlight, without a doubt,
belongs to the learner. Learn as
much as you can about them —
what their needs, roles, dreams
and abilities are — and build a
course based on your findings.

7. Thou shalt respect
#3your audience.

8. A relationship built on respect is
guaranteed to last a long time. You
can show respect for the learner in
different ways. Start by respecting
the learner’s intelligence, by
responding to his/her mental
needs.

9. Thou shalt keep it
#4conversational.

10. Your tone of voice matters a
lot. Learners may not see
their instructors face-to-face
but that doesn’t mean they
won’t notice your
approach. Keep your tone
conversational by using the
first or second person.

11. Thou shalt avoid
#5eye candy.

12. Learning is mostly visual but too much graphics
does not aid instruction. It’s a distraction that
prevents learners from focusing their attention on
the material.
Aim for useful design, not decoration. Give learners
enough room to breath by using white space.

13. Thou shalt show,not tell.
#6

14. “Show, don’t tell” is a simple
piece of advice given to writers.
eLearning course developers
should take heed of this too by
allowing learners to experience
the course through action. This
means one thing: less
conversation and exposition, and
more action.

15. Thou shalt not abuse
#7Interactivity.

16. Overusing interactions
reduces the
effectiveness of the
course. In fact, many
studies revealed that
more is NOT always
better when it comes
to interactivity in
eLearning courses.

17. Thou shalt use small
#8learning units.

18. Bombard learners with large
data and they’ll feel
overwhelmed. They’ll either
retain scraps of information
or learn nothing.
Organize your content
around digestible, bite-sized
piece of information.

19. Thou shalt not steal
#9control of the learner.

20. Treat learners as kings or queens. They’re not
prisoners. Adult learners, after all, sign up for
eLearning courses so that they can learn at self-
directed pace. Allow them to maneuver your
material. Don’t force on them what you think is
good for them.

21. Thou shalt focus on
#10 activities, not screens.

22. Information is not evil but it
doesn’t belong in a sardine
can. Focus on screens and
you’re in for a learning
disaster.

23. Which points have been crucial to the success of your
eLearning development?

24. Learn more about SHIFT here.
www.shiftelearning.com