eLearning in Three Points

I'm about half way through a course on elearning. Although there are lots of details and tips throughout the course, I can sum up what I've learned about creating elearning in 3 points.

Focus on one thing.
Whether you are teaching a task, a procedure, or a set of principles, stick to that topic. Don't lump several tasks together. Don't dump details on the learner. Don't give them everything at once. Give the learners just enough for them to use the information immediately. Can they use the knowledge you just gave them right now? Good! You did your job.

Make it about the learner.
Whether the learner wants to take the lesson or not, personalize it. Put them into the story from the very beginning. The modules that keep my attention are the ones that show me why I should care about it--from the beginning. Make me think about what I would do or how I would feel in a given situation. Don't waste my time with a bunch of information. Make it important to me and I'll remember it.

Keep the visuals clean.
Whether or not you use audio, keep the visuals simple and focused. Be consistent with them. Use all line art, or photographs, but not both. Keep the background clean. Too much busyness is confusing. Learners can focus on something that doesn't fit, or looks odd, and miss the lesson. Buttons and navigation should be simple and intuitive. It's not important to the lesson, but it needs to be available and understandable.

Of course, there is much more involved in creating good elearning. But if you stick with these three principles, you can create a fairly good lesson. The technology is not as important as relaying the message in a clear, pertinent manner.