Writing an eLearning programme

Identify your audience and plan your eLearning. You’re an expert in your field which is why you’re writing this eLearning programme, but your goal probably isn’t to have them know every little detail you know. Before you start writing, answer the questions below:

• What are the learning outcomes for the programme?
  • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to identify learning outcomes and relate all your content to those outcomes. This will keep you from going off on tangents that don’t help the learner.
• What does your audience actually need to know to achieve those outcomes?
  • If the learner needs to understand a process for example, ensure you have information on that process in the eLearning.
• What level of learning are they at?
  • Are they a first year University student who has never encountered a topic before or are they work based learners who are accessing the eLearning as a refresher or to further their understanding of a topic they are familiar with?
• What do they already know?
  • If your learner is a nurse who’s been working in a field for 10 years, you don’t need to go into detail about things they need to know to do their jobs day to day. Instead, give them a brief overview (one slide) and link to further reading so they can choose to dig deeper if they need a refresher.

By answering these questions before you start, and keeping them in mind while you write, you have a much better chance of creating a successful eLearning programme.

The structure is important to an eLearning programme for a number of reasons. First, it allows learners to dip in an out of learning when they want to review specific content instead of having to work through to find the information they want. Secondly, it provides a “learner journey” where the topic gets progressively more detailed and complex as the learner works through it. Finally, it allows for you to keep focus on the topic while writing.

Therefore it is recommended that you identify where the content can be split up so that you have a natural structure to the eLearning.

Learners generally won’t read everything written in detail if presented with large amounts of text. Try to be succinct and keep all written content relevant. When possible images, diagrams and video can be used augment the written content.

Remember, it’s better to spread content over a number of pages rather than cram it onto one page.

The overall length of the eLearning can vary from 20 minutes to 2 hours, but ideally should fall between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Anything longer than this should be split into multiple programmes to allow learners to access the content at a time that suits them.

Writing for on-screen learning resources is different to writing for traditional teaching, however there is one major similarity. Essentially you are writing the narrative element of a lecture and therefore the content on your slide needs to be more detailed.

Try to avoid overly complex language and acronyms without first introducing what they refer to. Don’t write in shorthand used in your own practice as this may confuse learners, instead stick to terms that are standard across the organisation/speciality that the learner is a part of.

Tone is also important. Do not write in a conversational tone as this can lead to the key messages and information being lost in interpretation. Keep the writing formal but accessible. Referencing allows for the learner to undertake further reading if they choose to without having to include detailed descriptions of studies that can bog down the eLearning

The main benefit of eLearning is the ability to have learners interact with the content. This engagement with the content helps cement the knowledge and improve learner retention. An example of using an interaction could be breaking information into subsections.

Instead of simply using subheadings or multiple pages, they can be placed on one page and seen by clicking buttons such as in the examples here.

Formative assessment is a useful tool for cementing learning. These assessments can be placed throughout the eLearning programme and can take many forms including (but not limited to):

• Multiple choice questions
• Drag and drop
• True/False statements
• Open text