10-Step Guide to Creating e-Learning Materials

You want to create e-learning materials. Where do you start?

This 10-step guide will help you.

Step 1. Draw up a profile of the target learners

Before you create any learning materials, you have to consider and define the learner profile. Who are the target learners? What are their characteristics? Are they a homogeneous group or will the learning target various types of learners? Why do they need this learning? What are their expectations? Have they encountered this type of learning before? Will they have tutor support? How will they react to the learning messages? What are the situations in which they will apply this learning? What is required for them to engage with this learning? What technology do they have? Does their technology support the type of media you propose to use?

Step 2: Write the high level learning objectives

This is no different to the creation of learning objectives for traditional training. You need to be very specific regarding

- knowledge to be acquired as a result of the training
- skills to be mastered as a result of the training
- attitude change to be effected as a result of the training

For more on writing learning objectives see Blooms Taxonomy. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclar k/hrd/bloom.html

The learning objectives define the scope of the project and must be treated as fixed from this point onwards, unless exceptional new circumstances emerge.

Step 3: Decide on the six essential resources

You must work within the needs and resources of your own situation. The suggested six essential resources are:

1. Access to subject matter expertise
Ideally, e-learning material is created by a team incorporating some subject matter experts. You may have course notes, manuals or PowerPoint slides. However, existing materials alone are often incomplete or inappropriate. The person who has responsibility for the creation of e-learning material needs to ensure that the instructional designer(s) have ongoing access during the content development period to subject matter experts who can provide the needed knowledge and verify draft e-learning content as it is created.

2. One or more instructional design experts
An instructional designer is the architect of the learning material and is central to the process of creating e-learning material. Knowledge of the principles of learning and a degree of creativity are required. The instructional designer(s) must

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