by Marilyn Lindblad

Created on: November 07, 2010

The key to creating the best e-learning materials is to put a subject matter expert together with a design expert on the production team. The subject matter expert will ensure that training material is accurate, relevant, and fresh. The e-learning design expert will create material that appeals to all learning styles.

E-learning is the best way to train the corporate work force. Employees can schedule online training courses at their convenience, and can take courses from anywhere in the world. Online training links completion of training courses with an employee’s other employment records so a manager can see which employees have and have not completed their training.

Understanding learning styles

An e-learning designer provides an understanding of the audience’s different learning styles according to Kolb: the Theorist, the Pragmatist, and the Activist. The three styles are best illustrated through an example of each type receiving a new electronic gadget, like an iPhone:

The Theorist opens the package, looks for the manual, and starts reading from page one. She is thorough and methodical, because she believes that taking this disciplined approach will save her time in the long run.

The Pragmatist opens the iphone package and looks for the “quick-start” guide. She reads the part that shows her how to use the features she needs to use right away, and she explores the rest of the features on her own. She will take the "deep dive" into the material when it suits her.

The Activist pulls out the phone, turns it on and starts using it. After all, it’s a phone not a jet. This approach works well for the Activist, who has neither the patience nor the time to read manuals.

During the design phase, every screen of the e-learning program should be analyzed to ensure that the overall program appeals to all three learning styles.

Call to action

Every good training program includes a call to action. Merely raising awareness of an issue does not teach learners anything. A good “call to action” for most e-learning programs is to ask the individual to identify something he should stop doing, something he should start doing, and something he should continue to do based on the training he just completed. The stop-start-continue model gets the learner to think about putting into practice what he has just learned.

Subject matter expert

The subject matter expert’s role in the design process is to analyze the content of the training

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