eLearning Design: A Quickly-Growing Field
Electronic learning design is the overarching structure that underpins various e-learning experiences. It means making conscious decisions on the content, timing, location, and methodology of one’s instruction. The nature of the technology used to support eLearning design is one of the topics on which decisions need to be made. Other topics include the sequence of learning activities, course content, structure, pedagogical strategies, timing, types, and frequencies of assessments, as well as the nature of the technology.
The term “Learning Design” has been gaining traction in the education sector, mainly due to conversations that have taken place at conferences, webinars, eBooks, and other venues. The fact that it is now relevant, however, does not make it new; in point of fact, the idea has been developing since the early 2000s and has its foundation in Design Thinking. Nevertheless, in today’s screen-centred environment, eLearning has become more complicated for cooperation between the instructor, the student, and the medium.
What Is It?
No matter where the work or study is, incorporating the principles of instructional eLearning design into their work or team’s training and development may have a significant impact, and it is imperative to design a learning experience that will produce the best results for students. What materials and resources are needed, what activities are most effective, and how to arrange each moment of the learner experience for the most outstanding results are all influenced by this model.
Intentions and choices are at the heart of good design. If they’re going to spend time and effort building a course that looks good, it is necessary to make sure it’s valuable and practical at the same time. If the intended audience cannot understand what they’re trying to say, no amount of design brilliance will help.
Importance
Two types of design are used in eLearning: instructional and graphic. When people think about innovation, they think of superficial aspects like colours and patterns. However, there is more to design than meets the eye. It’s a personal connection that’s necessary. Solving real-world problems is at the heart of what it entails.
The excellent design addresses problems and communicates: Designs are intentional. Putting passion into a design is fantastic, but it must also have a story. A beautiful design is useless if it can’t interact with the audience. Each eLearning project has a goal. Some techniques teach while others influence behaviour. Some are marketed.
First impressions last: All of the people engaged in the creation of eLearning products want it to have a positive influence on them. A positive impression may be made in a fraction of a second, and eLearning courses are no exception. The design aspect significantly impacts how students perceive the educational content. Most of the time, our expectations are predicated on how something seems.
The design directly correlates to user participation: It is imperative to imagine how monotonous a course that displays nothing but black lettering on every screen, with no pictures or colour schemes, would be. It’s easy to understand how a positive first impression has a lasting impact on a viewer.
User experience and usability facilitate the achievement of learning objectives: This is a crucial part of the design. If the eLearning course’s navigation is unclear or the colours are not captivating enough, it will distract the students. However, if the layout and design are consistent, it will be easier for students to navigate the course, and the user experience will be more productive.