Instructional Design
- It’s not about what they need to know. It’s about what they need to do.
- Let them know what’s in it for them.
- Make the narrative human.
- Avatars make the course more human and more emotionally approachable.
- Let the learner explore on their own. Let them freely navigate on their own.
- Make them work (think/practice), not just sit there.
- Don’t make them read and listen to the same content.
- No course makes an expert. Get your 20+ year expert SMEs to understand that and cut down on the content.
- Smaller chunks are better than larger chunks.
- Quizzes suck. Make them practice an exercise until they get it right 10 times in a row instead.
Productivity
- Give up on perfection; you will never please all the people all the time.
- Set defined limits on revisions.
- Frequent iteration with the client is better than bureaucratic documentation.
Graphics/User Interface
- Don’t mix graphics and pictures in a course.
- The “C” UI increases cognitive load.
- The PowerPoint “look” bores people.
- Slide titles make it look like PowerPoint (see #3 above).
- Develop a consistent look and feel for the course.
- Make navigation simple and consistent.
- Use a color pallet.