Instructional Design

1. It’s not about what they need to know. It’s about what they need to do.
2. Let them know what’s in it for them.
3. Make the narrative human.
4. Avatars make the course more human and more emotionally approachable.
5. Let the learner explore on their own. Let them freely navigate on their own.
6. Make them work (think/practice), not just sit there.
7. Don’t make them read and listen to the same content.
8. No course makes an expert. Get your 20+ year expert SMEs to understand that and cut down on the content.
9. Smaller chunks are better than larger chunks.
10. Quizzes suck. Make them practice an exercise until they get it right 10 times in a row instead.

Productivity

1. Give up on perfection; you will never please all the people all the time.
2. Set defined limits on revisions.
3. Frequent iteration with the client is better than bureaucratic documentation.

Graphics/User Interface

1. Don’t mix graphics and pictures in a course.
2. The “C” UI increases cognitive load.
3. The PowerPoint “look” bores people.
4. Slide titles make it look like PowerPoint (see #3 above).
5. Develop a consistent look and feel for the course.
6. Make navigation simple and consistent.
7. Use a color pallet.