All successful digital learning projects start with a first class plan. But, it’s easy to launch head first into creating learning content, without properly laying the foundations and understanding what success will look like.
The digital learning authors that invest a couple of hours in understanding their objectives and audience at the start of a project tend to get better results, much quicker. And those that prototype, test and iterate their ideas do even better.
What are the crucial steps to more successful elearning?
Taking the time to plan at the start of your project and reflect and refine throughout, will help make sure your learning hits the mark. There are various frameworks for elearning, that set out approaches to doing this. The 5C Framework is the new kid on the block and can be seen as a modern, more agile alternative to the ADDIE framework.
4 crucial “Capture” questions to ask yourself at the start of your elearning project:
- What are the real goals of your project?
- Who are your audience and what changes do you want them to make?
- What does the digital learning need to do to help them with this change?
- What resources do you have at your disposal to make your project a success?
Download this free “Capture Needs Template” to help with this.
Tips for nailing the “Capture” stage of the 5C Framework
- Make time – block out 60 minutes for this planning, you’ll save this time later on and reach your goals faster.
- Work collaboratively – bring your colleagues into the conversation about your project goals and audience needs. As they say, two heads (or more!) are better than one.
- Ask your audience – if you’re unclear of what your learner needs actually are, or want to know what they would find engaging…ask them. If you use Elucidat, create a survey to send out to a small sample to get their feedback.
- Print out and use the Capture Needs template – this will speed up your planning process and will guide you through the key questions to reflect on.
Want to know more about the 5C Framework? Learn more here.
Kirstie is an experienced learning design and performance enhancement specialist at Elucidat. She has a passion for bringing about high impact, emotionally engaging digital and blended experiences that make an actual difference.
