“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Or so they say. While it may be personally true when it comes to our likes and dislikes of specific facial features, natural wonders, or art, it’s not a good maxim to govern our approach to design in e-learning. We’ve all seen at least one or two examples in our lifetimes of PowerPoint presentations or websites that broke every cardinal rule of graphic design, prompting the inevitable, “What were they thinking?!” No doubt the creators thought they had developed a masterpiece worthy of praise, but all we could do was shake our heads in disbelief. Unfortunately some of today’s e-learning courses being delivered in businesses and educational institutions across the country suffer from the same problem. They might look fancy on the outside, but from an instructional design standpoint, one can’t help but wonder, “What were they thinking?!”
This is why design standards are so important. What is beautiful in your mind may not be beautiful to the majority of people being exposed to your instructional piece. What is logical to you might not be logical to the majority of your learners. What motivates you to learn may have quite the opposite effect on 90% of those you are trying to motivate. As long as we base design – whether it be the design process itself, the underlying pedagogical principles, the choice of instructional strategies, or the “look and feel” and usability of a finished instructional piece – on our own instincts and preferences, we are setting ourselves up for possible failure.
Design standards are based on solid research of best practices. While you might not personally agree with a particular standard, it’s important to consider what the experts have determined to be effective or pleasing to the majority of your potential learners. Here are the 7 best reasons to follow pedagogical, organizational and visual design standards when developing e-courses:
1. Design standards result in more compelling, effective instruction.
2. Design standards ensure consistency in the look, feel, structure, and level of difficulty.
3. Design standards increase clarity, visual appeal, and ease-of-use.
4. Design standards ensure compatibility across delivery platforms.
5. Design standards ensure compliance with accreditation standards.
6. Design standards are cost-effective, saving time for both the designer and the learner.
7. Design standards offer a concrete blueprint, taking the guesswork out of the equation and ultimately making the process more efficient and pleasurable for the designer.
Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide, by Marjorie Vai and Kristin Sosulski, contains a treasure trove of design standards in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format. As you evaluate currently developed e-courses and begin the process of creating new ones, it would be well worth the time and effort to search this handy reference guide for applicable design standards. Better yet, contact us here at Learning Road iLearning Services. We can help you develop your own set of design standards in keeping with accepted best practices. Our experts can evaluate your current courses and offer advice or create a strategic plan for taking you from where you are to where you need to be. Your courses can truly become a thing of “beauty” in the eyes of the students you hope to engage and captivate.
This is why design standards are so important. What is beautiful in your mind may not be beautiful to the majority of people being exposed to your instructional piece. What is logical to you might not be logical to the majority of your learners. What motivates you to learn may have quite the opposite effect on 90% of those you are trying to motivate. As long as we base design – whether it be the design process itself, the underlying pedagogical principles, the choice of instructional strategies, or the “look and feel” and usability of a finished instructional piece – on our own instincts and preferences, we are setting ourselves up for possible failure.
Design standards are based on solid research of best practices. While you might not personally agree with a particular standard, it’s important to consider what the experts have determined to be effective or pleasing to the majority of your potential learners. Here are the 7 best reasons to follow pedagogical, organizational and visual design standards when developing e-courses:
1. Design standards result in more compelling, effective instruction.
2. Design standards ensure consistency in the look, feel, structure, and level of difficulty.
3. Design standards increase clarity, visual appeal, and ease-of-use.
4. Design standards ensure compatibility across delivery platforms.
5. Design standards ensure compliance with accreditation standards.
6. Design standards are cost-effective, saving time for both the designer and the learner.
7. Design standards offer a concrete blueprint, taking the guesswork out of the equation and ultimately making the process more efficient and pleasurable for the designer.
Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide, by Marjorie Vai and Kristin Sosulski, contains a treasure trove of design standards in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format. As you evaluate currently developed e-courses and begin the process of creating new ones, it would be well worth the time and effort to search this handy reference guide for applicable design standards. Better yet, contact us here at Learning Road iLearning Services. We can help you develop your own set of design standards in keeping with accepted best practices. Our experts can evaluate your current courses and offer advice or create a strategic plan for taking you from where you are to where you need to be. Your courses can truly become a thing of “beauty” in the eyes of the students you hope to engage and captivate.