If you’re still wondering exactly what digital learning design means, this blog article might be a good place to start.

But if you’re clued up on some of our key digital learning design principles and want to learn more about why they’re important, you’ve come to the right place.

When it comes to creating effective online learning content, knowing your subject simply isn’t enough — nor should you hope to achieve maximum impact with a standard slide deck, reproduced in your brand colours and uploaded as-is to your LMS.

Getting your eLearning right is so important, as getting it wrong can mean:

• continued and widening gaps in knowledge
• misconceptions and misunderstanding in key subject areas
• disengaged learners, disconnected from and uninspired by your content
• poor knowledge retention
• lessons without impact

And all of this can amount to diminishing student engagement, poor performance, and ultimately, unmet KPIs for your organisation.

We know the downfalls of missing the mark with your eLearning — so what do you stand to gain by getting it right?

Well, here are just a few of the benefits…

Learners feel their time is well spent

One of the main benefits of effective digital learning design is that your learners won’t feel their time is being wasted by clicking through your online course.

By prioritising the needs, pain points, and aspirations of your learners from the offset, you’ll be able to develop a solution that empowers them to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.

One way to ensure your learners get value from your online course is to outline clear learning objectives. When starting your course, your learners should be able to:

• recognise where they’re currently at in terms of topic knowledge and understanding
• consider where they’d like to be
• see exactly how the course will help them get there

You should also take some time to explain the structure of the course, including if there are any assessments or activities along the way, so that your learners can know what to expect.

Another key benefit of online learning comes with the power to create a safe space for failure. By using reflective prompts, interactive stories with branching pathways, and character-led scenarios based in real life, your learners are given the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test and try out different outcomes, learning from their mistakes and successes along the way.

 

People actually enjoy learning online

Getting your digital learning design right doesn’t just mean you’ll keep your learners engaged — they’ll actually enjoy your lessons, too.

Empowering your learners to learn at their own pace, chart their progress with key milestones, and engage with interactive elements that put them at the centre of their own learning journey, all amounts to eLearning that’s enjoyable!

When it comes to translating your existing lessons into the online space, there are also options to develop online discussion forums and virtual seminar rooms, so you don’t need to worry about losing the level of interaction you usually have in the classroom.

Everyone experiences an exciting learning journey

Effective digital learning design maximises available technology to support not just interactive learning, but complete accessibility, too.

Whether it’s optimising colour contrasts to support dyslexic and neurodivergent learners, or adapting the structure of your content so that it’s intuitive for those using a screen reader, there are countless tools available for building with accessibility front of mind.

Guided by WCAG guidelines, all WELLKNOWN courses are developed with accessibility as a key design principle, so when you work with us, you know that your course content will offer the same exciting and engaging online learning experience for audiences with various learning styles and accessibility needs.

 

Develop something that’s completely scalable

With an effective piece of eLearning, your expertise and specialist knowledge can reach a wider audience. Accessed anytime, from anywhere, your online learning resources can facilitate remote and asynchronous learning, allowing your learners to continue their journey at a time and pace that suits them.

Not only this, but when designed with purpose, your online learning experiences can be adapted and updated to meet evolving learner needs, or to align with updated organisational goals.

Save money on off-screen learning resources

If your eLearning is doing its job well, it could be the only learning resource you need.

Housing all of your course materials in one intuitive online platform will reduce the need for physical resources, such as printed handouts, assessment guidelines, activities, or even textbooks.

Once you’ve made the initial investment into your new online learning experience, you may find that delivering lessons online is much more cost-effective.

 

Get a more accurate picture of your impact

How do you know if your in-person lessons or workshops are truly impactful? How much time do you spend compiling feedback surveys and chasing up responses, only to find your emails largely ignored?

When you deliver your lessons online, you’ll have access to key performance data that you can use to accurately gauge impact. You can measure the extent to which your learning objectives have been met, and you’ll have valuable insights into enrollment figures, learners’ progress, and levels of engagement.

By adopting an activity-led online learning strategy, you’ll even be able to pinpoint the topic areas learners struggle with the most.

You’ll then be able to use this data to optimise your content and make sure it continues to address and support specific learning needs.

 

Capture data to make sure your learners are kept happy

Your eLearning data and analytics not only enable you to measure the success of your course against pre-established KPIs, but this information will also provide you with the big-picture insight you need to ensure your course continues to deliver on key learning objectives.

As you collect feedback and review student performance in activities and assessments, you’ll be able to make data-driven decisions that refine and improve the learning experience over time, ensuring your content remains effective, exciting, and relevant for your learners.

Are your learners getting the most out of their online experiences?

As we’ve seen, the benefits of effective digital learning design are extensive and wide-reaching, improving the learning experience for students and subject matter experts alike.

Ready to take the leap into eLearning, or looking to optimise an existing digital learning resource? The WELLKNOWN team is comprised of experts, all equally passionate about giving your learners the very best experience and setting them up for success.

Get in touch with our team today to find out more about how we can help you achieve maximum impact with your online learning offering.