Blended learning isn’t new, but it’s never been more relevant for workplace learning. With today’s dispersed teams, varied job roles, and rising pressure to deliver real business results, blended learning offers one of the most effective ways to support performance and growth at scale.

In this article, we’ll explore what blended learning is, why it works, common pitfalls to avoid, and practical ways to implement it. We’ll also share real-world examples and advice tailored to busy learning managers and content authors. So read on for how you can create performance-enhancing blends.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is an approach that combines multiple formats and channels – from elearning and face-to-face sessions to coaching, on-the-job tasks, social learning, and more – to help people learn and apply new skills more effectively.

It’s not about format for format’s sake. At its best, blended learning is a response to real workplace needs – offering the right support, in the right way, at the right time to drive performance and behavior change.

What goes into a blend depends on the objectives of the learning. Sometimes it’s a simple combination – for example, adding a coaching conversation as a follow-up to elearning. In other cases, it could involve a full program made up of virtual classrooms, peer groups, independent assignments, job aids, and microlearning modules.

Traditionally, blended learning meant pairing elearning with face-to-face training, often using a flipped classroom model. Learners would complete some pre-work online, attend a live workshop, then apply what they’d learned through a follow-up activity.

Today, blended learning has evolved.

With more digital tools available, hybrid working models, and a stronger focus on personalization, learning blends can now be delivered entirely online or through a mix of digital and human touchpoints. That might include:

• Online chat forums (e.g. Slack, Teams)
• Virtual coaching or mentoring
• Peer-led discussion groups
• Microlearning and elearning
• Video explainers and interactive scenarios
• Job aids, checklists, and digital toolkits
• On the job practice tasks and demos

The key? Every element should serve a purpose. Blended learning works best when each piece is chosen to meet people where they are and help them take the next step forward.

What are the benefits of blended learning?

It’s not just about creating variety for variety’s sake. Done well, a blend can:

• Support real-world behavior change: Blends connect learning to the flow of work – so people can build confidence over time and apply knowledge in the moment.
  
• Offer flexibility for time-poor teams: Especially important for customer-facing or shift-based roles where time is tight and access to online learning may be limited.

• Caters to different needs and contexts: Field teams, desk-based roles, senior managers – they all have different working patterns. Blended learning gives you more ways to reach them effectively.
  
• Improves engagement and depth of learning: Live interactions, peer conversations, and practice all help embed knowledge and build skills that stick.
  
• Build accountability: A key insight from our roundtable – when people know their learning will be discussed or acted on later, they take it more seriously.
  

As one learning manager told us, “You work harder at your learning when you know someone will follow up, ask questions, or care about what you think.”

Common mistakes with designing blended learning

Designing effective blends isn’t just about using lots of formats. Watch out for these traps:

• Spamming learners across too many channels: Choice is good. Overload isn’t. Good blends require being intentional.
  
• Lacking cohesion: Each element of your blend should add something new and link clearly to the big picture. The key messaging can be repeated, but the parts of the blend should build upon one another to create cohesive learning.
  
• No clear purpose or performance focus: Don’t build a beautiful blend around content. Start with what people need to do differently, and what activities or practice will help them get there.

• No follow-up: If there’s no feedback loop or sense that learning will be seen, it’s easy to disengage – especially for remote or shift-based employees. Solo learning, even with a blend, can be lonely.

Best practice strategies for creating blended learning

Here’s a round-up of the strategies that work best when it comes to designing blended learning.

• Design backwards from the behavior or outcome: What does ‘better’ look like on the job? How can we best support that and help people make the change?
  
• Use channels learners already access: If Teams or Slack is popular, that’s a great place to drop in nudges and reminders. If regular ‘lunch-n-learns’ already exist, how can you utilize those? Don’t try to bring people to a whole new place or channel – that’s an uphill battle!
  
• Blend human and digital: Self-paced content builds foundation, but reflection and discussion drive deeper learning, and accountability.
  
• Keep touchpoints short, purposeful, and well spaced: Think of the blend as a campaign, not a course.
  
• Introduce light-touch accountability: A chat, a nudge, a quick reflection – not always a full workshop.

• Respect people’s time and context: A good blend supports performance without adding stress.

Why driving accountability is key to effective blends

Without accountability, learning often slips down the list. On the flip side, if you know you need to present something, discuss your learning with a coach or manager, or take part in a role play activity with your team – you’re likely to get focused!

Blended learning’s secret power is when it brings in an element of accountability. 

You don’t need lengthy workshops or formal assessments to create accountability. Even a short, well-timed nudge, a check-in, or a manager-led huddle can provide that vital ‘moment that matters’.

The key is choosing the right kind of follow-up – something light, practical, and supportive – that helps people apply what they’ve learned and shows that it matters.

One Elucidat customer shared a novel approach to bring accountability and ownership to product training:

“We gave staff new products and asked them to share videos of their experience. It exploded! They owned the learning – it felt real.”

Blended learning examples

Example 1 – A product training blend for sales teams

Context: A new product line is launching in retail stores. Staff need just enough product knowledge and confidence to talk to customers – fast.

The blend:

• 10-minute elearning module with visuals and voiceover, accessible on mobile.
• Printed handout or break-room poster with FAQs and messaging.
• Store manager huddle guide: a 5-minute discussion with questions and a “tell me one thing you learned” round-robin.
• Sales practice session in pairs, during downtime, with a peer
• Manager observations on the job or of practice sessions
• Feedback: managers pick 1-2 team members per week to demo how they would sell the new product, and get feedback.

Why it works:

• Doesn’t take staff off the floor for long.
• Multiple access points (phone, paper, team chat).
• Light accountability via peer conversation and a manager follow-up.
• Keeps the focus on application and customer conversations, not just content.

Explore examples of how elearning can be used to support product training here.

Example 2 – A Leadership development blend

Context: A program for emerging people managers in a global organization.

The blend:

• Microlearning topics on key leadership topics, accessible anytime
• A workshop that focuses on working through scenarios collaboratively
• A personal digital workbook to prompt self-reflection and log tasks completed
• Live virtual sessions with peer breakout discussions and role-play scenarios
• Action learning groups to explore real-world challenges together
• Monthly manager nudges and feedback prompts
• Optionally – add in an applied project, shared with senior leaders at the end of the program

Why it works:

• Flexible formats for busy schedules
• Builds knowledge, skills and confidence over time
• Encourages reflection, connection and conversation
• Adds weight through senior leader visibility and real-world application

The future of blended learning

As organizations look ahead, blended learning is set to become even more dynamic and data-driven.

New technologies from AI-powered coaching to smarter learning analytics are enabling more personalized, in-the-flow experiences. We’ll likely see:

• More intelligent blends: Content recommendations based on role, goals and behavior patterns.
  
• AI-facilitated reflection and nudging: Helping learners stay engaged and accountable in the moment.
  
• Integrated tools and channels: Breaking down silos between LMSs, authoring platforms, and workflow platforms.
  
• Greater emphasis on skills and outcomes: With talent marketplaces and skill data rising, blends will align more closely with business capability-building.

What won’t change? The need for thoughtful, people-centered design. However advanced the tech becomes, effective blends will always start with understanding your audience: their needs, their context, and their challenges.

Conclusion – what to take away

A great blend doesn’t just deliver learning. It supports people to perform, grow and connect – over time.

That means being strategic. It means building in reflection and accountability, even in small ways. And it means designing for real people, not ideal circumstances.

Start simple. Test and evolve. And always keep the learner’s world at the heart of your design.

Interested to learn even more about how to design effective learning programs? Check out our elearning best practice guide.You can also subscribe to our Learning at Large newsletter for monthly inspiration from the front line of L&D.

Today, elearning is easier to produce than ever before; authoring tools like Elucidat are simplifying the build process and empowering novices to do the jobs once confined to tech-savy developers. With Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) now able to work directly into these tools, you might wonder: Is it time to ditch the elearning storyboard?

What is an elearning storyboard?

An elearning storyboard is the blueprint for an online course or other piece of digital learning. It provides a detailed breakdown of the content, including a description of the interactions and multimedia to be used, along with the actual words to appear on screen (and in any video or audio you plan to create). Whoever builds your course – whether an SME, instructional designer, or developer – will do so using the storyboard as guidance.

Why use storyboards in elearning development?

Though storyboards might seem redundant to someone not au fait with instructional design, they actually serve several key functions:

• Providing a holistic view of the learning experience: Whilst it’s easy to get bogged down with visual and technical details when working inside an authoring tool, a course content storyboard helps you focus on the bigger picture…Does the narrative flow make sense? Have you covered all the essential learning messages? Will each page be interactive enough? These questions need considering before you think about details like how your content will transition on screen.
• Managing scope: Planning out content ahead of building helps you establish how long each section should take your learners and whether anything needs tightening up.
• Outlining your visual approach: A visual storyboard for elearning will serve as a reference for your graphic artists, animators, or videographers to work from later, so they can bring your ideas to life. 
• Ensuring stakeholder alignment: Some authoring tools limit the number of reviewers that can access your draft course or make it difficult for them to leave comments in situ. Conversely, a storyboard can be easily shared, annotated and tweaked by all relevant stakeholders. (However, with collaborative tools like Elucidat now leading the way for course creation, it’s becoming much easier to refine your built courses as part of a team.)  
• Saving resources: Even with the most efficient authoring tool, it takes time to populate a course, sometimes requiring support from graphic artists and developers. Providing the opportunity for your course reviewers to edit content at the storyboard stage means less time is wasted down the line. 
• It improves course quality: Working in a storyboard encourages you to think carefully about things like wording and storytelling, whilst providing an early opportunity for your QA team to review your content – all of which equate to a quality end-product. 
• It promotes careful multimedia planning: Storyboards are an opportunity to script your video drama, vox-pops, animations, and/or voiceover, which need careful consideration and sign-off before you start recording. 

You can explore the rationale for elearning storyboards further in this blog post from the elearning industry.

Key components of an effective elearning storyboard

Even with a powerful authoring tool up your sleeve, a shoddy storyboard will leave you with, at best, a confusing learning experience. So, what should you include in yours?

• A course menu and/or introductory screen, which might include completion instructions.
• A clear outline of the course structure, with content sectioned into topics, pages, interactions, and display items.
• Expected durations (in minutes) for each section of content. 
• A description of what interactions you plan to use and what options there are within these. For instance, if you decide to include a multiple-choice question, what are the possible answers? How many are correct? How many versions of feedback are there? 
• The exact text that will appear on screen. This includes page headings, body text, instructions, and any accessibility aids (for example, alt text). 
• The script for any video or audio elements that need recording, such as the dialogue for video drama or the voiceover for animation.
• A rough plan of the visual assets. You might include links to existing photos, or if you want a new asset creating, a sketch that your graphic artist can use as a reference. 
• Direction on how learners will navigate the content, such as how they will get from one page to another. 
• Links to any resources you want to embed.

Step-by-step guide to creating a storyboard

Use these 10 steps as guidance for constructing your elearning storyboard: 

1. First, agree your learning objectives with your team. These are your bottom line – everything that goes into your course should be based on these. 
2. Create a course outline to structure your initial ideas. Paving the way for your storyboard, this is a much higher-level plan of your course, mapping out what content will appear where and with what creative treatment. (Essentially, it helps you structure your content and ensure you’re delivering against your learning objectives, without worrying about specific wording.) 
3. Choose an authoring tool that will support your design. There is a wealth of information out there to help you pick! You can start here. 
4. Choose a storyboard format. This could be a template in Word, PowerPoint, or some other application but, if possible, use one that your L&D team are already familiar with. 
5. Write your copy, including on-screen text, audio, and video, clearly, concisely and in line with your brand voice. This is where most of your efforts will be expended. To get started, you can find guidance on best practices here. 
6. Include references for what visuals you’d like to see alongside each section of text. In fact, you’d ideally determine these things in parallel, as they should influence each other. For example, by using a diagram to convey a complex process, you can swap out that waffly paragraph of text! 
7. If handing over to a developer and/or graphic artist, add any notes that will make their life easier… If an infographic needs creating, what graphic style should it have? What should it highlight? How will learners interact with it? 
8. Give everything a readthrough to check that the copy flows, that there’s a consistent tone of voice, and that your word counts are reasonable. 
9. Review and iterate with your wider team of SMEs and ideally, your QA team.
10. Brief your graphics team so they can source the necessary assets, then move into development using your storyboard and chosen authoring tool. 

For further guidance on developing effective learning, take a look at this blog post on creating engaging content.

Common mistakes to avoid

Here are some common pitfalls we see when it comes to storyboarding:

• Skipping the storyboard entirely: When deadlines are tight, it can be tempting to go full steam ahead into the build, with just your learning objectives for direction. However, this will nearly always lead to quality problems later when you realize you’ve overlooked key learning messages, or your content order doesn’t make sense. (And it typically takes much longer to rework a build than a storyboard document!) That being said, it’s worth highlighting that Elucidat provides a flexible way for confident SMEs to storyboard in situ; The authoring interface allows you to see your course pages and chapters from a single top-level view, where you can easily change your interactions and locations. Find out more in this feature focus. 
• Not using a template or consistent format: Page elements will get muddled during the build stage if they aren’t clearly identified. For example, your course could end up with missing page titles or text that appears alongside the wrong images.
• Including too much copy: Generally speaking, the more reviewers involved, the greater the risk of last-minute content being shoehorned into your storyboard. So, collaborate with your reviewers to keep the text as tight as possible…If in doubt, cut it out!
• Ignoring the learner’s perspective: Remember to put yourself in your learners’ shoes and consider how, when, and where they will be accessing your content. If you have mobile learners, don’t include interactions that will be clunky to navigate on a smartphone. And if you have some learners who can’t view video content, make sure you add transcriptions. Find out more about how to support accessibility requirements here. 
• Not establishing a consistent writing style: Make sure you have agreed upon a suitable tone of voice from the get-go, so your content doesn’t jump around from colloquialisms to policy speak, for example.  
• Ignoring brand guidelines: Keep your brand guardians happy by writing according to your organization’s guidelines. If you don’t have any, establish your own conventions early on for things like capitalizations and bullet points. Oversights and inconsistencies can come back to bite you later!

Real examples of elearning storyboards

You can find an elearning storyboard example here. This template is specifically designed for drafting microlearning and includes instructions for completing each section.  

Download the template

Here are some key features in this document:

• It starts with a snapshot of how the course will fit together – in this case, as a single scrolling page. 
• There’s a column dedicated to the visual direction for each section. This has been populated with mock-ups for each type of interaction, but you could also use this space for sketches, example photos, or even just descriptions of what you’d like to see in the build. 
• Placeholder headings for each interaction have been included.
• There’s consistent formatting throughout the document, for example, on-screen text is on the left, visuals are on the right, and headings are picked out in bold.
• There’s guidance around word count for each section, to ensure everything will fit nicely on screen.
• There are placeholders for instructional text on interactive page elements. Remember, these should be completed with mobile users in mind (for some authoring tools, this might require two types of instruction).  
• It incorporates all possible learning journeys, for example, offering different feedback text depending on how the learners answer a multiple-choice question. 

You can see an example of how this template translates into a course build here.

Final thoughts 

When it comes to building an elearning course, off-the-cuff usually equates to off-the-mark. So, plan your course carefully and save time in the long run by using a storyboard for instructional design. 

And if you do feel confident enough to skip this phase of development, use an authoring tool like Elucidat that enables you to storyboard flexibly in situ.

Download your free storyboard template 

Download a blank elearning storyboard template for you and your team here. We use it on all of our projects! 

To learn more about creating engaging elearning prior to, throughout, and after the storyboarding phase, take a look at this guide. 

Interested in a free elearning design course? Check out this engaging elearning course, built in Elucidat.

Measuring learning impact is a major challenge for L&D teams. With lack of resources, scattered data, and sometimes an unwillingness from stakeholders to engage, it can be hard for L&D to prove its value. But you’re not alone. By gathering insights from sales, product, and HR leads about the metrics they track, and taking input from our recent learning managers roundtable, we’ve created this guide to help overwhelmed learning managers measure learning impact effectively.

What is learning impact?

Learning impact refers to the tangible effect that training and development initiatives have on business outcomes. It’s about more than just assessing if employees complete courses – it’s about measuring how that learning improves performance, drives productivity, boosts employee engagement, and contributes to overall company goals. 

In short, learning impact shows how effectively training translates into real-world results, whether it’s higher sales, faster onboarding, or better customer satisfaction.

Types of learning measurement

Measuring learning impact is more critical than ever, but with so many factors at play, it can be tough to know where to start. To truly demonstrate the value of your learning initiatives, you need to track the right metrics – those that show how training translates into real business outcomes.

Many, but not all, L&D teams still rely on completion rates, survey feedback, and assessment scores as their main evaluation methods. While these metrics have their place, they don’t fully tell the story of how learning impacts business performance or helps teams experiment with future techniques.

To measure learning impact effectively, collaborate with stakeholders to find and focus on a key business metric. There’s no magic metric that will work across all your projects. It’s about honing in. Here’s some examples:

• Sales training: Look to revenue growth & sales performance: Are trained employees driving more revenue, closing more deals, or working more efficiently?
• Onboarding: Look at time to productivity: How quickly do new hires reach full performance, and how does training speed up their integration? Are employees staying longer? 
• Product training: Look at uptake in usage & satisfaction: Is product usage on the up? Is product knowledge translating into better customer interactions and higher satisfaction e.g. with support tickets?

By tracking core metrics like these, you’ll have a clear, data-backed picture of how your learning initiatives are driving business growth and success. You can hear more about this from learning measurement expert Dr. Alaina Szlachta in this podcast episode.

Why does measuring learning impact matter now more than ever?

Measurement is always on L&D’s priority list. Year after year, “showing value” appears in industry reports as both a top priority and a key skills gap for L&D teams.

Is putting it as a priority a symbolic gesture? A superficial nod to the concept of learning and development? Or are L&D teams genuinely committed to fostering growth and enhancing performance in a way they can prove?

Here’s why proving value is more crucial than ever, especially for in-house L&D teams:

• Cut backs: Budgets are under scrutiny and there have been major cut backs. L&D teams need to be able to show their impact and necessity to organizations.
• AI: With AI set to revolutionize workplace learning, offering real-time personalization and on-the-job support, L&D professionals must lead experiments. Data is key for doing so.
• Skill training: As organizations push to upskill their workforce for the future, L&D teams need to prove they’re up for the job and that their skill training works.

Challenges of measuring learning impact

What stops learning teams from measuring more than completions and scores? Here are four key challenges we uncovered in our recent roundtable that learning managers say get in their way:

• Measurement is inconsistent – When working at scale, there are so many types of learning for many different teams. It can be hard to find a success measure that works for all. (Perhaps this ‘magic metric’ doesn’t exist?)
  
• Stakeholders rarely ask for measurement data – Are stakeholders proactively asking for your learning data, or only when something (like a compliance incident) goes wrong? Learning managers shared they are rarely asked for data. (But maybe that’s because it’s not data business leaders are interested in?)
  
• Data is often trapped in different systems – Making it hard to get a clear, joined-up picture of learning effectiveness.This is where AI and AI-driven data tools can now really help.

• Evaluation is often reactive, not proactive – Measuring the effectiveness of learning can often be driven by when there’s a key interest in the learning from the business. For a business critical learning programme for example. Where does that leave other learning programmes? (Hint – perhaps they shouldn’t be developed if they aren’t driving a business outcome?)

How to measure learning impact effectively

Here’s how to take a practical approach to measurement and evaluation, without getting lost in data.

1. Be proactive, not reactive

Many L&D teams only measure when they’re asked to or when a problem arises. Others are focused primarily on completions and scores. Instead, start embedding performance measurement into the learning design process from the beginning.

Ask before design work starts:

• What business problem are we solving?
• How do you know it’s a current problem or gap that needs to be addressed?
• What existing business data could indicate success?
• What will stakeholders care about most?
• How can we make it easy to track?

When you start with business goals and create a collaborative conversation, measuring impact becomes easier and more meaningful.

2. Focus on one or two metrics

Some L&D professionals hold back from evaluation because they assume it’s all or nothing. Full blown ROI evaluation or nothing. This procrastination can keep us in the completion tracking box! Instead, consider a leaner, more sustainable model.

Measure one or two outcomes, rather than trying to do everything. And try to hone in on a metric that already exists!

For example:

• What’s the business goal? (E.g., “Reduce new hire onboarding time from 60 days to 30 days.”)
• Who is affected? (Target audience: “Customer service reps in Europe.”)
• What should change? (Behavioral goal: “Reps should resolve complaints 30% faster.”)
• How will we measure success? (KPI: “Complaint resolution time drops from 5 to 3 days.”)

3. Use what exists already

You don’t need to invent new metrics or data! Ask your stakeholders to show you the metrics they already track in that area – For example:

• HR data –  Retention rates, churn, time to productivity  – e.g. Workday, SAP
• Sales data –  Revenue uplift, deal size, conversion rates – e.g. Salesforce, Hubspot
• Customer metrics – CSAT, product adoption, call resolution times – e.g. Qualtrics, Jimminy

4. Utilise AI to help you integrate and evaluate data sources

Many L&D teams struggle to connect training data with business KPIs because data is siloed and in different systems. AI tools like Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or xAPI-enabled learning platforms can integrate multiple data sources.

For example: You can merge LMS data (course completions, quiz scores) with HRIS data (performance ratings, retention rates) to see if training is improving employee performance and retention. (Or just look at them side by side – it’ll be clear if there’s a correlation!)

5. Test small, then scale

Instead of tracking every learner, find top-performing teams & compare them to low performers.

Look for patterns: What did the successful teams do differently? Did they engage more in learning? Did they have coaching conversations with their managers?

Use these insights to scale up best practices rather than trying to look at all the data.

6. Tell the story, not just numbers

Leadership doesn’t care about completion rates – they care about business results. Use data storytelling to show impact e.g., “We cut onboarding time by 30%, saving $X per new hire.”.

Present data visually and bring it to life with quotes and short case studies.

If you’re looking for even more in-depth advice around learning impact, check out these 20 learning measurement ideas to show impact and improve performance.

Final thoughts

Measurement doesn’t have to be a burden. By aligning with existing business data, focusing on a few key metrics, and using practical measurement models, you can build a stronger case for learning’s value – without adding unnecessary admin.

Start small, track what matters, and share your insights in ways that resonate with business leaders. Because when L&D proves its impact, it gets a stronger seat at the table.

Interested to hear more about learning measurement from an expert? Check out this podcast episode from Dr. Alaina Szlachta, where she shares how learning leaders can drive impact with what’s already at their fingertips.

You can also discover even more learnings, insights, and best practices from the learning community by subscribing to our newsletter.

What’s the point of training without results? Learning should deliver real impact for your organization – and that starts with knowing your learning outcomes vs objectives. But what do these terms really mean? How are they different? And can they work together to drive training effectiveness? In this article, we break it all down.

What are learning outcomes and learning objectives?

Learning outcomes vs objectives: what’s the difference? 

A learning objective is what a learner will be able to do by the end of training. 

Example:

By the end of the training, learners will be able to describe the global warming process, list emissions sources, and explain how to stop global warming. 

These actions can be achieved immediately after completing the course or program. Learning objectives describe the knowledge, skills, and competencies gained straight away. 

A learning outcome, on the other hand, is the result of training in the real world. It’s about learners applying what they’ve learned in practice. 

Example:

Learners will change their everyday behaviors to save energy, reducing the organization’s electricity use by 10%. 

The best learning outcomes are measurable like this one, so you can see whether the training is having the desired impact. 

When it comes to learning outcomes vs objectives, it’s not a case of choosing between them. Instead, they work best together. Learning outcomes define the desired results of the training, while learning objectives tell you what to include in the training to reach those results. 

Learning outcomes vs objectives: Why the distinction matters

Learning outcomes and objectives may seem similar, but they’re not the same. And it’s crucial to keep them distinct. Here are three reasons why. 

Clarity and focus

Learning outcomes focus on the long-term impact you want your training to achieve. Learning objectives clarify the specific content needed to reach those outcomes.

Measurement and evaluation

Learning outcomes evaluate the overall success of training, linking it to organizational goals through performance metrics or KPIs. In contrast, learning objectives let you track progress during the learning experience through tools like assessments.

Design and implementation

Learning outcomes bookend a project. They define the training you need at the start and measure its impact at the end. Learning objectives come in the middle, guiding content creation based on the desired outcomes.

Create your learning goals with the 5C Framework

Not sure where to start when it comes to learning outcomes vs objectives?

The 5C Framework is a simple process for creating successful learning. The first step, Capture, is all about making a plan. Here’s how it can help you create learning outcomes vs objectives. 

What are you doing?

Start by identifying your training goal: what are you trying to achieve and why? What will your project do in the real world that you can measure? These answers will guide the creation of your learning outcomes.

Who is it for? 

Next, define your target audience, what you need them to do differently, and any barriers that stand in the way. This helps you create the behavioral change part of your learning outcomes. Knowing learner gaps and challenges is the foundation for developing learning objectives too.  

What will make it a success?

Success might go beyond learning something new. Perhaps you want to drive motivation, awareness, or engagement too. If so, include these goals in your learning outcomes and design your objectives to support them.

Follow this structured planning process to align your learning outcomes and objectives with your organization’s needs. The result? Maximum training effectiveness. 

Find out more about using Capture and the 5Cs to plan your project. 

How to write learning outcomes vs objectives in corporate training

What about writing learning outcomes vs objectives? Having a general idea is one thing, but putting it into clear, actionable words is another.

Don’t worry. These tips and examples can help.

Creating learning outcomes

Create your learning outcomes before your objectives. Think of it as starting with the big picture, and then drilling down into the steps needed to achieve it. 

Good learning outcomes describe two things:

• The change you want to see in your learners 
• The measurable impact this change will have on your organization 

Example:

Learners will be able to identify workplace hazards and act appropriately, reducing on-site incidents by 20% over the next six months. 

Always align your learning outcomes with organizational goals – such as improving workplace safety in this example.

Creating learning objectives

To help write learning objectives, a specific set of verbs – action words – is often used. These are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, a model that categorizes learning into levels, from basic knowledge to advanced skills. 

Corporate training typically targets the lowest two levels: remember and understand. That’s because learners often haven’t yet had the chance to reach the next highest level and apply what they’ve learned. 

Here are the verbs for those levels:

Understand

Describe, explain, paraphrase, restate, give original examples of, summarize, contrast, interpret, discuss.

Remember

List, recite, outline, define, name, match, quote, recall, identify, label, recognize.

Using specific verbs helps you create clear, actionable, and easy to evaluate objectives. Let’s use them to write three learning objectives that align with the earlier learning outcome: 

By the end of this training, learners will be able to list common on-site hazards, describe the correct process to address each hazard, and explain the potential consequences of failing to do so.

Notice how each objective directly supports the broader learning outcome. Together, they create a roadmap for learners to achieve meaningful, measurable change.

Conclusion

Learning outcomes vs objectives: they’re not the same. To create learning that delivers the right results for your organization, it’s essential to distinguish between them.

The good news? It doesn’t need to be complicated. Start defining your learning outcomes and objectives in simple steps using the Capture guide from the 5C Framework. 

Ready to create training programs that deliver real results? Book a demo with Elucidat and see how our elearning authoring platform helps organizations, like yours, achieve measurable success.

What do you get when you ask 500 learning designers to answer the question: how do you make elearning more engaging? We found out when we ran an online workshop on this very topic. From creating a connection to getting truly interactive, we explored how people are tackling the elearning engagement challenge. Read on to discover the collective list of ingredients any designer needs to make engaging elearning, as well as tips and examples to make it active and personalised.

Watch the workshop with Kirstie Greany (Elucidat) and Cammy Bean (Kineo).

What are the ingredients of engagement?

It goes without saying that an engaged audience is more likely to learn. But what does it mean to be engaged? Engagement can mean a lot of different things to different people. So, before we explored how to achieve it, we wanted to define it. 

What L&D professionals said:

We asked the L&D professionals in our workshop what they thought engaging learning looks like. Here’s what they said.

• Captures attention: There’s lots of things vying for peoples’ attention. If your digital learning is going to be effective, it needs to grab their interest and keep it.
• Maintains interest: Don’t start with a great hook, then forget about maintaining your people’s attention. Keep it entertaining throughout the learning experience.
• Generates action: Learning is all about changing people’s behaviors and habits. People need to be able to do something with it, otherwise it’s wasting their time. 
• Memorable: How well do you remember the last elearning you completed? If learning is going to have a longer term impact, it needs to stick in people’s minds.
• Recommended: Word of mouth has long been recognized as a powerful marketing tool. So, there’s no greater sign of a successful learning experience than people talking about it. 
• Realistic: Learning needs to clearly relate to the real-world workplace. If learners have to put in effort to make this connection, they’re less likely to engage.
• Evokes emotion: Engage learner’s hearts, as well as their minds. Striking up emotions and connecting with people are crucial to getting learners involved. 
• Hits trigger points: Effective learning should trigger people to think, feel and take action. That means reflecting, trying, failing, testing and doing rather than just clicking.

What employees said

How do employees (learners) answer the same question? This is how employees across global organizations describe in their own words what engaging elearning is and isn’t.

With 60% of employees in large organizations rating their elearning as fair to poor, it’s clear that learners are unengaged more often than not. So, what needs to change?

3 examples of engaging elearning

Here are some great examples to get you inspired in creating engaging elearning.

1. Immersive stories

Storytelling is an incredibly powerful force for learning and memory. This scenario-based learning grabs your attention by immersing you in the story and allowing you to make decisions that control the outcome. 

Explore this immersive branching example

2. Meaningful interactivity

Many employees in our survey said they didn’t engage when elearning lacked interactivity. But what does interactivity mean to these learners? From their answers it was clear it wasn’t about clicking. It’s about making compelling reasons to interact. This Diversity, Equity and Inclusion example speaks directly to the learner and gets them to reflect on their experience to get them engaged in the subject.

3. Genuinely useful

Engaging elearning doesn’t have to be highly emotional or immersive or really complex. It can just be really useful. This microlearning example is part of an onboarding campaign for new starters.

Explore this quick onboarding example

3 practical ways to designing engaging elearning

1. Why audience needs matter

Everyone agreed that you can’t create engaging elearning and choose the right design if you don’t understand your audience first. 

“Even if you spend just an hour getting under the skin of your audience, then chances are you’re going to make your learning experience much more engaging, and therefore much more impactful.” – Kirstie Greany, Head of Customer Learning, Elucidat

Here’s some of the ways that the L&D practitioners came up with to discover their learners’ needs.

Ask your audience: Go straight to the source and find out what your learners want and need. 

Activities:

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus groups

Questions:

• What’s the hardest part? What are the barriers?
• What do you do when you get stuck?
• How do you feel about X?
• Where are you likely to be when you ‘learn’?

Ask business leaders: Stakeholders often come prepared with a case for why the learning’s needed. But don’t just accept this at face value. Dig a little bit further. Ask for the evidence of this need.

Activities:

• Run a workshop 
• Meeting the stakeholders

Questions:

• What’s the business goal?
• How do you know this needs improvement?
• What does good look like to the business?
• What do you need people to do?

Observe: Go out and find the evidence of need for yourself. Ask learners to walk you through what they do. 

Activities:

• Real life or virtual observation of tasks
• Attend and review the current training

Questions:

• What does good look like? 
• What can go wrong?

Review data: If you’re going to move beyond what the business thinks it needs, you need data. Data isn’t just spreadsheets. It can be qualitative as well as quantitative, and come from lots of different places.

Activities:

• Evaluation data
• Feedback rounds
• Audit reports

Data:

• Retention rates
• Sales data
• Customer feedback 
• Internal feedback

This Capture template is a great free tool to help you capture your audiences’ needs. 

2. Making learning active

Once you know what your audience needs, you can focus on how to make your elearning meaningfully active. Activity is critical for keeping them engaged in your learning experience and a key ingredient in engagement. But, of course, not all activity is the same. Cathy Moore highlights that there’s a difference between testing and practicing learning. 

• A test question asks people to recall information. It takes place in an abstract world.
• A practice activity asks people to not only recall information, but also apply it to a specific, realistic situation.

We asked the L&D professionals in our workshop what kinds of activities they use to engage learners in practice. Here’s what they said. 

Online activities

• Scenario-based learning
• Diagnostics that personalize learning
• Game-based simulation
• Watch a demo then review
• Post activity reflection

Offline activities

• Role play
• Practice with peers
• On-the-job worksheets
• Coaching circle

Reflective activities

Remember, activity isn’t just clicking, dragging more and revealing more. It’s the thinking that matters. 

‘’If I ask you to consider: What’s a project that you recently struggled on? And what’s one tip from what we’ve been talking about today that you could apply to that? You can’t help but start thinking about it. Reflective questions are really, really powerful interactions for engaging the brain.’’ – Kirstie Greany, Head of Customer Learning, Elucidat

Here are some ways to use reflective interaction to make learning really stick:

• Ask questions
• Use confidence rating
• Encourage note taking
• Provide space for reflection

3. Going personal

We all know that one size doesn’t fit all. What’s a relevant activity or relatable story for one person, may not be right for someone else. And this is something that learners notice.

62% of employees said having relevant content was the most important factor in engaging elearning.
The State of Digital Learning Report, Elucidat 2023

If something is really relevant and useful it gives people intrinsic motivation to use it. So, how do you achieve this? 

Here are some ways the L&D professionals in our workshop said they approach personalizing learning content

• Upfront diagnostics: Ask targeted multiple choice questions, then serve up tailored content.
• Menus that provide choice: Ask your learners what they want or need to know, then let them tailor their learning experience.
• Role selectors: A simple “role filter” at the beginning of the learning experience will serve up the topics or pages that apply to that role.
• Context and examples: Don’t just tell learners what to do, include real life examples of how these skills are applied in their day-to-day work.
• Confidence checks: Ask your learners how they’re feeling, then adapt the approach to their confidence levels.
• Competency based branching content: Get your learners to answer questions and make scenario-based decisions, then show them the impact of their choices.
• Keep it conversational: Speak to your audience at the right level and in the appropriate tone of voice to create a more relevant learning experience. 
• Build a work plan: Get learners to reflect on, and build a plan for, how they’re going to apply the learning in their work.
• Offline tasks: Keep your digital learning generic but include offline tasks, such as team activities, that put it into the learner’s context.

Quick examples of personalized learning

Here are a couple of examples of impactful personalized learning in practice. There’s many ways to achieve this though!

Create a personal plan

Get your learners reflecting on their development needs, then provide a plan to help them develop their skills. This personalized toolkit asks questions about users’ current habits and struggles and then serves up a tailored report on areas for improvement.

Explore this personalization example

Providing choice

By including reflective questions and giving clear choices, people can tailor their own learning experience. This performance improvement guide encourages learners to commit to action by choosing one of three next steps to learn more in the real world.

Explore this scrolling page example

Summary 

Creating engaging elearning is absolutely key if you want your project to make a difference. Here are our five top takeaways from our discussion that highlight what it takes:

1. Know your audience: Don’t touch your design until you can explain what the audience really needs and why – obvious but so, so necessary! It’s all about the ‘do’ not the ‘learn’.
2. Get active: Create meaningfully active and involved learning, which can be done in many forms on and offline, and use storytelling and experiences to aid this.
3. Make people think: Reflection can be just as important as doing; and certainly always trumps clicking. Engage the mind, not the mouse, and create space. 
4. Get personal: There’s no excuse for not personalizing your learning, and we shared many ways to do it! Relevancy is the #1 ask from employees.
5. Make sure it’s useful: No one will say no to something that’s straight-up useful. Sometimes it’s not about immersive experiences, but job-aids or quick demos. Cut to it.

Want to learn more about how you can engage your learners? Sign up for our ‘How to create engaging elearning’ course.

What does it take to create effective elearning that engages, vs online content that falls flat? Below, we distill the seven crucial ingredients shared in a recent webinar by Elucidat experts Will Brown and Kirstie Greany, that you need to produce elearning experiences that truly resonate and bring about meaningful change. Watch the webinar below to explore these insights in more depth.

The 7 must-know ingredients for effective elearning

 1. Begin with the end in mind

Contrary to the instinct to start with content, it’s best to focus on the desired outcomes of your elearning. Understanding what you want your learners to achieve helps shape your content to be more than just information—it transforms it into a pathway for learning and development. This approach ensures your elearning is purposeful, targeted, and capable of driving the desired change.

This downloadable ‘Capture’ guide is a great way to get started with this approach – download your copy here.

 2. Always tell stories

Stories are not just a means of illustrating points; they’re a fundamental way humans understand and remember information. Incorporating stories into your elearning can make complex concepts more relatable and memorable, encouraging learners to reflect and apply what they’ve learned.

The emotional connection and multiple perspectives offered by storytelling enhance engagement and retention. Stories can be written, visualized with imagery, or created as audio or video. They can even be a simple interview of someone who’s lived and breathed that topic.

Take a look at how this real-life story uses simple imagery and sound to bring it to life.

Try this storytelling example

 3. Let it breathe

Elearning effectiveness is often hampered by information overload. Space out content and activities. Breaking down your content into bite-sized, manageable pieces allows learners to absorb, practice, and reflect on information more effectively, leading to a more enriching learning experience. Sleeping on it actually helps too!

It’s also about spacing learning content out on a page. Use clear headings and subheadings to create sections and a flow on the page, and only put content together that belongs together!

See how this example uses clear headings to guide learners through the content, and avoid overwhelm.

Try this effective elearning example

 4. Include practice activities

The essence of elearning is to bring about a change in behavior or enhance skill sets. Including practical activities and scenarios that reflect real-life challenges ensures that the learning is not only engaging but also directly applicable to the learner’s work or life context. Authentic, hands-on experiences are crucial for bridging the gap between knowledge and action.

Make sure your elearning has practice built in. That can be online exercises or offline.

This is one example of many from our Showcase, that introduces a scenario to give learners practice at answering a customers’ questions in some product training. Take a look!

Try this practical activity example

 5. Create interactivity – Not just clicks

True interactivity engages the mind, not just the fingers. Effective elearning invites learners to think, reflect, and make decisions based on the content presented. This can be achieved through reflective questions, scenarios that require decision-making, and activities that stimulate critical thinking and problem-solving.

Do not skip this kind of interaction in your elearning – get those brains whirring!

Here is a simple example of how you can build in reflection. Create a short case study or story, and ask learners what they think. Do they agree? Would they have done the same? Is it fair? 

Try this interactive example

 6. Be relevant

Understanding your audience is key to creating relevant and effective elearning. Customizing content to fit the specific needs, roles, and contexts of your learners increases engagement and ensures that the learning experience is both meaningful and applicable. Personalization can range from role-based pathways to dynamic content that adjusts based on learner input.

It can also be about how you speak (or write) your content. Use the word ‘you’ to talk directly to the learner, and write the content like you are actually speaking with them.

Here’s an example of using a question as a ‘menu’ that links to the relevant content.

Try this effective elearning example

 7. End with a bang

Finally, ending your elearning on a strong note is vital. Summarizing key points and providing clear next steps or actions ensures that the learning doesn’t end when the module does. This reinforcement helps solidify the learning and encourages immediate application, enhancing the overall impact of your elearning content.

Don’t leave your learners hanging. End with a call to action!

This example includes a simple Take it Further ending, with two options. What would yours be? 

Try this effective elearning example

Dive deeper by watching the webinar

Interested in exploring these tips further? Watch the video recording of the webinar. These insights represent just the tip of the iceberg in creating effective elearning content.

Stay tuned for more Design Tip Tuesdays for continuous learning and improvement in your elearning design journey.

With most learners rating their organization’s online training as fair to poor, elearning engagement has become the elephant in the room in discussions about improving completion rates in elearning courses. Don’t leave your learners in the lurch. It’s time to create elearning that hooks your audience, nails your learning goals, and leaves them hungry for more. Read on to find out how.

What is elearning engagement?

Think back to your school days. Was there a class that truly sparked your interest? Odds are, you were actively involved and eager to participate, which is a goal in instructional strategies to increase engagement. You were motivated – maybe even inspired.

In other words, you were an engaged learner.

Elearning engagement isn’t any different. It refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and enthusiasm that learners show when they’re learning online. 

But all this can be tricky to achieve. Without the social element of the classroom, learner attention can easily drift.

What does learner engagement look like?

Engaged learners are those who are willing to keep interacting with content to achieve a learning outcome. 

Here’s what you can expect from engaged learners:

• Active participation in elearning activities.
• Great results on knowledge checks and tests.
• Positive feedback about online content.

Most importantly, they come away from online learning having learned – well – exactly what you wanted them to learn.  

And they put that learning into practice afterwards too. 

Why is elearning engagement important?

The numbers speak for themselves. 63% of L&D professionals say that content issues are reducing the impact of their online classes. A lack of learner engagement is a huge problem. 

Learners are saying the same thing. 60% of employees in large organizations rate their elearning as fair to poor.

The result? Bored learners rushing through content, trading assessment answers to check elearning off their to-do list. 

Hardly a recipe for success.

Improve engagement, though, and here’s what you’ll see:

• Motivated learners who are switched on, interested, and eager for more are often the result of well-designed training programs. 
• Great learning outcomes that justify learners’ time and the resources spent on design.
• Measurable results in terms of improved skills and employee performance.

Ready to make this happen? Read on to discover how to increase engagement in online learning. 

New to elearning engagement or elearning creation? Here’s a good place if you are looking to create engaging elearning.

Three ways to kick-start learner engagement

Let’s start with the big picture. Who are your learners and what do they need? Here are three great ways to cater to your audience and prioritize elearning engagement from the outset:

Make learning easy to access

22% of learners reckon they’re more engaged when content is easy to access at the point of need. So check it’s easy to search for and navigate to elearning on your platform. Make sure everything’s mobile-friendly. And keep training short and snappy for quick reference in a pinch.

Make content relevant

If it doesn’t help someone do their job, why include it? Make the most of limited time by focusing on the skills and knowledge your employees truly need. And align elearning content to your organization’s goals. Believe it or not, a third of employees say that this isn’t happening where they work. Enhance your LMS with dynamic content to ensure learner engagement.

Keep it concise

How much time do you think the average person spends on learning at work? Shockingly, it’s only 5% of the time they devote to managing their inbox. That adds up to 3 hours or less a month set aside for learning, and that’s unlikely to be in one big block. So respect learners’ time by keeping it short. 

Designing your elearning for engagement

Here are five surefire ways to design elearning that’s made for engagement.

1. Make it actionable and useful

Do you know what problem you’re trying to fix? If the answer’s no, don’t start designing just yet.  

Begin by working out your performance objectives. Ask yourself:

• What’s the issue your organization is facing? 
• Who are your learners and what do they need? 
• How will your learning content help?

Done? Great. You’re all set to build elearning that’s actionable and useful. 

And guess what? When your learners can picture how they’ll apply the content, they’ll be far more engaged in the learning process.

62% of learners say instructional design quality is a key factor in ensuring engagement.

Read on for more tactics to ramp up the relevance. 

Speak your learner’s language

We’ve all been there. Baffled and bored by the way things were written. Don’t make the same mistake. Think about your tone of voice and check it connects with your target audience. If in doubt, keep it chatty. 

Use examples

Context is everything. Think about how learners will use this information in their day-to-day jobs and include examples that align with learning objectives. Does your audience work in different roles? Consider an upfront role selector along with tailored content and scenarios. Does your finance team need training? You can use our finance elearning examples to start creating your training program.

Localize international content

Designing for an international audience? Translation is great but it’s not the only option. Consider working with international colleagues to bring content in line with local norms and contexts. This is known as localization. 

2. Create interactive content

Look, it’s not groundbreaking. In the elearning industry, we all know that interactivity is important. Without two-way human interaction, it’s crucial to get learners actively participating in their learning experience. 

But people don’t want to click on the screen for the sake of it. Let’s face it, that can quickly become downright irritating. Interactivity happens in the brain, not the mouse. 

For true learner engagement in elearning, interactivity has to be meaningful. In other words, it’s interesting and relevant, and it’s there for a reason. 

Read on for some tips on making this a reality. 

Build participation in the learning process

Design your content around active learning and practice. Get creative with activities that let your audience reflect, discuss, and try out skills in a safe environment. Don’t forget timely feedback to get learners back on track.

Tell stories

Everyone loves a good yarn. Use stories to connect hearts, as well as heads. Want to take it a step further? Write your learners into the tale and ask them to make decisions related to the narrative. Who doesn’t want to be the hero, after all?  

Keep the momentum going

Look beyond the elearning environment. Can you encourage a continuous learning experience outside of your content? Links to further training, discussion forums, practice tasks, and on-the-job guides are a great place to start. 

3. Keep it concise

When you’ve got loads to say, it’s tempting to dump the full text into your elearning. Don’t do it. There’s no quicker way to disengage busy learners than presenting them with reams of dense information.

Instead, figure out what they need to know and practice, and dial your content right back. The less there is to remember, the more likely it’ll be remembered and applied in real life.

Here are three tips for concise content:

• Keep it simple: Once you’ve written your content, go back the next day and see if you can rewrite it more shortly.
• Make it scannable: Use headings, subheadings, bold text, bullets, and short paragraphs to make the text digestible.
• Get visual:  Use graphs, charts and other infographics to explain stuff faster and boost learner engagement in your LMS. Don’t forget to keep it accessible though.

4. Use video

A video is a great tool for creating engaging elearning experiences. After all, it’s one of the most popular forms of content in the world today (hello TikTok). 

And, great news, you don’t need to splash the cash to include video in your online learning. Here are three tactics for multimedia without the mark-up:

• Check out what’s already on YouTube. Is there anything you can embed? 
• Get people to share their personal experiences through selfie videos.
• Use your phone to film simple interviews with experts, leaders, and peers. 

But don’t jump into using video for the sake of it. Always start by asking: What’s the best way of achieving your performance objectives? Chances are, you’ll need a mix that includes text, images, and possibly assessment too. 

5. Level up your interactions

Thanks to today’s authoring technology, the possibilities are limitless when it comes to crafting elevated interactivity.

Eager to create content that stands out? Then keep reading.

Use social polling

Who says elearning has to be solitary? Elucidat’s social polling feature asks a question and then shows learners how their peers responded. The result? A sense of community that keeps learners clicking.

Include branching scenarios

Want to show the consequences of decisions in the real world? Create branching scenarios where learners’ choices take them down different paths. An interactive adventure awaits.

Create personalized experiences

Tailor learning experiences to individual needs. An upfront diagnostic is a classic approach: pose a series of questions at the beginning of the elearning, and guide learners to content that addresses their unique gaps.

Explore gamification

Incorporate gameplay elements to add excitement to the learning experience. Points, badges and quick-fire questions are low-fuss ways to dip your toe into the world of gamification. 

Four examples of engaging elearning

Of course, one size never fits all. The good news? There are loads of options out there for effective elearning that meet your learners’ specific needs. 

Want to see how different formats can be used to create engaging elearning experiences? Check out these four examples. 

1. Microlearning

Defined as a learning resource that takes ten minutes or less to complete, microlearning is the ideal solution for time-pressed learners. It works especially well for content that needs to be quickly accessed on the job.

For instance, check out this example of managing a remote team. In under ten minutes, it packs in social polling, video snippets, real-life anecdotes, interactive action planning, and links to further resources. The outcome? A hands-on guide that’s as engaging as it is indispensable. 

If you want to implement this technique, we have some of the best microlearning examples to help you.

2. Branching scenario

A branching scenario places learners firmly in the driving seat. Depending on their choices at decision points, they’ll navigate unique paths through the content. This ‘choose your own adventure’ style approach is great for showing real-world consequences in a fun and personalized way. 

This example of workplace bullying is a prime example of how branching boosts elearning engagement while allowing mistakes to be made in a safe learning environment. 

3. One-pager

Opting for a single-scrolling page structure creates an ultra-swift learning journey, delivering essential information to learners with no mucking around. 

This one-pager on replenishing stock, for instance, is action-focused. Broken down into steps and checklists, its purpose is crystal clear. Multimedia elements, interactivity, and clever navigation features are the icing on the cake. 

4. Gamified quiz

Adding gameplay elements to your elearning doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply jazz up a standalone knowledge check with features like points, badges, and timers to create a gamified quiz. The outcome? A supercharged elearning experience that’s way more exciting than just clicking ‘next’.

‘Rookie or Rockstar?’ That’s the burning question in this quiz that uses three rounds of gamified questions to put learners’ product knowledge to the test. 

Designing an engaging user experience

Picture this. You’ve poured your heart into creating an amazing eelarning solution. The test group loves it and even your stakeholders are thrilled. 

Fast forward to launch day. You open your inbox, expecting virtual high-fives, but instead, it’s flooded with emails. 

As it turns out, the elearning doesn’t work on your learners’ default browser.

Lesson learned. No matter how outstanding the learning designer is, if the user experience isn’t on point, engagement in elearning takes a nosedive.

Fear not. Read on for some foolproof tips for smooth sailing every time.

Remove technological barriers

It might seem like a no-brainer, but can your learners actually get online and engage with that awesome content you’ve whipped up? Consider access to devices, internet connection, audio output, and even confidence in navigating the digital world. 

Tackle any tech issues pronto or you’ll fall at the first hurdle.

Make learning available on any device

Are your learners using smartphones, tablets, laptops or PCs? If your online content works seamlessly across all devices, it’s no sweat. However, crafting a consistent learning experience regardless of screen size can be challenging. 

The great news is tools like Elucidat output responsive elearning as standard. That means the layout automatically reconfigures to best fit the device it’s being viewed on.

Test, test, test!

A sloppy learning experience will have online learners mentally checking out before they even reach the welcome screen. So test all elearning thoroughly on target browsers and devices. 

Pay close attention to the quality of writing, visuals, and videos. Is everything consistent? Does it look appealing? Is it all running smoothly? Make your tweaks and retest. 

Improve accessibility

Everyone deserves a great learning experience, whether they have a disability or not. That’s why accessibility is crucial.

Don’t treat it as an afterthought. Do your research (WCAG is a great starting point) and build accessibility into your content from the get-go. 

Here are three quick wins:

• Include transcripts and alt text for any non-decorative images, video and audio.
• Use a high colour contrast between text and background to enhance readability.
• Beware of interactions that don’t work with keyboard navigation and stick with fully accessible components instead.

Maximize engagement with measurement and iteration

You’ve designed a bunch of engaging content and it’s finally been launched. Time to relax, right? 

Wrong. 

Elearning engagement isn’t a one-and-done thing. What works today may not work tomorrow. Read on to learn how iteration can keep things fresh.

Measure elearning engagement

You might believe your content is engaging, but what do your learners think? It’s time to get the facts. 

There are two primary ways to measure elearning engagement: 

1. Get their feedback

Create a simple survey to gauge learner engagement with your content. You could integrate this directly into your elearning. To beat bias, use a few questions that ask a similar thing differently. And give learners the chance to suggest improvements.

2. Check out the stats

Numbers don’t lie. Are learners completing their elearning? Are they performing well on assessments? Are they voluntarily accessing content? Piece together the data for an objective picture of how your learning is stacking up. 

Continue to refresh content

Whether engagement is lagging, or you’re just ready to take your design to the next level, it’s never a bad time to make changes. 

Here are some foolproof ways to use iteration to stay at the top of your game:

Action their feedback 

Don’t let that valuable feedback gather dust. Start making tweaks to elearning based on what your learners are saying. Feeling a bit lost? Round up a focus group and pick their brains for more insights. 

Keep content relevant

Set a regular reminder to give your live elearning once over and check it’s still up to date. At work, things can change fast, so keep your content current to stop inaccuracies from creeping in.

Update date-based information

Nothing ages elearning quicker than outdated examples and ancient stats. Spend a few minutes with Google, and give your content a modern makeover. It’s a small effort that pays dividends in keeping things fresh.

Summary

Want your content creation efforts to pay off? For successful learning outcomes, elearning engagement has to be front and centre.

The good news? It’s not rocket science. Here’s your checklist for crafting content that will have learners hanging on your every word:

• Speak their language: Keep it short, sweet, and relevant. Make sure your elearning is easy to access and digest.

• Design for engagement: Make your online content interactive, actionable, and immersive. Think snappy messaging, meaningful activities, and relevant multimedia material.

• Optimize your format: Whether it’s quick-hit microlearning or a fun-filled quiz, use the right content type to connect with your audience. 

• Smooth out the bumps: Get rid of anything that’s getting in the ways to increase engagement and a seamless user experience.

• Stay fresh: Keep a close eye on engagement levels and be ready to shake things up to keep your content feeling new and exciting.

Create engaging elearning with Elucidat

Ready to hit the ground running? Check out Elucidat for a tool that’s tailor-made to create content that checks every elearning engagement box. 

Elucidat’s guided workflows and ready-made templates make it easy for anyone to produce engaging online learning at speed. Whether you’re new to elearning or a seasoned author, Elucidat has got you covered.

Want to give it a try? Schedule a demo today and snag a free trial too.

Embracing elearning localization isn’t just a smart move; it’s an absolute game-changer. This dynamic process is your ticket to mastering global audiences effectively. Picture it as your trusty bridge, seamlessly connecting diverse cultures and languages. You might think it’s time-consuming, but skipping elearning localization is a strategic blunder. It can cause your engagement rates to tank. Let’s dive in.

What is elearning localization?

Elearning localization means adjusting content for a specific audience’s language, culture, and preferences. It’s more than just translating content.

Ensuring that your learning content aligns with local norms and practices enables all learners to engage with training materials effectively. To avoid cultural complexities, you must create tailored content that speaks directly to your audience through localization.

Why is elearning localization important?

Don’t underestimate the impact of localizing your elearning content. Let’s explore why it’s an absolute must.

Achieving genuine learner engagement

Tailoring elearning materials for local audiences enhances personal connections with learners. This engagement fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter and a higher level of motivation to complete the courses.

Avoiding cultural misunderstandings and barriers

Localizing elearning content ensures that it is culturally sensitive and avoids potential pitfalls. By acknowledging and respecting cultural references and nuances, organizations can prevent misunderstandings that might hinder effective learning. 

Building trust and authenticity with global learners

Creating content in your learners’ target language fosters an inclusive and respectful space and builds trust. This approach lays the foundation for a truly engaging and effective learning environment. Localization goes beyond language and adds authenticity through imagery. For instance, in a driver safety course, adjusting images for local driving practices personalizes the content.

Key benefits of elearning localization

If you haven’t localized your elearning content yet, you’re missing some serious perks. Here are four key benefits of elearning localization to your organization.

Increased relevance

Tailoring elearning content to local customs, beliefs, and societal norms boosts relatability and fosters a stronger connection with learners. This alignment with cultural context enhances engagement and promotes deeper subject matter understanding.

Higher retention rates

Localizing elearning content and personalizing it improves memory retention and recall. This leads to a more effective and impactful learning experience in real-world situations.

Optimized learning experience

Elearning localization involves adapting content to local structures and methods, ensuring alignment with learners’ preferences. This creates a more seamless, intuitive, and conducive learning experience.

Enhancing course completion rates

Localized elearning content boosts completion rates, especially when the course is in the learners’ first language. Courses aligned with their cultural and linguistic backgrounds feel more relevant. This relevance contributes to more successful learning outcomes.

Localization in action

Oxfam is a prime example of how it’s possible to deliver effective content globally with successful elearning localization. Oxfam caters to their 9,000 employees across 87 countries by meeting language and cultural requirements. 

They create cost-effective digital learning that is genuinely inclusive of their existing staff in different regions. This approach ensures that Oxfam’s training content reaches and resonates with individuals across other regions.

Read Oxfam’s customer story here.

4 tips for effective elearning localization

Ready to go global with your elearning content? With these four essential tips, you’ll be well-equipped to create content that deeply resonates with learners from diverse cultures.

• Start early 

The key to creating a successful localized version of your courses is to begin the process at the course design stage. Ensure that your course structure, visuals, and content are adaptable for localization from the outset. This saves time and ensures a seamless integration of cultural nuances into the learning experience.

• Engage local experts

Local perspectives are invaluable to understanding cultural intricacies and language nuances. Elearning authors should collaborate with language speakers and subject matter experts from their target region. This collaboration ensures that they translate the content accurately and make it culturally sensitive and relevant.

• Test content

Before rolling out a fully localized elearning course, pilot it with a small group of learners from the target region. Collect feedback on content, language, and cultural relevance. This feedback loop allows you to make necessary adjustments and fine-tune the course for maximum effectiveness.

• Stay updated

Cultures evolve, and so should your localized content. Regularly reviewing and refreshing your localized elearning materials is crucial. This helps ensure they remain relevant and align with any cultural shifts or changes in the target audience’s needs.

Summary

Elearning localization is not just a nice to have; it’s a game-changer. Embrace cultural nuances and create unforgettable elearning courses.

Let’s cover the key takeaways:

• Elearning localization is vital: It empowers you to create culturally aligned learning content, bridging gaps for effective education.
• Achieving genuine learner engagement: Customized elearning content resonates with local audiences, enhancing comprehension and motivation to finish courses. 
• Avoiding cultural misunderstandings: Localization prevents cultural misunderstandings by ensuring cultural sensitivity and respect.
• Building trust and authenticity: Crafting elearning content in learners’ first language and culture fosters trust and enhances their learning journey.

Kickstart your localization process

Translating and localizing learning content can be a time-consuming process. With Elucidat, elearning localization becomes a breeze. 

Are you eager to see how Elucidat can help you internationalize your process? Discover how easy it is to translate and localize your content with Auto-Translate. 

Want to get started now? Book a demo. 

Elearning Subject matter experts (SMEs) are essential to L&D’s success. From understanding the context to developing the content, they shape your learning solutions. But their role doesn’t have to end there. With skill gaps and training needs on the rise, many L&D teams are looking for new approaches to meet demand. We spoke to L&D leaders from a number of large, global organizations to find out how they involve subject matter experts in successful elearning production at scale.

Why subject matter experts are essential to design elearning at scale

Changing customer expectations, digital transformation and increased regulation have left many businesses facing skill gaps. L&D is key to overcoming these issues, keeping pace with change and making sure businesses and employees have what they need to thrive. But L&D teams are struggling to keep up with the demand and the list of training requests continues to grow. If they want to avoid becoming a bottleneck, a new approach is needed.

For many large, global organizations, this has meant subject matter experts playing a bigger role in learning projects. Rather than just providing content, SMEs are becoming elearning authors. And with the help of rapid elearning authoring tools, the L&D teams we spoke to were seeing lots of benefits to this approach:

• Directly harnessing specific expertise areas
• Ensuring learning is relevant
• Responding to emerging skill gaps more quickly
• Unblocking L&D workflow so the team can focus on strategic oversight
• Supporting truly scalable elearning production 

What to consider when getting subject matter experts involved in authoring online learning course

Of course, it’s not just a case of handing out authoring tool licenses and waiting for the results. Before you get your subject matter experts producing elearning, you need to set them up for success. 

Here are three key factors you should consider:

• How can you best use your SMEs’ time?
  SMEs need to do their day job alongside their new elearning author role. Some may only produce elearning once a year. If you’re going to sustain their interest and keep to project timelines, you need to provide the right level of support and avoid overwhelming them. 
• How can you help SMEs produce effective learning?
  SMEs are content experts, not learning designers. They’re also used to sharing their expertise face-to-face, rather than digitally. No one wants to rework unengaging and ineffective elearning, so you need to provide a framework that empowers SMEs to produce quality straight away. Learn how to leverage your subject matter expert to build your dream elearning team.
• How can you maintain oversight and quality?
  Getting lots of different people from across your organization involved in authoring elearning can lead to a wide range of results. If you’re going to maintain consistency, you need to put a robust process in place.

How are other organizations setting subject matter experts up for success?

Whether starting out or well on their way to getting subject matter experts involved with elearning authoring, the L&D leaders that we talked to had many shared experiences, challenges, and successes. Every industry and organization may be different, but all these L&D teams highlighted the same four steps to help keep subject matter experts and elearning production on track.

1. Decide on your approach first

Don’t rush ahead and get SMEs creating elearning before you’ve decided on the approach you’re taking. Whether it’s design principles or a governance model, all the learning leaders we talked to said deciding on their approach upfront made it a smoother journey to elearning production at scale.

2. Provide an onboarding package

Get off to the right start by onboarding your SMEs. The aim is to get SMEs engaged and feeling comfortable with the project, rather than overwhelmed with technical details. From a short kick-off meeting to a design hub full of inspiring best practice examples, these L&D teams used a full range of onboarding tools to do this. 

3. Take steps to maintain quality

Onboarding is just the start. You need to provide SMEs with the right level of support throughout the project to ensure quality and consistency are maintained. Many L&D leaders were directly involved in key approval stages, but they also used templates, guidelines, and peer reviews to keep SMEs on the right path.

To streamline this process, you can explore these free elearning template designs that will save you (and your SMEs) hours.

4. Create momentum

L&D leaders who were further along in the process of scaling up elearning production found that their SME successes organically fed back into the process. As the number of elearning champions and author community grew, so did L&D engagement levels and their learning culture.

Explore more ways how you can transform the way you work with your subject matter experts.

Revolutionizing SME authoring at Decathlon: A case study

Decathlon, a leading global sports retailer, embarked on an innovative journey to transform its learning and development (L&D) approach. The mission was clear: empower every employee to shape their own career path through autonomous elearning creation.

The initiative began with a select group of content creators, which then rapidly expanded to a wider employee base. Supported by straightforward onboarding and guidance, these new elearning authors were given the freedom to create, adapt, and share courses globally. This approach enabled Decathlon to:

• Overcome geographical and sectoral learning barriers.
• Foster a sense of ownership and autonomy among employees.
• Facilitate easy course adaptation, ensuring relevance across different regions.

In just one year, this strategy led to over 1,000 employees in 41 countries producing nearly 5,000 courses, accessible to more than 90,000 learners. The result was not just an increase in learning content but also a boost in employee engagement and skills development.

Subject Matter Experts and the future of online learning

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of elearning. Their involvement is key to enhancing both the capacity and quality of learning content. As highlighted in our State of Digital Learning Report 2024, SMEs are driving significant advancements in online learning. Here’s how:

Increasing L&D capacity

By getting involved in content creation, SMEs help L&D teams scale up their training offerings without compromising on quality. SMEs can efficiently turn their expertise into learning modules, easing the workload on L&D professionals.

Enhancing content quality

The depth of knowledge SMEs bring is invaluable in crafting high-quality elearning content. Their insights ensure that the training is not only informative but also deeply aligned with real-world applications.

Bridging knowledge gaps

SMEs are instrumental in identifying and closing knowledge gaps within the organization.
Their expertise can directly address specific learning needs, thereby enhancing overall employee competence.

Boosting employee retention

Engaging and relevant training content, developed by SMEs, can significantly improve employee retention. Tailored learning experiences make employees feel valued and invested in their professional growth.

The integration of SMEs into elearning represents a significant step towards more dynamic, effective, and personalized training solutions, crucial for the future of workplace learning.

In summary

If you want to stay ahead of training demand by scaling up elearning production, you need to involve subject matter experts. Getting SMEs onboard, engaged and producing effective learning isn’t straightforward. But the effort you put in at the start will pay off with a smoother production process. And, ultimately, this will lead to your team better meeting your organization’s current and future learning needs. 

We spoke to L&D leaders from a variety of industries who have put this approach into practice. Although they used different models and tools, they all highlighted four key steps to setting subject matter experts up for success:

• Establishing a clear approach from the start
• Getting SMEs on board without the overwhelm
• Providing the right level of support to maintain quality
• Enabling your SMEs feed back into the process with peer support

Want to hear more examples of how these L&D teams set their SMEs up for successful elearning production? Download our SME best practice guide.

When it comes to maximizing your reach and improving your impact, it pays off to speak your learners’ language. But there’s more to producing effective global learning content than just translating the words. Whether you’re tackling translation with automated tools or reaching out to professional services, our guide to elearning translation will set you up for success.

What is elearning translation? 

Elearning translation means converting a digital learning course from its original language into a target language. Sounds straightforward, right? But it’s rarely as simple as just swapping out one piece of text with another. 

Whether it’s animation or audio, elearning can contain a lot of multimedia content that’s trickier to translate. Rather than translating once, you may need to create different language versions. And with different languages comes different cultural contexts. A quick translation task can turn into a complex multilingual elearning project.

The significance of elearning translation 

While elearning translation can be complicated, when done well, it brings major benefits.

Increased access: Even if your employees are bilingual, using your learners’ native language makes your training far more accessible. By translating your elearning, you’re really catering for your global audience.

Cultural relevance: Don’t let cultural barriers get in the way of effective learning. Translate and localize your elearning materials to address regional nuances. Make the learning truly relevant to your audience. 

Improved results: Effective translations and localization ensures the comprehension of all learners. When your learners can understand and relate to your digital content, they’re more likely to remember and apply it.

Elearning translation & localization

A combination of translation and localization is key to maximizing the impact of your elearning. So, what’s the difference between these two terms?

Translation means replacing words in one language with equivalent ones in another language. The aim is to convey the same meaning. The content is adapted, but only at the linguistic level. This can mean the foreign feel of the original text is maintained.

Localization encompasses translation and more. It involves reshaping your elearning to meet the needs of a specific regional audience and deliver on your original learning objectives. It focuses on local requirements (such as laws) and cultural nuances (for example, changing metaphors that won’t translate).

Elearning translation tools and services

There are many ways to tackle elearning translation and localization. Two common approaches involve either using:

• Automated elearning translation tools
• Elearning translation services

Let’s take a closer look at each of these and why you might use them.

Automated elearning translation tools 

Automated translation software enables you to simplify the entire translation process. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to quickly deliver translated learning content. 

Benefits:

• Quick and easy: Reduce the time and effort it takes to translate your elearning content. Have a draft translation at the click of a button.
• Cost effective: By automating the bulk of the translation effort, translation software reduces dependency on expensive translation services.

Limitations: 

• Accuracy: Although the tech is always improving, errors can slip in when using automated translation. The output needs to be reviewed to ensure accuracy.
• Cultural context: If you’re looking to avoid cultural confusion, don’t rely on automated translation tools alone. You need a local expert to check the translated elearning materials are relevant.

Examples: 

• DeepL Translator offers accurate and nuanced machine translation for 31 languages. DeepL prides itself on its tool’s ability to translate even the slightest nuances. The output of this tool needs to be reengineered within your chosen authoring tool. 
• Elucidat’s Auto-Translate integrates machine translation with an elearning authoring tool. Choose your source language and translate content into one of 75 languages. Translated versions can then be managed centrally. You can make global changes in one place, and they’ll instantly feed through into all versions.

Elearning translation services 

Elearning translation companies can offer a range of support – from translation only to complete reengineering. This professional touch can smooth even the most complicated translation processes.

Benefits: 

• Quality: Professional translation stands out because of the skilled team that carries out the translation, including Quality Assurance (QA). 
• Cultural nuance: In-country linguists will not only ensure an accurate translation, but suggest alterations that make your content more impactful with its regional audience.
• Elearning specialization: Experienced elearning localization engineers and instructional designers make sure your translated elearning course functions correctly and meets its objectives.

Limitations: 

• Time consuming: Using professional translation services can take time as you’re bound by the provider’s timescales and you won’t be their only client.
• Expensive: The quality professional service these providers offer comes with a price tag. Making updates may also involve additional costs.

Examples: 

• Ulatus provides high quality translations and localization of elearning materials into over 50 languages. Working with high quality linguists, localization engineers, multimedia and instructional designers, they ensure courses meet learning objectives.
• Stepes offers elearning and Learning Management System (LMS) translation solutions in all languages. With a team of professional translators, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), multilingual voice-over talents, and multimedia production specialists, they can deliver on your elearning translation needs.

Elearning translation in action 

With over 2,500 stores in 105 countries, and more than 5,000 employees, MaxMara understands the importance of global learning content. Since 2018, they’ve used Elucidat to provide high quality and relevant elearning to their employees. As well as delivering elearning to their 10 brands in their brand styling, MaxMara translate their courses into 10 languages. This means they’re able to serve their global audience with the right visuals in their local language.

To find out more about how they did this, read the full MaxMara story. 

5 tips for making the right choice 

Want to create a similar translation success story at your organization? Here are our 5 tips for choosing the right approach for your elearning translation projects.

1. Focus on your needs

The most effective elearning translation starts in a project’s early stages. Get clear on your objectives. Define your audience. Consider localized learning needs, as well as languages. 

2. Identify your approach

Determine how you can best use your resources and budget to meet your project’s needs. Be open to different approaches. Using an automated tool or a professional service could be appropriate depending on your project priorities.

3. Assess accuracy

Whether you’re using a tool or service, you need to check accuracy. If you’re confident in your translation service provider’s QA, this could be a spot check. Less confident or using a tool? A native speaker should review each language version to ensure accuracy. 

4. Test and iterate

Once you’re happy with the quality, test the translations on sample audiences. Assess and implement their feedback. Iterate until you’re happy with the end result.

5. Future proof 

Remember, once your initial translation project is over it’s not the end of the story. Your translations may require updates. There may be further translations. Stay up to date with the evolving translation landscape (including machine learning and AI in elearning).

Summary 

Effective elearning translation and localization solutions are key to delivering truly accessible, relevant and impactful global digital learning. 

If you’re going to achieve this, you need to choose the right elearning translation strategy. This starts with your project’s requirements. It’s about balancing time, resources and budget to best meet your learning objectives. Elearning translation providers offer a quality professional service, but can be costly and time consuming. In contrast, automated translation tools will save you time and money. Whichever approach you take, it’s critical your translations are reviewed and tested to ensure that they are accurate and effective.

Make elearning translation easy with Elucidat 

Looking to improve your translation process? Auto-Translate could reduce the effort it takes to translate your elearning content, dramatically. Courses translated using this feature can simply be reviewed for minor adjustments rather than outsourcing the whole translation, saving time and money.

Find out more about Auto-Translate and try it for yourself by booking a demo to get started with a free trial.