What’s On The Menu?

Training Challenge Number Six: “The failure to recognize e-learning that truly works”

The second essential quality for truly effective E-Learning is a “User-designed Interface” that has been created for ease of navigation.

For the individuals who will be taking your e-learning courses, much of their initial motivation will be blunted if they have to spend excessive time paging down or up in order to get the information they are seeking.

In fact, one of the most important instructional design elements for any e-learning program is the creation of the menu page. It is not uncommon for a knowledgeable instructional designer to take as long, or longer, creating this than the actual learning pages within each lesson.

That menu page needs to have instantly accessible links to the topic-content segments, glossary, pre-test, post-test, practice exercises, optional audio button and all the help features. One click should take the learner anywhere that individual chooses.

Without question, the majority of your people will be anxious to acquire additional knowledge and skills in order to improve their on-the-job performance. Don’t let a poorly designed menu page dampen and frustrate that motivation.

So be careful when you encounter an e-learning course that requires extensive menu searching and multiple clicking in order to get to the desired section. Your learners will become both confused and distracted from their real goal which, of course, is to master the material.

Look for more on Monday . . .

— Bill Walton, Founder of ITC Learning
bwalton@itclearning.com

“AMERICA WILL CONTINUE TO BE BUILT BY THE HANDS OF ITS MEN AND WOMEN”