It’s infuriating: read a poor book and the reader will blame the author; take a poor e-learning course and the learner will blame the media! It’s illogical, but it’s certainly understandable. We’ve probably all read a book that has made us say ‘Wow!’ when we’ve finished it; so we know that good books exist. But most of us have yet to experience an e-learning course in which we’ve been engrossed.

Remember when you were at school – aged around 12 or 13, I suspect – and we were told next term’s required reading was Homer’s Iliad (or the equivalent)? We picked it up with fear and trepidation, and we weren’t disappointed! Now imagine you’ve just been told you have to take an e-learning course on Microsoft® Word; the reaction will be much the same as it was with the Iliad at 12 or 13. On a list of most desirable things to do, it’ll be somewhere near the bottom.

But, just as it’s possible for a skilled author to write a great book, it’s also possible for a skilled courseware developer to write an excellent e-learning course. And we can take the analogy further. In the same way that we can all write but we can’t write a good book, we can all develop courseware because the authoring tools are so easy to use. But that doesn’t mean to say we can write good courseware! ...

You can download this article free by subscribing and logging in as a Full TJ member

Price: £9.00

Related News

• Tech Trends
• Serious game helps bank cashiers detect fake currency
• Child protection training

Related Discussion Topics

• Online ITN & Learner Evaluation system
• Designing e learning programmes.
• Touchtyping courses

Latest News

• Skills for Life target achieved two years early
• The Institute of IT Training broadens its range of training awards
• Welcome for Equality Bill
• Inspirational single dad scoops learning and training award
• Retail sector talks shop with students