How to create an e-learning course, step by step

The most common weakness of e-learning courses is not technology but an unclear objective. A course meant to cover “everything important about data protection” becomes long, dry and ineffective. A course after which customer service staff can recognise when to pass a request on to data protection is short, concrete and effective.

So answer three questions first. Who are the learners, what do they already know and under what conditions do they learn, for example at a desk, in a warehouse or on a phone while travelling? What should they be able to do after the course, and how would you recognise it? And why does it matter, to them and to the organisation?

Divide the material into modules, each pursuing one learning objective and taking anywhere from a few minutes to about a quarter of an hour. Each module follows a simple arc: Why does this matter? What do I need to know? How do I apply it? Have I understood it?

A good outline reads like a table of contents that already tells a story. If the module titles alone show what you will learn, the structure works. Plan the scope too: how many modules, how many slides per module, how long the narrator speaks per slide. These numbers help keep a course from sprawling.

Slides should carry little text. The narrator explains; the slide shows what matters: a key message, a graphic, a comparison, a figure. This division of labour reflects a well-established finding of learning research: people process spoken explanation and a matching image together better than when they have to hear and read the same text.

Write examples from your learners’ daily work. One example from their own industry, with familiar terms and realistic situations, is worth more than three abstract definitions. And leave out anything that does not serve the learning objective, however interesting it may be.

Learning happens by doing, not by watching. So plan at least one activity in every module: a comprehension question, a short case task, a decision with justification or a conversation exercise. Such questions along the way aid retention because they practise recall.

The final assessment should test the learning objectives at the level at which they were written. If the objective is application but the test only asks for definitions, you are measuring the wrong thing. So write the exam questions early, ideally straight after the learning objectives.

Before a course goes live, a few people from the target audience should work through it, on a computer and on a phone. Watch where they hesitate, what they skip and what questions they ask. Also check subject accuracy, spelling, pronunciation of technical terms and accessibility.

After publication, maintenance begins. Analyse which questions are often answered wrongly and where learners drop out. Plan updates, especially for content that changes with laws or products.

In the Universe course workshop, a course takes shape in four phases: content (outline, slides with narration and visuals), design (logo, colours, music, transitions), speaker and interaction (figure, voice, languages, speaker placement) and publishing. Material such as a presentation, PDF, text, web addresses or video becomes the starting point; AI suggests, and nothing lands on a slide unasked. A trial author account lets you try it with your own presentation.