Learning a new skill is exciting – especially when it helps make your job easier, more creative, and more impactful. I recently participated in B Online Learning’s eLearning Design Essentials workshop, and it completely transformed how I think about instructional design and creating engaging online courses.
In this blog, I’ll share key takeaways and practical lessons I gained from the workshop, plus why I recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their eLearning design skills.
What Is the eLearning Design Essentials Workshop?
This hands-on training course provides a comprehensive foundation in instructional design for digital learning. The workshop covers everything from identifying learning problems to designing learner-centred solutions using proven design strategies and real-world examples.
Designed for professionals across corporate, government, and education sectors, this course breaks down:
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What effective eLearning looks like
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Why some training fails
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How to approach digital learning projects
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The importance of good design and planning
The course doesn’t just teach how to make eLearning—it helps you shift your mindset to think more like a learning consultant, challenging you to identify root causes rather than just deliver content.
Why This Training Matters
Whether you’re developing courses for office-based employees or remote workers in the field, the principles of strong eLearning design apply across the board. This course showed me how digital learning can be meaningful and engaging for all types of learners—even those less familiar with online environments.
A major eye-opener for me was realising that many workplace challenges attributed to training gaps are actually due to other issues—like inefficient systems or unclear processes. This reinforced the need to approach learning solutions with a broader lens.
My Key Takeaways from the eLearning Design Workshop
1. Always Design for the Learner
Effective eLearning is built around the learner experience. Consider how people will access the training and what they need to take away from it. If it’s not relevant or easy to use, they won’t engage.
2. Keep Adult Learning Principles Front of Mind
Unlike school students, adults are often time-poor and goal-focused. This means your digital content needs to be short, sharp, and relevant. Focus on what they need to know, and make sure it’s culturally and contextually appropriate.
3. The Three Ms: Meaning, Motivation, Memory
An engaging course must:
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Have meaning – Make sure learners understand the relevance.
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Inspire motivation – Include elements of challenge, reflection, or risk.
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Support memory – Reinforce learning through practical activities and examples.
4. Use Authentic, Real-Life Examples
Make content relatable by grounding it in real-world contexts. This helps learners apply the knowledge more easily and stay engaged throughout the module.
5. Prioritise Collaboration and Planning
Great eLearning is rarely created in isolation. Get input from subject matter experts, stakeholders, and end-users. This builds ownership and increases the likelihood of success.
We also explored different instructional design models that support efficient, iterative workflows—perfect for managing complex digital projects.
6. Ask the Right Questions
Getting useful input from SMEs can be tricky. The course provided a helpful toolkit of creative questions to extract insights, even when information is hard to access.
7. Understand the Difference Between Learning and Program Objectives
Learning objectives should clearly define what learners are expected to do after the training. Program objectives describe what the overall training initiative is aiming to achieve. Both matter—but serve different purposes.
8. Apply Design Thinking to Structure and Visuals
Good design isn’t just about looking nice. We learned how visual structure influences comprehension, how to use templates strategically, and why prototyping is more powerful than storyboarding.
Surprising Lessons from the Workshop
While I was originally drawn to this workshop for ideas on interactivity, I walked away with so much more. I learned how interactive tools like drag-and-drop exercises, quizzes, and branching scenarios can be used to boost learner engagement and retention.
More importantly, I no longer feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating an eLearning course. With the knowledge and tools from this course, I feel equipped to design meaningful, accessible, and effective learning experiences from the ground up.
Who Should Attend This eLearning Design Workshop?
This course is ideal for:
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eLearning developers and instructional designers
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Training coordinators and L&D professionals
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Articulate users
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LMS administrators
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Teachers and workplace trainers
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Subject matter experts involved in training design
Whether you’re just getting started or want to improve your current approach, this training helps you build confidence and capability in digital learning design.
How to Join the eLearning Design Essentials Course
B Online Learning runs regular eLearning Design Essentials workshops online. The format is fully virtual, allowing you to join from anywhere while participating in live, interactive sessions led by experienced facilitators.
📅 Register for the next session here and start your journey toward creating high-impact eLearning content.
You’ll walk away with:
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Practical tools and templates
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A clear understanding of instructional design principles
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Real-world examples and ideas you can apply immediately
Final Thoughts
Completing this workshop gave me new skills, a fresh mindset, and the confidence to create learner-focused digital training. The practical tools and frameworks provided have already improved how I design learning solutions, and I know I’ll continue to build on this strong foundation.
If you’re looking for an engaging, expert-led course to take your eLearning design to the next level, I highly recommend the eLearning Design Essentials workshop from B Online Learning.
