Empowering Innovative eLearning Design: Foundations, Barriers, and Practices

What does it mean to be an innovativeeLearning professional? In an industry where innovation is a popular buzzword andchange is the only constant, how can eLearning professionals embraceopportunities to innovate and create sustained value and growth within theirorganizations? Even the terms innovationor to be innovative yield manydifferent and often competing definitions.

In this article, I define these terms broadly, as the departurefrom procedure-focused design mindsets to realizing novel ways of approachingdesign problems that create value. As Clark Quinn (2014) expressed in Revolutionize Learning & Development:Performance and Innovation Strategy for the Information Age, we are in manyways failing to realize the true importance and role of innovation in thedesign of learning and performance ecosystems because we have neglected toembrace and respond to change.

More specifically, I will explore a simple, yet criticalquestion shaping the future of our profession: how do we support innovative eLearning design practices? By exploringthis question, I propose three common barriers facing eLearning designers andsuggest simple activities that you can use to help overcome these barriers.

Foundations

In the book Where GoodIdeas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, Steven Johnson (2010)suggested many innovations are not developed through rapid “eureka” momentslike we may think, but instead through slow and gradual hunches leading to newideas. When we think about common eLearning design practices, we likely thinkfirst of “the process” we follow or the procedures we use to design courses ortraining programs. In many situations, the primary goal of design processes isto enhance efficiency, accuracy, and control of project scope instead of creatinginnovative learning or performance solutions.

In many respects our profession is at an interesting turningpoint. The term “design” is used frequently and is a part of many of ourbusiness titles; yet, we often fail to apply many problem-solving practicesthat define design fields. Before eLearning designers can fully embrace opportunitiesfor innovation, we need to see ourselves as true designers. In much the sameway an architect uses a combination of creativity and design thinking to createspaces, eLearning designers must step into the role of a learning architect to focus on solving learning and performanceproblems in creative ways (Gibbons, 2014). What strategies should we use todesign innovative eLearning? Borrowing the words of Edward Tufte, “Whatever ittakes.”

Barriersto innovative practice

There are major roadblocks that often get in the way of maximizingopportunities for innovation when designing eLearning. Sometimes thesechallenges are presented as external factors that we manage such as time,money, or resources. In other situations the barriers may be internal to thedesigner such as resistance to change, decision-making styles, or past experiencesand established behaviors.

Of these “barriers” to innovation, money is most commonly cited.In reality, great innovations are rarely born from environments where resourcesare unlimited. Innovation often happens most effectively in resource-tight environmentsbecause designers are forced to think beyond the easiest solution to moreinnovative solutions. If money isn’t a real barrier to innovation, what barriershold back innovation in eLearning design?

The following list contains three common barriers to innovationthat we all likely experience at some point or another; however, we may not immediatelythink of them as holding back innovation.  

The complexity dilemma  

The complexity of information and decisions involved indesigning eLearning is growing at an exponential pace. Technology can play arole in this challenge because it allows us to access greater amounts ofinformation; yet access to information is in many ways a double-edged sword.From one standpoint, easy access to large amounts of information can offer newinsights into design decisions; however, often the amount of information andthe ways information is presented far exceed our ability to make sense of anduse it effectively (Sweller et al, 1998). In response to complexity, we makedecisions that are not always the best choice given a certain set of options(Krug, 2006). We “satisfice,” or sacrifice the best choice for a lesser andmore convenient option.

Designing in the dark

The complexity of decisions is only one challenge to innovative eLearningdesign. Once we make design decisions, communication problems often arisebetween designers, clients, subject matter experts, management, and othercollaborators. For instance, one person on the team may have a wonderful ideaabout how to solve a problem; however, that idea may not be adopted or evenconsidered by the group because it wasn’t communicated in a way that was easyto understand by the rest of the team. The majority of design ideas in eLearningprojects are invisible and therefore highly vulnerable to being misunderstoodor overtaken by existing mental models of collaborators (Hortin, 1983). Inorder for great ideas to flow freely during eLearning projects, design teamsneed to be on the same page and using a common language to communicate and makedesign decisions. The lack of these languages and tools creates a scenariowhere many eLearning projects are designed in the dark.

Perfection

Perfection is arguably one of the greatest threats to innovationin eLearning projects. There are likely many reasons why people strive forperfection. Possibly it is a long held expectation that we carry from our earlyschooling years where the results of failure were often negative reinforcementor even punishment. The pursuit of perfection may also develop out oforganizational cultures that reward the status quo and where the fear offailure or rejection can drive decisions.

eLearning design is a problem-solving process and, by its nature,should experience a high number of failures before arriving at an optimal solution(Allen & Sites, 2012). Regardless of how much time, effort, resources, or moneyis spent in the design process, the first version of an eLearning program willhave flaws. Even the final version of an eLearning project will have flaws.“Perfection” is something that many eLearning designers strive for but is simplynot achievable given the nature and diversity of our profession. The pursuit ofperfection can consume much energy and time in design processes that couldbetter be spent iterating, learning, and experimenting rapidly. In other words,the time spent on trying to make eLearning “perfect” is killing innovation.

Note:Avoiding a goal of perfection does not mean we should create poor eLearning. Weshould devote our efforts to solving important problems in creative ways,quickly learning from failures, and applying what we learn to new and moreinnovative versions.

Action plan for innovative eLearning design

Complexity, miscommunication, and the unattainable goal ofperfection are eroding the ability to innovate. How do we break through thesebarriers and transform what, in many cases, are deeply established practices foreLearning design?

As a community of eLearning professionals, we need tofundamentally rethink how we engage in design processes. When beginning an eLearningproject, do we start thinking about the design process (“this is the way we’vealways done it”), or do we examine each project as a puzzle that requires afresh and new perspective? Redirecting focus from the design process to design innovation doesn’t mean compromising the project timeline orperformance indicators. Instead, this shift in perspective allows us tounderstand the true goal, vision, and possibilities of the project.

Talkingabout designing innovative eLearning and actually doing it are two differentthings. To help you apply innovative eLearning design practices, I’ve developedan action plan to get you started. These action steps highlight general approachesto innovative eLearning design that you can adopt and use right away.

Curate an eLearning design-innovation toolbox

The eLearning profession has no shortage of authoring andproduction tools and yet has very few tools specifically used for supportinginnovative design decision-making. From a general perspective, we are likelydeveloping a lot of content that lacks good design qualities.

One way eLearning designers can begin enhancing innovationopportunities in their own practice is to curate a design-innovation toolbox. eLearningdesign-innovation tools are decision-making tools that designers use throughouteLearning projects to support innovative thinking (Dodd, 2013).

Table 1 describes categories of eLearning design-innovationtools and presents several examples. An eLearning design-innovation toolbox isa “go-to” collection or portfolio of tools that you can use to help guide innovationprocesses. eLearning designers should curate tools for each category to assistthem in innovatively solving problems at key points in a design process in creativeways. An effective eLearning design-innovation toolbox should be diverse andinclude resources for each of the categories (connection, inspiration, how-to,prototyping).

For example, inspiration tools might be used to explore newideas while how-to tools could be used for adopting new and innovative design ideas.You can organize these tools using cloud-based note taking, curation, or filesharing software making it convenient and easy to use.

Draw it!

Communication plays an essential role in the success of any eLearningproject. As previously discussed, much of eLearning design happens in the mindof the designer, invisible to other team members or collaborators. J.A. Hortin(1983) emphasized the need for more visual methods for communication withininstructional design processes. Over time, new approaches have been developedto help eLearning designers represent and critique their design ideas. Onenotable method for visualizing and drawing design ideas is action mapping. Action mapping is a process thatvisualizes key design aspects of an eLearning project such as business goals,learner behaviors, activities, and supporting information. This visualizationprocess also helps reduce cognitive load by representing the most essentialaspects of design decisions.

Visualization methods such as drawing, sketching, or actionmapping not only support decision-making processes, they also supportcollaboration, communication, and managing complexity. Jane Bozarth (2014)emphasized the importance of sharing your work and supporting knowledgemanagement processes. Visualization processes apply these same knowledge managementprinciples to the process of designing eLearning by opening up newpossibilities for designers to maximize opportunities for innovation.

Practical tips for visualizing eLearning designs

• Go analog. Step away from the digital devicesand use paper, markers, whiteboards, and other visual media. This allows ideasto flow more easily during the design process.
• Keep ideas movable. Usesticky notes to allow the ideas to be moved around and adapted as the designprocess proceeds.
• Critique to create. Starta design session with a pre-visualized general concept and then allow the teamto critique and build on the starting idea.
• Focus on the idea, not the graphic. Keep the graphics you draw simple and don’t worry aboutartistic perfection.
• Be active. When facilitating design sessions,use graphics as the center point of interaction and dialogue.
• Think big. Use visual media that invites manypeople to participate. Use large pieces of paper, large whiteboards, walls …anything to remove limitations of space when representing ideas. You shouldwork with an infinite idea canvas unbounded by space limitations.

Prototype: fail fast, early … and learn

The pace of change and the demand for faster results dictatethat we be able to quickly develop high quality eLearning programs and makethem available to learners in efficient ways. Traditional design models aresimply unable to meet the needs of organizations and learners.  As such, interest in prototyping is growingin many professions and specifically among eLearning experts (vanBarneveld, 2013). Prototyping is the practice ofrepresenting design ideas in more concrete and practical forms so you can evaluateand develop the design (Warfel, 2009). Using fast failures and prototypingallows designers to quickly see strengths and weaknesses in their strategy and rapidlyrespond based on feedback. To accommodate these needs, more nimble designmethodologies focused on developing iterations of a project and incorporatinguser feedback until a “finalized” version is ready are growing in popularity (Allen& Sites, 2012). This allows learners to benefit from the solution morequickly while not waiting until late in the design process to incorporatelearner feedback.

One method that uses prototyping and iterative design is theSuccessive Approximation Model (SAM) (Allen & Sites, 2012). SAM uses prototypingmethods to design, evaluate, and refine eLearning projects rapidly based on howlearners actually use the eLearning solution. Prototyping offers an authentic andfast way of trying out ideas while inviting learners to contribute feedback.Using prototypes is highly visible, allowing you to evaluate ideas and learnfrom mistakes without risking the success of the project.

Concluding thoughts

This articleexplored innovation barriers facing eLearning professionals and proposedpractical action steps for breaking down those barriers. A path to innovative eLearningdesign ultimately starts with individuals who are willing to do somethingdifferent to depart from traditional, procedure-focused design mindsets andbreak new ground (and sometimes a few rules). This path requires organizationsto build cultures that value innovation in eLearning and cultivateopportunities where innovative solutions are celebrated.

The eLearningprofession needs innovative thinkers and leaders to confront the types ofcomplex challenges our learners face. The ability to deliver innovative eLearningis quickly becoming not only a nice-to-have skill, but a required ability for eLearningprofessionals. These action steps offer you a clear roadmap to start orcontinue this important journey.

References

Allen, M. andRichard Sites. Leaving ADDIE for SAM: An AgileModel for Developing the Best Learning Experiences. ASTD Press, 2012.

Bozarth, Jane. Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-to’s of WorkingOut Loud. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, 2014.

Dodd, B. J. Toward a Theoretical Model of Decision-makingand Resistance to Change Among Higher Education Online Course Designers. Doctoraldissertation retrieved from ProQuest. 2013.

Gibbons, Andrew S. An ArchitecturalApproach to Instructional Design. NewYork, NY: Routledge. 2014.

Hortin, J. A. “InstructionalDesign and Visualization: The Roles of Visual Thinking, Visual Rehearsal, and Introspection.”Performance & Instruction. September1983.

Johnson, Steven. Where Good Ideas Come From:The Natural History of Innovation. New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2010.

Krug, Steve. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approachto Web Usability. Berkley, CA: New Riders, 2006.

Quinn, Clark. Revolutionize Learning & Development: Performance and InnovationStrategy for the Information Age. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons,2014.

Sweller, J., JeroenJ. G. Van Merrienboer, and Fred G. W. C. Paas, “Cognitive Architecture and InstructionalDesign.” Educational Psychology Review,10(3). 1998.

van Barneveld, Angela.“Research for Practitioners: How Expert Designers Design.” Learning Solutions Magazine. 29 January 2013. https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1095/research-for-practitioners-how-expert-designers-design

Warfel, Todd. Z. Prototyping:A Practitioner’s Guide. Brooklyn, NY: Rosenfeld Media, 2009.