SHIFT's eLearning Blog

Our blog provides the best practices, tips, and inspiration for corporate training, instructional design, eLearning and mLearning.

To visit the Spanish blog, click here

    6 Ways Color Psychology Can Be Used to Design Effective eLearning

    Did you know that a whopping 80% of what we process online is visual? Yes, our brains are hardwired to respond to visuals, especially when we're learning. This means that visuals, especially colors, are more than just design choices - they're game-changers in eLearning! Color isn't just a design choice; it's a dynamic tool that taps into the learner's psychology. Whether it's evoking a certain emotion, drawing attention to key content, or providing a calming backdrop for intensive learning, the strategic use of color can significantly amplify the effectiveness of eLearning materials. But, like any powerful tool, it's crucial to use it judiciously. Overwhelming your learners with a rainbow riot might just lead them down the path of cognitive overload, negating any positive effects.

    The Complete Checklist for the Perfect eLearning Course Design

    We have been designing eLearning for quite some time now, but this blog post from Canva made us realize that great design is actually simple to create if you follow a few rules. So we thought we will spill the beans and let the world (the other eLearning designers who are still fumbling with the rules of the game) know about the 9 essential design tactics that will magically transform ho-hum eLearning courses into scintillating works without compromising on instructional effectiveness.

    Breathe New Life into Your eLearning Courses: 5 Helpful Mantras to Live By

    At the beginning of their journey, eLearning and online training professionals need to find the “secret sauce” for what works best with learners. The following five helpful mantras provide refreshing ideas for creating eLearning courses that go beyond the conventional approach.

    Use This FrameWork to Design Effective eLearning

    Isn't it natural that eLearning courses should be designed around what the learners are expected to do? This is called backward design, where you keep the end in mind before developing the course. It is radically different from the traditional way in which eLearning courses are designed, which is to "dump" knowledge on the learners and hope they will find "some" use for it.

    The Basics of Motivational eLearning Design

    When we think of the word, motivation, instantly two things come to mind. First, when we are young, many outside things motivate us, a desire to do something, the reality of punishment from our parents, positive and negative reinforcement of what we are doing, etc. All of these things help to motivate children, and in some cases, it has a positive effect, and in other cases, it does not. The more proactive the motivation, the more positive the response to that motivation, the more reactionary the motivation, the more negative the response. The second picture that comes to mind is a learned reaction to something. Like Pavlov and his dogs, which would salivate when he rang the bell, motivation can be at times subconscious. However, there are much more things that drive the motivation of human beings, and in the arena of learning, there are some critical pieces to the puzzle that have to be developed so that learners feel the value of what they are learning and how it will benefit them. The rewards of their success must be considered from a variety of sources and satisfy them on a variety of levels, and as instructional designers of e-learning programs, we must not only understand these factors but be skilled in utilizing them in the courses that we design.

    6 Essential Graphic Design Principles to Guide Your eLearning Course Design

    While a great eLearning design can act as a tonic and engage the learner at an optimum level, a bad eLearning design can lull the learners to sleep. That's right, how your learners perceive the instructional content is more often than not dependent on the design element. Learners ignore cluttered and boring design. They gravitate, instead, to one that’s aesthetically pleasing. If you are new to design, or looking to brush up on eLearning design best-practices, this post is for you!

    • 10 min read
    • Thu, Jan 23, 2020 @ 06:15 PM

    The Biggest Fears and Nightmares of eLearning Designers

    Yes, our jobs as designers are not easy. Don’t get us wrong; we love the challenges that each new project brings. We love to exercise our gray cells to think up novel solutions, and we pride ourselves on surpassing our clients’ expectations every time. But we still get a sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach when we have to face our worst fears and nightmares, which are the following:

    Makeover Mania: Here’s How to Revamp Your Old eLearning Courses

    How do you liven up a dull room? You hang a painting or go in for a fresh paint job. How do you wear a staid-looking dress and not look like a plain Jane? You accessorize it with a colorful scarf, a designer clutch, or a pair of killer heels. How do you revamp your old eLearning courses so that your learners are not bored to death? You can follow the tips below.

      Related Posts

      4 Actionable Strategies to Bridge the Digital Skills Gap in Your Company

      Are you feeling the pressure of rapid technological advancements altering the job market? Wondering if your team has what it takes to navigate the challenges of this evolving digital landscape? You're certainly not in this boat alone. The relentless pace of technological innovation has thrust the importance of digital skills to the forefront for businesses around the globe.

      Essential Tips for Upskilling and Reskilling in the Age of AI

      Ever wondered how your company can keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancements?

      Beyond Compliance: 8 Ways to Inspire Continuous Learning Among Employees

      In a world that never pauses, where every moment is a battle against time and every corner is filled with distractions, the quest for continuous learning within our teams is more crucial than ever. As the digital age accelerates, driven by the relentless pace of artificial intelligence, the stakes for keeping our skills sharp and our knowledge fresh have never been higher. The challenge for those of us leading the charge in training is not just to keep pace but to inspire our teams to embrace the journey of lifelong learning.