Technology vs Design in eLearning

It’s quite probable that one day we will reach an era of technology where learners can be accommodated seamlessly in development, however, the authoring tools we use today are a far way away from reaching this status.

In the greater scheme of things, technology drives innovation. To quote Don Norman;

"Design research is great when it comes to improving existing product categories but essentially useless when it comes to new, innovative breakthroughs."

That said, it is design that moulds the application of technology, it is design that wields technology.   

Often, learning designers fall into the trap of designing for technology rather than the end user. A function in Storyline might seem like a wiz bang feature that must be included, but when the user would benefit more from a few job aids the designer has missed the mark, and likely wasted company dollars in the process.

Technology can assist the learner and can aid in providing a unique experience, though technology doesn’t actually know who the learner is, what their habits include, or their preferred way of consuming information. The technology trap can blind designers to the goal at hand, sometimes to the job in general.

Penchant technologists usually fall into two categories;

The way I’ve always done it

These are the designers that have, for example, worked with Storyline their whole career and therefore believe that Storyline is the only viable solution to any training need. A tendency to stick with what you know rather than assessing the needs of the learner, and business objectives, can lead to courses that are over-engineered and under-perform. These designers are likely to have a set of Storyline templates to cram any content into at the ready, regardless of more appropriate solutions. This is a fast road to mediocrity and far from learner-centric.     

The latest greatest thing

These are the designers that are fully focused on embracing every new app, authoring tool, buzzword, or design theory that enters their field of vision/LinkedIn feed. There’s nothing wrong with being an early adopter, however, using a tool just because it’s new rather than because it’s the right tool for the job has a tendency to again produce heavily over-engineered products. These designers are often looked upon as innovative, or ahead of the field, descriptions that should be cautioned. Whilst buzzwords can be fun to bewilder those not in the know, tried and true solutions that are learner-centric, whilst also maintaining the status quo of the company bottom line, will typically trump ideas born of gadgets or fads.     

I’ve heard the phrase ‘content is king’ too many times to count, I dare say I’ve even used that one myself, an issue arises when designers see interaction as content and equate flash with substance. It’s very true that poor design can be equally hindering as misused technology and overcooking a design is an easy thing to do. The key to avoiding this is to keep it simple and to always have the learners needs forefront of mind. Form follows function, and in the world of eLearning, the function is always to serve the learner.

One of the biggest issues with convoluted eLearning is asking the learner to figure out how to learn. If in designing your training package you realise it needs a tutorial, stop, you’re doing it wrong. If you find yourself adding instructional text to an activity, ask yourself why. Training needs to be easily accessible, with the ultimate goal of being completely intuitive, placing as little strain on the learner as possible.

Technology and design aren’t at odds with each other, rather, they complement and fuel each other. They are tools we can use to create meaningful and effective training solutions and need to be treated as such, not as solutions themselves.