Use Elearning Templates for Better Instructional Design

By: Justin Ferriman • June 23, 2013
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Every business today is looking for speed and efficiency.  In a world where keeping costs down but quality up is the name of the game, it is just as important for instructional designers to do the same with their elearning.  There are a variety of reasons for this, but one primary reason is that it allows you to take on more projects and finish the work more efficiency by leveraging previous templates or methods.

Let’s take elearning templates as an example.  If you have some basic templates in place, then you focus on the content rather than the delivery as this is already taken care of – which ensures your elearning is comprehensive for the topic being covered.    Of course, you have to be careful when leveraging previously made content. In some client projects, you may not be allowed to borrow other works because of exclusivity clauses.  Still, there is a good chance that you can use basic templates for the framework of your elearning course.

So where do you get elearning templates?  There are quite a few options, and it depends on the tool being used.  If you are using Articulate Storyline (or Studio), then there are quite a few vendors out there that can provide an abundance of templates.  First, it’s best to just check on the Articulate website as they offer some free templates from user submission. This would be ideal if you have a small project, or even pro bono.  If you need something more official, you could use a company like Rapid Elearning Templates, or even the Elearning Brothers (although the Elearning Brothers will be at the higher price-point).  If you have the time, it might be a good idea to make your own.

One last note, if you decide to purchase elearning templates, it’s a good idea to add your own customization so that it does contain some unique elements for your customers.  Think of the template as a way to get a head-start, and to use your saved time to make the course content more robust.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter