E-Learning Curriculum Development

Guide for creating effective, standards-compliant e-learning experiences using modern instructional design best practices.

Quick Start: The ADDIE Framework

All curriculum development follows the ADDIE lifecycle:

1. Analyze → Learner needs, context, constraints
2. Design → Objectives, structure, assessments
3. Develop → Content, media, interactions
4. Implement → Delivery, facilitation, support
5. Evaluate → Formative and summative assessment

For rapid, iterative projects, use SAM (Successive Approximation Model) instead. See ./instructional-design-models.md.

Phase 1: Analysis

Conduct Needs Assessment

Ask these questions:

• Who are the learners? (demographics, prior knowledge, learning preferences)
• What performance gap exists? (current vs. desired state)
• Why is training the solution? (vs. job aids, process changes)
• Where will learning occur? (devices, connectivity, environment)
• When must competency be achieved? (timeline, urgency)

Define Target Audience Profile

## Learner Profile: [Name]

**Demographics**: [Age range, education level, job roles]
**Prior Knowledge**: [What they already know]
**Technical Proficiency**: [Device access, digital literacy]
**Learning Context**: [When/where they'll learn]
**Motivations**: [Why they need this, what drives them]
**Barriers**: [Time constraints, accessibility needs, language]

Identify Constraints

• Budget and resources
• Timeline and deadlines
• Technology limitations (LMS, bandwidth, devices)
• Regulatory or compliance requirements
• Organizational culture and preferences

Phase 2: Design

Write Learning Objectives

Use Bloom's Taxonomy action verbs. See ./learning-objectives-guide.md for comprehensive verb lists.

Format: By the end of this [module/course], learners will be able to [action verb] + [specific content] + [condition/context].

Examples by cognitive level:

• Remember: List the five stages of grief
• Understand: Explain the relationship between supply and demand
• Apply: Calculate compound interest using the formula
• Analyze: Compare traditional and agile project management approaches
• Evaluate: Critique a business proposal using the provided rubric
• Create: Design a marketing campaign for a new product launch

Map Curriculum Structure

## Course: [Title]

### Module 1: [Topic]
Duration: [X minutes/hours]
Objectives:
- Objective 1
- Objective 2

Topics:
1. [Subtopic A]
2. [Subtopic B]

Assessments:
- [Quiz/Activity/Project]

### Module 2: [Topic]
...

Choose Delivery Format

See ./delivery-formats.md for detailed guidance.

Design Assessments

Align assessments directly to learning objectives:

Phase 3: Development

Content Structure Best Practices

• Chunk content: 5-15 minute segments maximum
• Use the 7±2 rule: 5-9 items per concept group
• Follow the 60/40 rule: 60% practice, 40% instruction
• Apply progressive disclosure: Simple → Complex

Multimedia Principles (Mayer)

1. Coherence: Remove extraneous content
2. Signaling: Highlight essential material
3. Redundancy: Don't duplicate narration with on-screen text
4. Spatial Contiguity: Place related elements near each other
5. Temporal Contiguity: Present related elements simultaneously
6. Segmenting: Break complex lessons into parts
7. Pre-training: Teach key terms before the main lesson
8. Modality: Use narration with graphics, not text with graphics
9. Personalization: Use conversational tone, second person

Accessibility Standards

Follow WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines:

• Provide captions for all video content
• Include transcripts for audio
• Ensure keyboard navigation
• Maintain 4.5:1 color contrast ratio
• Provide alt text for images
• Design for screen readers

See ./accessibility-checklist.md.

Phase 4: Implementation

Technical Standards

For LMS compatibility, choose appropriate standard:

See ./technical-standards.md for detailed specifications.

Pilot Testing

Before full rollout:

1. Test with 5-10 representative learners
2. Observe navigation and comprehension issues
3. Collect qualitative feedback
4. Check all technical functionality
5. Measure completion rates and scores

Phase 5: Evaluation

Kirkpatrick's Four Levels

1. Reaction: Did learners enjoy it? (surveys, feedback)
2. Learning: Did they learn? (pre/post tests, skill demos)
3. Behavior: Are they applying it? (observation, 360 feedback)
4. Results: Business impact? (KPIs, ROI analysis)

Continuous Improvement

After each cohort:

• Review completion and assessment data
• Analyze learner feedback
• Identify drop-off points
• Update content for accuracy
• Refine based on behavior/results data

Templates and Tools

Course Design Document Template

# Course Design Document

## Overview
- **Course Title**:
- **Target Audience**:
- **Duration**:
- **Delivery Method**:
- **Prerequisites**:

## Business Case
- **Performance Gap**:
- **Success Metrics**:
- **Stakeholders**:

## Learning Objectives
1.
2.
3.

## Module Outline
| Module | Topics | Duration | Objectives | Assessments |
|--------|--------|----------|------------|-------------|
| 1 | | | | |
| 2 | | | | |

## Assessment Strategy
- **Formative**:
- **Summative**:
- **Passing Criteria**:

## Technical Requirements
- **LMS**:
- **Standard**:
- **Devices**:
- **Accessibility**:

## Timeline
| Phase | Activities | Duration |
|-------|------------|----------|
| Analysis | | |
| Design | | |
| Development | | |
| Pilot | | |
| Launch | | |

Reference Files

• Instructional Design Models: ADDIE, SAM, Merrill, Gagné details
• Learning Objectives Guide: Bloom's Taxonomy verbs by level
• Delivery Formats: Self-paced, blended, microlearning guidance
• Technical Standards: SCORM, xAPI, cmi5 specifications
• Accessibility Checklist: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
• Assessment Design: Question types and rubric templates