As course creators, we often design from the top down. We think we know exactly what our audience needs, and in turn, shape our course content around this framework. On the other hand, if we rely on "backward design" (where the content is learner-focused), our eLearning will achieve our objectives better and resonate with our audience. Here's how to stay focused on the learner and implement a backward design in eLearning. Ask the Right Question What do they need to know to be successful? A simple question, but let's break it down a bit. Note the qualifier "successful". This is extremely important. It's easy to be so close to your content that you lose sight of what your learner's goals actually are. I've taken many online courses that have completely failed at delivering the content needed to accomplish my goals. Instead, the designer created a course they wanted - not a course that the learner needed. To ensure you're meeting the need vs. the want, you have to look at things … [Read more...] about How to Focus On “Backward Design” for Creating Online Courses