A philosophy?

A brief scan through the resources on this site will give a good feel for our views on e-learning design. However, if we were to try to summarise our position on e-learning design, it would go something like this:

It's our view that almost all e-learning is designed using outdated methods. Most so-called “instructional design methodologies” were developed for a different era, different technologies and different environments. They prioritise efficiency of production and delivery instead of effectiveness of learning. They ignore the need to capture and sustain learners’ attention in a turbulent, ever-changing world. Most sadly of all, they ignore much of what we’ve found out in the last 25 years about how people actually learn.

We believe that in prioritising creative, exploratory thought and action, and building on the proven methods of more mature design disciplines, we are able to design e-learning that is more engaging, dynamic, relevant and, above all, effective.

The diagram opposite suggests that it’s possible to think about any learning design problem or challenge in a number of ways. A balanced response to such a challenge would incorporate all modes of thinking. Our view is that the e-learning industry takes an unbalanced view, prioritising organisational and technical thinking (and applying outdated pedagogies), while largely ignoring creative and learner perspectives. Our mission is to apply relevant, up-to-date pedagogies, and make sure that creative and user perspectives have a strong influence on the design process.