Constructivism / Constructivist Learning Theory: Why Unguided Discovery Falls Short
Across 164 studies, learners left to discover ideas alone did worse than those taught directly. Constructivism describes how people learn; it was never a case for standing back.
Scaffolding / What Is Scaffolding in Education? A Guide for Course Designers
Scaffolding is temporary support that lets learners do a task they can't yet manage alone, adjusted to them and withdrawn as they improve. In a self-paced course, that adjustment has to be designed in.
25 AI tools for learning design, and how to use them well
Which tool for which job, a prompt to try for each, five role starting kits and a buying checklist.
Course design / How to Pilot an Online Course: eLearning Testing Before Launch
Test a course in rounds, each answering a different question: does it work, is it right, can learners follow it, and can they do the task at the end? Watch a few people closely before you survey many.
Expertise reversal / The Expertise Reversal Effect: When Help Starts to Hurt
Worked examples, step-by-step narration and tightly guided practice help beginners. The same support can slow down learners who already know the basics, so a good course plans for when to take it away.
Trends / Open Badges 3.0 and Verifiable Credentials: What Changed This Term
This term, the groups that shape US learner records started building for portable, verifiable credentials. Open Badges 3.0 is the format; the harder part is still what the badge proves.
How we evaluate
Every platform, scored the same way. In the open.
We build a real course on each platform, and score seven criteria from 1 to 5. Learning design counts for more than business tools.
Report · Preview
Online Learning Trends for 2027: Seven Shifts in the Data
Library
All library →Self-Determination Theory: Motivating Learners in Online Courses
Learners keep going when a course helps them feel capable, in control and connected. In a self-paced course there is often no teacher to provide that, so the design has to.
Formative Assessment Examples for Self-Paced Online Courses
The Learning Pyramid: Where the Famous Percentages Came From
What Is Elaborative Interrogation? Getting Learners to Explain Why
Are Learning Styles Debunked? What the Research Actually Shows
Microlearning Defined: What It Is and When Short Lessons Work
Characteristics of Effective Feedback: What the Research Says
Dual Coding Theory in Education: Making Visuals and Narration Work
Cognitive Load Theory in Instructional Design: What Fits in a Lesson
Guides
All guides →How Long Should a Training Video Be? Evidence for Course Builders
Short wins, but not for the reason most guides give. The six-minute rule comes from watching data, not learning data: plan one idea per video, let tutorials run as long as the task, and put practice between videos.
Backward Design in Instructional Design: Start With the Assessment
eLearning Script Writing: How to Write Narration That Sounds Human
Instructional Designer Salary: What the Data Actually Shows
Online Course Completion Rates: What the Data Says and What Moves Them
Bloom's Taxonomy Examples: Using It to Design an Online Course
Writing Multiple-Choice Questions That Teach as Well as Test
How to Storyboard an eLearning Module, Screen by Screen
How to Create an Online Course That Sells (and Teaches)
Trends
All trends →Thinkific Layoffs, Flat Creator Sales and a Move Upmarket
Thinkific cut 96 jobs in September to focus on Thinkific Plus, its offer for larger organisations. Six years of filings show why: creators' sales have stopped growing, and Plus is where the growth now is.
