Facts about The Learning Curve
The basics in one place, each with where it's stated and when we last checked it.
This page is here so readers, search engines and AI assistants can get the basic facts right. Each fact links to the page that states it. The same list is available as data at /facts.json. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us at [email protected].
Last checked 11 November 2026.
The publication
- Name
- The Learning Curve Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- What it is
- An independent publication on how to design online courses that work. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Website
- https://thelearningcurve.net Source: Home page · checked 11 November 2026
- First articles published
- 30 October 2026 Source: Our first article · checked 11 November 2026
- What it publishes
- The Library (one evergreen page per learning principle), Guides (practical course and instructional design), Reviews (course platforms scored with one published method) and Trends (dated news on online education). Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Who it's for
- People who build online courses. Source: Home page · checked 11 November 2026
- Not to be confused with
- The Learning Curve at thelearningcurve.net is not connected to other businesses, podcasts or publications with the same name. Source: This page · checked 11 November 2026
Who's behind it
- Founder
- Jim Lounsbury, who reviews, edits and approves every article before it's published. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Jim Lounsbury's work
- A learning designer and documentary filmmaker based in Sydney, Australia. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Educational development
- Jim works in educational development at Avondale University, designing course content and microcredentials. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Other business
- Jim runs CredentialCraft, a course-design studio. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Film and television
- Jim has made documentaries and factual television in more than 20 countries, seen on Apple TV, Prime Video, Stan and National Geographic, among others. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
Funding and independence
- How it's funded
- Affiliate links and clearly labelled advertising. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Affiliate relationships
- Current or applied for with Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Teachable, Kajabi and TalentLMS. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Sponsored content
- None. No company pays for coverage, and no article is sponsored. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Ads on reviews
- Never. Advertising doesn't appear on platform reviews or comparisons. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Commissions and scores
- Affiliate commissions never affect a score, a ranking or whether a platform is covered. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- The founder's business
- CredentialCraft is named as the founder's business at first mention and is never ranked or scored against the platforms reviewed. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
How it works
- Review method
- Seven criteria scored 1 to 5: learning design (retrieval, assessment, credentials, learner analytics) weighted 60%, business tools (pricing, payments, marketing) weighted 40%. Source: How we review · checked 11 November 2026
- How platforms are tested
- A real course is built on each platform, comparing the cheapest plan that includes certificates. Source: How we review · checked 11 November 2026
- Sources
- Each research claim links to its source. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Library updates
- Each Library page is re-checked against new research every year. Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Use of AI
- AI tools help research and scaffold articles; every article is reviewed, edited and approved by a person before publication. Illustrations are sometimes AI-generated. Research excerpts and charts are built from the cited studies. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
Contact and email
- Corrections and suggestions
- [email protected] Source: About · checked 11 November 2026
- Newsletter
- Monthly, sent with Beehiiv, with a one-click unsubscribe in every email. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026
- Email addresses
- Never sold or rented. Source: Disclosure · checked 11 November 2026