One process, eleven times
Using the same discover, design and build steps for every course kept the quality consistent at volume.
Home / Work / Expert-led e-learning
Case study · E-learning design + development
Eleven expert-led e-learning courses, built in just over six months
A chartered professional body with more than a century of history needed a new suite of e-learning on emerging technology and how organisations can adopt it successfully. It had committed to launching around 16 hours of learning by the end of the year, but its own e-learning team was fully booked. We worked with its subject matter experts to design and build every course in Rise.
- Client
- A chartered professional body with more than a century of history, supporting around 20,000 members in some 100 countries
- Audience
- Practitioners and managers in the body’s field worldwide, both members and non-members, who buy the courses online
- We delivered
- 11 Rise courses of 60 to 120 minutes each, a reusable course template, AI voiceover, images, illustrations and video
- Timescale
- Just over six months
The challenge
A big commitment, and no spare capacity.
The body had committed to a new wave of e-learning on emerging technology: what the technology is, how organisations adopt it, its impact on performance, and the steps that help adoption succeed. The courses would be sold to members and the public, so they had to reflect the body’s standing in its field.
The deadline was six months away and the plan called for around 16 hours of learning. The in-house e-learning team was already fully committed to its business-as-usual work until the end of the year.
The subject matter was demanding too. It covered AI and its regulation, data, connected technology and automation, digital transformation, and risk and stakeholder management. And the experts who knew it best were in constant demand, so their time was scarce.
What we did
Discover, design, build.
Every course followed the same process, so the quality stayed consistent across all eleven.
Discover
Understand the material
Getting to the heart of each topic
Each course started with the experts’ own material: a PowerPoint deck or Word document outlining what needed to be covered. We audited it to understand the subject in depth, adding our own research where it was most technical.
Then we interviewed the experts to agree the learning outcomes and what learners most needed to be able to do.
- Content audit
- Background research
- Expert interviews
- Learning outcomes
Design
Shape the learning
A template built on sound learning design
We created a course template that every course was built around. It set out a structure based on sound instructional design principles, design elements that appear consistently across all the courses, and agreed media styles and tone of voice.
For each course, we proposed a structure based on adult learning principles and built a first draft in Rise. The client still uses the template as the basis for its new courses.
- Course template
- Learning structure
- First draft in Rise
- Tone of voice
Build
Produce, refine and launch
Rich media, refined with the experts
We sourced the AI voice used throughout the courses, and produced the images, illustrations and video.
We then walked each expert through their draft course, gathering feedback and ideas for improvement, and refined it until it was ready to launch. The courses went live on the body’s website shortly afterwards.
- AI voiceover
- Images and illustrations
- Video
- Expert walkthroughs
A look at the work
One template, eleven courses.
Every course shared the same structure, design elements, media styles and tone of voice, so learners knew what to expect from one course to the next.
How we worked
Planned around busy experts.
We worked with three experts over the programme, each in high demand for their skills. We planned and scheduled sessions well in advance, and kept them focused, so every hour of their time counted.
Where the material was most technical, our own research filled in the background and the experts’ reviews confirmed the detail. Producing this much learning in a short time, around the experts’ availability, took careful planning. A consistent template and process kept every course on track.
Our tools included Articulate Rise for the courses, ElevenLabs for the AI voice, Vyond for animation, Photoshop and Adobe Firefly for images, and ChatGPT to support research, initial drafting, and image and backdrop production.
The outcome
Courses people finish, and keep coming back to.
The courses are sold to members and the public with a year’s access. Buyers rate them highly, finish them quickly and keep returning to them as a reference.
4.87 / 5
overall buyer satisfaction
12 days
average time from purchase to completion
17
average return visits per buyer during their year’s access
Client view
“John worked with us to build numerous e-learning courses on complex technical topics. He was a pleasure to work with - very creative, knowledgeable and experienced, bringing lots of great ideas which we continue to use to this day. He worked collaboratively with our SMEs and everything was delivered on time to a high standard. I have no hesitation in recommending John to others seeking a Learning Designer.”E-learning Manager
Why it worked
What made the difference.
Respecting experts’ time
Planned, focused sessions got the best from people who were in constant demand.
A template that lasts
Built on sound learning design, it shaped every course and is still the basis for the client’s new courses.
Need e-learning built from your experts’ knowledge?
Tell us about your subject and your deadline, and we’ll suggest the simplest way to get there.
Prefer email? john.lawton@harlequinsolutions.com