Skip These 3 Roadblocks That Kill Your E-Learning Projects

How to avoid the three biggest mistakes that slow down course development

You’re already juggling tight deadlines and limited resources. The last thing you need is avoidable roadblocks slowing down your e-learning projects. Here are three common mistakes that trip up new instructional designers and simple ways to sidestep them.

Write objectives that show what people can actually do

I review hundreds of courses each year, and vague objectives top my list of frustrating mistakes. Too many courses promise learners will “understand” or “learn about” something without explaining what that looks like in practice.

Instead of writing what people should learn, focus on what they’ll be able to do afterward. Then figure out how you’ll prove they can do it.

At a previous job, we’d ask ourselves: “If I saw this skill in action, what would it look like?” This simple question helped us create objectives with real outcomes.

If you can’t picture someone demonstrating the skill or applying the knowledge, you might want to reconsider building the course at all.

Keep your project files organized from day one

Tangled extension cords drive me crazy. You know the feeling – you need something quickly, but first you have to untangle a mess of cables. Sloppy asset management creates the same frustration in e-learning development.

Here’s how to stay organized:

• Create a standard folder structure – I keep a template folder that I copy for every new project. It includes subfolders for audio, images, notes, fonts, templates, and tool-specific files like Storyline. Using the same structure every time means I always know where to find things. In fact, here’s a bonus tip on how to make this really easy.
• Develop consistent file naming – I’ll admit I’m not perfect here (I have way too many “temp” folders on my desktop). But having a system for version numbers and creation dates saves time when you’re looking for the right file or sharing projects with teammates.

Know who “owns” the course before you start

This one can make or break your project timeline. You need to identify who owns the course and has final say on design decisions right from the start.

Ask these questions early:

• Who helps create the learning objectives? – You’ll need someone with deep subject matter expertise to craft meaningful, actionable goals.
• Who reviews and approves changes? – Map out your feedback loop so you know exactly who needs to sign off at each stage.
• Who gives final approval? – Pull these decision-makers into the process early. Waiting until the end leads to major revisions and missed deadlines.

Key takeaways

Building e-learning courses gets much easier when you avoid these three roadblocks. Start every project by writing clear, action-focused objectives that you can actually measure. Set up organized file systems that you and your team can navigate without confusion. Most importantly, identify your content stakeholders upfront so you’re not scrambling to get approvals at the last minute.

These simple steps will streamline your development process and help you deliver better courses on time.