Stop Building E-Learning Courses Before You Know the Problem

Don’t build courses first—solve problems first

You’re eager to create your first e-learning course, and that enthusiasm is great. But here’s the thing – jumping straight into course creation is one of the biggest mistakes new instructional designers make.

The most successful projects start by understanding the problem, not by building the solution.

Why we love solutions more than problems

I was recently helping a beta tester who got stuck on a project. He kept trying to force his old production methods onto new software, and nothing worked. Sound familiar? He started with what he knew (his solution) and tried to make his project fit that approach.

This happens all the time in our field. You walk into a meeting and hear “We need a new course” before anyone explains what they’re trying to accomplish. It’s tempting because solutions feel concrete and actionable. You can build a course in a week and look like a rockstar with something interactive to show off.

But here’s the problem, if you start with a predetermined solution without understanding your objectives, you probably won’t meet those objectives. That shiny new course might not solve anything.

Step back and ask better questions

Before you open your authoring tool, make sure you understand what you’re trying to accomplish. What’s the real objective here? Once you know that, you can look at all your options and pick the best one.

This approach saves you from falling in love with features that don’t add real value. I’ve seen too many courses stuffed with unnecessary interactions just because the authoring tool made them easy to add. Cool features don’t automatically equal effective learning.

Collect data before you build

We work in an information-driven culture, so it makes sense that our first instinct is to create a course. The thinking goes: “If people just knew more, they’d make better decisions.” So we focus on pushing information to learners.

Let’s flip that script. Instead of giving learners more information, let’s gather more information ourselves. What’s causing the gap between where people are now and where they need to be? Is it really a lack of knowledge, or is something else going on?

Maybe people already know what to do but lack the resources to do it. Perhaps the issue is motivation, not information. Could be that management styles or company policies are getting in the way. No amount of e-learning will fix those problems.

Pick the right tool for the job

Once you understand your objectives and what’s causing the gap, you can determine the best solution. Sometimes that solution is an e-learning course. Sometimes it’s not.

If a course isn’t the answer, you’ve just saved your organization time and money. If it is the right solution, you’ll have a clear understanding of what the course needs to accomplish. You’ll also have metrics to measure whether it actually worked.

When you do build that course, worry less about using every feature your authoring tool offers. Focus on what you want learners to be able to do, then figure out which features help you get there.

Key takeaways

Stop jumping straight to course creation—it’s backwards and wastes resources. Start by understanding the real problem and gathering data about what’s causing performance gaps. Then choose the solution that actually fits the problem, whether that’s a course, job aids, policy changes, or something else entirely.

Your next step is simple: before your next project, write down the specific objectives you’re trying to meet before you even think about what type of solution to build.