Authoring Course

Lesson 1 • The Authoring Workflow Overview

Maps the end-to-end process from brief to published course. Provides a mental model students will refine throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Setting Learning Objectives

Teaches how to write measurable, behavior-based objectives. Objectives become the filter for every content and assessment decision.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Your Audience

Introduces learner analysis as the starting point for all authoring choices. Connects audience insight to content scope and tone decisions.

Lesson 4 • Authoring Tools Landscape

Surveys categories of authoring tools and their trade-offs. Equips students to select appropriate tools for given project constraints.

Lesson 1 • Creating a Content Style Guide

Establishes voice, tone, terminology, and formatting standards for the course. Consistency across modules improves learner experience and reduces revision cycles.

Lesson 2 • Chunking and Sequencing Content

Applies cognitive load principles to break content into learnable units. Sequencing decisions directly affect retention and transfer.

Lesson 3 • Building a Course Outline

Translates chunked content into a hierarchical module and lesson structure. The outline becomes the authoring blueprint for all subsequent work.

Lesson 4 • Conducting a Content Audit

Identifies existing source material and gaps before new content is created. Prevents redundancy and grounds the course in verified information.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Instructional Writing

Covers plain language, active voice, and sentence economy for learning content. These principles reduce cognitive friction and improve comprehension.

Lesson 2 • Editing and Revising Instructional Copy

Provides a structured editing process for instructional text at multiple levels. Ensures content meets accuracy, clarity, and style standards before production.

Lesson 3 • Scripting Audio and Video Narration

Guides authors through writing scripts that sound natural when spoken aloud. Connects script quality to learner engagement and production efficiency.

Lesson 4 • Writing Instructional Explanations

Teaches techniques for explaining complex concepts clearly and progressively. Builds the author's toolkit for analogies, examples, and worked models.

Lesson 1 • Core Visual Design Principles

Introduces contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity as authoring tools. These principles guide every layout decision in the course.

Lesson 2 • Typography in Course Screens

Covers font selection, sizing, and spacing for on-screen readability. Poor typography is a leading cause of learner disengagement.

Lesson 3 • Color and Branding in Courses

Teaches purposeful use of color to support comprehension and brand alignment. Covers color contrast requirements for accessibility compliance.

Lesson 4 • Slide and Screen Layout Design

Applies all visual principles to the construction of individual course screens. Students practice layout templates that scale across a full course.

Lesson 1 • Scenario-Based Learning Design

Introduces branching scenarios as the highest-impact interaction type for skill transfer. Connects scenario structure to real-world decision-making practice.

Lesson 2 • Gamification Elements in Courses

Applies points, badges, progress indicators, and challenges to boost motivation. Teaches restraint to avoid gamification that distracts from learning.

Lesson 3 • Click-and-Reveal Interaction Patterns

Covers tabs, accordions, hotspots, and flip cards as information-organization tools. Teaches when these patterns aid learning vs. when they fragment content.

Lesson 4 • Why Interactivity Matters

Explains the cognitive and motivational case for learner interaction. Establishes the distinction between cosmetic and instructionally meaningful interactivity.

Lesson 1 • Writing Instructive Feedback

Guides authors in writing feedback that teaches rather than just confirms correctness. Effective feedback is the most underused instructional element in e-learning.

Lesson 2 • Writing Effective Multiple-Choice Questions

Teaches item-writing rules that produce valid, discrimination-rich questions. Poorly written questions measure test-taking skill rather than content mastery.

Lesson 3 • Alternative Question Formats

Expands the author's assessment toolkit beyond multiple choice. Matching, ordering, and short-answer formats test different cognitive levels.

Lesson 4 • Assessment Strategy Fundamentals

Distinguishes formative from summative assessment and aligns each to course objectives. A clear strategy prevents over-testing and under-measuring.

Lesson 1 • Audio Editing and Post-Production

Teaches noise reduction, trimming, and normalization for professional narration output. Edited audio reduces listener fatigue and improves perceived course quality.

Lesson 2 • Integrating Multimedia into Course Builds

Covers file formats, compression, and embedding workflows for authoring tools. Proper integration prevents playback issues and keeps file sizes manageable.

Lesson 3 • Video Production for Course Authors

Introduces talking-head and demonstration video production at a non-specialist level. Covers framing, lighting, and background for credible on-camera presence.

Lesson 4 • Screen Recording Best Practices

Guides authors through capturing clean software demonstrations and walkthroughs. Screen recordings are the primary format for systems and software training.

Lesson 1 • Maintaining and Versioning Courses

Establishes processes for scheduled reviews, content updates, and version control. Outdated content erodes trust and creates compliance risk.

Lesson 2 • Gathering and Acting on Learner Feedback

Designs feedback collection mechanisms and translates responses into revision priorities. Learner feedback is the most direct signal of authoring effectiveness.

Lesson 3 • Publishing to Learning Platforms

Covers output formats, platform requirements, and publishing workflows. Correct publishing settings determine whether a course tracks and reports accurately.

Lesson 4 • Accessibility Compliance in Authoring

Applies accessibility standards to course builds, including keyboard navigation and screen reader support. Accessible courses meet legal obligations and serve all learners.