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The eLearning Designer's Handbook: A Practical Guide to the eLearning Development Process for New eLearning Designers
When you’re tasked with creating your very first eLearning course, it can be hard (and downright scary) trying to figure out where to begin. You likely have a million questions running through your head. How do you plan your project and set it up for success? How do you collect learning content from your subject matter experts? Why do you need an eLearning storyboard, and how do you write one? How do you develop a prototype of your eLearning course? And, what the heck is a prototype anyway? When and where should you include interactivity? When should you let your SMEs review your course? And what’s a “SME” again? And what do you do when they don’t give you feedback? Trying to get answers to all of these questions can quickly leave you saying to yourself, “I don’t think I’m cut out for this eLearning thing!” But, here’s some good you’re not alone! The truth is, most eLearning designers entered fell, stumbled, and dropped into the world of eLearning entirely by accident. This is where the second edition of The eLearning Designer’s Handbook can help! In this book, Tim Slade will show you that the eLearning development process doesn’t have to be as complicated as it might seem. If you’re new to eLearning, Tim will walk you through the complete eLearning design and development process, providing you practical tips and advice, based on his own experience working as an eLearning designer for over a decade. With the second edition of The eLearning Designer's Handbook , Tim Slade went back to the drawing board to rewrite and redesign every single page of the book. Not only does the second edition include a boatload of new content on instructional design best practices, but it also includes even more practical content geared towards new eLearning designers. With the second edition of The eLearning Designer's Handbook , you'll get...
233 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2020
20 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 5, 2024
Becoming
A very good book. A great message and lots of knowledge and techniques needed to become and to get better as an E-learning designer.
Going back to the message in this book. Like most ID or E-Learning Designers of my age and generation. These jobs did not exist. A lot of us fell or evolved into the role, so it is always great to hear other people's stories that have familiarity about how they came into the role/field.
The other great thing about this book is it is a great way to reconnect with the basics, if you have been in the role for a while a lot of these processes become automatic, or people who have recently started learning on the job probobly never had these basic to the theories behind creating good E-learning.
I really enjoyed Tim Slade's story. A lot of it does resonate with me. Great reminder of the basic theories and good helpful technical knowledge it Pro Tips.
A very good book. A great message and lots of knowledge and techniques needed to become and to get better as an E-learning designer.
Going back to the message in this book. Like most ID or E-Learning Designers of my age and generation. These jobs did not exist. A lot of us fell or evolved into the role, so it is always great to hear other people's stories that have familiarity about how they came into the role/field.
The other great thing about this book is it is a great way to reconnect with the basics, if you have been in the role for a while a lot of these processes become automatic, or people who have recently started learning on the job probobly never had these basic to the theories behind creating good E-learning.
I really enjoyed Tim Slade's story. A lot of it does resonate with me. Great reminder of the basic theories and good helpful technical knowledge it Pro Tips.
October 16, 2025
A great supplement to Tim’s paid courses. I’ve been reading each chapter as I go through the corresponding section in The eLearning Designer’s Academy. Great value for a self-published title! Feels like a crash course and can be easily used as a reference material.
December 22, 2022
Easy to read, well-organized, and a great overview of what an instructional designer needs to know and do!
February 19, 2022
If you are new to e-learning development this book provides a great foundation for the role of e-learning developers and how to prepare, execute and review your course.
The book provides great step action and recommendations to succeed in developing your course, from organizing your kick off meetings to your course's QA assessment.
If you are looking for a book to assist with using an authoring tool or improve on your visual/instructional design, this book is not for you. Tim does provide an overview of these topics and explains their importance but this book is a high level overview from start to finish on how to effectively make e-learning content.
Tim also has learning content available on LinkedIn and his website. I have completed Tim's online course available on Linked In Learning that reviews similar topics covered in his book if you wish to complete this via e-learning than reading.
The book provides great step action and recommendations to succeed in developing your course, from organizing your kick off meetings to your course's QA assessment.
If you are looking for a book to assist with using an authoring tool or improve on your visual/instructional design, this book is not for you. Tim does provide an overview of these topics and explains their importance but this book is a high level overview from start to finish on how to effectively make e-learning content.
Tim also has learning content available on LinkedIn and his website. I have completed Tim's online course available on Linked In Learning that reviews similar topics covered in his book if you wish to complete this via e-learning than reading.
January 29, 2019
A must have for new Instructional Designers
If you have been tasked with creating eLearning for work, looking to expand your training resources or even think you want to be an instructional designer... this book is for you. Truly a must have for newbies in the industry. Tim's writing is insightful and easy to read. He outlines the steps to organizing content, creating project outlines and story boards, plus all the other little tasks that are necessary when creating eLearning. It's easy to be overwhelmed when you're just starting out, but this book helps build your confidence and set you on the right track.
If you have been tasked with creating eLearning for work, looking to expand your training resources or even think you want to be an instructional designer... this book is for you. Truly a must have for newbies in the industry. Tim's writing is insightful and easy to read. He outlines the steps to organizing content, creating project outlines and story boards, plus all the other little tasks that are necessary when creating eLearning. It's easy to be overwhelmed when you're just starting out, but this book helps build your confidence and set you on the right track.
June 27, 2021
Must read!!
This book was so relatable, easy to read, informative and most of all a GENUINE READ! I felt connected to the author from the first page. He shared his experience and insight in a very easy to read and relatable way. He provided great references, visuals, guidance and suggestions on increasing the craft of e-learning. This book was just what I needed as I am increasing my knowledge into new territory. It was so comforting to hear his starting point and wow! Did I relate!!! This book left me eager and excited to learn more through the resources provided. Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
This book was so relatable, easy to read, informative and most of all a GENUINE READ! I felt connected to the author from the first page. He shared his experience and insight in a very easy to read and relatable way. He provided great references, visuals, guidance and suggestions on increasing the craft of e-learning. This book was just what I needed as I am increasing my knowledge into new territory. It was so comforting to hear his starting point and wow! Did I relate!!! This book left me eager and excited to learn more through the resources provided. Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
September 22, 2021
A step-by-step guide to eLearning design that is simple to follow, visually appealing, and full of examples and template ideas for a designer's process. Much of what is covered is general instructional design knowledge (learning theory and design models), but for someone new to the field, this book would provide a decent primer on the phases of an eLearning design project. The templates and sample documents are useful, too, for those who don't yet have established procedures. I'd even recommend this book as a team-wide read for professional development discussions. Even the most senior designer might see a Pro Tip or sample document of interest!
March 1, 2021
This book was easy to read and did have some excellent tips. The author was also helpful in breaking down some complex information about instructional design and the project process.
Iwas hoping for more specific eLearning tips, especially during design and development process. Such as recording narration, graphic ideas and examples, more advanced interactivity examples. But still helpful in solidifying my foundationally eLearning knowledge.
I wish this would have been included in my Master's curriculum a few years ago. I would have entered my field better prepared.
Iwas hoping for more specific eLearning tips, especially during design and development process. Such as recording narration, graphic ideas and examples, more advanced interactivity examples. But still helpful in solidifying my foundationally eLearning knowledge.
I wish this would have been included in my Master's curriculum a few years ago. I would have entered my field better prepared.
March 3, 2021
No waffling just great advice
I love the fact it is logical and clear in explaining how to approach each step to create eLearning. I’ve been creating courses for years but still learnt lots of new information and I’m already buzzing with ideas. The writing is simple, engaging and there is no “waffling” on with irrelevant information, so it reflects the approach to creating an eLearning course - “what you need to know”.
I love the fact it is logical and clear in explaining how to approach each step to create eLearning. I’ve been creating courses for years but still learnt lots of new information and I’m already buzzing with ideas. The writing is simple, engaging and there is no “waffling” on with irrelevant information, so it reflects the approach to creating an eLearning course - “what you need to know”.
January 18, 2020
Nice concise read for beginners
The book has some really good ideas and helpful tips about designing e-learning courses. It also has really useful reference to all of the technology out there too.
Its very easy to read and is well designed, all dine by the author who has self published this.
Thankyou
The book has some really good ideas and helpful tips about designing e-learning courses. It also has really useful reference to all of the technology out there too.
Its very easy to read and is well designed, all dine by the author who has self published this.
Thankyou
February 14, 2021
I entered the book with some cynicism because surely it couldn't be as useful as EVERYONE says it is, but it gets all five stars because I found applicable and useful information the moment that I opened it. I entered a project at my new job where the client requests had some holes, and I wanted to prevent that from happening in the future. I'm new to corporate eLearning, so templates related to corporate concerns are a huge help.
Like the book is titled, it's written for new eLearning designers, as some of the material is quite basic, but that's why it works. The book excels at showing how the many cogs work together to create a holistic product. It confirms the skeleton of what I need to be doing while giving me the vocabulary to customize the learning solution so that it works.
Like the book is titled, it's written for new eLearning designers, as some of the material is quite basic, but that's why it works. The book excels at showing how the many cogs work together to create a holistic product. It confirms the skeleton of what I need to be doing while giving me the vocabulary to customize the learning solution so that it works.
December 31, 2018
Brilliant and simple
This is a brilliant book that goes straight to the point and is easy to understand. It goes through the essential aspects of e-learning design and is a strong foundation for further research into e-learning.
This is a brilliant book that goes straight to the point and is easy to understand. It goes through the essential aspects of e-learning design and is a strong foundation for further research into e-learning.
January 30, 2020
The eLearning Designer's Handbook is a guide that provides proven solutions for learning and development professionals. If you're looking for methods and best practices to streamline projects and create efficiency Tim's book is a must read.
February 24, 2021
This would probably be a great resource for someone new to eLearning. He does a fantastic job giving a shallow dive into all of the different considerations for creating eLearning, and he provides examples from his own experiences throughout.
March 11, 2022
Nutshell
This gave me exactly what I was wanting and expecting - a quick run -through of the whole process from someone who's been there. Clearly written, fast paced, with helpful examples all the way.
This gave me exactly what I was wanting and expecting - a quick run -through of the whole process from someone who's been there. Clearly written, fast paced, with helpful examples all the way.
May 11, 2024
Great book if you’re new to learning development and want to have the basics covered in a structured manner.
It was very easy to implement the suggested approaches while reading, and it absolutely improved the quality of the e-learnings I’ve produced!
It was very easy to implement the suggested approaches while reading, and it absolutely improved the quality of the e-learnings I’ve produced!
August 14, 2018
4.5. Tim Slade's "The eLearning Designer's Handbook" is an excellent starting point for managing an eLearning projects, especially for someone just getting started in the field. It's more of an interactive workbook perfect for carrying along to plan your first few eLearning developments. It's a good gift for someone just getting into eLearning and instructional design.
I wrote a full review of The eLearning Designer's Handbook on my team's blog, Model eLearning.
I wrote a full review of The eLearning Designer's Handbook on my team's blog, Model eLearning.
December 28, 2018
Un bon petit livre pour démarrer en tant que concepteur de formation en ligne.
September 1, 2021
Recommended
Fantastic read for anyone new to the world of elearning! A well written, well paced & well designed book 😀.
Fantastic read for anyone new to the world of elearning! A well written, well paced & well designed book 😀.
January 12, 2023
Amazing book for anyone wanting to learn how to go through the steps of course creation.
June 8, 2023
It is a nice and helpful book if you are new in the world of eLearning and instructional design.
September 29, 2020
This is a fantastic resource for people new to designing and developing eLearning, as well as those who want ideas for how to make their development more efficient. It walks you through the development workflow from start to finish, outlining what you'll what to cover at each step of the way and how to avoid common missteps. Filled with practical advice, it gives you ideas that aren't just theories, but have actually been tested in the real world.
2020 Update: I've now had a chance to read the 2nd edition of this book and can't recommend it enough. The new edition adds a great deal more instructional design content, plus was printed in a larger format with colour. A solid update to an already solid book.
2020 Update: I've now had a chance to read the 2nd edition of this book and can't recommend it enough. The new edition adds a great deal more instructional design content, plus was printed in a larger format with colour. A solid update to an already solid book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews