Chapter 6: A Review of Design Considerations in E-learning

Technology, especially technology that supports e-learning, has become central to organizations’ training and development strategies. As such, a vast research literature has emerged in fields as diverse as education, human resources, information systems, I/O psychology, and management. Each of these fields has investigated e-learning from a number of different technology, design, motivation, and pedagogical perspectives that can inform organizations on how to most effectively design e-learning programs. Despite this vast literature, the findings from these multiple domains are not often integrated, and it is not always clear what steps organizations can undertake to improve e-learning outcomes.

In 2005, Salas, DeRouin, & Littrell (2005) published a review of e-learning design considerations and made a number of recommendations for e-learning design. Since that time though, technology has dramatically changed, and our knowledge of training and learning has evolved. Therefore, our goal in this chapter is to revisit and expand on previous design recommendations by investigating several technology and design considerations such as learner control, organization support, trainee interaction, and interface design. In addition, we review the research on how technology design can affect psychological learning processes and trainee engagement. The results of this review suggest that despite the dramatic advances in technology and the continued focus on e-learning, much more research is needed to understand the linkage between design considerations, learning processes, and learning outcomes.