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Writer's pictureGeorge Hanshaw

Create a High-Performance Online Course

Culture eats content for lunch. How you design your online course plays a pivotal role in participants' performance, regardless of its delivery method. A course's design can both mirror an organization's learning culture and help shape it. Every time you design or deliver a course, use it as an opportunity to shape the learning culture.


Team engaged in a learning scenario.


Culture eats content for lunch. -George Hanshaw



We know from research how to build high-performing teams in workplaces, and the same principles apply to developing top-tier online courses. Such a classroom isn't just about outperforming averages—it's where learners tackle complex problems creatively and transfer knowledge into actionable organizational value. The keys? Weave in evidence-based strategies, foster psychological safety, and maintain high standards.

Woman engaged in an online class.

A word of caution: conventional e-learning doesn't automatically equate to high performance. A mere "learn, quiz, repeat" cycle fails to cultivate an environment where learners truly flourish.


To create a high-performance, self-paced e-learning environment, shift from a content-first to a people-first approach. Here's a three-pronged strategy:


1. Learner-Centric Approach: Start by bridging the new content with the learner's existing knowledge. Employ the predicting technique: prompt learners to anticipate the course's content and relevance. Instant feedback, especially through an engaging video, can be powerful.


2. Diverse Content Delivery: While videos are effective, they shouldn't be the sole medium. Integrate interleaving, distributed practice, and periodic reviews—these evidence-backed methods elevate the learning milieu.


3. Rethink Assessment: Infuse continuous evaluations throughout the course, rather than basic recall, design assessments that test and encourage both critical thinking and creative application.


In essence, for a high-yielding, self-paced course:


- Prioritize the learner over content. Harness their curiosity and past experiences.

- Diversify content delivery techniques.

- Adopt innovative assessments focusing on critical and creative applications.


Lastly, consider exploring the LAPU learning Method. The LAPU learning Method stands for Learn, Apply, Practice, Utilize. This approach emphasizes active participation and application of knowledge to real-world scenarios rather than passive learning through lectures or reading materials.—a topic I'll delve into another time.

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