Like many I have been frustrated with the state of corporate eLearning and the focus on speed and quantity of production over meaningful content. The inability to produce work I felt to be effective and meaningful was wearing thin on me. Every time I mentioned doing something different or pushed back, I was told there was no time to "do it right." Even more disappointing, it seemed I was the only one at work who was deeply disturbed by this. This movement is refreshing because it lets me, and I hope others like me know, that they are not alone in their frustrations.

I think this document outlines principles that many designers struggle to cling to in an environment where employees are not always valued and compliance (did they attend) is more important than retention and application.

While I feel that many corporations are slowly swinging back to focus more on quality (what is good for learners) than quantity and low cost, I think designers need better ways to have meaningful conversations with department leaders and business partners about learning. I think the manifesto can facilitate conversations within learning organizations that can get everyone on the same page, improve the overall quality of learning solutions, and help them collaborate more with their business partners as opposed to simply taking an order and producing it. Additionally, leaders in a training department may be good business people but may not understand learning and development. They want their people to reach beyond the standard that is currently produced and want to improve the value of their content, however, they may not know how to achieve that or how to coach their people to do that. I believe the manifesto can serve as a good tool for leaders in Learning and Development departments who are not "training people" to better understand the goals of their designers and help them achieve those goals.

It is my sincere hope that this movement reignites the passion and commitment in designers to stand up for what they know to be right and that leaders in training departments read this and back their designers. 

No organisational needs identified, no performance levels ascertained, selecting eLearning as the delivery medium with no justification, extremely restrictive templates, all push and no pull, a very limited range of media … I could go on and on.

Of course I always try to convince suppliers otherwise, by quoting well-known people in the industry, but this usually ends up with bad feelings and me being told that if I want the work then I have to do what they say. What I don’t have until now is an organisation or a group that has considerable weight and to which I can refer suppliers, i.e. my clients, to convince them of the error of their ways.

I have had some opportunities to design what I regard to be ‘fit-for-purpose’ eLearning, letting learners pull what they want, including stories and scenarios, etc., so I do know what serious eLearning looks like. However, these opportunities still remain too few and far between.

It is for all the reasons above that I endorse, totally, the aims of the Serious eLearning Manifesto and wish to become one of its signatories.

It is and have always been our vision that every person should have access to affordable, quality education.

Being an eLearning company it is our mission to see that this gets realised and thus we endorse this manifesto and undertake to keep on improving our material, platforms and methods to the benefit of all human beings for as long as there is a place for eLearning in this world.

The manifesto sets a benchmark for what the design and development of elearning should be.   

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do."

Once we do decide to build the "widget", what is key are the remainder of the foundation building blocks laid out here. Let’s stop torturing learners with the uninspired and holding them hostages to computer screens that do nothing to encourage the actual exchange of knowledge.

We all need to try harder, think more deeply, be more creative and walk a mile in the learners shoes.  Let’s do this!

This manifesto guides our work and advocates for the learner. 

We design and implement already our courses based on the Epprobate quality grid principles.

I am qualified to design and assess our learning solutions based on the methodology to plan, measure and evaluate the impact and ROI of our learning solutions.

Further we are committed to integrate reflective learning principles resulting from the EU research project "MIRROR".

Thank you.

Effective eLearning is engaging and meaningful. It connects the content presented to its real world applications. The best of the best eLearning teaches in a way that is efficient for the learner.

People who properly combine learner focus, innovation, and interactivity develop this type of eLearning. They deliver meaningful content using scenario-based storytelling, practice, and feedback. Without these elements, only ordinary outcomes are possible.

I whole heartedly agree to  use this manifesto as my guide to create engaging and impactful learning experiences.

No more boring learning!

The inclusion of research-based learning methods into training is an essential practice for our industry to embrace.