It took years for e-learning courseware to get beyond the "electronic page-turner" stigma. Then some developers went whole hog in the other direction, adding flashing text and pop-ups to every screen, which only provided learners with temporary entertainment and then got annoying.

Finally, in the last few years, content developers were getting more sophisticated in their courseware design, adding interactivity elements that actually engaged the learner. But now it looks as if this may have come to a halt.

A recent study ("The Corporate Learning Factbook") showed that, with spending and staffing on the decline, today’s training organizations are developing courseware that is less interactive. Instead, more companies are now using "rapid e-learning" tools, software that converts PowerPoint documents to online learning materials. Rapid e-learning tools allow content to be created relatively quickly and easily (and cheaply), and also put power into the hands of SMEs to develop their own training and communications. Over the past several years, these tools have been an entry point for many organizations in adopting online training. Today, more organizations are turning to these tools due to resource constraints.

So does this mean we’re headed back into the Stone Age of electronic page-turners?

I’m not knocking rapid e-learning, because I believe it has a place in the world of learning and communication. For example, rapid e-learning is a great way to quickly and easily convey product updates and provide delta training. Like anything, though, people have a tendency to overuse it. So L&D organizations must guard against the temptation to use rapid e-learning for all training problems. That would certainly save money, but it wouldn’t be very effective.

Also, I don’t believe that every e-learning course needs a high degree of interactivity. Organizations need to look at their programs and decide on the appropriate level of interactivity for each. A few programs will likely warrant a high degree of interactivity – for example, training on a new call center system or ERP application, or a leadership program incorporating sophisticated business simulations. In these cases, spending the time and resources to develop a very interactive course will pay off. For other programs, the organization needs to decide on the appropriate content elements and degree of interactivity based on the program’s strategic importance, learning objectives, and budget.

So I don’t think we’re heading back to the age of page-turners. I just think that organizations are getting smart about how they develop and deliver their online programs in tough economic times.