This is an annotated, stand-alone version of the presentation I delivered at the CIPD's Learning and Development Show at Olympia in London, April 2014.

1. Becoming a
digital learning
content designer
Clive Shepherd,
Onlignment

2. Josh
Meet Josh, a classroom trainer looking to revise the induction programme he runs. He’s under pressure to reduce time
and cost and to provide more in terms of reference resources for starters. Josh would also like to produce better
classroom slides and videos, perhaps even some quizzes.

3. Miranda
This is Miranda. She left uni two years ago but is not really enjoying her new job as a trainee accountant. She’s a good
communicator and she really likes making stuff. At the moment, she’s seriously considering a change of career to
something more creative and people-orientated.

4. Celia
And then there’s Celia, a learning and development manager. She’s increasingly working with external contractors to
produce e-learning, videos and websites. She wants to make sure she stays in control and gets a good deal. She’d also
like to keep as much of the work in-house as possible.

5. Josh Miranda Celia
What do these
three have in
common?
You’ve guessed it! All three have a good reason to learn about digital learning content design. For Josh, it is to bring his
skills as a trainer up-to-date; for Miranda, it is to start a new career; for Celia, to become a more knowledgeable buyer
of services.

6. Josh’s daughter
Meanwhile, Josh’s daughter is doing her school project, making use of resources on the Internet such as Google and
Wikipedia.

7. Miranda’s mother
And Miranda’s mother is not being left out. She has started reading e-books on her Kindle. And she is studying online
for a history degree. All her lectures and study materials are in the form of digital content.

8. Celia’s husband
Finally, there’s Celia’s husband. He’s a keen do-it-yourself enthusiast and is currently checking out how to hang
wallpaper properly using YouTube videos.

9. Welcome
to the age
of digital
content

10. What does a
digital learning
content designer
look like?
If, like Miranda, you’re looking for a career in digital
learning content design, you’ll need to be a good
communicator, both in writing and visually.
You’ll also need to be well organised
(to keep track of all those digital files).
You’ll be enthusiastic about technology and able to
concentrate for extended periods
(but without being a loner).
Above all, you’ll have an empathy for learners,
because they will be your end users.

11. What does a
digital learning
content designer
look like?
But not everyone wants to spend their life making stuff.
Josh likes to work directly with his learners.
Celia is first and foremost a manager.
Every learning professional needs to have an awareness
and some basic skills in digital learning content design,
just as, 30 years ago, every teacher and trainer would
have been comfortable with a flip chart and an
overhead projector.
Videos, slides, podcasts, quizzes, tutorials, web articles
and PDFs are your new tools of the trade.
Learn to love them.
(part-time)

12. The digital
learning design
programme
www.cipd.co.uk/training/digital-learning
or call +44 (0)20 8612 6202
designed and delivered by Clive Shepherd