Endurance Learning’s “Drab to Fab: Elearning Instructional Design Checklist” gives you a roadmap to update elearning modules that need refreshed.
Updating older elearning modules presents a common challenge for organizations: how to improve the content without the time, budget, or resources for a complete overhaul. Given that elearning typically requires 40% to 60% less employee time than traditional classroom settings (Brandon Hall Group), maintaining and optimizing these digital assets is a high-stakes priority for business efficiency.
Most elearning falls into a middle ground, where some parts are effective but others “need a little TLC.” The good news is that you likely don’t need to scrap your old elearning modules and start from zero.
Since 2015 the team at Endurance Learning has designed hundreds of elearning modules across a wide variety of customers. Roughly 10% of those modules are updates to existing elearning modules that are no longer accurate or need a general refresh.
Our goal is always to empower every client and you to make targeted, incremental changes to transform your existing elearning into engaging and effective training.
The Problem: Limited Time, Money, and Resources to Update Elearning
It’s common to inherit elearning that’s been built up over time by different people, what one of our webinar guests affectionately called the “Franken Moodle”. These modules often contain good content, but it may be presented in a way that is no longer effective or engaging for today’s learners. Maybe the videos are long, the images are outdated, or the content is a “wall of text”.
However, these modules represent a high-value asset worth improving. Research indicates that digital learning platforms are inherently effective, with the Research Institute of America finding that elearning increases knowledge retention rates by 25% to 60%, compared to 8% to 10% for face-to-face training.
While a complete overhaul might be the ideal solution, it’s often not feasible. This is where a strategic approach to updating old elearning content becomes crucial.
These insights come directly from Endurance Learning’s decade of experience developing elearning. We’ve sharpened our process by working closely with clients and intentionally learning from every project. This history allows us to combine technical mastery with smart design to ensure your refreshed content works, meets accessibility standards, and delivers truly engaging learning experiences.
Three Categories of Elearning Updates
Embarking on a project to update elearning modules can be overwhelming and is often relegated to the bottom of the priority list. One way to help move a project forward is to categorize the types of changes based on their significance/level of effort. We recommend a simple set of three categories to help you prioritize your efforts.
Simple Changes
Simple changes are the quick fixes to update elearning modules that take less than an hour and don’t require new resources or tools. They’re about correcting errors, improving clarity, or making minor visual tweaks. These changes are generally small and may seem inconsequential, but sometimes fixing an inconsistency or something that makes the elearning look dated or low quality can have an outsized impact on the reception by learners.
Our team at Endurance Learning has done this work on projects we’ve developed and work done by others. It is most painful to look at work that we’ve done for our own courses or for clients and see that we wouldn’t make that decision today.
Having some distance from the original project allows you to make some surface changes that can improve the reception of the course. These often include:
- Fixing typos, spelling, or inconsistent capitalization
- Rewording a single sentence to improve flow
You can read more about our lesson’s learned when creating elearning in Articulate Rise.
You will also likely find things that were right at some point in time but are now incorrect. These include:
- Updating a broken link. We often find that companies link to SharePoint sites or internal systems with the thinking that they are rather permanent. They often aren’t.
- Changing a department name, a person’s title, or updating logos. Organizations change their branding and having a module with an old tag line, logo, or color scheme can signal to learners that the information is also outdated. We work with a customer who has several compliance courses related to financial regulations. Our typical suggestion is to leave names, titles, and contact information out of elearning, but they feel strongly that it is critical to share these details. We know that our yearly refresh will require this change.
Moderate Changes
Moderate changes are strategic improvements that enhance a specific part of a module, requiring more time (1-5 hours) and possibly some new assets or a different approach.
Moderate elearning updates might involve:
- Converting text into an interactive layout
- Adding a short video to explain a complex concept
- Transforming a multiple-choice question into an interactive activity
We often have clients who share previously created PowerPoints that they want to transform into elearning. What was once 5 slides of text now becomes a click-to-reveal interaction with a knowledge check.
Significant Changes
Significant changes are comprehensive overhauls that often reimagine an entire module or its core learning strategy, taking 5 or more hours, and requiring a substantial project plan and resources. This could mean rebuilding a long course into a series of microlearning modules or developing a new scenario-based simulation to replace a traditional final exam.
In essence, you thought your job was to update elearning, when your job is to create elearning!
The categories are a continuum, not a rigid set of rules. The key is to identify what needs to change and then determine the level of effort you’re willing to commit.
Elearning Update Roadmap: The Drab to Fab Checklist
To help you assess your elearning, we’ve developed the “Drab to Fab: Elearning Instructional Design Checklist“.
You can download your copy of the fillable elearning instructional design checklist that will help you update elearning to be more accurate and effective.
This tool guides you through a self-assessment of your content based on three key areas:
The “What”: Foundational Elements
This “What” section of the checklist helps you evaluate whether your content is relevant for learners and well-structured before you worry about design.
Content Relevance
Ask yourself if every piece of content is tied to a specific learning objective and if you’ve removed any “nice-to-know” information that doesn’t support the core goal. Ensure your content is current and accurate.
Some things we’ve seen in our work that require immediate attention:
- Outdated statistics
- Broken links
- References to old processes or internal systems that no longer exist
- A welcome message from a former employee
Learning Objectives
Make sure your objectives are clearly stated and easy for the learner to understand. The objectives should use action verbs that describe a measurable outcome (such as “describe,” “analyze,” or “create” vs. “understand” or “know”). The content and assessment should be directly aligned with these stated objectives.
Structure and Flow
Ensure the module is logically organized and that content is appropriately “chunked” into digestible parts, avoiding long videos or “walls of text.” The flow should follow an instructionally sound sequence (like anchor, content, application, future use) and lead the learner clearly from simple concepts to complex applications. Also, verify that there is a clear introduction and conclusion for each section and the module as a whole.
Level of Rigor
The level of rigor assesses whether the training is the right fit for your audience and if it truly requires critical thinking.
- Audience Appropriateness: Check that the reading level and complexity of the content will resonate with the target audience.
- Critical Application: Do knowledge checks and assessments require the learner to apply what they’ve learned and think critically, or can they be passed with minimal effort? The goal is to measure application, not just recall.
The “How”: Engagement and Interactivity
This “How” part of the checklist focuses on ensuring that the learning experience is engaging.
Visual Design
Older elearning often suffers from dated visual design. Even if it looked great when first built, time is the enemy of most visual design. When updating the look, remember that the visual elements are not just decoration; they are crucial to how the brain processes information. According to Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, presenting content through both words and visuals, rather than words alone, can significantly improve comprehension and reduce cognitive overload.
Therefore, use a consistent color palette, font, and design style. Ensure images are high-quality and highly relevant, not just decorative. Verify that there is enough white space to prevent the page from feeling cluttered, and check that any graphs and charts are easy to read and properly labeled. Consider your audience: will everyone who takes the module see themselves in the imagery, characters, or backgrounds?
Finally, make sure the module is accessible to all learners. Key accessibility elements include providing appropriate color contrast, proper text alternatives for images (descriptive “alt” text), closed captions for video content, and ensuring keyboard navigation options are fully functional. By addressing these points, you ensure your updated elearning meets modern accessibility standards.
Storytelling and Context
Introduce a relevant scenario or problem at the beginning of the module to immediately provide context for the learning. This approach is essential because adult learners are primarily motivated by practical outcomes like improving their careers, saving time, or solving real-world problems.
To make the material relatable, use conversational language and integrate a personal anecdote or case study. By intentionally gaining the learner’s attention early on, you establish the purpose and relevancy of the training. This practice is based on the principles of Andragogy (adult learning theory), which stresses that learners must understand what they will be learning and why it is important before diving into the content.
Interactivity
To engage adult learners, you must move beyond simple “next” buttons and passive viewing. Elearning instructional design should prioritize active learning, where learners are immediately applying concepts rather than simply absorbing text. This approach ensures that new information is integrated and processed by the learner, leading to better knowledge retention.
To achieve this, move beyond basic multiple-choice questions. Effective interactivity includes varied elements like quizzes, drag-and-drop exercises, simulations, and detailed case studies, all of which are proven to engage learners and reinforce learning. For instance, incorporate branching scenarios that allow learners to make decisions and experience different outcomes, transforming the content from a simple read-through into an immersive experience. Also, ensure there are opportunities for learners to practice what they’ve learned before the final assessment and that the module prompts learners to reflect or apply knowledge (for example: “Think about a time when…”).
Audio
If your module uses audio or voiceover, quality is paramount to avoid distraction. Check that the voiceover is free of distractions (clear, static-free, and without background noise or filler words).
If music is used, ensure it is used with intention (such as for a title or transition slide) and does not become distracting while the learner is processing core information.
The “Proof”: Assessment and Feedback
This “Proof” section is where you make sure your elearning modules are effectively measuring learning and providing learners the support they need to transfer skills to the job.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment checks knowledge during the learning process. You should use low-stakes quizzes or knowledge checks throughout the module. Crucially, the feedback on these quizzes must be immediate and detailed, explaining why an answer is correct or incorrect to help learners reinforce content and promptly correct misunderstandings.
Summative Assessment
The summative assessment must truly measure the final learning objectives. Ensure the questions are challenging enough to test mastery or application, not just simple recall. To maximize skill transfer, consider alternatives to traditional multiple-choice tests, such as a project-based assessment, role-play, or a simulated task.
Learner Support
Effective learning doesn’t stop when the module ends.
- Resources: Make it easy for learners to access additional resources, such as job aids, glossaries, or links to external articles, for ongoing support. This focus on future use is critical to enhance knowledge retention and the successful transfer of skills to the job, a practice aligned with Gagne’s principles of knowledge transfer.
- Support: Ensure there is a clear way for learners to ask questions or get help if they get stuck during the module.
- Clarity: Verify that the instructions for all activities and assessments are clear and concise to prevent confusion and unnecessary frustration.
Download this free elearning instructional design checklist to help you update elearning with confidence.
Case Study: Data-Driven Results in Elearning Redesign
Many organizations struggle with outdated training that wastes time and fails to transfer practical skills. The volunteer facilitator program at SMART Recovery, USA was a classic example. Their original 25-hour course was a time sink, notorious for inflating volunteer completion time to 35–40 hours while still failing to prepare them for immediate real-world facilitation.
To overcome these challenges, SMART Recovery partnered with Endurance Learning in 2025 to execute a strategic redesign. We updated the elearning by using the Drab to Fab: Elearning Instructional Design Checklist to strategically target the five core areas of content improvement.
The feedback received after the launch of the redesigned facilitator training confirmed the overwhelming impact of this work. The data, collected directly from learners, demonstrated how strategic modernization directly impacts the learner experience:
- 99% met learning objectives.
- 96% feel prepared to start facilitating SMART meetings.
- 96.6% would recommend the training to others.
Qualitative Evidence: Learner Feedback on the Transformation
These high numbers are a direct result of the strategic changes made to the course. Learners who completed both the old and new training versions specifically highlighted the impact of the redesign, confirming exactly how we solved the instructional challenges:
| Challenge Solved | Learner Feedback (The Proof) |
| 1. Practicality & Skill Transfer | “I like that this one gave me the exact tools to hit the ground running.” “Course materials more useful and practical rather than academic.” “Facilitator skills section more helpful.” |
| 2. Engagement & Retention | “The format was engaging and flowed nicely. I felt I got the same amount of information in a more compact format and with better retention.” “Kept me more engaged and made it easier to remember information for quizzes and final exam.” |
| 3. Accessibility & Inclusion | “The animations and videos were WAY more accessible for a less literate and more inclusive audience.” “Gender neutrality and diverse participants; engaging questions and videos.” |
| 4. Design & Navigation | “Literally better in every way—relatable, relevant, engaging; great design and navigation.” “Easier to navigate and process the information.” |
| 5. Efficiency & Relevance | “Modernized videos were easier to relate to. More streamlined training that hit the important parts.” “Felt updated and more relevant; spent less time on less necessary things.” |
The client noted, “It’s rewarding to see that we accomplished exactly what we set out to do, and that learners are noticing and responding to it.”
When you commit to using the Drab to Fab: Elearning Instructional Design Checklist to update elearning, you are investing in a proven approach that delivers measurable outcomes: learners who are more engaged, more confident, and ready to use their new skills immediately.
Fab Five Checklist: 5 Factors to Transform Elearning at a Glance
Ultimately, the goal of updating outdated elearning modules is to create a learning experience that is not only effective but also memorable.
You’ll find these five “fab” factors on the last page of our free Drab to Fab: Elearning Instructional Design Checklist.
As you consider updates, use this simplified framework to check your progress. Ask yourself these five core questions:
- The “What”: Can I measure that learners can do something new or better because of this training?
- The “How”: Is this module visually engaging, interactive, and relevant for all learners?
- The “Proof”: Does this module have meaningful assessments and provide effective feedback?
- Is it a Memorable Experience?: Will learners walk away feeling like they’ve learned something useful and had a good time doing it?
- Does it Respect the Learner’s Time?: Is the module as efficient as it is effective?
At Endurance Learning, we understand the challenges of updating existing elearning programs. We are here to partner with you, whether you need a thought partner to help you plan simple changes or a team to help get a significant project across the finish line.
Endurance Learning’s elearning design and development services are designed to help you transform your elearning from drab to fab, ensuring your training is not just a requirement, but a truly valuable and engaging experience.
