Create eLearning Resources

Topic guides are created and hosted on the LibGuides platform. They are findable, open and accessible. Topic guides should be created for any text-based help content. They can provide information about a topic, but they are mostly focused on “how-to” content that provides directions and guidance on completing a task, process or project. 

Guides are most effective and useful when they focus on specific how-to content with specific strategies, step-by-step instructions or directives. Think about ways to divide your content that makes it 

• Easily digestible – avoid cognitive overload 
• Scannable – users can find the information they are looking for 
• Searchable and findable – use words and terms that the user would 

Follow the guidelines below to help you achieve this.  

To make sure your content is relevant and focused, write learning goals for your guide and for each of your pages. Ask yourself: 

• What do users want from this guide? Why would they come here? 
• What kind of help would they be seeking? 
• How can I divide up tasks/steps/processes in a way that is logical and clear?  

Aim to have one to three learning outcomes per page. If your guide has more than 6 pages, think about ways you could divide your guide into multiple topic guides.  

Keep in mind that the way that most users find content is by the search box rather than browsing.  

Writing for the web best practices show that users don’t read web content the way they read print materials. Reading on the web is more tiring on the eyes, and 25 percent slower, which prompts users to scan the page until they find the relevant information. Help users find the information they are looking for by creating well organized and concise content:  

Break up content 

Breaking up the content will make your content more digestible and scannable. LibGuides works on a series of “boxes” that contain content. Each box should be focused on a single idea and needs to have a title that articulates what information can be found in the box.  to break up content, you can:

• Smaller text sections that utilize bulleted or number lists 
• Integrate videos or graphics
• add quizzes or short tutorials 

Heading titles  

A title of a box equates to a “heading 2”. Try to keep these titles specific so users know what to find in the box: 

• Common questions and concerns 
• Steps  
• Ranked lists  
• Directions  

Heading structure should also allow users to easily navigate the content. This can be achieved by ensuring headings follow a logical order. Take a moment to review box titles to ensure the overall layout of the guide makes sense for users. 

Box content 

The content of the boxes should be focused on one idea that is directly related to the title of the box. Organize the box content so that it is clear and easy to follow: 

• Organize the content based on an inverted pyramid, which means the most important information is presented first
• Use bulleted and number lists when appropriate 
• Create lean texts by using short paragraphs, sentences and words 

You can create additional heading levels in the rich text box editor, starting at “heading 3”. However, too many subheadings may mean that you should further break up your content to make it easier to find information. 

Things to avoid in writing   

• Generic or catch-all titles that do not provide information to the user about what is contained in the box, e.g. “More Tips” or “Helpful Hints” 
• Mismatched topics in a single box, e.g. one point about sound quality and another about layering images. While these two points help in creating a video, they don’t pair well in one box.  
• Passive voice. The titles should be action-oriented and directive.   
• Walls of text. As mentioned above, people don’t read all the text, they skim. If content is better structured to allow for skimming and jumping to relevant sections, a user will read more.