Do you remember your first vehicle? It may have looked okay from a distance, but that was probably its best feature. It spent more time in the shop than in the driveway, and you hoped it wouldn’t break down on a trip, especially with passengers on board. Good times.
I was reminded of this recently when an online school claimed it spends only $5,000 to build a course, basically a few weeks of work for one person. Even with the help of AI, it’s hard to imagine an effective course being built that quickly, and it makes you wonder what’s really under the hood.
On the other hand, we have also seen courses with massive budgets: green screens, professional actors, motion graphics, cinematic music, and enough visual effects to almost make you forget the lesson is simply trying to teach 3x+5x=8x. (Though perhaps getting Morgan Freeman to narrate could boost math scores.)
It’s the same with building a house. You can throw one up with cheap materials, thin walls, and a coat of paint that at least looks decent from the street. Or you can spend a fortune adding every premium finish imaginable, even if much of it does nothing to actually make the house stronger or more livable.
When designing courses, neither extreme really serves students well. They don’t need a course that’s all text, inaccessible, or built in a rush. But they also don’t need a course that’s so full of bells and whistles that it distracts from the actual learning.
Students need something better — and years of online education have taught us that effective courses aren’t created by cutting corners or by trying too hard, but by careful design and a commitment to keep refining what actually helps students learn.
Early Pioneering Lessons
In a previous article, we discussed what pioneering early online learning was like. When StudyForge began, there wasn’t much research yet to guide our work, so we had to figure things out as we went. We learned by trying things, watching what happened, making changes, and then trying again.
Some of those early efforts worked well! Others… not so much. But we kept at it, and after more than fifteen years of testing, tweaking, and learning, we arrived at the model we use today.
Although we are still evolving, a few lessons have stood out:
- When learning is focused, scaffolded, and easy to follow, students move forward with confidence.
- When lessons are cluttered, confusing, or overwhelming, students struggle.
And now that more research on online learning is available, we can ask an important question: How well does our current model align with the research?
Encouragingly, we have found that it aligns quite well. And in the hope of helping others build stronger online courses, we will share a few research-supported approaches we have developed.
But first, let’s briefly discuss the research itself.
Course Design Theories We Follow
There are several well-developed theories and frameworks that now encompass online learning and help guide our thinking.
CTML: Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning1 – How People Learn From Media
Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning helps explain how students learn from words, images, graphics, and video. At its core is a simple but important truth — one that parents of small children can especially resonate with: Our brains can only handle so much at once.
This means course design really matters:
- If we overload students with unnecessary text, visuals, or distractions, learning gets harder.
- If we break material into smaller chunks, direct attention clearly, and offer meaningful application, learning gets easier.
In short, that means less mental clutter, clearer steps, and opportunities for students to interact with ideas rather than just admire them.
CLT: Cognitive Load Theory2 – Managing Mental Overload
John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory adds another helpful idea: Some things are naturally hard to learn, but bad design can make them even harder.
Some ideas are just naturally complex. But confusing instructions, awkward layouts, poorly sequenced lessons, and unnecessary steps create an additional burden that doesn’t help students learn. Instead, it hinders them.
So the takeaway is pretty simple: If we can keep the naturally hard parts manageable and avoid adding unnecessary confusion, students will have more brainpower left to actually learn and remember new information.
UDL: Universal Design for Learning3 – Designing for All Students
Universal Design for Learning complements these theories by focusing on accessibility and inclusion.
Rather than focusing only on how learners process information, it emphasizes designing the learning environment itself to reduce barriers and provide an appropriate level of challenge for every student. It invites course designers to think carefully about potential barriers and to build learning experiences that support a wide range of learners.
In other words, we should start with the learner — what they already know, how they engage, and what motivates them, rather than assuming all students will learn in the same way. It also means recognizing that learners differ in background knowledge, readiness, and ways of engaging.
There are other helpful frameworks too4, but these three give us a strong lens and point toward courses that are clear, supportive, and accessible.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
Here are some practices we have built into our courses that align with the tried-and-true research principles above.
Bite-Sized Instruction
StudyForge lessons are built in short, focused segments.
For example, whenever possible, videos are just three to five minutes long. This makes the material easier to follow by breaking it into smaller chunks (CTML), helps students engage with one idea at a time without feeling overwhelmed (CLT), and gives students more flexibility to learn at their own pace (UDL).
Thoughtful Scaffolding
Our lessons are carefully structured so that new ideas build logically on prior steps, with clear progression throughout.
Instead of big leaps, we guide students in small, manageable steps — like following stepping stones instead of trying to jump the whole river. This approach keeps learning clear and connected (CTML), helps manage mental load (CLT), and supports all students by giving them a learning path that is more adaptable to their needs (UDL).
Intentional Visuals
Everything students see on screen is there for a reason, making sure it directly supports what they are learning.
If something doesn’t help explain the idea, it’s removed, keeping lessons clean and focused. This approach presents information in a clear and organized way (CTML), reduces unnecessary mental effort (CLT), and helps all students access and understand key ideas without distraction (UDL).
Attention to Prior Knowledge
StudyForge lessons are designed with the understanding that students arrive with varying background knowledge, and instruction builds on what they already know.
By briefly reviewing key ideas before introducing new ones, and helping students connect new ideas to old ones (CTML), we reduce overload (CLT) and keep students engaged so all learners can follow along (UDL).
The Human Touch
Our courses are designed to feel supportive and approachable, with an emphasis on encouragement and connection throughout the learning experience. In other words, we bake part of the teacher into the content. This includes things like a conversational style and small touches of humor to make content more engaging and reduce the intimidation that challenging material can bring. (And if a lesson can make you smile even once, it’s already doing better than most textbooks).
This approach keeps learning clear and connected (CTML), helps students focus and process information more easily (CLT), and supports all learners by making the material approachable and motivating (UDL).
Something New
However, not everything comes from research papers. Some parts of our model have been developed and iterated over time simply by watching what actually helps students. They are still consistent with the research, but are largely practice-driven on our end.
Video Designed to Teach
Over the years, we have developed a specific approach to video built around how students actually take in new ideas — from when elements appear, to how narration and motion guide attention, to how to keep the screen engaging without becoming distracting. Things appear when students need them, not all at once, and each element directs attention, so ideas build step by step rather than piling up — with pauses included, so the learning has time to settle.
Targeted Practice
We also use different types of practice to help students gain mastery. Required questions are built right into the lesson to make sure students grasp the basics. Others give extra practice when it’s needed, and extending questions challenge students who are ready to go further. This way, every student gets what they need, whether it’s more support or a bigger challenge.
Correlated Note Packages
Our note packages are designed to work alongside instruction, helping students follow the lesson, organize their thinking, and build step-by-step understanding. These note packages act as both a scaffold and a record of learning. Instead of staring at a blank page, students get structure and guidance — and save time in the process.
So, What’s Next?
As course designers, we have an incredible opportunity to make a real difference in students’ lives. A well-designed course does more than deliver content. It helps students learn with confidence, find success, and discover what they are capable of. That’s why we keep asking: How can we make our courses even better?
For example, beyond grades, how can online learning spaces be designed to help students feel seen, connected, and supported in their well-being? Or how can technology make learning more personal, adapting to how each student actually learns instead of forcing everyone down the same path?
Every effective method in education began with an idea, and we wonder which ones being pioneered today will eventually become commonplace.
Honestly, we can’t wait to find out.
About the Author
Bruce Merz
M.A. (Curriculum & Instruction), M.Sc.(Math)
Bruce is a passionate educator who has taught for over 25 years at both the secondary and post-secondary levels, in the classroom and online, and in the public and private/independent educational sectors, including educational work for the government. Bruce is the STEM Curriculum Specialist at StudyForge. He loves designing courses that create amazing learning experiences for students and help them achieve their potential. He also loves seeing how digital curriculum can help students in developing regions such as in the townships of South Africa, where he was able to see this firsthand, and is excited about what the future holds for education around the globe.
1 Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: Mayer, Richard E. “The Past, Present, and Future of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning.” Educational Psychology Review, vol. 36, 2024, article no. 8. SpringerLink, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09842-1.
2 Cognitive Load Theory: Skulmowski, Alexander, and Kate M. Xu. “Understanding Cognitive Load in Digital and Online Learning: a New Perspective on Extraneous Cognitive Load.” Educational Psychology Review, vol. 34, 2022. SpringerLink, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09624-7.
3 Universal Design for Learning: CAST. “About the Guidelines 3.0 Update.” CAST UDL Guidelines, https://udlguidelines.cast.org/more/about-guidelines-3-0/.
4 Self-Regulated Learning: Faza, A., and Ilyana Agri Lestari. “Self-Regulated Learning in the Digital Age: A Systematic Review of Strategies, Technologies, Benefits, and Challenges.” International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, vol. 26, no. 2, 2025. https://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/8119;
Community of Inquiry: Garrison, D. Randy. “Community of Inquiry Research: Two Decades On.” The Community of Inquiry, 1 May 2024. https://www.thecommunityofinquiry.org/editorial46;
Mastery Learning: Asher, Michael W., et al. “The promise of mastery-based testing for promoting student engagement, self-regulated learning, and performance in gateway STEM courses.” Computers & Education, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105387.
