4. Investigative skills of a reporter (listens)

In addition to the thick skin of an elephant, an eLearning designer needs the investigative skills of a reporter. Much of eLearning is about getting the scoop on how things really work. It may be a topic area, software functionality or whatever, but to get it right a designer must have a relentless desire to root out the truth about a product or idea and not be satisfied with the handouts from the experts. Cut and Paste doesn’t quite’ cut it. There must be an innate perfectionism about getting it right and really understanding what the eLearning product should be teaching.

(Note: Other qualities included in Quality 4 are: the sleeping habits of a bat, the reflexes of a lynx, the nerves of a sloth, the dedication of a person in their mid-fifties playing WOW, and the stick-to-it-ness of a Moray eel – not necessarily in that order.)