This e-book, "7 Better Learning Principles for Custom eLearning," by Dan Keckan, CEO of Cinecraft Productions, outlines principles for designing effective custom e-learning courses. The principles are: Authentic, Timely, Relevant, Efficient, Engaging, Fun, and Accessible.

Dan argues that many instructional designers are forced to create "bad eLearning" that fails to improve performance. To combat this, he proposes an evaluation tool called the "7 Better Learning Principles Assessment." These principles are based on 20 years of experience and research, drawing inspiration from concepts like cognitive apprenticeship.

Each principle is detailed with explanations and tips for implementation:

• Authentic: Design learning experiences that are genuine, real, and life-like, offering opportunities for reflection and exploration. This involves defining what learners need to do, spending time with learners on the job, gathering real-world situations, and using corrective feedback instead of reinforcement.
• Timely: Provide learning resources conveniently at the moment of need, allowing learners to continue learning in the flow of their work. This can involve repurposing existing content into quick references or micro-courses.
• Relevant: Ensure learning is closely connected to business needs and learning objectives, avoiding unnecessary information. This requires identifying business goals, writing clear learning objectives, and analyzing content for relevance.
• Efficient: Create streamlined and well-organized content that minimizes learners' effort and time. This can be achieved through simulations and job aids, focusing on need-to-know information.
• Engaging: Design captivating and aesthetically pleasing learning experiences that activate learners' curiosity. This involves using interactive videos, full-screen visuals, and adhering to visual hierarchy principles.
• Fun: Deliver learning in an entertaining, amusing, and enjoyable way to enhance absorption and retention. This can involve storytelling, creative user interfaces, and incorporating game mechanics aligned with learning objectives.
• Accessible: Ensure learning is easy to understand and can be accessed and completed without obstacles on any device. This involves conducting audience analysis, proofreading content for readability, and creating intuitive user experiences with consistent navigation.

The e-book concludes with the "Better Learning Principles Assessment," a rubric for evaluating projects at different phases (Learning Strategy, Storyboard, Prototype, Alpha) against the seven principles, with a scoring system to help designers gauge their course's effectiveness. The goal is to build a business case for better learning and to continuously improve learning experiences.