In many universities, virtual courses are still designed with the wrong goal in mind: to fulfill rather than to transform.

The result?

Disengaged students.
Content that does not apply.
Courses that do not leave a mark.

The worrying thing is that it is not for lack of good intentions. It is because there is a lack of a clear structure, with non-negotiable pillars that guarantee quality, relevance and real learning experience.

At Griky, after working with more than 80 universities in LATAM, we identified the 9 elements that cannot be missing if you want to create virtual courses that really work.

The 9 non-negotiables for a quality e-learning course

1. Clear purpose: each course must have a strong "why".

Many courses start from the topics to be "covered", not from the change to be generated. Without a transformative purpose, the course becomes an accumulation of content, not a meaningful experience.

What to do?

• Formulate an overall objective in a single sentence: clear, measurable, and student-centered.
• Ask yourself, "What will this person be able to do differently at the end of the course?"
• Use this guide: [action verb] + [concrete skill] + [context or situation].
  Example: Apply instructional design principles to create virtual materials in Moodle.

2. Simple and visual structure: the student must see the path from the beginning.

The learner should know from day 1 what they are going to learn, how they are going to learn it and how it will be assessed. If the navigation is a maze, the content is lost.

One of the main reasons why students drop out of virtual courses is because they don't know what's next, what they're missing, or how it's evaluated. If the course seems like a maze, it doesn't matter how good the content is.

What to do?

• Use a visual course map (in PDF or within the LMS).
• It presents the complete schedule from the beginning with key dates.
• Create checklists by module for the student to see their progress.
• Organize everything with a clear architecture: Welcome / Modules / Evaluations / Closing.

3. Actionable content, not just theoretical content.

Knowledge is not measured by what is memorized, but by what can be applied. Courses focused only on theory lose impact because students fail to connect what they learn with their reality.

What to do?

• For each concept, present a real situation where it can be applied.
• Substitute examples, cases, templates or practical exercises for part of the text.
• Create sections called: "Put it into practice", "From the classroom to the world", "Apply it now".
• Use short videos and interactive resources that connect with the learner's experience.

4. Consistent microlearning

It has been proven that 18 minutes a day is more effective than sporadic long days. Designing courses that are easily integrated into the daily routine increases retention and decreases procrastination.

What to do?

• Divide the course into 15-20 minute lessons.
• Limit materials per session (e.g., 1 short video + 1 activity + 1 optional reading).
• Clearly mark how much time each resource requires.
• Encourage habits with phrases such as: "Your practice today", "Your challenge for the day", "Take 1 step forward today".

5. Formative and ongoing evaluations

The most common mistake: evaluating only at the end. Evaluations should guide, motivate and provide feedback. If the student does not know if he/she is doing well until the final exam, it is already too late.

What to do?

• Incorporates mini-assessments after each unit.
• Use quick quizzes, short challenges, or self-assessment exercises.
• Increases the weight of small evaluations and reduces the weight of final deliverables.
• Provides automated or human feedback in no more than 72 hours.

6. Meaningful interaction

Courses that do not promote interaction generate isolation and demotivation. It is not enough to have a forum: it must be activated with purpose.

What to do?

• Pose forums with powerful, non-generic questions.
  Example: "What specific obstacle have you faced in implementing this idea?"
• Use asynchronous tools for peer commenting (e.g. Padlet, Loom, Miro).
• Set up short synchronous meetings: not classes, but spaces for reflection or doubts.
• Includes short, guided collaborative activities (in pairs or small groups).

7. Pedagogical narrative: telling a story, not just sequencing content.

A good narrative engages, connects and guides the learner. Memorable courses have rhythm, emotions and a logic that transcends the table of contents.

What to do?

• Create a thematic thread (e.g., a metaphor, a mission, a cross-cutting case).
• Introduce the modules with questions that arouse curiosity.
• Use storytelling in examples, cases or videos.
• Change your tone: write as if you were talking to the student, not as if you were writing a paper.

8. Agile and human feedback: giving feedback at the right time.

Effective feedback is not lengthy or technical, it is timely and useful. If a student waits weeks for feedback or a grade... they emotionally disengage from the course.

What to do?

• Define maximum times for feedback (e.g. 48h for questions, 5 days for activities).
• Use clear and brief rubrics so students understand how to improve.
• Give personalized feedback, even if it is by text or audio.
• Thanks, acknowledges the effort and suggests 1 concrete improvement.

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9. Well-used technology: simple, functional and at the service of learning.

It is not about using many tools, but only those necessary to facilitate learning. The most important thing is that technology is not a barrier, but a bridge.

What to do?

• Evaluates whether the platform is intuitive for the student's profile.
• Use only the tools that truly support the learning objective.
• Empowers faculty and provides visible and accessible technical support.
• Test the course as if you were a student before launching it.

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What's next?

• Print this checklist.
• Check your next courses with these 9 filters.
• Share it with your academic or instructional design team.

And if you want to take this further, from Griky we co-create customized virtual courses, aligned to these principles and designed in record time, with quality and purpose.

More at: https://www.griky.co/fabrica-de-cursos

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