To make online teaching and training materials more effective, an agency
should first establish suitable learning goals and objectives. Since the priority of
instruction is to "benefit" or "instruct" the learner, instructional
designers should then strive to facilitate the learning process i.e., make learning
easier. This can be accomplished by applying proven learning theories and pedagogical
practices, as well as, practical web-design strategies and guidelines, to their
instructional design:
However, "program planners need to exercise caution in assuming that adult
development theories apply [equally] to females, racial, ethnic minority adults,
individuals with disabilities, or others" (Ross-Gordon 1998, 225).