Building Flexible And Accessible LMS Templates

As learning experience designers, administrators, and project leads, we often struggle with a common challenge: creating Learning Management System (LMS) templates that are both consistent and flexible enough to accommodate diverse teaching styles and learning needs. This challenge is particularly acute when managing multiple large LMSs with various designers across multiple divisions. For years, I grappled with this balancing act, seeking a solution that seemed nearly impossible to achieve.

The breakthrough came from an unexpected source: the world of User Experience design. While exploring this field, which has long tackled similar issues of flexibility and consistency, I discovered the concepts of design systems and atomic design. Intrigued by their potential, I began experimenting with applying these principles to LMS template design over the past two years. The results were nothing short of transformative. Atomic design not only met the initial needs for flexibility and consistency but also yielded surprising additional benefits:

1. Prototyping courses became significantly faster
2. Components were built with reusability and flexibility in mind from the start
3. The approach naturally promoted best practices for learning across my team by offering high-profile, easy-to-implement modular components that embodied specific instructional strategies.

The true potential of this approach became clear when I presented on the topic at the International Society for Education and Technology’s annual conference in 2024. The overwhelming interest and positive feedback from fellow educators and Instructional Designers were striking. Attendees from various educational backgrounds expressed enthusiasm and eagerness to learn more about implementing atomic design in their own LMS environments. This response made me realize the broader impact this knowledge could have on the educational community. As such, I’d like to share some brief insights into how atomic design can transform how we template our eLearning experiences.

What Is Atomic Design?

Atomic design, a concept introduced by Brad Frost, is a methodology that views design from the smallest pieces first, seeing how they combine into larger components. Originally intended for website and app design, it transfers well into the world of eLearning. The atomic design methodology breaks down design elements into five distinct levels:

1. Atoms
   The basic building blocks (e.g., buttons, input fields)
2. Molecules
   Simple groups of User Interface (UI) elements functioning together (e.g., search bar)
3. Organisms
   Complex UI components (e.g., header, footer)
4. Templates
   Page-level objects
5. Pages
   Specific instances of templates

However, it is often sufficient for eLearning to simplify it into three levels with colors, fonts, and styles at the “atomic” level, modular components at the “molecular” level, and full/traditional templates at the “organism” level.

Applying Atomic Design To eLearning

By adopting atomic design principles in eLearning, we can create more flexible, accessible, and unified LMS templates. Here’s how:

1. Start small
   Begin by identifying the smallest components of your course design. These could be buttons, text styles, or simple interactive elements.
2. Build up
   Combine these atoms into molecules and organisms. For instance, a lesson overview section or a quiz interface would be considered an organism.
3. Create templates
   Develop flexible page templates using your organisms. These templates should be adaptable to various course types and teaching styles.
4. Design system
   Compile all your components, templates, and design guidelines into a comprehensive design system. This serves as a go-to resource for all course creators.

Benefits Of Atomic Design In eLearning

Flexibility

Instructors can mix and match modular components to suit their teaching style and course needs rather than default to the same template.

Consistency

Reusable components ensure a unified look and feel across all courses without making everything locked in place.

Accessibility

By building accessibility into the smallest components, you ensure that all courses meet accessibility standards.

Efficiency

Once the design system is in place, course creation becomes faster and more streamlined. If the design system is replicated on another tool, one can quickly prototype layouts to share with stakeholders.

Scalability

As your eLearning needs grow, the atomic design system can easily expand to accommodate new components and templates.

Implementing Atomic Design In Your LMS

1. Analyze your needs
   Consider your institution’s specific requirements, including different course types, teaching styles, and student needs.
2. Start small
   Begin with a pilot project, creating a basic set of components and templates.
3. Test and iterate
   Use tools or even paper prototypes to test your designs with actual instructors and students.
4. Develop guidelines
   Create clear documentation on how to use the components and templates effectively.
5. Train and support
   Offer training sessions and ongoing support to help instructors leverage the new system effectively.

Conclusion

Atomic design offers a powerful solution to the common challenges of LMS template design. By breaking down our eLearning experiences into reusable, flexible components, we can create a system that supports diverse teaching and learning needs while maintaining consistency and accessibility. As we continue to innovate in the digital learning space, atomic design provides a robust framework for creating more effective, engaging, and inclusive eLearning experiences.

Remember, the journey to implementing atomic design in your eLearning system is iterative. Start small, test often, and be prepared to evolve your design system as you learn what works best for your institution and learners. The result will be a more flexible, accessible, and unified eLearning environment that benefits both educators and learners.