Rethinking eLearning: What Works. What Doesn't. What's Missing.

by Michael W. Allen

Overview

Learn how to elevate your learning experiences and take your learners to new heights from the godfather of elearning, Michael Allen, as he revisits, challenges, and updates instructional design principles from the past 50 years.

Is today’s elearning everything it should be? Of course not.

But a renewed focus on the principles we know work and a commitment to reimagining those that no longer serve us will take us closer to realizing its full potential—and to designing learning experiences based not only on the goals of the designer but also on the quality of the learner experience.

Whether you’re a designer or buyer of training programs, Rethinking eLearning is an invaluable guidebook for delivering learning programs that are:

• Relevant
• Motivational
• Individualized
• Empathetic
• Memorable
• Supportive

Drawing on his fifty-five-plus years of professional, academic, and corporate experience in teaching, developing, and marketing interactive learning and performance support systems, Michael Allen explores what works, what doesn’t, and what’s missing when it comes to elearning.

Packed with digestible and immediately actionable chapters, Rethinking eLearning is a resource you’ll turn to again and again—a companion along your journey as you accompany learners on theirs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637748374
Publisher:	BenBella Books
Publication date:	02/03/2026
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	43 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Michael Allen has had a long and lauded career in elearning. From his work developing IBM’s Coursewriter III system in the 1960s to directing R&D of Control Data’s international groundbreaking PLATO system and developing its LMS to his creation of Authorware—one of the most successful authoring tools ever created—Michael has been recognized with the most prestigious career awards including ATD’s Career Contributions Award, Ellis Island’s Humanitarian Award, and the Learning Guild’s Guild Master. 

He earned a PhD in educational psychology from The Ohio State University, has authored nine books on effective elearning, including the industry’s go-to book, Michael Allen’s Guide to eLearning (two editions) and the ATD bestseller, Leaving ADDIE for SAM. He is currently chairman and CEO of Allen Interactions and Allen Learning Technologies.

Editorial Reviews

“This is the most insightful and practical book on elearning design I’ve ever read. Infused with profound designer wisdom, inspiring examples, cutting-edge strategies, and an adaptive iterative design process model, it’s a trusted companion for any learning design professional.”
—Les Howles, Emeritus Faculty Associate, Director of Distance Education Professional Development, University of Wisconsin Madison

“Whether you’re a novice or experienced practitioner, there’s gold in this wide-ranging but easily comprehended guide to how to design learning experiences that achieve real outcomes.”
—Clark Quinn, PhD, Executive Director, Quinnovation

“Rethinking eLearning is a master class in creating meaningful, relevant, and human-centered learning experiences—an essential guide for anyone serious about improving elearning.”
—Elaine Biech, CPTD Fellow and Author, The Art and Science of Training

“Rethinking eLearning is Allen at his best: Ditch the tell-and-test, lead with relevance and empathy, and design challenge-first, individualized experiences that actually change performance.”
—Tim Slade, Creator, The eLearning Designer's Academy

“From the value of empathetic design to the integration of AI and gamification, Allen gives us not just a critique but a well scouted and traveled road map.”
—Dr. Karl M. Kapp, Author, Action-First Learning, and Professor, Commonwealth University

“Michael Allen reminds us that great elearning starts not with content, but with connection, empathy, and a deep understanding of why the learning matters.”
—David Kelly, former Chairman and CEO, Learning Guild

“Dr. Michael Allen’s profound impact lies in his singular ability to diagnose the core challenges of our industry . . . For decades, his principles have been the mandatory foundation for my own advisory practice, a rare blend of academic rigor and pragmatic insight that few others can match. This book is the definitive evidence for anyone ready to transform technological promise into proven human capability.”
—Dr. Markus Bernhardt, Principal, Endeavor Intelligence

“Rethinking eLearning talks through all the challenges and opportunities we face today, including artificial intelligence and experience-based learning.”
—Joe Ganci, President, eLearning Joe LLC, and Recipient, 2013 Guildmaster Award

“The beauty of what Michael Allen has created is that it is based on, literally, a lifetime of knowledge, skill, experience and, yes, wisdom, that can serve as a foundation for exploring how new technologies can be used to efficiently and effectively help others to learn.”
—Larry Israelite, PhD, former Vice President of HR Development, Liberty Mutual Group

“Research shows that most online learning is behind research, technologies, and design capabilities. Most people struggle to complete online learning. We need to know what is needed and possible, and Rethinking eLearning is a fantastic source of better ideas.”
—Patti Shank, PhD, Author, Write Better Multiple-Choice Questions to Assess Learning

“This book is a practical goldmine for L&D professionals at every level. You don’t have to read it cover to cover; each chapter is designed to be a self-contained insight, allowing you to jump straight to the topic you need and quickly gain actionable ideas.”
—Phil Cowcill, Senior eLearning Specialist, PJ Rules 

“This new book helps marry the shiny with the tried and true, describing the confluence of personalized training and AI with a refreshing focus on the human. And the dozens of live elearning examples from world-class design shops bring it all home in helpful, concrete ways. Michael Allen brings another great addition to our L&D libraries.”
—Jane Bozarth, PhD, Director of Research, The Learning Guild, and Author, From Analysis to Evaluation

“Michael Allen keeps the focus on ways we can elevate the learning experiences we design, sparking not just competent performance in our learners but joyful performance. A highly recommended addition to the library of both new and experienced practitioners.”
—Cammy Bean, Account Director, Kineo, and Author, The Accidental Instructional Designer

“With perspective grounded in foundational principles and informed by practical experience and emerging innovations, he offers readers both anchor and sail for navigating an increasingly complex professional landscape.”
—Ellen D. Wagner, PhD, Managing Partner, North Coast EduVisory Solutions, LLC

“eLearning creation is absolutely going to be changed by AI tools, but the best tools in the world can't help you if you don't know what good looks like. No one is a more passionate advocate for great elearning than Michael Allen, and this book is full of the kinds of examples you need to keep in mind when creating elearning for our modern work world.”
—Julie Dirksen, Author, Design for How People Learn

“Rethinking eLearning will become the new go-to guide from a pioneer who helped shape our field . . . Packed with learning design insights, real-world examples, and project know-how, this book leaves no excuse for boring or ineffective training. You’ll find actionable insights on every page and the inspiration to raise the bar for what learning can achieve.”
—Megan Torrance, CEO, TorranceLearning

“This book is structured in a manner that makes it easy for readers to understand the key principles . . . One set geared toward those interested in creating outstanding instruction and the other set in the form of a Buyer’s Checklist” 
—Robert Reiser, PhD. Professor Emeritus, College of Education, Florida State University

“What I absolutely loved about this book is how wonderfully bite-size it is! Dr. Allen knew exactly what we learning geeks needed! My absolute favorite section is the delightful and clever ‘Allenisms’! Short, sharp, and sometimes funny. Thank you, Dr. Allen, for keeping the magic alive!”
—Dr. Pooja Jaisingh, Associate Vice President, Digital Learning, Icertis

"Michael Allen's new book—Rethinking eLearning—is a lot like Michael himself, briming with wisdom, curiosity, incisive case examples, and a transcendent ability to cut to the heart of the matter. Looking at eLearning anew, after five decades as an elearning leader, Michael adds to his already rich portfolio by helping us design with the latest tech, timeless wisdom from the learning sciences, and empathy for our learners."
—Will Thalheimer, PhD, MBA, Work-Learning Research LLC.

From the Publisher