Elearning Developer: Complete Guide To Skills, Tools & A Faster Way To Build Courses – Learn how great eLearning devs work smarter, not harder, and the one app that makes content creation way easier.

What Does An Elearning Developer Actually Do?

Alright, let’s talk about what an elearning developer is, because the job title sounds fancy but it’s actually pretty straightforward. An elearning developer is the person who builds online learning experiences—things like interactive courses, quizzes, simulations, and learning modules people take on their laptop or phone. They turn raw content (slides, PDFs, SME notes) into something learners can actually click through, interact with, and remember. And the best ones don’t just make it look pretty—they design it so people actually learn, often by using tools like flashcards and spaced repetition with apps like Flashrecall to reinforce the content after the course.

If you’re building courses or thinking about getting into eLearning dev, a big part of the job is helping people remember stuff long after they close the course. That’s exactly where something like Flashrecall comes in: you can turn your course content into smart flashcards in minutes and give learners a way to keep practicing on their phone.

Here’s the link so you can see it later:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Elearning Developer vs Instructional Designer – What’s The Difference?

People mix these up all the time, so let’s clear it up quickly:

• Instructional Designer (ID)
• Focuses on what should be learned
• Analyzes learner needs
• Designs the learning objectives, structure, and activities
• Writes scripts, storyboards, and content
• Elearning Developer
• Focuses on how it actually looks and works
• Builds the course in tools like Articulate Storyline, Rise, Captivate, etc.
• Adds interactions, animations, quizzes, and logic
• Tests the course and makes sure it works on LMS, mobile, etc.

In a lot of jobs, one person does both (ID + developer), but when people say elearning developer, they usually mean the person who takes the plan and builds the actual course.

Where Flashrecall fits in:

Even if you build the world’s best course, learners forget most of it in a week. A smart elearning developer plans for that by giving learners follow-up practice. With Flashrecall, you can take key points from your course and instantly turn them into flashcards learners can review on their phone with spaced repetition. That’s the part most courses are missing.

Core Skills Every Elearning Developer Needs

If you’re trying to become an elearning developer (or just be a better one), here’s what really matters.

1. Authoring Tool Skills

You’ll want to be comfortable with at least one major authoring tool:

• Articulate Storyline (for interactive, slide-based courses)
• Articulate Rise (for fast, responsive web-style courses)
• Adobe Captivate
• iSpring, Lectora, etc.

You don’t need to know all of them. Start with one and go deep. Most job posts mention Storyline or Rise.

2. Basic Visual & UX Design

You don’t have to be a full-on graphic designer, but you should know:

• How to use white space so screens don’t feel crowded
• How to pick readable fonts and consistent colors
• How to keep navigation simple and obvious
• How to design for mobile (no tiny buttons, short text blocks)

Your job is not just “make it pretty”—it’s “make it easy to follow and not painful to look at.”

3. Learning & Memory Basics

This is the part a lot of developers skip, but it’s what makes you good instead of just “someone who knows Storyline.”

You should understand things like:

• Active recall – getting learners to pull information from memory (quizzes, questions, flashcards)
• Spaced repetition – reviewing content over time instead of once
• Chunking – breaking content into small, focused pieces
• Cognitive load – not overwhelming learners with too much at once

Flashrecall is built exactly around active recall + spaced repetition. You can literally take the key concepts from your course and drop them into Flashrecall so learners keep seeing them at smart intervals instead of forgetting everything after the final quiz.

Tools Elearning Developers Actually Use Day-To-Day

You don’t need a giant tech stack, but here’s what most eLearning devs work with:

1. Authoring Tools

• Articulate Storyline / Rise
• Adobe Captivate
• iSpring Suite
• Sometimes: H5P, custom HTML5, or LMS-native builders

2. Media Tools

• PowerPoint (still used a ton as a starting point)
• Canva or Figma for quick graphics
• Audacity or Adobe Audition for audio
• Screen recording tools like Camtasia or Loom

3. LMS & Delivery

You don’t have to be an LMS admin, but you should know:

• How to export SCORM/xAPI
• How to test a course in an LMS
• How to track completion, scores, etc.

4. Retention & Reinforcement Tools (This Is Your Secret Weapon)

This is the part that separates average courses from ones that actually stick.

Most courses end with a quiz and… that’s it. Learners leave, forget everything, and come back six months later like they’ve never seen it.

If you want your stuff to stick, build in a follow-up system using something like Flashrecall:

• After they finish the course, give them a link or QR code to a Flashrecall deck
• They review key concepts on their phone in 2–5 minute bursts
• Spaced repetition kicks in automatically, so they see cards just before they’re about to forget them
• You don’t have to manually remind anyone—Flashrecall sends study reminders

Link again if you want to check it out:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

How Flashrecall Helps Elearning Developers (Without Adding Work)

You’re probably thinking, “Cool idea, but I don’t have time to manually build 200 flashcards for every course.”

That’s exactly why Flashrecall is useful for eLearning devs—it’s fast:

Turn Course Content Into Flashcards In Minutes

Flashrecall can create cards from:

• PDFs
• Text you paste in
• Images (like slides or screenshots)
• YouTube links
• Typed prompts
• Or you can create cards manually if you want full control

Example workflow for an elearning developer:

1. Finish your course on, say, “Data Privacy Basics”

2. Export your script or summary as a PDF or text

3. Drop it into Flashrecall

4. Let Flashrecall help you generate flashcards from the key concepts

5. Share the deck link or QR code at the end of the course

Now your course doesn’t just teach once—it keeps reinforcing the content for weeks.

Built-In Learning Science (So You Don’t Have To Code It)

Flashrecall has:

• Active recall – every card forces the learner to remember, not just reread
• Spaced repetition – cards come back at smart intervals automatically
• Study reminders – nudges learners to come back and review
• Chat with the flashcard – if they’re confused, they can ask questions inside the app

So as an elearning developer, you don’t need to build your own spaced repetition system into Storyline or your LMS. You just plug Flashrecall in as the “post-course practice” piece.

And yes, it works offline and on both iPhone and iPad, so learners can review on the train, in line for coffee, whatever.

Use Cases: How Elearning Developers Can Integrate Flashcards

Here are some super practical ways to use Flashrecall with your courses:

1. Compliance Training (The Stuff Everyone Forgets)

• Take the key rules, definitions, and procedures
• Create a Flashrecall deck
• Add a slide at the end of the course: “Want to actually remember this? Scan this code to get practice cards.”
• Now, instead of doing the same boring annual course, people keep the knowledge fresh all year

2. Product Training For Sales Teams

• Turn features, benefits, and objection-handling points into cards
• Sales reps can review on their phone before calls
• You can update or add cards as products change

3. Language or Soft Skills Courses

• Vocabulary, phrases, frameworks, models—all perfect for flashcards
• Flashrecall’s chat feature lets learners ask follow-up questions if a card is confusing
• Great for onboarding, customer service scripts, or leadership models

4. Exams & Certifications

If your course prepares people for an exam:

• Pull the most testable concepts into a Flashrecall deck
• Tell learners: “This deck is your exam companion—review it a little every day”
• Spaced repetition helps them avoid last-minute cramming

Why Flashrecall Over Other Flashcard Options?

You might be thinking about tools like Anki or Quizlet. They’re solid, but here’s why Flashrecall is extra nice for an elearning developer:

• Faster content creation – Cards from PDFs, images, YouTube, and text, not just manual entry
• Modern, clean interface – Easier to hand off to non-techy learners
• Built-in spaced repetition + reminders – You don’t have to explain complex settings
• Chat with the flashcard – Learners can go deeper on concepts without you building extra content
• Free to start – Easy to test on one course and see how learners like it
• Works offline on iPhone and iPad – Perfect for field staff or people on the go

For you as a developer, it’s about less effort, more retention. You build once, plug in Flashrecall, and your course suddenly has a long-term memory system attached.

How To Get Started As An Elearning Developer (Simple Path)

If you’re reading this because you’re thinking of becoming an elearning developer, here’s a simple starter roadmap:

1. Pick one authoring tool (Storyline or Rise is a great bet)

2. Take a few free tutorials and rebuild a simple course

3. Create a small sample project – 10–15 minute course on any topic you like

4. Add a Flashrecall deck at the end as a “bonus practice tool”

5. Build a mini portfolio with 2–3 courses + flashcard decks

6. Start applying for junior eLearning roles or freelance gigs

You’ll stand out because you’re not just “I can build slides”—you’re “I build learning that sticks, and I use tools like Flashrecall to keep people practicing after the course.”

Final Thoughts

An elearning developer isn’t just someone who clicks buttons in Storyline—they’re the person who turns information into something people can understand, use, and remember.

If you want your courses to actually stick in your learners’ brains, don’t stop at the final quiz. Add a simple follow-up layer with flashcards and spaced repetition.

You can start playing with Flashrecall here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Use it as your secret weapon: build the course, then give learners a fast, modern, easy way to keep the important stuff fresh in their minds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anki good for studying?

Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

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