Learning design

Audience and purpose

You need to consider the audience and purpose of your course. It is important to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose of your course?
• Who will study it?
• Why will they be studying it?
• What context will your learners be studying in – that is, when and how will they be studying? Do they have specific needs or constraints? 

You may have a specific target audience in mind with very particular needs or you might be aiming at a broader range of people who have a general interest in your subject.

You cannot possibly know the context of every potential learner studying your course. However, one useful tip is to think of ‘personas’ of specific users to help you plan how to make your course content accessible and engaging for everyone.