Cathy Moore in here e-learning blog Ideas for Lively E-learning lays out an excellent technique that can help you focus eLearning on intended outcomes based on desired actions.
Moore recommends working backward from the intended business goal–an action. This avoids the trap of a linear information content dump and piling up irrelevant information that does not really help learners get to the desired goal. Action mapping is a four-step process as follows:
1. Identify the business goal.
2. Identify what people need to do to reach that goal.
3. Design activities that help people practice each behaviour (the “to do’s” noted in #2).
4. Identify the minimum information people need to complete each activity.
More resources are available at http://www.cathy-moore.com/blueprint.html