eLearning Project Time Estimator

Full instructional design lifecycle · authoring tool benchmarks · AI-assisted development · LMS build

Chapman Alliance 2010 (n=249 orgs, 3,947 professionals) ATD "How Long Does It Take?" 2020 (n=264) eLearning Art Level Factors calculator Christy Tucker / Experiencing eLearning (2025) IconLogic Storyline benchmarks (~2 hrs/finished min) ASU / TAMU / UIC Canvas build guidance

Project parameters

Course length (finished minutes)

Authoring / delivery tool

Content complexity (Chapman Alliance levels)

SME availability (Chapman: 6–8% of total dev time)

Toggle optional scope items

AI content drafting & editing

AI image generation

AI TTS voiceover

Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)

Section 508 compliance audit

Closed captions & transcripts

LMS SCORM/xAPI testing

Mobile / responsive QA

Localization / translation prep

Course development

LMS build (Canvas / Blackboard)

	Task	Low hrs	High hrs	Source

	Task	Low hrs	High hrs	Notes

Research basis: ASU Learning & Teaching Hub notes creating a quality Canvas shell from scratch can take "days to weeks." UIC LTS migration documentation identifies instructional designers as the primary owners of shell restructuring. TAMU Canvas guides treat module setup, gradebook config, Ally accessibility review, and LTI integration as discrete high-effort tasks. Migration estimates reflect that rubrics and group tools do not transfer from Blackboard and must be rebuilt.

Project summary

Hours by phase

Chapman Alliance key ratios (2010): Level 1 Basic: 49:1 · Level 1 Avg: 79:1 · Level 2 Rapid: 127:1 · Level 2 Avg: 184:1 · Level 2 Adv: 267:1 · Level 3 Avg: 490:1 · Level 3 Adv: 716:1. The 2020 ATD study (n=264) found a 20-minute moderate-engagement module averages 116 hours to develop. eLearning Art estimates a 1-hr Level 2 course at ~$9,826 internal loaded cost.

Estimates are ranges based on documented research benchmarks. Actual hours vary by team experience, toolset, and organizational context.