Is there a template for online learning?

For many years now, online learning developers, educators, instructors and designers have been seeking a way to build online courses creatively and efficiently, to both engage their students and conform to the quality standards of their organisations. They have sought, and continue to seek, ways of codifying online ‚Äö"best practice". Is there a template for online learning? We argue that there is not a template in the way the term is traditionally understood, that can be applied to course development and still result in an engaging online learning experience for students. We discuss traditional understanding and implementation of such templates, and provide explanation for why they are ineffective, and yet frequently used. We further explore how findings in the field of neuroeducation provide a foundation for applying biological and neurological impact to learning design. With these insights, we propose educators can take an approach based on 'why' rather than 'how', to reframe the idea of templates for the development of online courses. We encourage educators and managers of educational organisations alike to reconsider what purpose templates are currently serving in their organization, and to re-evaluate the use of templates in online course development.