An environmental scan of the demand for and varied levels of success of online learning products and services suggests that dropout numbers are higher in online learning. One response is to enhance strategies for supporting learners who are engaged in online distributed learning environments. These strategies are examined within the ADDIE framework. A comparative analysis of learner evaluations of two online learning projects illustrates the benefits of learne-centered development and delivery of online instruction. A professional development course for employees of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees written by Maree Bentley, designed by David Murphy, and delivered by the Commonwealth of Learning provides data from the area of non-credit continuing education. An instructional design course by Richard Schwier for the University of Saskatchewan provides data for a credited, graduate-level course. This article resulted in the author being an invited speaker at the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Distance Learning and Internet Conference 2003 in Singapore. This article has been cited as a source in the report, Megatrends in e-learning provision - Literature review (Norway).