A computer-aided method for deigning and producing an online course is described. An electronic online course structure is generated using one or more clusters of learning objects corresponding to learning molecules. Each learning molecule defines a course topic around which a learning experience is organized. An XML course structure document is generated from an electronic online course overview. During an initial phase of development, one or more directories of placeholder course web pages are automatically generated to mirror the course structure defined in the course structure document. Each placeholder course web page corresponds to one of the learning objects associated with each learning molecule. During a second phase of development, course content is produced for each learning object, and learning objects are embedded into the placeholder web pages. Web page properties are defined for each course web page. Navigational hyperlinks are created between the course web pages based on the hierarchy described in the course structure document. The web pages are compiled into a finished web-based online course and provided as a software product or sent to an online course deployment server.
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