How to Create Digital Workbooks That Wow: Templates & Tips to Get Started

Want to create a digital workbook that's so good, people actually want to fill it out?

We've got you covered. 👇

To help students, employees, or clients reach that “Aha!” moment in your course, you want to guide them towards the transformation and confidence they're looking for. To do that, you need to:

1. Keep your students engaged so they actually finish your training

2. Help them apply what they're learning and reflect on their progress, so they can build habits that stick

Digital workbooks guide students through your course step-by-step, keeping them on track and motivated!

In this guide, we'll walk you through creating your first digital workbook and cover the following:

how to create digital workbooks that wow

What is a digital workbook?

Think of digital workbooks as the cooler, smarter cousins of those old-school paper workbooks. They're interactive, always up-to-date, and way more fun to use.

You can embed videos, ask questions, and offer a ton of different prompts to help your students really get what you’re trying to teach.

You can make it as simple as a question and answer format, or get creative with drop downs, fill-in-the-blanks, and multiple choice questions.

Create Your First Workbook

Why should you create a digital workbook?

There’s a lot of reasons to create a workbook, but let’s break down the most important ones for you:

1. Workbooks increase student engagement

Schools that integrated interactive content saw a 32.58% bump in student engagement—proof that digital really works. Cater to different learning styles with a variety of prompts and exercises that keep students engaged and motivated.

2. Workbooks help increase course completion rate

Picture this: Your students tackle a challenge, nail it, and suddenly they're thinking, "Hey, I've got this!" That little spark of confidence? It's like rocket fuel for motivation.

Design your online course to offer students these small wins, and sprinkle these “aha!” moments throughout your course to instil confidence and motivate them to keep going in your course.

The best way to do that? You guessed it: a workbook where they actually do the work and tackle the challenge.

3. Get real-time feedback on your course content

One thing you don’t get from a fillable PDF workbook?

The ability to track student progress.

When you create your workbook in Wobo, you can see how far along your students are and view their responses to ensure students are truly understanding the content.

4. Keep all of your content up-to-date in one click

Need to fix a typo, or update a lesson? No problem.

With Wobo you can update content instantly, so users always have access to the latest version (and you never have to send out a new link again).

5. Meet your students where they are: online!

Let’s face it, most people are taking notes on a computer or tablet these days and may not have access to a printer.

But switching to a digital workbook isn’t just about going paperless; it’s also about making learning smarter and more engaging with interactive elements like videos and questions.

Not only is digital an eco-friendly option, it’s budget-friendly too: one university saved 288,000 pages in a semester by switching to digital workbooks. 

What to Include in Your Workbook: 7 Tips for Increasing Engagement

Okay, so by now you likely know you should create a workbook, but what should you actually include in it?

Creating an engaging digital workbook doesn't have to be complicated. Here’s some best practices and ideas you can include in your workbooks:

Focus on Actionable Steps:

Break down your lessons into bite-sized exercises that help students immediately apply what they’ve learned.

Think checklists, reflection prompts, and challenges that feel like small wins – because who doesn’t love a win?

Create "Take Action Now" boxes at the end of each section with 3-5 concrete tasks

Example, for a social media course:

Day 1 Task: Audit your current Instagram bio using the provided checklist
Day 2 Task: Create and schedule 3 posts using the content calendar template
Day 3 Task: Analyze your top 3 performing posts using the metrics worksheet

Keep It Visual & Engaging:

Use visuals, charts, and interactive elements to bring concepts to life. Embed a video, upload a photo, or add links to extra resources. History suddenly becomes a lot more interesting when you can actually see those events unfold, right?

Example, for a cooking course:

Embed step-by-step recipe tutorial video or photos
Embed Youtube videos of quick technique demonstrations from famous chefs
Add notes section below for students to note observations
Checklist to mark off techniques they've mastered

Re-inforce Learning with Quizzes:

Think of a marketing course where students tackle a quick quiz after each module. It could be simple multiple-choice or brain-teasing scenarios that really make them think.

Either way, it's a great way to check if those marketing strategies are sticking!

Example, in a marketing course:

Match the marketing strategy to the correct customer persona
Fill in missing steps in a campaign timeline
Identify the best social platform for different campaign types

Share Examples of Answers:

Staring at a big empty box can be intimidating for some people. Guide your users towards their transformation by sharing an example of what an answer could look like!

Encourage Doing the Work:

Passive learning rarely sticks. The magic happens when students roll up their sleeves and apply what they're learning in real-time.

Imagine a business course with a fillable business plan template. Students can plug in their ideas, goals, and projections right there in the workbook. It's like turning theory into practice with just a few clicks!

Example: for a business course, you can start with a one-page business plan template:

Vision Statement: [Your 5-year vision goes here]
Target Market: [Describe your ideal customer]
Value Proposition: [What makes you different?]
Revenue Streams: [List your top 3 income sources]

Then add financial planning worksheets like a startup costs calculator and a 90-day action plan.

Remember: The goal isn't just to fill out worksheets – it's to create real transformation. Each exercise should move students one step closer to their goals.

With Wobo, you can:

See which exercises drive the most engagement
Track completion rates
Identify where students might need extra support
Update and improve exercises based on student feedback

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Apply Knowledge to the Real World:

The best learning happens when students can bridge the gap between theory and real-world application.

Let's say you're teaching leadership. Why not include a case study of a top CEO, followed by an exercise where students apply those leadership skills to a simulated scenario? It's all about making that knowledge click in the real world.

Leadership Course Example:

Read case study: "How Sara Built Spanx's Culture"
What 3 leadership principles stood out?
How could you apply these at your company?
What obstacles might you face?

The key is to make every exercise feel relevant and applicable to your students' real-world situations. When they can see how to use what they're learning in their own lives or businesses, engagement and implementation naturally follow.

Personalize Learning:

Give your students space to reflect on how each lesson relates to their personal goals. Whether it’s a simple journaling prompt or a deep dive, personalization makes learning feel real and relevant.

Plus, it's a great resource for your students to look back on at a later date!

In a management course, you might ask them how they'd use a new strategy in their current job. It's these "aha!" moments that really make the learning stick.

For example, you can add "Implementation Planning" sections:

What's your biggest takeaway?
How will you apply this in the next 24 hours?
What potential obstacles might you face?
What resources do you need to succeed?

By weaving these elements together, you're not just creating a workbook - you're crafting an experience.It's about keeping your students engaged, catering to different learning styles, and bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Build Your Workbook Now

Ready to create digital workbooks that wow? 🎨

Choose a template and start building your workbook in Wobo now!

Here at Wobo, we want to take the work out of creating workbooks, because let's face it: spending hours trying to create a fillable PDF is a total drag.

Not only does it require hours of effort, but if you want something that looks polished, you might even end up hiring a designer. 💸💸💸

That's why we built Wobo: to help you create stunning and engaging workbooks in minutes.

Pick a template and start designing: whether you need a sleek design for professional training or something more fun and creative, there’s a template to match your style.

Customize your template: choose fonts and colors to match your brand.
Add a cover photo: you can design a cover in a template, or if you want more flexibility, you can upload an image as your cover! Create a PNG or JPG image in your favorite design app, for best results, use the dimensions 816 x 1056 pixels, with a maximum size of 5MB.

Share a link to your workbook in one click! Everyone with the link gets their own personalized version to fill out. See all the ways to share your workbook here.
Embed your workbook in your LMS or website: with Wobo, you’re no longer stuck with the restrictive designs of most platforms. Share your stunning workbook right where the learning happens by embedding it into your LMS or website for an on brand, visually engaging experience.

Now it's your turn, you got this!

Sign for a free trial of Wobo and choose a template to see how quickly you can create a workbook you're proud of. Your students (and future self) will thank you. 🙏

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