The E-LERCO project is based on two negative and seemingly irreversible findings concerning open and distance learning schemes: their cost and the large number of students who drop out in the middle of the course. To overcome these two difficulties, the project aims to optimise the ratio of the costs committed and number of persons actually trained by considering cognitive ergonomics as a key factor of success - both in terms of the organisation of training schemes and the quality of training materials.The work carried out under this project will lead to a set of guidelines available on the Internet together with a method for evaluating cognitive ergonomics software and a method for drawing up specifications designed to facilitate the educationalist/computer scientist dialogue.The results will be based on a series of trials during which cognitive ergonomics methodologies will be applied to training schemes and content given in computerised form. These trials will also include documentary research into existing data in this field.These results will be directly targeted at the designers of distance learning content (educationalists/computer scientists) and disseminators of distance learning (educational establishments and training organisations).The partnership for the trials includes cognitive ergonomics experts, educationalists, computer scientists, open and distance learning disseminators and users from 5 different countries, which means that the Internet site can be provided in 5 languages (FR, ES, IT, EN, RO).