12 Steps To Creating A Winning E-Learning Course
Creating and Designing an eLearning course is by no means a mean feat, given how demanding the entire process can be.
For most beginners, it is a frightening task that's simply overwhelming. In this guide, we've broken this huge task into 12 actionable steps so you don't have to rack your brain out about what to do. By following these steps, you'd be on your way to creating eLearning courses like a veteran designer.
1. When creating an elearning course research to pinpoint the problem you want to solve
The first thing you should do is discover why you need to create an eLearning course. Some course designers tend to get excited by a new project that they fail to research why the course is actually needed. The usual outcome is that they either discover at the end of designing that the course content didn't address the issue or there was never a problem that needed an online course in the first place.
It's important to keep in mind that creating an elearning course is not a blanket answer to every challenge an organization faces. Sometimes, it could be due to obsolete equipment or something unrelated to the employees. So make sure you figure out the problem you're trying to solve so you can determine whether or not it requires an online course.
2. Find out who the eLearning course is for
Next, you need to carry out another research to have a thorough understanding of those you'd be teaching. Many times, online course failure can be traced to poor knowledge of the audience. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to make no assumption about who your learners are.
Researching your learners here means collecting as much information as you possibly can about your target audience including their current role and background, their prior knowledge, the skills they possess, etc. The more you're able to gain knowledge of your prospective learners, the more you will be able to tailor the course content to take their peculiar situation into consideration.
3. Get the type of elearning content your audience really needs
If you successfully carried out research on the previous step, you should by now have an idea of what the course content will look like. To narrow down the information to share with your audience, you need to analyze the information you got from your audience analysis.
As much as you possibly can, avoid including any piece of information that your learners will not find relevant and helpful. The goal isn't just to provide knowledge but to provide relevant information that can organizations realize their goals. Thus, your course content should be unique and properly structured to aid retention.
4. Define the elearning objectives
During this step, you need to outline the specific results you want the eLearning course to achieve. These results are what we commonly refer to as learning objectives. Some designers ask if this step is really necessary and the answer is an emphatic yes.
Learning objectives are critical because they help set the boundaries of the information to teach during the training so you can achieve a specific set of desired outcomes. Ideally, your learning objectives should be around 3- 4 as many objectives are a sign that the course will be bulky and you don't want that.
5. Develop an instructional plan for your elearning course
You've probably heard of instructional strategy, which is essentially techniques with which you can deliver the course content. Where your learning objectives relate to the destination you want the eLearning course to take learners to, instructional plan is about the methods to get to the destination.
As far as instructional design plan goes, you are spoilt for choice with options including storytelling, discovery learning, situational learning, and several others. If you've having a hard time choosing the best strategy for your training, consider factors like the type of content you're preparing, the impact you want to have, and your learning objectives.
6. Storyboard your elearning content
A storyboard is a graphic organizer that helps map out how text, pictures and other elements will look on a page. Storyboarding your content gives you the opportunity to have a rough idea of what the final design will look like. It's important that your client approves the storiboard before you proceed.
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7. Select the technology that's right for your elearning course
Since the course is for eLearning purpose, you'd have to decide on the technology to use. This is the stage to check out different learning management systems, read reviews and compare costs among other things. Be sure to choose the technology you're convinced will work for you based on your needs.
8. Develop a prototype for the elearning content
Next, you need to prototype the content. A prototype is simply a sample that demonstrates the look-and-feel functionality of the entire course. This step helps to provide insights on how well your content matches what your learners need. If it doesn't align with your objectives, you can quickly discard it and build another prototype. Don't forget to carry your client along and seek their approval.
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9. Create the elearning course
If your client approves the prototype, it's time to start designing the course. Pour out everything you want to teach into the elearning content you're designing but make sure you keep an eye on the objectives you set earlier. The elearning content should be tailored to meet those objectives. Also, this is the step to deploy the instructional design method you choose in step 5.
10. Edit and publish your elearning course
Present the elearning course you created to your client and have them give you feedback on the content. Use their feedback to improve the course, making adjustments where necessary. When you're satisfied that everything looks perfect, go ahead and publish!
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11. Promote and market your elearning course
Even the most outstanding products needs to be promoted. Similarly, you need to generate interest about the course so learners will be motivated to start the course and be engaged until they've completed it. It is recommended to develop an internal promotion plan so you don't have to receive the shock that nobody is taking your course.
12. Collect feedback and measure the results of your elearning course
You're not fully done until you have an idea of what people are saying about the course, and whether or not it is meeting their needs. Gather feedback using any research method like surveys and interviews. Their thoughts and reactions can come handy when you're making the next course. Of course, you need to also request feedback from both your team and your client so you can effectively measure the results.
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