Why eLearning?
If you're looking for a cost-effective way to train employees, eLearning is your answer. It's also a great way to reach a global audience and build an online community. With eLearning, you can create personalised learning experiences that are more engaging than traditional training methods.
eLearning provides many benefits:
- Cost-effective - eLearning is much less expensive than classroom instruction or live webinars because there aren't any travel costs involved in delivering the course materials online. You can also save on printing costs since everything will be digital instead of printed materials like handouts or manuals (which may need updating regularly).
- Easy access - Your learners can access their courses anytime they want through their computers or mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets! This means no more waiting around until class starts, they'll get right into learning immediately when they log into your course platform which makes it easy for them to stay motivated throughout each lesson because there's no pressure from peers who might be waiting outside while everyone else gets started early before class starts at 9am sharp every day.
Who Are Online Learners?
Before you dive into building your course, it's important to get to know your typical online learner, your future audience. Understanding what makes them tick will help you create content that actually sticks (and doesn't just end up as another forgotten browser tab).
Online learners are often:
- Self-motivated: They’re usually juggling jobs, families, or both, so they’re driven by a clear goal, whether that’s landing a promotion, switching careers, or simply staying ahead of the game.
- Comfortable with technology: Expect them to hop between laptops, tablets, and phones, squeezing in lessons during lunch breaks, commutes, or that sacred Saturday morning coffee break.
- Time-conscious: These learners appreciate flexibility and the ability to dictate their own pace. Bite-sized modules, clear milestones, and progress tracking are their best friends.
- Diverse in background: You might find a recent university grad and a seasoned industry professional learning side by side. Both bring their own set of expectations and experiences, so ensure your material meets a wide range of needs.
- Hungry for relevance: Engagement soars when lessons connect directly to their real-life challenges. Whether it’s a case study from Google or a tips-and-tricks video on managing remote teams, they crave useful, applicable information.
With your learners in mind, you’re set to craft an experience tailored to their goals and habits.
How to create an online course?
The first step in creating your online course is to determine what you want to teach and why, as well as who will be taking it. When you're clear on these points, you can begin crafting the outline of your course.
What is a Learner Persona, and Why Does It Matter?
Before you dive headfirst into recording videos or designing flashy graphics, there’s a deceptively simple hack that separates memorable courses from forgettable ones: creating a learner persona.
Think of a learner persona as your course’s “ideal student profile.” It’s not just a vague target audience but a fully fleshed-out character. You’ll give them a name, jot down their job title (maybe they’re a busy HR manager juggling Zoom calls and coffee refills), outline their prior knowledge, preferred learning styles, pain points, career goals, and even their favorite way to learn, bite-sized videos? Interactive scenarios? Quick quizzes on their phone between metro stops?
Why does this matter? Because designing with a persona in mind:
- Keeps your course focused and relevant, no more guessing what your learners want or need.
- Helps you choose the right topics, language, and examples (think: “real-world” scenarios from companies like Google or LEGO instead of dry textbook cases).
- Makes it easier to motivate and engage learners, since every activity is tailored to their work lives or ambitions.
By building out these personas before you start, you’ll be able to craft lessons that resonate with your audience, making learners feel seen and supported, kind of like having a friendly barista remember your coffee order. Your course will speak to the right people, in the right way, right from the start.
Who Should Enroll?
So, who’s this course really for? If you’re a subject matter expert ready to dip your toes into the world of online teaching, or perhaps you’ve got expertise to share and want your materials to really resonate, this is the ideal starting point.
Whether you're a seasoned professional hoping to translate your knowledge into engaging online content, a trainer looking to modernize your materials, or someone new to course creation, you’ll find this course accessible and practical. No previous experience with eLearning platforms required, just curiosity and the drive to deliver knowledge in a way learners will genuinely appreciate.
This introduction is tailored for anyone eager to master the essentials of building compelling eLearning experiences from the ground up.
Next up: developing lesson plans that are relevant and engaging for learners while also aligning with their needs (and those of employers).
As you design each lesson, consider incorporating practical activities that help learners explore key topics such as identifying their target audience, refining their writing style and narrative, encouraging active learning, and leveraging a variety of digital tools. By weaving these elements into your content, you ensure that your course is not just informative but also interactive and meaningful for participants.
Then comes syllabus creation! This is the document students will use throughout the duration of their studies so it must include all information about requirements for completing assignments, due dates for assessments and other deadlines related to participation in class activities or projects. It should also outline how participation will affect their grade at each stage of learning, for example if attendance is mandatory or whether there will be any tests during this module only (or both). Finally make sure everything written here matches up with what's actually happening inside each lesson plan, that way there won't be any surprises later down line when someone thinks they've completed something but hasn't really finished yet!
Types of online courses
Online learning is a broad category that encompasses a variety of types. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, which we'll discuss in more detail below.
- ELearning Courses: eLearning courses are those that are delivered online in some form (text, audio or video). They can be used as standalone modules or combined with face-to-face instruction to create hybrid learning programs. These types of courses are usually created by instructional designers who have experience with creating effective eLearning content; however, if you're interested in creating your own course from scratch there are plenty of tools available for non-designers too!
Elearning has many benefits over traditional classroom learning including lower costs when compared with instructor led training programs because there's no need for instructors' salaries or travel expenses associated with bringing them together at one location. Additionally eLearning allows learners more flexibility around when they study which makes it easier for them stay motivated throughout their learning journey because they're not tied down by scheduled class times (or even location!).
Evaluating Digital Education Tools: Weighing the Pros and Cons
When it comes to choosing the right digital education tools for your online course, it’s important to take a step back and thoroughly assess what each tool brings to the table, both the good and the not-so-good.
Start by considering what you need for your specific audience and subject area. Are your learners likely to benefit from interactive platforms like Kahoot! or Quizlet, or is a straightforward video platform such as YouTube or Vimeo more appropriate for your materials? Think about your goals: Do you want to increase engagement, support accessibility, or provide self-paced study options?
Here are some key points to evaluate:
- Ease of use: Is the tool intuitive for both instructors and learners? Complicated interfaces can create unnecessary barriers and frustrate participants.
- Cost-effectiveness: Does it fit within your budget? Many platforms offer free versions, but some features may be locked behind subscription plans.
- Integration and compatibility: Can the tool integrate with other software you’re already using, such as Google Classroom or Dropbox? Seamless integration saves time and headaches down the line.
- Flexibility and scalability: Will the tool adapt as your audience grows or if your content changes?
- Support and updates: Does the platform offer good customer support and regular updates? Outdated tools may quickly become obsolete or vulnerable to security issues.
- Accessibility: Is it usable for learners with differing needs, i.e., does it support screen readers or offer captioning?
By asking these questions and perhaps even testing a shortlist of options with a small group of users, you can make a well-informed decision that aligns with your course goals, avoiding those last-minute surprises and keeping your learners motivated every step of the way.
Passive vs Active Learning: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to online courses, not all learning experiences are created equal. It’s important to understand the distinction between passive and active learning so you can design your course to maximize engagement and knowledge retention.
- Passive learning typically involves receiving information without much interaction, think recorded lectures, slides, or assigned reading. In this approach, learners generally absorb material by watching, listening, or reading, like tuning in to a classic BBC documentary or leafing through a hefty Oxford textbook. While this can be useful for conveying lots of information at once, it doesn’t always keep students switched on or help them apply what they've learned.
- Active learning, on the other hand, invites learners to participate directly in the process. This could mean answering quiz questions, taking part in discussions, completing interactive tasks, or working on real-world projects. For example, instead of simply watching a video on accounting principles, learners might try solving mini case studies or collaborating on a mock budget in Google Sheets, giving them hands-on practice.
Storytelling also fits neatly into active learning, by weaving facts and concepts into a relatable narrative or scenario, you help your audience see the relevance behind the material and make it stick. The key takeaway? Active learning tends to foster deeper understanding, whereas passive methods can set a solid foundation but often need a little extra engagement to make things memorable.
Creating a marketing plan for your online course
- Define your target audience
- Create a marketing strategy
- Create a content marketing strategy
- Use social media to market your online course
- Use Google Adwords and Facebook Ads to market your online course
Keep these tips in mind when creating your next online course.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you're creating your next online course.
- Keep your audience in mind. It's important that you know who your target audience is and what they need from the course.
- Create a plan for your content, including how long it should be, how much information it should cover, and what kind of activities will be included.
- Make sure you have a consistent voice and tone throughout all the materials, this will help make them easier to follow as well as give them an overall sense of cohesiveness that makes them more effective at teaching their intended lessons or imparting knowledge onto students (or whatever type of learners).
- Aim to help your learners achieve clear outcomes by the end of your course. For example, ensure they can describe the value of active learning, recognize the importance of storytelling or narrative in digital education, and communicate key ideas using concise language and the right tone for your audience.
- Keep language simple, direct, and always appropriate for your learners’ backgrounds, don’t be afraid to cut jargon or break down concepts if it helps people stay engaged and actually learn.
- Remember: Consistency in presentation, clear objectives, and accessible language are the hallmarks of an effective online course.
- Use different formats for different types of information: images can emphasize some points better than text alone; videos might be better used elsewhere because they provide visual context; etcetera! There are many ways we can use multimedia elements like these so let's not forget about those either! We want our users' experience with our courses not just limited by technology but enhanced by it too!
Ensuring Openness and Accessibility in Your Content
When designing your online course, making your materials open and accessible is absolutely key, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it expands your reach and impact. Here are a few strategies to help you create content that's welcoming to everyone:
- Use clear, simple language. Avoid jargon where possible and keep sentences concise. Not everyone will have the same background knowledge, so break down complex ideas into manageable chunks.
- Incorporate multiple formats. Don’t rely solely on one medium. Providing transcripts for videos, captions, and audio descriptions ensures that learners with different needs or preferences aren’t left behind.
- Check for accessibility best practices. Make sure your materials are compatible with screen readers and follow recognized guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This includes using proper heading structures, alt text for images, and ensuring high-contrast color schemes.
- Encourage flexibility. Allow learners to interact with your content at their own pace and in ways that suit them, whether that means downloading resources, adjusting playback speeds, or accessing printable versions.
- Support engagement through interactivity. Integrate quizzes, discussions, and real-world activities that invite everyone to participate. Bitesize lessons help prevent overwhelm and keep learners progressing steadily.
By prioritizing accessibility and openness alongside solid instructional design, you’re setting every learner up for success, no matter where they’re starting from.
Choose the right format
When it comes to learning, there are many different formats and each one has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The first step in creating your course is deciding on the best format for your content.
Choose the right format based on what your learners need:
- Video - Videos are great for communicating complex ideas and concepts because they can be narrated by an expert who can explain information in detail while also demonstrating how it's done. However, if you have a lot of text-based content or want learners to read through something before watching it, videos may not be the best option since they take up more time than other formats (15 minutes vs 5 minutes).
Design interactive elements
Before you begin to create your elearning course, it's important to consider how you want your learners to interact with the material. There are a number of interactive elements that can be used in eLearning courses.
Quizzes: Quizzes are a great way for learners to test their knowledge and see what they've learned from the content. You can also use quizzes as formative assessments that give you insight into what parts of the lesson need more explanation or practice.
Video: Videos are used in many eLearning courses because they help break up text-heavy content and keep learners engaged with interesting visuals or animations (like those created by our sister company, Animoto). The video should always be relevant to the topic being covered in an easy-to-digest format so that it doesn't distract from learning objectives but rather enhances them by providing supplemental information or entertainment value through storytelling techniques such as narration or interviews with experts within their field who share personal experiences related directly back towards key concepts covered earlier on during development stages when designing out lessons plan outline before getting started writing scripts.
Participate in discussions and engage collaboratively
A big advantage of online learning is the ability to connect and collaborate with other learners from around the globe, no passport or awkward icebreaker activities required! So, how do you dive into those conversations and get the most out of peer-to-peer interactions?
- Join the conversation: Most courses have dedicated discussion sections where you can ask questions, share your thoughts, or offer insights on the lesson material. Take a moment to read through existing threads before you jump in, chances are, someone else may have asked the question that’s on your mind.
- Reply and engage: Don’t just stick to your own posts! Respond to others, offer encouragement, or expand on their points. This not only helps build community, but you'll learn a lot just by seeing how others approach the content.
- Use collaboration features: Many platforms also support features like bookmarking helpful comments, tagging other learners to ask direct questions, or even participating in group projects. Take advantage of tools that help you connect, such as polls, live Q&A sessions, or shared brainstorming spaces.
- Respect diverse perspectives: Remember, one of the coolest things about global online classrooms is the diverse range of experiences and viewpoints. Be open to different opinions and approaches, sometimes the most powerful learning happens in conversation, not just content!
By jumping into discussions and group activities, you don’t just build a richer understanding of the material; you also develop your own network of curious minds who are learning right alongside you."
FAQs on creating online courses
We understand that you might have some questions while exploring the world of eLearning course creation. In this FAQ section, we have compiled answers to common queries to help you navigate the process of developing and optimising your own eLearning courses.
What are the different formats for eLearning materials?
The content of an elearning course can be delivered in a number of ways. The most common format is text-based, but there are also other options to consider.
Here are some examples:
- Video - This is the best way to immerse learners in your story and give them an experience that feels real. It's also great for communicating complex information or demonstrating difficult tasks. A video should be short enough that people will actually watch it!
- Audio - Audio-based elearning courses are a great option for learners who prefer to listen to information rather than read it. Audio content can be delivered in a variety of formats, including podcasts, lectures, or even interviews with subject matter experts.
- Interactive - Interactive elearning courses are becoming increasingly popular because they engage learners and encourage active participation. Interactive elements can include quizzes, games, simulations, or even virtual reality experiences.
- Graphics - Graphics and visual aids can be used to support text-based content or to present complex information in a more digestible format. Infographics, charts, and diagrams are all effective ways to communicate data and statistics.
- Live webinars - Live webinars offer learners the opportunity to interact with instructors and ask questions in real-time. They can also be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing later.
- It's important to consider your audience and their learning preferences when choosing a delivery format for your elearning course. By offering a variety of formats, you can ensure that all learners are able to engage with the content in a way that works best for them.
What are the best platforms to host my online course?
There are a number of platforms to host your online courses. Each offers different features and capabilities, so it's important that you know what they are before deciding which one is right for you.
- Canvas: This platform was designed specifically for higher education institutions, so it has a strong focus on learning management systems (LMS) and collaboration tools that make it easy for teachers and students alike to work together in group projects or share information with each other in real-time. It also includes extensive reporting capabilities so that instructors can keep track of how well students are performing throughout their coursework.
- Moodle: Similar to Canvas, Moodle offers an LMS as well as robust collaboration tools, but unlike its competitor there isn't any support available from third parties outside of the community itself who have created plugins specifically tailored towards certain types of courses such as business administration or nursing programs.*
How can I market my online courses?
Marketing your online courses can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Here are some strategies to consider:
- Create a blog and share the benefits of your course with your audience. You can also use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to market your courses by sharing posts about new courses or updates on existing ones.
- Use email marketing campaigns as an opportunity to drive traffic back to landing pages where people can sign up for free trials or demos of the product (you may want to use guest blogging as well).
- Promote video content related to the topic at hand in order for potential students who are interested in learning more about this topic to find out about what you have available for sale through YouTube channels which have billions of viewers worldwide per month!
In addition there are other ways such as giving away free samples so users get an idea first hand before making any decisions."
Should I give free samples of my online course?
A free sample is a great way to get people interested in your course. Giving away a taste of the content they'll be learning can help you build trust with potential students, as well as let them know what they're getting into before they sign up for it.
You might want to give away a small portion of the course (for example, one lesson) or even just a single topic within that lesson. This allows people who are on the fence about taking your online course an opportunity to try out some material before committing themselves fully.
How can I monitor performance of my online courses?
Once you have created your online course, it's important to monitor its performance. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Use analytics tools to measure the number of learners who have completed the course, how much time they spent on each module and which sections they found most valuable.
- Use surveys at regular intervals to gauge whether or not your learner base is satisfied with what you're offering them. If not, ask them why not and then make changes accordingly based on their feedback. This will also help identify any areas where further development may be required in future versions of your courses (or even just this one!).
- Get involved in forums where other educators post questions about eLearning design or share resources that might be useful for others working in similar fields as yourself - this will allow you access into communities which can provide invaluable insight into how best practice should look when creating effective learning experiences online!
Conclusion
With so many tools and options available, there's no excuse not to create an online course. The biggest thing you need is a plan, and the tips we've covered here should give you some ideas on how to put one together. Now get out there and start teaching!
