Since the internet was popularized in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the need for education to be confined to a classroom has been shattered. People are now able to take courses on their commute to work, at the gym, or even in their pajamas. E-Learning is becoming more and more popular every year, and you can become part of the movement by creating your own course.
Why Choose Online Learning?
Many companies have formed based on the need for flexible, skill-based learning. Pluralsight is one such company, which offers over 5,000 skill-based courses. The courses are catered to specific needs and skills of professionals in many industries, including IT, software development, and business, just to name a few. The courses are created by experts in their field, and students can access all of them for either a monthly or annual fee.
Some other companies that offer similar courses and features are Lynda, Udemy, and Alison.
Most online courses tend to have a more flexible schedule, which allows learners to keep their jobs. This is a huge benefit for professionals looking to gain new skills, pass certifications, and qualify for better jobs or promotions
The biggest benefit of this type of learning model is that it teaches individual skills in a short amount of time. For example, if a marketing professional decides they need to improve their basic graphic design skills, they can take any of Pluralsight’s 280 courses on graphic design.
The advantage to many online learning platforms is that the courses are self paced, allowing for learning at the pace of the individual. This aids in deeper learning and greater flexibility to practice techniques.
How You Can Implement E-Learning
There are two ways to create a course: start from scratch or convert an existing Instructor Led Training (ILT) into e-learning.
Online courses should be engaging, both visually and in content. The killer of a course is when it is boring. Viewers are less likely to continue the course and recommend it to their colleagues.
When creating your content, avoid
boring slides or images, like too much black text on a white background
long paragraphs in full sentences
too many ideas at once
A great medium for an online course is an instructional video. While YouTube is rife with homemade, single shot instructional videos that get the point across, the best eLearning videos include a mix of graphics, text, examples, and voice overs. Videos can work for virtually any subject, and can help learners grasp difficult or obscure topics.
Good Example:
Bad Example:
Another medium is PowerPoint slides. PowerPoint is a great base for any course. When a slide has dynamic animations and vivid graphics, it can be recorded and used in a video setting. When designing a slide, it is important not to crowd content or complicate the presentation.
Some subjects, like spreadsheets or photo editing programs, are best understood when learners can see the program in use. In instances like these, screen recordings are a powerful tool. When you are able to show your learners exactly what to look at, procedures can be absorbed faster. Be aware, though, that every time a program is updated or redesigned, the screen recording is out of date. Research the program before you begin to see if any major updates are coming. It might be better to hold off on creating the screen recording until you have the most updated version, or to use a different method.
Good Example:
Bad Example
Some things to include in your online courses include:
activities
simulations
quizzes
animations
By turning your existing courses in to an eLearning format, you can not only increase your student count, but also reach a wider audience, and eventually your profits. The Courseware Group can help you create a cohesive, vibrant, and engaging course. Whether you need help with a small part of your course, like slide design or video editing, or the whole course from start to finish, we are here to help.