The online learning experience has deeply changed during the last few years, with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the forefront of making knowledge sharing and lifelong learning more accessible and more attractive. More and more organisations are using the available technology to deliver (low-cost) remote learning programs for employees or association members , but how do you get started yourself?

Creating an eLearning programme for your staff or members is a challenge: the variety of models, platforms and the different features that come with each platform can be overwhelming. No need to fear that the information coming at you will mean that you will not see the wood for the trees, if you consider the most important components of a learning programme you will find your way to a tailored solution.

Read our blog post on choosing a platform.

We outlined four components to consider when designing your eLearning programme: the broad aim, target group, content plan & budget for your eLearning programme. Only after deciding upon these you should start looking at the platforms and features available.

What is the broad aim of your eLearning programme?

The most important component of outlining your eLearning programme is to understand what the broad aim of the courses is. Write out your overall goal, and individual objectives for each (sub)course. Keep in mind your content needs to be relevant and interesting to your target group!

  • Do you want to provide adequate knowledge about a certain procedure and provide certificates for those completing the course?
  • Do you want to provide knowledge about a certain products so that your sales persons can effectively address prospects?

 

Who are the target audience of the course?

Define your target audience and what it is they should be taking away from completing the course, also think about the technical skills of your target group.

  • Who would be taking the course?
  • What is the knowledge gained from participating in the course?
  • Why will your target audience participate, do you need to provide them with a certificate or license?
  • Does the target group need self-paced courses, taken whenever suits them best?
  • Are eLearning targets equipped with the technical skills for the eLearning programme, and what level of skills do they have?

 

What content should be shared and in which form?

Have a brainstorm session on what type of content should be shared, how many courses should be created and what the eLearning delivery format for each lesson should be.

Some example questions to ask yourself:

  • What is the content we want to base our programme on? Are we talking about recording speeches and presentations during already existing events (such as a conference or annual meeting presentations) and translating them to an online course? Or are we looking at recording content in a studio?
  • Should the courses be interactive?
  • Do we require compulsory and optional modules?
  • Should content be unlocked gradually or accessible all at once?

 

What is the budget in place?

Budgets are important in every aspects of your organisation, for your eLearning programme you should ask yourself:

  • How much budget do I want to spend on the IT infrastructure (platform and features)?
  • How much budget should be set apart to create the courseware?

Read our blogpost “eLearning Part II: What to look for when choosing your platform”.

If in the meantime you have any questions about your eLearning programme, contact our team at contact@openslideservices.com.