Building an e-learning business is a big undertaking. There are many things to consider before you start, and even more, as your e-learning company starts to grow. In this blog post, we will discuss 4 important considerations for e-learning businesses.
1) The first consideration when building an e-learning business is choosing the right platform for your courses.
2) The second thing that’s important is making sure that your e-learning content meets accessibility standards so it can be used by everyone with no barriers.
3) How do you deliver the course materials in a way that students find engaging?
And fourth, how do you keep students coming back!
Let’s start with choosing an online platform, there are many to choose from and your choice will mainly be influenced by whether you plan to do it yourself or have someone design and build a platform for you.
If you decide to go the DIY route, be sure to look for a platform that is easy to use and offers all the features you need. If you’re not familiar with coding or web development, it might be worth investing in a platform that is pre-built and ready to go. Be sure to check how easy it is to export or transfer your course content should you outgrow the platform later down the line. If you aren’t confident then look for someone that can help, who you work with will also depend on your experience and your ability to commit time outside of creating course content (do not underestimate the time involved in creating engaging content). Some people will build a Learning Management System on different technologies and platforms, make sure that what they use is popular enough that should you decide to change later on other people will be readily available to help, lesser-known or more complex platforms will have fewer specialists available and as such cost more. When choosing your partner, check that they have built platforms similar to what you need and that they have the experience to guide you along your journey.
It’s important to not only ensure your course is accessible in terms of content, but also in terms of design. Accessibility is about more than having an internet connection. It’s about whether learners with different learning challenges can use your course. Also ensuring your course can be easily viewed on mobile devices and offline (if applicable).
Next, you need to spend time planning your course content and structure. eLearning courses come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to find the right structure for your content. A good way to start is by considering how you want students to learn. There are many different ways to deliver eLearning content, but some of the most popular eLearning course delivery methods include eBooks, quizzes and videos.
Once you have a plan for your e-learning content it’s time to work on how the information is delivered throughout the course. There are many ways in which this can be achieved including self-assessment tests; videos or animations explaining concepts; voice-over narration and visual images and interactive diagrams. eLearning courses are an opportunity to be creative and engaging with your content, so make the most of it!
The final consideration for e-learning businesses is how to keep students coming back for more. Once you have a student’s attention, it’s important to hold onto it by providing interesting and relevant course content. This can be done by adding eBooks; quizzes and interactive tests. Creating awards or adding gamification to learning paths can also add a fun element (if relevant to your intended audience).
There are many ways to engage students, so try experimenting with different ideas until you find the right one for your business!
Don’t forget that e-learning is fun but it’s not always easy. If you feel like things aren’t coming together then take a step back and approach the task with a different perspective.
