Even though the phrase “let’s create elearning course” sounds exciting, sometimes you need to take a deep breath and think twice. As we are elearning company and we make living from this, believe us when we say that! The elearning course, unfortunately, is not a magic pill or a universal remedy to cure all the needs.

This is part of our webinar “Elearning development 101” and you can learn more on how to decide whether you need an elearning course in this video.

The big turnover

Of course, right now when the world has turned upside down (yes, Covid19, I’m talking about you), we all are trying to find the new normal. For many of us, it means remote work for a shorter or longer period. Who knows, perhaps even shifting entirely to remote work… So elearning seems like a must-have solution. However, it is neither the only solution, neither the easiest one. Therefore, the decision should be well thought and considered.

Does the content fit the tool?

Some topics are great for elearning, and some benefit from different presentation tools.
We don’t want to discourage you from your decision, no, no! We strongly believe that you don’t require the elearning for the sake of having elearning. It should be solely because it is the best for your learners! Therefore, you always should think first about the learner – is the information presented most suitably or is there any better alternatives?

Sometimes it feels like the subject is so time-consuming and complex. However, with a fresh look at it turns out a simple infographic with key phrases flawlessly shows all the steps or logic. Perhaps all of the necessary information can be fitted into a well-structured email so there is no need for course opening, introduction, objectives and summary… Some subjects, like soft skills training or complicated procedures, benefit from engaging elearning. However, not all topics are the same. Elearning about laws and rules or procedures that are updated every few weeks perhaps isn’t the best idea. Especially, given the time to make all the edits and re-publishings and re-uploads.
Maybe, just maybe your learners don’t particularly enjoy written information. Perhaps they would normally go for the video format, so…is it possible that video would be the best solution for your case?

The point I tried to make here – different topics and subjects ask for different approaches and there isn’t a single solution which fits all.

Be prepared for the time and expenses 

Elearning courses can pay off and eventually save a lot of money for the company. However, it is a reasonably time-consuming and costly process. It takes a bit of sweat to start with a blank page and end up with a fully functional and engaging elearning course. This process involves script writing, instructional design, graphic design, development, testing…you get the idea. It takes approximately 250 hours to create a 1-hour long elearning course. Therefore you should be fully committed to this relationship before you dive in.

Some other things to take into consideration

Depending on your company and its development team, you have two options. You can create the courses in-house or ask somebody to develop them for you. In the case of the latter, it seems like a money-saving option. Elearning authoring tools can cost up to more than 1000usd/year. Therefore, if you plan on having just one or a couple of courses with stable content, it may be easier to ask somebody to make it for you. However, if you decide to go for this step, you will need to outsource every change, even the slightest. Eventually, it can take up more time and money than initially planned.

Sometimes the management also thinks the elearning solution would be the best just because. In the end, it turns out that everyday procedures are more “hands-on” and people don’t use computers or other devices as frequently as thought. Therefore, possibly a printed solution would be the best. Maybe even some posters on the wall so everybody has the information effortlessly accessible all the time!

Same goes also for the phrase “but we had elearning before”. It is great and you are one of us, however, the question still is the same. Is the elearning the best way for this particular situation? If yes, then sure, go for it! 😉

Continue next

Next you can learn more about elearning content types and how you can deliver the content you have created in our blog post – What’s the difference between elearning platform and content? There you will learn more about what is LMS and what are the two types of content the most popular in elearning.