The way we learn has undergone a significant shift in the past decade, thanks to e-learning. E-learning portals have ensured that everyone can get access to learning material irrespective of their location. It has simplified and revolutionized the teaching process. From students to employees, everyone can reap the benefits of e-learning.
Custom e-learning content takes this process one step further. It provides courses tailored to meet the specific needs of the learners. However, many feel that creating custom e-learning content is an extravagant exercise and therefore, stick to the material that is readily available.
This approach puts them at a disadvantage and prevents them from providing a holistic learning experience to their learners. Custom e-learning content doesn’t have to be expensive. You can create a custom course within your budget.
Importance of Custom E-Learning Content
Before moving on to how to create custom content, it is pertinent to understand the importance of customized learning and how it benefits the end-users.
1. Industry-Specific Learning:
A generic course on the subject may cover a wide range of topics. Some of them are useful for your employees, others not so much. Why should employees spend their precious time learning something that doesn’t apply to them? A customized course will cover only those topics that are needed for your industry or niche.
Even the examples and applications will be industry-specific in a customized course module. Not only does it cut down on unwanted clutter in the learning material, but it also helps the employees engage with the course material better. Learn more about The Best eLearning Course to Fit Custom Requirements.
2. Make the Training More Efficient:
When a course is relevant and contains only the necessary topics, your employees will be able to make the optimum usage of their time. Moreover, when the examples and applications are relevant to the job at hand, they relate to the topics and grasp the concepts in lesser time. It also helps them recall the concepts later.
3. Cost-Efficient Learning:
Creating a custom e-learning course costs more than off-the-shelf courses. But it will definitely be more beneficial than subscribing to generic e-learning courses. By creating the course material, yourself, you can cut down on the license and royalty fees. Learn which is the Best Elearning Courses for You: Custom Content or Off-the-shelf Courses
Here are other Benefits of Investing in Custom eLearning Courses for your Enterprise
How Can Enterprises Create Custom E-Learning Content on a Budget?
Creating a customized e-learning course may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. While it does involve some work and research, the payout is worth the time and effort.
Here is how you can create custom e-learning content on a budget-
1. Create a Plan
When you are on a budget, there is no scope for mistakes. Create a detailed plan for the e-learning course. Make sure you have considered every aspect of the course. Try to involve people with different viewpoints in designing the course. Here are the Top Tips to Design, Develop and Deliver e-Learning Content!.
2. Reuse Existing Material
Most of the time, the content is already available online. Instead of trying to create the whole course from scratch, try to reuse what is already there and create fresh content to bridge the gaps. This way you save the time and effort in recreating content that is already there. Here are top 7 Reasons Why You Should Revamp Your Old eLearning Courses
If the course requires employees to have basic knowledge about some concept, then provide links to free online training materials so that they can brush up their knowledge before starting the course.
3. Use an eLearning Authoring Tool
The process of creating a custom e-learning course can be simplified by using an e-learning authoring tool. The tool will let you choose the layout, type of interactions and even make the course compatible on different platforms.
It can help you save a considerable amount of time. These tools won’t stretch your budget much since most of them are low-cost. Here’s more on eLearning Authoring Tools and Why You Should Invest in them.
4. Use In-House Talent
You can take the help of designers and developers working in your office to help with course creation. In case you are creating video-based training, you can take the help of your employees to narrate the script.
Or you can have someone with a good screen presence to face the camera. Utilizing in-house talent empowers employees to be a part of the training process and you can get your content made without hiring external resources.
5. Create a Community
Hiring a trainer or an SME to clear your employee’s doubts is another unnecessary expense that can be reduced by creating an online community. The employees taking the course can help each other understand the concepts better through online forums.
The ones who have already completed the course can also help those who are currently taking it. This online community can also include in-house experts or SMEs who are willing to help their co-workers.
6. Create a Personal Learning Map
Each person learns at a different pace and has different learning patterns. Create a clickable learning map listing all the modules and let the employees choose where they want to start their journey. You provide a general structure, and they can customize their learning process as per their needs.
7. Keep it Short
Even though it is tempting to include everything in the eLearning module, creating a course that covers everything can make it expensive. And moreover, short courses are ideal for mobile learning. Make the course module short by providing just the necessary information.
You can provide links where the employees can learn the fundamentals themselves. Many may already be well-versed with the fundamentals. So, by skipping them, you can keep your course short and crisp.
And by providing links to additional resources for those who need them, you are also ensuring that everyone gains a complete understanding of the concept. Here’s How Interactive eLearning Modules Improve User Engagement.
Get Started on an Exciting E-Learning Path
The needs of every company vary, and it is only the team within the firm that can develop a course that caters to all its requirements. However, most firms shy away from doing so, fearing the cost. As you can see, it is entirely possible to create custom e-learning content within a budget.
All you need to do is keep the points mentioned above in mind. The foundation for a cost-efficient course is laid at the very beginning. With careful planning and budgeting, you can burst the myth that custom equals expensive.
Related:
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- eLearning Content Development for Effective Training
- Can Customized Learning Solutions Solve Critical Business Problems
- 10 eLearning Design Techniques for Improved Learner Engagement
- Outsourced Content Development vs In-house Content Development
- 8 Reasons Why Your Business Requires an eLearning Platform
