If you’re an e-learning newbie and you’ve been tasked with developing an online course, you are probably asking yourself “Where do I begin?”. While it can be very tempting to some to jump right into the creative development aspect, there are some critical things you should get straightened out first. Here are 8 initial considerations you should contemplate before getting started.
What Are The Timelines?
Determining your timelines is an important first step. The software you use, the level of interactivity of the training and the overall quality of an e-learning project is directly impacted by the timelines involved. If you have 1 week to develop a 30 minute e-learning module for a soft skills training course, you might not have much time to get creative, and you almost certainly wouldn’t have time to do anything remotely fancy like audio narration. On the other hand, if you have 3 months to make a 30 minute e-learning module, you have more time to find great graphics, add realistic scenarios, and maybe even throw in some animations and narration.
Which Authoring Tool Will You Use?
This is an important up-front consideration. If you are using new software, there will be a learning curve. You can make life easier on yourself by downloading a free trial of most e-learning authoring tools. This provides you with an opportunity to try it out first and see how you feel about the functionality and interface.
How Will Learners Access the Training?
The answer to this question might rest on if you are using a Learning Management System (LMS) or not. An LMS is generally used when you want to track scores and quiz results. If you already have an LMS, then the training will most likely be accessed from inside the LMS. If you aren’t using an LMS at all, you’ll need to decide from where your users will access your e-learning. From an intranet portal? The company website? A shared folder? It’s something to consider early on.
What Resources Are Required ?
Before you get started, identify all the resources that you will need for your e-learning project. Your subject matter experts (SMEs) are one of your most valuable resources. Identify who has the most knowledge on your subject, and who can provide you with explanations and clarifications. Other resources to consider: image or video editing software, visual assets, a microphone to record narration, and the list goes on. It’s a good idea to get a good handle on your required resources and have everything approved by management early on to avoid holdups.
Who Are The Learners?
One key question to ask: Who is taking your e-learning course? It’s important to assess your audience. Are your learners factory workers who aren’t very computer savvy? Or are they software engineers who are highly technical and very computer literate? Will your e-learning course be taken by highly motivated interns or by people who hate their jobs and don’t want to take the course? Take your audience into consideration. Get an overall idea of their level of education, their work experience, knowledge of the subject at hand, average age, background, motivations, etc. This is a critical step which will really help you create a course that is more relevant and meaningful.
What Are The Technical Requirements?
Requirements can be many things ranging from simple web access to get to an online e-learning course. It’s a good idea to put together your hardware and software requirements, to ensure that the vast majority of your learners will be able to access and view your e-learning course without issue.
What Are The Branding Guidelines?
Some organizations have a thick style guide that dictates exactly which font, color schemes, logos, etc., can be used in e-learning. Find out ahead of time if there are style guidelines. If not, it’s still a good idea to stick to the general look and feel of the organization. There’s no need to overdo it and include a logo on every slide, but using the basic corporate fonts and colors is a simple way to make it consistent with the brand.
Does Content Need To Be Localized?
Localizing content can be time-consuming and costly. Even when using sophisticated software, it costs money to translate content and it takes time to duplicate a course in another language. Some design considerations also need to made when content will be translated. Certain languages, like Spanish and French, have more verbiage and longer words than English. This could lead to space constraints, if it’s not taken into consideration in advance.
Are there any other important initial considerations that I’ve left out? Leave a comment!
Nicole Legault 
These are all questions that need to be asked. But, it seems to me that you left out the major questions: What is the purpose of this training? What are people suppose to be able to do after they complete the training? What is the scope (how broad is my topic)? What is the essential information? After answering these questions, then answering the question you mentioned, then you need to ask: Given my current limitations/resources, how can I create learning experiences to help the participants accomplish the learning objectives?
The questions you listed are very important because it’s real world stuff. These are limiting factors or resources that have to be taken into consideration. You can’t create the best learning experience in the world if you only have a week, but yet you can’t lose focus on what the real purpose is, either. So you create the best learning experience possible under the circumstances.
Thanks Kim! I wish everyone who read my postings left such valuable comments 🙂 You make some really valid points.
Thank you for sharing all of this valuable information. Your “layout” makes it easy to begin. I appreciate Dr. Corbeil sharing it with her students. We are learning and wanting to do more. This helps to see the visions can become reality.
Definitely agree with Kim Green. Before you create a new course, you need to be very clear about the objective “What will the learner be able to do at the end of this that they couldn’t do before?” And who is/are the various learner groups? (your #5 consideration re audience). Is there more than one group that needs to learn the same skill but they have different learning preferences?
Answering those two questions will often determine how long the training needs to be and how best to deliver it (a 10 minute YouTube video versus an all-day instructor-led hands-on experience, as an example). Knowing your audience also determines localization requirements, which forms part of the budget.
Once you’ve figured that out, you can determine how best to create it, where to put it so your audience will find it when they need it (or will you market it to them directly?). Not complicated but all things to consider before you commit to action.