6 Steps To Start Planning eLearning Projects

6 Steps To Start Planning eLearning Courses
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Summary: It is said that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. So how exactly do you plan a successful eLearning project from day one?

A 6-Step Guide To Start Your eLearning Development Project Plan

eLearning is a complex process. Online learners can chat with an online instructor by text or video call, but mostly it’s just them and the computer. To ensure that the learning objectives are achieved, an eLearning course requires extra attention during the planning phase of the eLearning Project. eLearning teams lay the foundation for success even before they start the design and development process. Here is a step-by-step guide to plan your next eLearning project.

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1. Find Out Who The eLearning Course Is For

The content of an eLearning course varies. It could be a compliance certification that employees need as part of their job. It could be a hobbyist eLearning course pursued in a learner’s spare time. It could be an accredited diploma or degree that helps an employee advance in their career. The structure and style of the eLearning course will depend entirely on learner demographics. For example, hobbyist eLearning courses usually focus on a particular craft, and crafts are best taught through visuals. It's much easier to learn how to knit, do woodwork, or play an instrument by watching a video. Reading craft instructions would be far more challenging. Find out who your online learners will be, and use this information to lay the groundwork for your eLearning course design.

2. Define The Learning Objectives

This point ties into the type of online learners you will teach. Are they learning a rudimentary skill, or are they trying to become experts? Start by deciding the end-goal of the eLearning course. This will help you select the length of the eLearning course, as well as its complexity. Learning objectives can also influence the eLearning assessment methods that will be incorporated into the eLearning course.

3. Decide About The eLearning Content To Be Included

Once you know who you’re teaching and what you’d like them to learn, you can be more specific. Focus on the content of the eLearning course. Following the example above, a beginners’ course may include real-world scenarios to build practical skills. A more advanced eLearning course needs to be more targeted and interactive eLearning content may be required.

4. Research Best Practices For Teaching The Subject Matter

If you’re still feeling lost, you could review similar eLearning courses and see how other people are doing it. Study eLearning courses within your genre and see what works and what doesn’t. Compliance online training courses generally require corporate learners to memorize new codes of conduct. Multiple-choice scenarios or yes/no prompts can help with retention levels. eLearning courses that require analytical thinking can be taught using interactive video games, role-play scenarios, and brainstorming sessions. Once you know how others in your field are handling eLearning courses, you can pick and choose your path.

5. Gather Your eLearning Team

At this point, you need to gather online training resources for your eLearning team. Before you go on a hiring spree, define the roles of your eLearning team members. If your eLearning course has audio-visual content, you will need someone with video production skills. eLearning courses that have gamified components might need a mobile app developer or a video game designer. For your audio and video sections, you might need to hire voice actors. If your eLearning course is more technical, you need an experienced Subject Matter Expert to make sure your information is accurate. Draw up a list of necessary eLearning team members, then make a plan on how to fill each role.

6. Define Specific Tasks Of The eLearning Development Project Plan

Now that your eLearning dream team is assembled, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. Each eLearning team member can map out their section, then an eLearning Project Manager can put it together. The eLearning Project Manager will follow up with each team member and define specific tasks making sure that everyone is on track.

Planning an eLearning project can seem like a daunting task. But if you break it down into chunks, it’s relatively straightforward. Start by identifying the typical online learner you will teach, and what they should know by the end of the eLearning course. Figure out the specific online training materials you will include in the eLearning course. Then take a closer look at how your peers teach this kind of online training materials and confirm what skills your eLearning team will need in order to design the eLearning course. Finally, generate an eLearning project outline that will act as a road map for the eLearning project implementation process.

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