How To Determine Your eLearning Project Goals
Creating an eLearning project is more than simply cramming information into an eLearning course. You need to plan every step of the process carefully in order to get the best result. One way to do this is to develop your eLearning project goals early on in the planning phase. This will help you guide your work process and steer your eLearning team in the right direction. Read on for 7 helpful ideas to successfully determine your eLearning project goals.
1. Understand Your Online Learners
Knowing who should be taking your eLearning course and why it's essential. While you cannot know every online learner's background or experience levels, you can still get a general sense. If you can uncover their motivation for taking the eLearning course, you will be able to develop stronger eLearning content. When someone takes an eLearning course, they typically have a set of expectations about the eLearning content. If it covers an entirely different set of information or delivers irrelevant information, they will be disappointed. Providing information that is relevant, relatable, and real-world centered is critical, so learn as much about their expectations as possible.
2. Know Your Clients
Your clients likely have a specific reason for enlisting your eLearning services. Finding out what your clients want will help you formulate targeted goals for your eLearning project. You might have a general idea of what your clients are looking for. However, they may have an entirely different set of goals that they have yet to disclose. Talk to them about what they hope to achieve via the eLearning course and their top priorities. For example, their main concern is improving customer service skills in order to boost sales and customer loyalty. You can also offer suggestions based on your prior experience. It’s important to clarify clients’ expectations up front so there isn’t any confusion later on. In fact, you may want to schedule a kick-off meeting wherein you address their concerns and gauge the scope of the eLearning project. Have a list of questions ready so that you respect their time and get the information you require.
3. Explore The Subject Matter
You may have a Subject Matter Expert on hand, but you should still have a general sense of the subject matter as well. This can be difficult, as most topics involve a variety of sub-ideas and concepts. However, it’s wise to research the core facts so that you can formulate targeted goals. This also allows you to narrow down the key takeaways and fully understand the desired outcomes. Otherwise you risk covering information that your online learners do not need, which leads to cognitive overload and diminishes the value of your eLearning course. Figure out what the most important information is, and begin building your eLearning course around those building blocks.
4. Identify The Desired Results
Are online learners taking the eLearning course to earn a certificate or make the grade? Do they want to brush up on work-related skills in order to land that big promotion? These are very specific and definable learning goals. They will directly impact every aspect of the eLearning course design, from the eLearning activities and assessments to the incentives you incorporate into your eLearning strategy. Address this issue during your first client meeting to determine what online learners need to get from the eLearning experience, as well as what the client hopes to achieve by investing in a new and improved eLearning course.
5. Research The eLearning Industry
It simply cannot be overstated. The eLearning industry changes frequently. This means that in order to determine your eLearning project goals, you will need to keep pace. While some traditional goals will always be current, changes will impact others. Learn as much as possible about the latest eLearning trends and technologies, and work from there. Develop your eLearning courses so that they meet industry standards and provide the optimal eLearning experience. You will need to do this to stay competitive and give your client the best final product.
6. Evaluate Your Current eLearning Strategy
Why is the client enlisting your services to develop new eLearning content? If you’re developing an eLearning course for your own organization, why are you investing additional resources to update or amend the current eLearning course design? Ultimately, it all boils down to what’s lacking from your existing eLearning strategy. Analyze your LMS metrics, gather eLearning feedback from online learners, and conduct eLearning assessments. This allows you to pinpoint what’s working and what needs to be improved. You can use this data to fine-tune the goals of your eLearning project, build on the strengths and root out the weaknesses.
7. Identify The Gaps
In addition to an overall eLearning course evaluation, you should also evaluate individual skill, performance, and knowledge gaps. What do your online learners know? Which topics or tasks do they still need to master? How do you plan to bridge the gaps? Survey online learners to identify their personal goals and carry out eLearning assessments to spot patterns. For example, the majority of your audience needs to develop their negotiation skills or they are unable to complete an essential work-related task in a timely manner. Gaps can help you create actionable and measurable goals.
Your eLearning courses will be much more impactful and meaningful if you keep your eLearning project goals in mind from day one. Do not lose sight of the true purpose behind each eLearning course, and build the eLearning content around your mission statements. Remember to think about what your online learners truly want to know. Use this information combined with your client's goals to create targeted eLearning content that achieves the desired results.
Interested in improving your skills in eLearning Project Management? Download our free eBook Top Tips To eLearning Project Management And Planning to learn more about the characteristics of a successful eLearning team, how to start planning, pick up the most suitable ID Model for your eLearning project, and how to create a realistic eLearning budget to match your expectations.
