At the end of the day once you have created an online course, it is all about the learner and the course. Period. You will not be there to help them navigate or learn the content.
Are you confident that you have built the course to not only engage the learner in the content but created something that will allow them to DO their job or task better? And with more proficiency?
There has been a lot of focus on tools and development options to make the time to create courses faster. But faster does not mean better. If you neglect to spend the time up front looking at the content and what the overall goal of the learning activity is, the tool does not matter.
So let’s spend a minute looking at the content and goal itself.
Here are a few questions to ask before you even think about developing a course: (and I don’t care how quick and dirty the client or your manager want it, these questions cannot be skipped.)
What is the overall business goal that needs to be achieved by this course?
What does the learner need to be able to DO (not just know) at the end of the course?
What real life stories illustrate the lessons that a learner needs to be able to do?
How do your learners typically learn or want to learn new information or ways of doing something?
What content is core to the learner learning how to DO the activity or task and what information is nice to have or can be supplemental to help support the learning process?
Do you have other questions that you always ask before digging into the course design? Share them below.
Tomorrow’s post…
After the content, comes the design or look/feel of the course. This also addresses usability and how a learner will navigate through the course.
