The eLearning industry has made a prominent place in our lives and is growing at an incredible pace since 2015.
By 2025 The eLearning industry will grow 300%. It means more and more companies will be investing in eLearning.
As there is high demand, professionals must understand how to create high-quality online modules and courses efficiently.
If you have a concrete set of steps to follow, you will always go through a map for your creative process. And be able to maintain your module output without compromising the quality.
In order to guide you through the entire module of the custom eLearning development process, the following steps will be helpful.
They will help you to think deeply about how to achieve your desired outcome, to achieve the target audience, and the ways you will promote the eLearning module when prepared.
Significantly, these steps will guide you through the entire development process, from beginning to end and beyond. Before that, read an important article on Automate Teaching with Custom eLearning Development.
Custom eLearning development process and 9 stages of it
The eLearning modules are short lessons, usually 10-15 minutes long. That often includes text, quizzes, video, or interactive games.
While eLearning modules have a large series or course, they can also be stand-alone lessons.
When you are creating modules, always remember that they should be bite-sized.
We will explore nine stages to help you with eLearning software development that conveys information in a powerful and memorable way in a short time.
Stage 1: Program objectives and constraints
To handle any complicated project, start with your plan. Begin with the big picture: What will accomplish the program? What will be output? How will you gain and, how will you measure such gain?
Write clearly your program objectives that provide stakeholders with concise statements of expectations to which they can respond.
Feedback on the objectives should shape your best course of action.
Once you start with the right objectives, you will not have to make substantial changes later in the process.
When your program objectives are specified, make a list of possible project constraints, such as budget, timing, and scheduling.
Simultaneously compile these two lists to understand your training needs completely and which obstacles may stand in your way.
Stage 2: Cultural fit
Once you complete the process to determine the program objectives and constraints, you should think about your company’s culture.
You want this new information to suit well with the education landscape of your organization. Think about the vision and value of your company and how the eLearning modules can reinforce these foundational messages.
Thick about the other learning initiatives? Does this curriculum fit in or conflict with them?
If there is a scope for ulterior learning, what is the process to attach them?
Do some benchmarking, both internally and externally.
What have you tried before? What have you learned from previous attempts?
What kind of resistance do you expect from the learning opportunity?
Several times it happens that before anyone has bothered to ask coaches or managers their opinions on the learning gaps and resources needed, learning rolled out.
If middle managers are against the program, the results of even the best eLearning will falter.
Make sure the curriculum fits within cultural expectations and existing frameworks with good internal communication. After that, you can start marketing.
Stage 3: Learner needs
The learners are the shining stars of this stage. Take enough time to study the population of learners. What are their problems or knowledge gaps?
How will you measure it? What slows down their learning progress? What objects in applying their knowledge?
Take into consideration factors such as demographic demographics, technical ability, experience with the content, and motivation to learn.
Also, consider how to deliver the contents. Understand that given time is enough for learners for microlearning segments. Or they need an extended learning time.
Stage 4: Content and strategy
You have considered your organization as a whole and your population of learners. At the next stage, you need to focus on content.
What topics and subtopics are required to be covered in training sessions to bridge the learning deficit?
Engage your Subject Matter Experts to brainstorm a list of topics as it is essential to engage the right people for that. After that, sort and consolidate them into concise units of study.
Prepare a learning objective for all these topics and use an action verb. It provides a basis from which to measure results later in the process.
Assessments tie directly to the learning objectives: were they able to demonstrate a specific skill?
It is required when you start to discover any existing resources or content. Instead of starting from scratch, even poor resources are a better start place.
Make a folder of all source information to create the storyboard and share it with the developers.
Stage 5: Storyboard and design
All your work analysis, planning and organizing up to this stage will influence the Instructional Design of the storyboard. Previous experience of the learners with the content will dictate the entry point they need.
Content follows a logical progression from that entry point. Such as the topic and subtopics peppered with examples and real-life scenarios or interactions to increase learner engagement.
Animations, video and visual graphic elements further enhance learning. For the success of your eLearning module, how content is delivered is a significant factor.
Consider the following key elements when you storyboard a module.
- An audio script for narration
- Graphics, animations, video, and photos
- Onscreen text
- Sound effects and music
- Learner interactions
- Assessments, feedback, and remediation
- Scoring and next steps
Stage 6: Development
Think about how the learners will use the module – with a laptop or mobile device or both? You are required to know about it before your storyboard comes live at the development stage.
After that, you can start with your preferred course-writing software, input the onscreen elements, create interactions and assessments and align any animated objects to the audio narration.
Your LMS specialist should contact the developer to discuss publishing preferences and how the course will fit the learning management system.
What module description should appear in the LMS. And what are the instructions to the learners about the curriculum?
The module is all set for the revision process once the development process is complete.
Stage 7: Testing and revision
You may begin with a soft rollout of the curriculum depending on the needs of your organization.
You should take a review and give feedback from the stakeholders for the developed modules.
Provide them with detailed instructions as to what kind of feedback you want.
There should not be conflicting personal opinions, which can keep a module in review for months.
Appoint one person to review all feedback when you anticipate this with your stakeholders and then make final revision decisions to launch the project on time.
Stage 8: Internal marketing and launch
It is a critical stage to prepare for your launch that requires great attention. You have completed the project dedicatedly and it is time for you to share your excitement.
Learners and their coaches should form accurate expectations about the curriculum. A good program can squelch by false buildup or no buildup.
Make good use of internal marketing. Active anticipation and excitement about learning new things will help to build new ideas in a few days.
Enthusiasm will draw you to propel learning from the start. Treat your internal staff like prospective customers, and ask them if they are eager to learn something new.
Stage 9: Return on learning (ROL) and revision cycle
You are required to establish a revision cycle before launch.
How long will you anticipate the content which is no longer in use?
Take feedback from the learners. It will allow you to make good decisions to improve your eLearning.
The assessment will check what you have determined in the storyboard and will guide your next moves. With an ongoing revision cycle, you need to evaluate your return on learning. Qualitative and quantitative measures should be in ROL.
Do not ignore the impact on the culture of your organization. For example, promotions of the learners and their overall satisfaction with their profile will not immediately increase the profitability. It will increase gradually with time.
To get a complete picture of the evaluation of your eLearning program, compile the ROI and qualitative factors.
The process can be long and detailed. But with a solid framework, every stage flows into the next and everything will become manageable.
Conclusion
Though you are new in the eLearning business or a seasoned pro, you will appreciate these solid overviews on the development process. The insider tips will also be helpful.
Avoid mistakes on your next project that may cost you time, effort, and money. Precisely choose and deliver the relevant and engaging contents that better fits your learners to get the best results and get the job done.
