Developing an Engaging Online Course in 10 Steps, Along with Customizable Course Templates
In the digital age, online learning, or eLearning, has become a popular and effective method for knowledge transfer. This article outlines the steps to create an interactive and engaging online course that enhances learner engagement and retention.
1. Define Clear Goals
Establish the learning objectives and outcomes—what learners should know or be able to do after completing the course. This guides all content and activity development.
2. Structure the Course Logically
Organize content into a logical progression with modules building on one another. Create a topical outline with modules, define learning outcomes, plan key concepts and interactive activities, and include assessments to measure understanding.
3. Design Engaging Content with Interactive Elements
Collect and organize all course materials (text, slides, videos, audio, etc.) aligning them with learning objectives. Incorporate interactive techniques such as gamification, clickable images and hotspots, rollover effects, tabs, timelines, and process steps to involve learners actively.
4. Set the Stage for Engagement Early
Capture learners’ attention at the start via thought-provoking questions, surveys, surprising facts, or an engaging introductory video. This initial engagement primes learners to focus and interact throughout the course.
5. Use Assessments and Provide Feedback
Integrate quizzes, surveys, or scenario-based assessments to reinforce learning and keep learners engaged. Collect feedback for continual course improvement.
6. Leverage Technology Tools and Platforms
Use course creation platforms that support adding interactive activities such as clickable elements, multimedia, and bulk content uploads. Employ AI assistants or import existing content to streamline development while maintaining engagement.
These steps together create a learner-centered, interactive online course that enhances engagement and retention by combining well-structured content, purposeful interactivities, and formative assessments.
Additional Tips
- To collect feedback about the course, surveys can be created and shared with learners.
- For employee training courses, consider using an employee skills training matrix to identify existing skills, find potential skill gaps, and decide on what course an employee needs to take to improve their skills.
- Assessments are created to determine if learners have mastered the course content.
- In the storyboard, include written content, images, multimedia, and navigational directions for how the learners will progress through the course.
- When writing learning goals and objectives, think SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
- Create an online training course storyboard to map out the course content and sequence of activities before building anything in the authoring tool.
- Publishing the course is easy, with the authoring tool outputting a file ready to be uploaded to a hosting service.
Choosing the Right Tools
Popular authoring tools include Articulate 360 and Adobe Captivate. For novice course developers, tools like iSpring Suite can be used, which uses PowerPoint as a basis. There are different platforms for online course sharing, including academic LMSs, corporate LMSs, and course selling platforms.
The eLearning Industry
The eLearning industry is booming, offering numerous benefits such as the ability to scale instruction to reach a wider audience than traditional live, classroom-based training, and at a lower cost. When deciding on a course topic, if creating a course to sell online, choose a niche in your expertise and a topic you know inside out, consider the audience and their problems, conduct an in-depth analysis of what you can provide to your customers, and differentiate your course from others.
References:
[1] eLearning Industry. (n.d.). How to Create an eLearning Course: A Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/how-to-create-an-elearning-course-a-step-by-step-guide
[2] Schwab, C. (2020, March 12). How to Create an Engaging Online Course. Retrieved from https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-create-an-engaging-online-course/
[3] Schmidt, A. (2020, June 11). How to Create an Online Course: A Comprehensive Guide for Course Creators. Retrieved from https://www.thinkific.com/blog/how-to-create-an-online-course/
[4] Trivantis. (n.d.). How to Create an Online Course: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from https://www.trivantis.com/how-to-create-an-online-course/
[5] Training Industry. (n.d.). How to Create an eLearning Course. Retrieved from https://trainingindustry.com/articles/learning-technologies/how-to-create-an-elearning-course/
1. Embrace Online Learning for Self-Development: In the digital age, online learning—an essential tool for education and self-development—provides an opportunity for individuals to gain knowledge from the comfort of their homes.
2. Leverage Online Education in a Business Context: For corporations, online education offers a cost-effective way to provide employee training courses, ensuring employees are equipped with the necessary skills to excel in their roles and contribute to the organization's success.
