how to break up content when creating an online course

• Chunk your content. Simply put, chunking means breaking down information into smaller pieces that are easier for the brain to digest. ...
• Send reminders to keep students on track. Populate the course calendar with deadlines and send reminders to your students so they stay on track. ...
• Use a variety of multimedia and modalities. ...

Full Answer

How to create an online course for free?

Ditch superlatives that distract learners and don’t add value. Swap out wordy phrases for more succinct ones. Even small changes—replacing “click the next arrow to proceed” with something snappier and more inviting, like “see what happens next,” can make your content easier to read and understand.

How can I create engaging online course content?

Give the people what they want. In an online space it’s so easy to feel disjointed and alone from the rest of the world. And when taking a course online that isolation can be broken if we strive to foster community instead. It is your job as the instructor to create an environment ripe for feedback and discussion.

Do I need to create all the content for my course?

May 14, 2021 · In all significant endeavors, you need to plan. Your plan for making an online course should begin with choosing the primary topic of focus. Making it up as you go along has a high chance of ending up with you flat on your face unless you’re dead sure you know what you’re doing. After all, y ou can’t just meander around a general breadth of a particular subject for your …

Should I create an online course on a subject I know?

Creating course content, particularly content that works to reach the goal of the course, can be one of the most challenging pieces of creating an online training course. Fleshing out what to put into the course and what delivery methods to use is critical to the success of your course. Unlike many types of content where the […]

How do I structure my online course?

How to Structure Your Online Course?Group Similar Ideas into Modules.A progressive flow that depends on the order.A collection of tips – not dependent on order.Select Type of Content.Organize Online Course by Choosing a Format.Providing Supportive Content to Students.Consistency is Important.Add a Link for Discussions.More items...•Dec 2, 2020

How do you write content for an online course?

How To Create Effective Online Courses: Web Writing TricksConsider Psychology. ... Include All Necessary Elements. ... Write Compelling Content For The Course. ... Consider Language And Visual Elements. ... Choose A Successful CTA. ... Emphasize The Value Of Your Course. ... Make Learners Want To Attend Your Course.Apr 23, 2017

How do you structure elearning content?

Decide what material to cover. ... Group subject matter into modules. ... Break down each module into sections. ... Links between sections for a self-directed learning approach. ... Create a roadmap for the course. ... Develop a theme that reflects course structure.Sep 11, 2015

How do I start content writing?

How to become a content writer in IndiaStep 1: Build a portfolio. You need to start building credibility before you start earning anything. ... Step 2: Start creating social proof. ... Step 3: Build authority with a blog. ... Step 4: Create a pitch. ... Step 6: Join Facebook groups and communities. ... Step 9: Join content platforms.

What is content writing example?

Content writing is the process of planning, writing and editing web content, typically for digital marketing purposes. It can include writing blog posts and articles, scripts for videos and podcasts, as well as content for specific platforms, such as tweetstorms on Twitter or text posts on Reddit.

How do you create eLearning modules?

How to create an eLearning courseStep 1: Establish the why of your project. ... Step 2: Gather your current materials. ... Step 3: Distill your topic into an eLearning script. ... Step 4: Define the visual look-and-feel of your project. ... Step 5: Develop materials for your course. ... Step 6: Assemble into one cohesive course.

How do you create a module?

How to create the best training modulesStep 1: Establish your training objectives. ... Step 2: Define your audience. ... Step 3: Decide on the right content format. ... Step 4: Create your training module template. ... Step 5: Test and test again. ... Step 6: Upload and launch your training module.Aug 2, 2021

How do you make an eLearning course in 12 steps?

Create an eLearning Course in 12 Steps InfographicStart with Why: Do a Need Analysis. Conducting a needs analysis. ... Know your Audience. ... Content Analysis: Get the Right Content for the Right Audience. ... Set Learning Objectives. ... Define Your Instructional Design Plan. ... Storyboard your Content. ... Choose your Technology. ... Prototyping.More items...•Jan 23, 2017

Avoid Making a Course

Have an SME who’s really, really insistent that every last piece of their content needs to be in the course? It may be because they’re focused on pushing information at learners, rather than coaxing out the kind of thinking that leads to behavior change.

Break It Down

Numerous studies ( Miller, most notably) have shown that the human brain more easily digests information when it’s provided in manageable chunks. That’s because our working memory—the place where our brains process information—can only handle so much at once.

Make It Compelling

It’s tempting to lose sight of the goal and think of courses as content containers rather than change catalysts. Transforming your content into something that’s inspiring and actionable means you need to make it compelling.

Ready to Streamline Your Content?

Longing for some clever ways to streamline content? Look no further than E-Learning Heroes for examples, ideas, and inspiration. Here are a few resources that you might find especially helpful.

What should the topic of an online course be?

The topic for your online course should be either a subject that you’re already knowledgeable about or are willing to invest in learning thoroughly. Either way, you need to be passionate about the subject.

Why is online education important?

Therefore, fostering a community of learners around your course will greatly improve their experience, contributing to the overall success of your course. An active online community can help users share their learning process with a group of peers.

How to teach a lesson?

Go in a logical order and try to make your ideas evolve naturally from one to the other , to ensure a smooth and frictionless learning process. Remember that teaching is about guiding your audience through an idea, step by step. To make this clear in your course outline, define an objective for each of your lessons.

What to do after a video is filmed?

After you’ve filmed your content, invest some time editing your raw footage. There are many free video editing software available, from iMovie, to Lightworks, and the Wix Video Maker. Try to craft a nice rhythm to your video by breaking it up into digestible bites.

What is a paid plan?

Paid Plans act as a pay-wall, allowing users to access the content only after they pay and log into the members area within your site. One-on-one real-time lessons: In addition to the course, you may teach live lessons to students in a personalized 1:1 setting.

Do you need to run a test before starting an online course?

Creating an online course requires a lot of hard work and effort on your part, so running a test before you begin will allow you to validate this online business idea as one that will pay itself off down the line.

Find the steps

With your two main questions answered, now is time to get clear on the steps. If “Sam” wants to go from A to B, i.e. their current location, where they don’t know what to do, to this fancy schmancy destination, how are you going to get them there?

Give them the roadmap

Inside each module there are going to be things your student needs to know to progress on to the next step. Don’t assume anything about their previous knowledge or experience. Break down a single step into smaller bit size chunks that give them the literal roadmap.

KISS – Keep it simple stupid

At this point you should know the main objective of your course. You should have defined all the modules and all the lessons. But now you need to think about what you will actually teach in each particular lesson.

How to make an online course more engaging?

An easy way to make online courses more engaging is to stimulate the student visually. This means pictures and videos. The simplest method of using picture and videos in an online course would be constructing your online class more like a PowerPoint presentation:

What is the most important part of creating an online course?

One of the most important components of creating an online course is setting a learning goal for the course . However, there’s more to it. Every online course consists of various sections, and each individual section also needs to have a clear learning goal.

What is the target audience of an online course?

The target audience is the group of people to whom you are writing your course.

What does it mean to get started teaching?

Which means you need to get your knowledge together.

Is teaching more than imparting knowledge?

Remember, teaching is more than just imparting knowledge. Never in human history has so much knowledge been so accessible to anyone with such a low barrier for entry. Just on your phone, you can bring up a wealth of information about Nuclear Physics with just a few keystrokes. Fifty years ago, you’d have to break out an encyclopedia or a book dedicated to the subject, and it’d be just as much work to get another point of view on the same topic.

Is it easier to drop out of online courses?

The thing with online courses is that it’s a lot easier to drop out of them: you just stop, and there’s no consequences at all, nothing to bite you for not completing. This understandably damages completion rates. A study examining sixteen online courses offered by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that the average completion rate was 4%.

Is it a waste of time to create an online course?

It’s crucial that you decide on a specific course subject in the beginning phase of creating your online course. Be as specific as possible.

How to make sure students are learning?

To make sure that students are successfully learning, you need to integrate quizzes, assignments, and other interactive tools to see how students are progressing. Offering forum support is a great way to connect with students, but don’t count on it to make sure the students are understanding the lessons in your course.

What do visual learners learn?

Visual learners learn with visuals like video, diagrams, and even text. Auditory learners need to hear the information, and kinesthetic learners learn by touching or doing. In actuality, there are a variety of learning style theories some with many more styles than the simplified three above.

Is it bad to cram too much content into a course?

Cramming too much content into a course is a sure way to lose your students. This is particularly true when writing for a business audience. Unless you’re writing a course for graduate studies, and even then I’d reconsider making it too complex, break the content down into bite sized pieces.

How much do online courses make?

According to data from Teachable, instructors that make an income with them earn an average of $5,000 selling their courses.

What is an alternative to an online marketplace?

The alternative to an online marketplace is investing in an online course building SaaS. These services typically provide a full set of tools for building and customizing your online school and sales funnel. Usually, you can host your e-course on their servers, while using your own domain name. Plus, many providers also offer marketing tools to boot!

What is digital learning?

Digital courses offer a convenient learning experience that students of all walks of life desire. Similarly, instructors can create content from the comfort of their own homes, sell it, and enjoy a passive stream of income – freeing up their time to do more.

Why use marketplaces?

They're easier to use: Marketplaces usually take care of your web hosting and domain name. You also won't have to spend as much time and effort marketing. Consequently, marketplaces are fab for selling e-course for the first time, if you're intimidated by other elements of running an online business.

What should each lesson push students further towards?

Each lesson should push students further towards reaching whatever the goal of your course is . For example, if your course aims to explain ‘how to launch a freelance writing business,' with every lesson that passes, your students should get a step closer to achieving this goal.

Who is Rosie Greaves?

Rosie Greaves is a professional content strategist who specializes in all things digital marketing, B2B, and lifestyle. In addition to e-commerce platforms, you can find her published on Reader's Digest, G2, and Judicious Inc. Check out her website Blog with Rosie for more information.

Is it cheaper to take an online course than in person?

Professionals and hobbyists alike are taking advantage of e-courses. Not only are they more convenient, but they're (usually) cheaper than in-person classes. Online courses are flexible, can typically be completed at your own pace, and often provide content that's easier to digest than traditional spoken lectures.

Step 1 – Clarify the Target Audience for Your Courses

If you haven’t done this already, or even if you have, take a step back and revisit exactly who you want to serve. Who are your ideal customers for your courses?

Step 2 – Decide on Your Theme and Goal

You'll see that the overall theme in our suggested curriculum related to both Customer Lifecycle Marketing and Keep Your Customers for Life is called Customer-Focused Marketing , so all the courses have some aspect of focusing on your customer in your marketing.

Step 3 – Identify Skill Gaps

Now that you know the theme and goal of your course curriculum, you need to pick the topics each course needs to cover.

Step 4 – Map Out the Timing

Your next step is to decide on the best way to spread out the delivery of the courses in your curriculum.

Step 5 – Decide How You'll Deliver Your Curriculum

There are a few ways to set up and deliver your curriculum, depending on what your ultimate business goals are and what your target audience prefers.

Need some ideas for what to put in your curriculum or continuity program?

Watch this video, where I went through 5 different ways to combine courses related to our Customer Lifecycle Marketing program (including the lead generation one I mentioned above):

Need more curriculum ideas?

We have a variety of programs packaged into suggested series in our Product Bundles category in our Shop:

What is the completion rate of online courses?

A study in the December 8 issue of Educause Review Online (ERO) by Harvard University researcher, Justin Reich, reveals that completion rates of online courses range, between 2 and 10 percent.

Why would someone buy a course?

The only reason someone would purchase a course is to solve a problem they are currently facing or if they believe it will improve their life in some way. Therefore, your first step is to identify their current pain-points.