how to write a great online course

by Dr. Alva Hackett 9 min read

12 Step-by-Step Points to Write Your First Online Course (Part I)
  • 1. Choose a Topic. Your first step in creating an online course is to choose a topic to teach. This should ideally be:
  • 2. Pick a Platform to Deliver.
  • 3. Write Your Course.
  • 4. Edit for Readability.
  • 5. Add Extras.

Share this article
  1. Pick the perfect course topic.
  2. Ensure your course idea has high market demand.
  3. Create Magnetic and Compelling Learning Outcomes.
  4. Select and Gather your Course Content.
  5. Structure Your Modules and Course Plan.
  6. Determine the most engaging and effective delivery methods for each lesson.
Sep 1, 2021

Full Answer

What are the best online writing courses?

Jul 02, 2021 · 12 Step-by-Step Points to Write Your First Online Course (Part I) 1. Choose a Topic. Your first step in creating an online course is to choose a topic to teach. ... If you are going to... 2. Pick a Platform to Deliver. There are many different platforms you can use – …

How to be successful in online writing courses?

How to write successful course descriptions. The description should run from 30 words to 120 words in length. Fewer than 30 is too sketchy. Too few words make the course look insubstantial and ... The description should be divided into two paragraphs if it …

How to create an awesome online course?

A course on writing: Have your students sit down and write for 5 minutes in a quick exercise (they’ll feel like they are tackling something, even if it isn’t ultimately a piece they keep or edit). 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.

How to start an online course?

Nov 05, 2019 · Writing your course description is a valuable exercise in online marketing. More than anything else, those well crafted 100-150 words will make the difference between moderate and excellent conversion rates from your landing page. Here are some tips on how to make your course description top-notch. Make it short and relevant

How do you write a good online course?

How to create an online courseChoose the right subject matter.Test your idea.Research the topic extensively.Write a course outline.Create the course content.Bring your course online.Sell your online course.Market your content.More items...•Jun 23, 2021

How do you structure an online course?

How to structure an online course?Develop a solid structure. ... Create a concept map of content. ... Group content into modules. ... Decide the nature of the course.Form a complete course outline. ... Create course learning outcomes. ... Plan the weekly schedule for learners. ... Conclusion.Jul 3, 2021

How do you write a good course?

The following are tips for writing a course description:The course description should be no longer than 100 words.Write from a student-centered perspective.Use present tense and active voice.Use clear and simple sentence structure and language.Use gender neutral language.More items...

How do you sell an online course?

Let's recap the nine essential steps for selling your online course:Choose a subject that sells. ... Create your online course. ... Choose where to host and sell your course. ... Decide how much you will charge. ... Increase the value (and price) of your course. ... Seed launch your online course. ... Market and sell your online course.More items...

What is included in an online course?

A good online course provides information such as readings or lecture videos, but also involves interactions between professor and students and between students and students. Interactions between professor and students may involve students receiving personalized feedback, support and guidance.Jun 10, 2020

What makes an online class Successful?

Persistence is perhaps the biggest key to success in online learning. Students who succeed are those who are willing to tolerate technical problems, seek help when needed, work daily on every class, and persist through challenges. When you run into a challenge, keep trying and ask for help.

How do you describe a course of study?

The term Course of Study refers to an integrated course prepared for academic studies. It is a series of courses that every student should complete before they progress to the next level of education. A usual course of study in high school involves classes in the core subject area.

How do you write an online course report?

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:Describe what report writing actually entails.Describe perfecting your writing style.Summarize using correct and consistent spelling and abbreviations.Demonstrate writing the report.Describe informal reports.Describe semi-formal reports.More items...

How to create an online training course?

To create effective online training, make sure you include all necessary elements to it: Clear introduction. Describe the course and its goals; explain why learners should complete it. User-friendly interface. Invite learners to start the course; navigate them through modules; provide support and communication.

What are the factors that influence emotions?

The study from the Wharton University of Pennsylvania specifies two factors eliciting positive emotions from consumers: personalization and visual content. And while you achieve the latter through video, infographics, charts, and eye-grabbing images, the former needs concrete language patterns to enhance emotions and affect attitude.

How do marketers influence consumer behavior?

Marketers influence consumer behavior by applying psychological aspects to business campaigns. The psychology behind colors, fonts, shapes, and words can be both good and bad for professionals influencing human emotions and affecting their actions helps you stand out as well as change the impact of your message negatively.

Should an online course have a strong information scent?

The content of your online course should have a strong information scent but avoid any signs of plagiarism. Don't overload it with calls-to-action, be sure you use paraphrasing right, and make content straightforward to communicate the idea.

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.

How long should a course description be?

Your job in writing a course description is much easier, since Where and When are in the logistics section, and the Who is irrelevant or a useless gesture (don’t write, “Everyone should take this course.”) Here are a few guidelines for the description: The description should run from 30 words to 120 words in length.

How many paragraphs should a course description be?

The description should be divided into two paragraphs if it is over 60 words. More than 60 words in one paragraph is too hard to read. The teacher biography or qualifications should not be mixed in with the course description. This information can be brief, and should appear at the end of the course description.

What is logistics in a class?

Logistics. Logistics include the teacher’s name, class location, day, length, cost, material fees, course number and other adjunct information. The course sponsor normally provides this information, although you should be aware of all information pertinent to your class. The course description.

What should a description focus on?

Your description should focus upon the content of the course or the learner, not upon the course itself or you as the teacher. To attract learners, the description should emphasize the benefits to the learner coming from either the results of attending the course or from the value of the subject matter itself.

How many words should a teacher's biography be?

Don’t use useless or meaningless sentences, such as “Time allowing we will discuss other areas.”. The teacher biography. The teacher biography should be 15 to 50 words in a separate paragraph underneath the course description. Some organizations run all of their teacher biographies at the end of the catalog.

What is batik art?

Batik is an age old art of fabric coloring using wax and dye. This workshop is open to beginning and advanced students. It covers preparation of cloth and dyes, some design principles and sources, effects of different wax techniques and mixtures, color theories related to the craft, and the various finishing methods.

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.

Make it short and relevant

The first thing to consider is its length. Since it is just a description it should not be as extensive as a blog post for example. Basically, you have to say a lot by using just a few words – not an easy task but not an impossible one either.

What will the subscribers learn?

Answering this question in the course description is paramount in increasing the number of enrollments. Strive to be as specific as you can.

Who is the instructor and how will the material be rendered?

The course creator is as important as the content itself. Say something about yourself in the course description – who you are, where your passion for a particular topic comes from, what your expertise on the subject is.

What language should you use?

Your aim is to get people engaged and interested. You won’t achieve that by writing something that reads like a dishwasher instruction manual. What you need is a story – the story of taking your course and the ‘happily-ever-after’ that is subsequent to it.

Additional tips for making your description stand out

Raluca Cristescu has over ten years of experience in corporate training, focused mainly on soft skills for customer service and direct sales.

image