Creating eLearning courses can be challenging if you have no prior experience. However, using the right tools and approach can significantly minimize the time and effort required.
In this guide, I’ll disclose all the best practices and tips you can use to launch an engaging and successful course in no time.
eLearning vs online course: How are they different?
Both terms “Online course” and “eLearning course” are often used interchangeably and technically speaking they are the same. However, there are a few differences, and the name “eLearning” actually gives it away; Unlike regular online courses, the emphasis is more on learning and what students gain, rather than just the process itself.
Does it seem complicated? Let me simplify it: To put it plainly, the primary goal of an online course is often revenue generation through registrations. Whether students complete the course or actually learn something from it is up to them. And the teacher’s success is measured based on sales and registrants.
In eLearning courses, however, students completing learning objectives and succeeding in acquiring new skills or knowledge are usually the main measures of success. That’s why creating the latter is more challenging.
eLearning has to be engaging, gamified, and challenging, and communication needs to go both ways. Online courses can be a series of videos that users can watch or not. That’s why eLearning is usually used more in professional environments. However,eLearning tends to be less synchronous than online training, it offers more flexibility and focuses on learner autonomy.
The table below summarizes the key differences:
Aspect | Online Course | eLearning Course |
---|---|---|
Primary Goal | Revenue generation through registrations. | Achieving learning objectives and skill acquisition. |
Measure of Success | Sales and number of registrants. | Learner progress, knowledge retention, and course completion. |
Content Format | Can be a series of videos, often with minimal interaction. | Engaging, interactive, and gamified, with two-way communication. |
Common Usage | General or hobby-based courses. | Used more in professional or corporate training environments. |
Focus | The process and enrollment numbers. | The learner’s outcome and overall growth. |
How to plan and prepare for eLearning courses
Starting without a clear plan and objectives is a huge mistake many instructors and course creators fall for. Before creating the course content, you should have a clear idea of your direction and what type of information you want to relay to students to help them achieve their learning objective. So here’s how to start planning your eLearning course.
1. Identify stakeholders
eLearning courses are usually created in professional environments like workplaces and universities, so students aren’t the only stakeholders. It can be managers who want their employees trained in specific skills, HR departments aiming for compliance training, or educational institutions introducing new learning modules.
Understanding the expectations and needs of all stakeholders ensures your course is relevant, practical, and goal-oriented.
In workplace settings, consider collaborating with learning and development (L&D) and resorting to Employee-Generated Learning (EGL) to create eLearning content. EGL empowers employees to contribute their expertise and experiences to the learning content.
This approach enhances the relevance of the course content, meets business needs, and fosters a sense of ownership among employees.
For example, a sales team might collaborate to create a module on effective pitching techniques based on real-world scenarios they’ve encountered. This makes the content more practical and relatable and builds a culture of shared knowledge within the organization.
At the same time, take a deep dive into understanding your target audience—your learners. What are their pain points? What challenges are they facing? What motivates them to learn? Incorporating insights from employees through EGL can help uncover these challenges more effectively. For instance, employees can share specific examples of obstacles they’ve faced in their roles, allowing you to design content for training programs that directly address those issues.
This audience-centric approach ensures your course resonates with learners and provides actionable solutions to their problems.
By combining stakeholder expectations, learner insights, and employee-generated content, you create a course that is engaging, practical, and closely aligned with organizational goals.
Remember, a course tailored to its audience and enriched by the voices of employees is far more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.
2. Define learning objectives
Once you’ve identified your stakeholders and audience, focus on what you want your students to achieve. Any learning objective you set for students should be crystal clear and measurable. This lays the foundation for a well-structured course. Therefore, using the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—ensures that your learning objectives are effective and actionable.
For instance, instead of a vague goal like “understand marketing basics,” a SMART objective would look like: “Develop a successful SEO plan to increase website traffic by 30% within three months.”
This level of detail provides clear direction for both the online course creator and the learner, making it easier to track progress and evaluate success.
Ensuring that the course objectives align with your organization’s overall training strategy is equally important.
For example, if your company is focused on improving customer retention, your course objectives should contribute directly to that goal, such as “Train team members to implement customer feedback loops to improve satisfaction rates by Q2.” This alignment not only reinforces the value of the training program but also ensures buy-in from key stakeholders.
If you’re struggling to articulate specific objectives, consider using a learning objective maker. These tools guide course authors in defining precise, actionable goals by providing templates and prompts. They simplify the process of crafting objectives that are tailored to your audience.
For example, a learning objective maker might guide you to frame a goal like, “By the end of this module, learners will be able to analyze customer data to identify trends and craft targeted marketing campaigns.”
By combining SMART goals, organizational alignment, and tools to refine your objectives, you’ll create a solid roadmap for success. This approach ensures your course is not only structured and effective but also engaging and results-driven. Once your objectives are defined, you can transition seamlessly into designing content that captivates and motivates your learners.
3. Choose the right format
Deciding how to deliver your eLearning content is crucial for ensuring engagement and knowledge retention. Will your course feature interactive modules, quizzes, videos, online sessions, case studies, or a mix of these elements?
The format should be guided by your audience’s preferences, the complexity of the subject matter, and objectives or training goals. Professional audiences often benefit from scenario-based learning, while younger or more general audiences may respond better to gamification and multimedia elements.
One of the most effective ways to enhance your course format is to use visuals and multimedia strategically. High-quality images, videos, and animations can transform your content from static and text-heavy to dynamic and engaging.
For example, using a simple infographic to explain a complex process can make it easier for learners to understand and retain information. Similarly, videos and animations are ideal for illustrating abstract concepts that might be challenging to explain with text alone.
To maximize the impact of your visuals and multimedia:
- Incorporate high-quality visuals: Invest in professional-grade images, diagrams, or stock photography that enhances your course or training content. Avoid low-quality or generic visuals that might distract students.
- Use multimedia for complex concepts: For topics like engineering principles, software demonstrations, or medical procedures, animations or video tutorials can bring the content to life. Tools like Camtasia or ScreenFlow can help you create video tutorials that guide learners step by step.
- Ensure accessibility and compatibility: Visuals and multimedia should be accessible to all learners. Use captions, transcripts, and alternative text for images to accommodate learners with disabilities. Test your content on various devices and browsers to ensure a seamless experience for every user.
- Leverage interactive elements: Add multimedia quizzes or clickable graphics to engage learners and encourage participation. For instance, a drag-and-drop activity can make learning feel more hands-on and fun.
The right format keeps learners engaged and ensures information retention, but it also requires the right tools to support your vision. Platforms like GetResponse, Articulate Storyline, or Adobe Captivate provide advanced multimedia capabilities for course creators. If you’re working with limited resources, free tools like Canva for designing visuals or OBS Studio for recording videos can still produce high-quality results.
Effectively incorporating visuals and multimedia can captivate your audience, ensure that your content resonates, and deliver measurable learning outcomes.
4. Choose the right tools
Having the right tool can help you create eLearning content effortlessly. The right tool can simplify the process, save time, and offer the flexibility to include engaging elements catering to your audience’s needs.
Most organizations use an LMS combined with an eLearning authoring tool or course builder to benefit from the strengths of both.
Check out these articles that cover the best free and paid tools to build you online course:
Start by selecting an authoring tool that meets your specific needs and fits within your budget. Tools vary widely in terms of pricing and features, so it’s important to evaluate what you require for your course.
For example, if your course includes multimedia elements, quizzes, or gamified content, ensure the tool you choose has robust support for those features.
One excellent option is GetResponse’s Course Builder. It’s packed with features to help you build, launch, and manage multiple courses with ease., including:
- Webinars: Integrate live or pre-recorded webinars to make your courses more interactive and engaging.
- AI-Powered Course Creation: Use AI to streamline the course creation process and generate content ideas effortlessly.
- Support for Videos and Quizzes: Add dynamic videos and interactive quizzes to keep your learners engaged and test their knowledge effectively.
- Custom Certificates: Motivate learners by offering personalized certificates upon course completion.
- PDFs and Audio Files: Provide additional resources and downloadable materials to enhance the experience.
With GetResponse, you can access an all-in-one solution covering every eLearning aspect, from content creation to delivery and student engagement. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive tools make it an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned course creators.
The right tool doesn’t just make your job easier—it ensures that your course stands out, delivers value, and keeps learners coming back for more.
5. Map out a course blueprint
A solid blueprint ensures your content is well-organized, easy to follow, and aligned with the students’ objectives. Begin by breaking your content into modules, lessons, or sections. Each module should focus on one specific topic or skill, building upon the previous one to ensure a smooth and logical learning curve.
For example, if you’re creating a course on digital marketing, your modules might look like this:
- Module 1: Understanding the Basics of Digital Marketing
- Module 2: SEO and Content Marketing Essentials
- Module 3: Social Media Marketing Strategies
- Module 4: Analyzing Campaign Performance
This modular structure helps learners navigate the course with ease and ensures they are progressively building their knowledge and skills. It also keeps you, as the creator, organized and on track.
To make your online courses even more engaging and memorable, create a compelling storyline that aligns with your objectives and resonates with your target audience. A narrative approach transforms dry, information-heavy content into an immersive experience.
For instance, instead of presenting SEO strategies as a list of tips, you could weave them into a storyline where learners play the role of a digital marketing consultant tasked with improving a struggling company’s online presence.
Adding interactive elements like quizzes, games, or decision-making scenarios within your modules can also help break up content and sustain learners’ interest. These elements make the course dynamic and encourage active participation, leading to better knowledge retention. For example:
- Include a quiz at the end of each module to reinforce key concepts.
- Add a game-like scenario where learners must apply social media marketing strategies to build a brand’s following.
To ensure your course flows logically, consider using a detailed course outline during the planning phase.
The outline acts as a roadmap, organizing your content into a cohesive structure. It ensures that all topics are covered in the correct sequence and aligns the storyline with your objectives.
Here’s an example of how a course outline might look for the earlier digital marketing course:
- Introduction
- Overview of digital marketing
- Why digital marketing matters today
- Module 1: Understanding the Basics of Digital Marketing
- Core concepts, KPIs, and terms
- Different channels and their applications
- Module 2: SEO and Content Marketing Essentials
- How search engines work
- Writing content that ranks
- Module 3: Social Media Marketing Strategies
- Building an audience on key platforms
- Best practices for paid campaigns
- Module 4: Analyzing Campaign Performance
- Key metrics to track
- Tools and techniques for analysis
By creating a well-structured blueprint with an engaging storyline, interactive elements, and a clear course outline, you create a course that is educational, captivating, and memorable for your learners. This approach ensures that your eLearning courses deliver on their promise to achieve the desired learning outcomes.
Some authoring tools, LMSs, and course builders, such as GetResponse and Teachable, can help you generate course modules and curriculums with AI.
Check our guide on how to create an online course in 9 easy steps
6. Set a timeline
Set a realistic timeline for both the creation and completion of the course. If your course is aimed at busy professionals, consider creating bite-sized lessons they can complete during short breaks. A timeline also applies to you as the course creator—plan milestones for content creation, review, and final launch to stay organized and avoid delays.
By carefully planning and preparing, you can create an online course that meets stakeholder expectations, engages learners, and achieves its objectives.
With a solid roadmap in hand, you’re ready to move on to the next step: creating compelling content.
Publish and deliver your course
Once you’ve created your online course, the next step is to publish and deliver it effectively. A great course won’t achieve its goals if learners can’t access it easily or if it doesn’t perform well on their devices. Here are some best practices for publishing and delivering your course:
Publish in multiple formats
To maximize compatibility, publish your eLearning course in widely accepted formats such as SCORM, xAPI, or HTML5.
SCORM and xAPI are industry standards for online course, allowing seamless integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS). A SCORM-compliant authoring tool allows learners’ progress and results to be tracked when published to an LMS.
HTML5, on the other hand, ensures your course is mobile-friendly and accessible across all devices and browsers.
Use a course-building platform
Delivering and tracking your eLearning course is much easier with a learning management system LMS or a course builder. Platforms like Moodle, Canvas, or TalentLMS allow you to organize content, enroll learners, and monitor their progress. An LMS also offers detailed analytics, so you can identify areas for improvement in your course and track learner success rates.
If you’re creating a course for external learners or planning to monetize it, platforms like GetResponse and iSpring Market are ideal. They enable you to sell courses directly while providing built-in tools for managing payments, learners, and course delivery.
GetResponse’s AI Course Builder makes it easy to create, publish, and promote your course from a single platform. This tool allows you to
- Design professional courses with AI.
- Include multimedia elements such as videos, PDFs, quizzes, and audio files.
- Create customized landing pages.
- Integrate email marketing to attract and nurture learners.
- Monetize your courses with built-in payment integration.
Ensure responsiveness & accessibility
Accessibility is a crucial aspect of eLearning course creation. Ensuring your content is accessible allows all learners, regardless of abilities or devices, to engage with the material fully. Here’s how you can create accessible and inclusive learning content.
Make sure the content is responsive
Learners will access your course on various devices, such as desktops, tablets, or smartphones. Your content must adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations. Testing your course on multiple browsers and devices is essential to ensure it functions properly everywhere.
GetResponse, for example, offers a mobile app that allows students to progress through their courses seamlessly.
Additionally, using responsive design principles guarantees that multimedia elements like videos and graphics remain interactive and engaging, regardless of the platform.
Follow accessibility guidelines
Incorporating accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) ensures your course caters to learners with different needs. Key practices include:
- Adding text alternatives (alt text) for images.
- Using captions and transcripts for video or audio.
- Ensuring sufficient color contrast between text and background.
- Enabling keyboard-only navigation for those with limited mobility.
These small adjustments make a significant difference in making your course inclusive for all learners, including those with disabilities.
Modern tools can simplify the process of designing accessible eLearning courses. For instance, GetResponse offers built-in support for creating accessible content. Similarly, tools like Camtasia or Adobe Captivate make adding captions, transcripts, and descriptions to videos and audio elements easy.
Create inclusive and bias-free content
Accessibility is more than meeting technical standards—it’s about ensuring your content reflects diverse perspectives and avoids unintentional bias. Use examples, case studies, and scenarios that include individuals from various backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. This helps learners feel represented and makes your course more relatable.
By focusing on these areas, your eLearning course will be accessible, inclusive, and equipped to serve a diverse range of learners effectively.
Focus on user-centered design
User-centered design puts the learner at the heart of your eLearning experience. This means designing every element—layouts, navigation, and interactions—with the user’s preferences and behaviors in mind. Clear, intuitive navigation is key to minimizing confusion and frustration, allowing learners to focus entirely on the material.
For example, avoid overwhelming learners with too many choices on one screen. Instead, organize content into digestible sections with clear labels and logical progression. Simple navigation menus and consistent icons across modules make the learning journey smoother.
Balance aesthetics with functionality
While aesthetics are important, they should never compromise usability. Striking the right balance between a beautiful design and an intuitive interface ensures your learners can navigate the course effortlessly while staying engaged.
By applying UI/UX best practices, you create a course that not only educates but also delivers a seamless and enjoyable learning experience.
Maintain consistency in branding and visual design
Consistency is critical for building trust and ensuring a cohesive learning experience. Use the same color scheme, font styles, and branding elements throughout your course. Whether it’s a logo in the corner of every slide or a consistent tone of voice, these details reinforce your organization’s identity while making the course feel polished and professional.
Launch and evaluate your eLearning course
The launch of your eLearning course is a pivotal moment, but your work doesn’t stop there. Continuous evaluation is essential to ensure your course remains effective and engaging over time. Gathering and utilizing feedback plays a crucial role in refining your course and delivering value to your learners.
Collect feedback from learners
The most reliable source of insight into your course’s effectiveness is your learners.
Actively seek their feedback to understand their experiences, identify pain points, and assess whether the course is meeting its learning objectives. Use surveys, polls, or built-in course feedback forms to ask targeted questions such as:
- Was the course material clear and easy to understand?
- Did the course meet your expectations and learning goals?
- Were there any topics you found confusing or difficult?
Encourage learners to share their thoughts openly and let them know their feedback is valued. Detailed responses provide more actionable insights.
Identify areas for improvement
Feedback helps pinpoint areas of the course that may need improvement. For example, if learners report confusion about a particular module, consider revising the content, adding visuals, or breaking it into smaller, digestible sections. Similarly, if engagement drops midway through the course, this could signal a need for more interactive or gamified elements.
Analyzing learner progress data, such as completion rates and quiz scores, can also highlight trends. For instance, low quiz scores in a specific section may indicate that the content needs to be explained more thoroughly or presented differently.
Use tools to streamline feedback collection
Some tools can simplify the process of collecting and analyzing feedback. These platforms allow you to embed feedback forms directly into your course, track learner progress, and review detailed analytics. With such tools, you can monitor trends like drop-off rates or time spent on each module, giving you actionable data to guide course improvements.
Ensure feedback is constructive and actionable
Not all feedback is created equal. Focus on collecting constructive and actionable feedback that provides clear direction for improvement. Instead of asking broad questions like, “Did you like the course?” frame your questions to elicit specific suggestions, such as:
- “Which part of the course was the most engaging, and why?”
- “What could be added to improve your understanding of the material?”
Encourage learners to point out specific challenges they faced or features they appreciated, as this will help you make targeted updates.
Make data-driven decisions
Combine learner feedback with data analytics to make informed decisions about your course updates. For example:
- If analytics show a high dropout rate in a particular module, redesign that section to make it more engaging or relevant.
- If learners request more examples or case studies, add those to enhance their understanding of key concepts.
- If you see that the number of enrollments is pretty low compared to views, try optimizing the title and description and add a good course preview.
By continuously gathering and analyzing feedback, you can adapt your content to better meet the needs of your audience. This ongoing process ensures that your course stays relevant, effective, and engaging, delivering long-term value to both learners and stakeholders.
Conclusion
Creating and launching an engaging eLearning course doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. By carefully planning your course, understanding your audience, and using the right tools, like GetResponse, you can deliver an effective, accessible, and enjoyable learning experience.
This guide has covered essential steps: from defining clear learning objectives and designing engaging content to applying UI/UX best practices and ensuring accessibility. Publishing your course with the proper formats, platforms, and tools ensures a seamless experience for learners while enabling you to track performance and continuously improve your offering.
Remember, the journey of an eLearning course doesn’t end at launch. Gathering constructive feedback, measuring success through key metrics, and making data-driven improvements are essential to keeping your course relevant and impactful.
With the right mindset, approach, and tools, you can launch a successful eLearning course that stands out and delivers measurable results for learners and organizations alike.