Embarking on an online course can be an exciting decision for some or a daunting step for others. It is however possible to avoid getting overwhelmed by following a methodical approach. So, let’s talk about ours, beginning with the preliminary evaluation phase.

Let’s Start at the Beginning!

Before undertaking anything, build solid foundations

It’s tempting to quickly jot down ideas for your e-learning course on paper and jump right into design mode. However, creating an effective and engaging online course means following several key steps to ensure the desired effect on your learners.

Needs

Let’s first clarify your needs. Why is this training necessary? It’s crucial to identify the specific problem we’re attempting to solve with the creation of a learning path. This helps you better understand why you want your staff or organization members to take this course, offering more refined insights into the contents to highlight.

Context

Now, let’s consider the environment in which the user experience will take place. Here, we’ll specify the LMS (Learning Management System) and user interface technologies, as well as identify what motivates or discourages your audience. Just like detectives, we want to know everything (existing training, specific needs, etc.) because this information will impact decisions related to the scripting, design, and integration of your content.

Personas

You know best about your target audience (and no, personas don’t represent the characters in your course, but rather your learners). This phase is essential to ensure the final product aligns with their mindset, technological habits, and socio-professional criteria. Not expecting your audience to be highly motivated? That’s not a problem! In fact, our teams need to know this to create an interface that will overcome this challenge.

Objectives

Once the preliminary analysis is completed, let’s move on to the outcomes you want to achieve. This exercise becomes easier when the target and environment are clearly defined, even if there are nuances and subtleties. The information you’ll provide helps our instructional designers define your learning objectives. This multi-faceted approach allows us to design a course that truly reflects your needs!

Creative Ideas That Come from You!

We’ve noticed that our clients are more comfortable brainstorming when they have a clear direction, which is what we aim to provide with the preliminary analysis! So, at the risk of repeating ourselves, yes, taking the time to lay the foundation of your course is the best way to ensure success in this exciting journey.

Now that we’ve cleared up the concept of preliminary analysis, we invite you to select the members who could make up your internal team. To this panel representative, we recommend including training specialists, content experts, as well as end users. This is undoubtedly the winning trio for a successful training course!