The success of an eLearning program is largely dependent on the quality of course content and how it is delivered. If the content is not up to the expectations of the learners, the course will likely have low engagement in most modules along with a low completion rate. Hence, course creation takes center stage when aiming for the success of a course or eLearning program.

Building a course that meets the learners where they are and grabs their attention through the entire course is not an easy feat. It tests the skills of course authors to the fullest, requiring them to put their best effort into the content they put together for the course.

Being aware of online learners’ needs can help formulate the right type of content. These, together with the content creation pain points, when mitigated can ensure the success of a course, training program, and/or even the success of an eLearning platform.

In this post, we will be talking about the 5 main pain points of content creation and how to overcome them for success. Let’s get started.

5 Content Creation Pain Points

Is the Content Engaging?

Learner engagement is key when it comes to delivering a successful course. However, ensuring engagement is not easy. In online learning, there are countless distractions – your smart device on which you take the course being the biggest one of all. This leads to a low retention rate powered by disinterest in the course.

Overcoming this pain point requires a deep understanding of instructional design practices and the needs of your target audience. One way of making the content engaging is to ensure there’s variety in the modes of learning. Using documents, videos, simulations, quizzes, assignments, etc. can ensure interactivity while allowing learners to learn in different ways. Add class discussions and team activities to help further boost engagement and course completion rates. 

Is the Content Relevant?

With continuous development happening across the globe and in all industries, it becomes a necessity to keep the course content up to date. New research and findings drop in on various aspects of life every day which makes it a challenge to ensure the course content you’ve put together is still relevant. After all, outdated content can render courses obsolete.

Let’s take the example of a course on The A to Z of Google Ads.

Now we know that Google as an ads platform constantly changes its ads mechanism, algorithm, target audience, etc. Even their ads dashboard gets revamped now and then. In such a situation where your course is entirely focused on making the most of a platform and the platform changes its dynamics, you will have to revisit your course content, update the information, and change videos or images. Otherwise, your learners will end up with outdated information that will disappoint them once they try to put their knowledge to work. 

And it’s not just this. The needs of learners are also constantly evolving which makes it important to add relevant content to the courses frequently. To ensure your content is always up to date, build a review system based on industry trends and learner feedback. You can go one step further and collaborate with subject matter experts to get your content cross-checked for accuracy and relevance.

Are There Any Accessibility and Inclusivity Issues?

eLearning has made it easy for people with special needs to get an education without any limitations. It has also led to borderless classrooms where geographic boundaries disappear and people from diverse backgrounds and regions can learn with ease. Hence, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity are crucial for the success of any eLearning platform.

Accessibility guidelines such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) can help in creating courses that are inclusive and accessible. From ensuring compatibility with various screen sizes and qualities to keyboard navigation and other accessibility-related assistive technologies, such guidelines come in handy for the development of successful courses.  

For example, if you have images in your course, you can add alternative text that describes what the image is about. For people with reading disabilities, this can be very helpful as they can learn about them when hearing the course content.

Content is the King

Content creation surely comes with its challenges and can be a time-consuming task. However, the content you put together can change the lives of people for the better. When putting together a course, keep in mind that your words have the power to upskill the learner and help them achieve their goals.

By taking proactive steps, the challenges you face while creating courses can be mitigated with ease. Keep learner engagement, relevance of your content, and accessibility and inclusiveness of the content as your guiding principles to ensure the delivery of impactful content.

And don’t forget to continuously improve your content continuously, even after publishing your course because the fast-paced world of today will make your yesterday’s content irrelevant!

Don’t Feel Overwhelmed…

You can always get help from professional content developers, not just for course authoring but also for course designing. Edly specializes in instructional design and course authoring services with an in-house team of professionals who have delivered successful courses for global organizations. Talk to us, we will sort it all out for you! Or check out our free trial!