Today more and more of our lives are conducted online whether this is for work, learning or leisure. Going online for such activities can often make them faster, easier and more cost effective. Online courses are one area which has boomed in recent years, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic and its aftereffects. Nowadays you can almost learn anything online from a language, coding, or painting to full university degrees. In 2021 alone 20 million people signed up for online courses, so their popularity does not seem to be decreasing. While online courses often make the learning process easier for the users, delivering one is not always simple. Keep reading for our guide on how to effortlessly deliver your online course.
Choose the right course
Before even thinking about how you will deliver your online course, think carefully about the course itself. You must make sure that you are very knowledgeable in your chosen subject, and it is probably also advantageous to have some sort of qualification or experience in this area to improve your reliability and quality of the content. You should have a genuine passion and interest in the course topic as this will not only keep you more dedicated, but your students will also feel this passion and be more engaged with your classes. Consider the course you chose from a business perspective too as it must be something that is in demand in order for you to fill your spaces and make a profit. Once you have nailed the course subject you can then think about the technology, like OTT technology, and how it will be delivered.
Create a structure
Creating an online course from scratch can seem like a daunting task but there are things you can do to make its delivery easier. Firstly, break down the subject into key sections so that you include all the most essential information and keep these in bite sized chunks which will be easy to deliver and for students to process. Of course, if students are paying for an online course, they want to feel like they are getting good value for money and learning something. In order to do this, create learning objectives and outcomes that the users can focus towards and achieve measurable goals. Your learners may have different styles of learning and work at different paces so it’s worth taking this into account when devising your structure also.
Use technology to your advantage
Today we have so many different forms of technology at our fingertips, and this makes delivering an online course much easier. Your online course could take shape in many different forms from videos and audio to text and downloadable. Video content is the most effective form of learning so, if possible, think about incorporating a live or pre-recorded element to keep students more engaged with your classes. You could also make these videos downloadable or record classes for the users to go back to. Encourage discussion and Q and A’s and encourage students to participate using their webcams and audio, you want your pupils to feel connected to a community even though they are learning virtually.
Delivering an online course is as much about the preparation as it is about the actual content. Do thorough research beforehand to ensure you have chosen the right topic for success. Create sections of learning goals to engage your pupils and let them set themselves goals and outcomes for the end of the course. Finally, utilise technology to your advantage, combine media techniques and keep things varied.
