7 Signs Your eLearning Course Needs a Revamp

1. Is the content still accurate?

The content of your eLearning course is vital, if it’s filled with facts and statistics they need to be up to date. You wouldn’t do a presentation using information from the last decade so why would you have your learner do a course with outdated information? Making sure everything is current within the course means that the learner is not only getting the most relevant information but also that course will be worthwhile, for them and for your business. Remember, often the learner is on the front line of the business representing your company, so you want them to have the knowledge and confidence to be the best they can be.

2. Is your learners behaviour not changing?

Is your course is being completed but doesn’t seem to be making an impact? This is a clear sign that your eLearning just isn’t engaging. The whole point of eLearning is to provide an easy learning environment for the learner, provide information and also the tools to do their job confidently. It may be a course that is required for compliance or it might be a course that will benefit the learner and the business but if you aren’t seeing results it’s time to ask why.

3. Is the style still consistent with your company branding?

Have you had a re-branding, with new logos and images?. Does your course reflect these changes? If your course hasn’t been updated for some time, there is a good chance that it doesn’t match the current business identity. Being consistent is important because that helps the learner to focus on the content without wondering whether this is the right course.

4. Are your completion rates low?

Are learners starting your course but not finishing it? This could be for numerous reasons: technology issues, no management support, the course is too time consuming, or difficult. Understanding the needs of the learner and also your business is key to creating a successful course.

5. Can learners apply information to the real world?

Incorporating real world connections into a course helps learners understand that what they are learning is useful beyond the course. By connecting the learner to realistic scenarios, you are giving them the ability to recreate or mirror their work environment, which enables them to apply their new skills quicker. If your current course focuses purely on information then it might be time to see how you can incorporate real life scenarios. It doesn’t have to something complicated, it can be as simple as creating a story based on a real-world case study. Remember that an eLearning course is a risk free environment; learners can practice without impacting their co-workers or customers. Real-world scenarios also help keep the learner engaged, making it more likely they will complete the course.

6. Check your feedback

Have you gotten feedback that a course is hard to use, takes too long, doesn’t work correctly or is boring? You need to take this feedback seriously because  if your learners are finding a course hard to manage they won’t take in all the information they need to learn, or worse still, they won’t complete it. So if the feedback you’re getting isn't great, it’s time for a change.

7. Consider technology

How do your learners expect to access your content? There is no point having an all singing all dancing course only available on a desk top PC if 80% of your learners want to access it on their mobile device. If your course was built 6 years ago and hasn’t been updated since, there is a strong chance that accessibility will not be as good as it could be. Thinking about the learners needs and also value for money, going forward you want your course to be robust and able to deal with any minor technological changes that come in the next few years.