Bespoke vs Ready-made learning content - What is right for you?

What are ready-made eLearning courses?

Ready-made eLearning content is generic and tends to work best when everyone in your organisation, or team, has similar training needs, for instance, when a universal foundation of knowledge is required. There is a wide range of content available on a variety of topics, such as essential health and safety training, product training on equipment or machinery use (off-the shelf solutions), as well as range of soft skills courses e.g. cultural awareness.

Modules can be deployed rapidly, with access available almost immediately after purchase, so you can get up and running quickly.

If you’re happy with generic content and your budget is limited, then off-the-shelf eLearning modules may be the best option for you.

What is bespoke online training?

If your learning needs are unique, bespoke online training will suit you better – since it will be specifically designed to suit your organisation’s needs.

Conducting the necessary research, together with the instructional design and graphic design work required to create bespoke content will take time and may be more expensive. However, as trainers or learning designers tend to build bespoke modules around your organisation’s culture, brand, and people, the benefits will make this a worthwhile investment. Bespoke content can also be updated more easily if necessary.

A good example of how bespoke eLearning could help your organisation is the project we recently worked on with NES. Opting for bespoke content meant they were easily able to reach and deliver highly-effective training to the relevant audience in an engaging way, helping the workforce develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to ensure they deliver appropriate care effectively.

What would work for you?

Ultimately, the decision between ready-made and customised eLearning comes down to your specific needs and requirements and it's important to weigh up all of the above factors before making a decision.

If you're not sure which way to go, why not get in touch and ask one of our eLearning experts. We’ve been helping companies for over 25 years develop eLearning solutions that work for them.