Why now is the best time to create an eLearning course
If you’ve ever taken an online course, the chances are that 2020 was the year you did it. The number of people taking online eLearning courses increased massively throughout the first half of the year, with some course providers reporting increases in enrolment of up to 928%.
These numbers shouldn’t be surprising – as more people stayed indoors during international pandemic lockdowns, and fears of mass unemployment rose, people, the world over have taken it upon themselves to reskill or upskill by taking an eLearning.
eLearning localisation
What many people are neglecting to realise, however, is that this increase has been global, meaning that eLearning courses need to be available in a variety of languages in order to satisfy demand. Despite the global nature of the eLearning industry, many online courses are in English only – without subtitles, dubbing, or any other kind of eLearning localisation.
At Global Lingo, we’re able to provide localisation for eLearning courses in a huge number of languages, on any subject, making your lessons accessible to everyone!
What are eLearning courses?
eLearning courses take many forms, from online demonstrations and step-by-step guides, to videos or even audio files. People use eLearning courses to learn business management, marketing, a new language and creative skills such as painting, or baking.
These kinds of online courses usually charge a fee, but many businesses also offer free eLearning courses and there are benefits to creating both free and paid-for online courses.
Whether you wish to charge a fee for your online course or not, it’s important that everyone who enrols for your lessons is able to extract value from them. If your eLearning course is not provided in your clients’ native languages – either through subtitles or voice overs – you may end up alienating them.
Why create eLearning courses?
The benefits of creating an online course are numerous. By diversifying your company’s offering via a fee-paying eLearning course, you provide an extra source of income to the business – something that doesn’t go unnoticed in such uncertain times.
Even if you create a free online course for your clients or online audience, you’ll position yourself as a thought-leader in your industry, thus building trust with your clients and driving new business to your company.
What’s more, by creating an online eLearning course, you may well increase your own knowledge of the subject matter and in doing so, enhance your own expertise. Your clients will also be grateful that you are sharing this newfound expertise with them.
How to create an eLearning course
The method you choose to create your online course will depend on the delivery method, content and possibly the audience you’ve chosen for your online course.
If you’re creating an eLearning course that involves workbooks, reading and PDFs, then an email-based online course is probably right for you.
Email-based eLearning courses are the perfect choice for free online courses too, as they can easily be shared and forwarded by those who have signed up, thus exponentially increasing the number of people you reach with your lessons.
If you are sending your eLearning course material to clients via email, you will want to make sure that your clients’ different localisation needs have been catered for. A good idea is to verify language upon subscription, and then send a professionally translated version of your course content to each user.
Video
Another great option for free online course providers is publishing individual lessons to YouTube or another similar video hosting service. You can create a playlist of lessons for people to follow at their own pace.
Video is the perfect format for eLearning courses as it allows you to humanise your lessons and keep your audience engaged with the learning experience. Don’t forget to make sure your videos are accessible in various languages by providing subtitles or voice overs in multiple languages.
eLearning Platforms
If you want to charge a fee for your online course, and want it to have a more formal structure, built-for-purpose eLearning platforms such as Teachable are the way to go. These platforms let you host video lessons, online workbooks, downloadable resources and more.
You will have to pay a fee to host lessons on these kinds of platforms, so you will have to make sure the fee your charge your clients (or students) covers the cost of the platform.
These eLearning platforms are a great option for anyone looking to create a localised eLearning course in multiple languages.
Why create an eLearning course now?
With the global eLearning market set to reach $300bn by 2025, people who create online courses today will no doubt benefit in the future, as the revenue in the eLearning industry increases.
2020 is a great time to begin creating your eLearning course, particularly as many people have been given stimulus cheques or furlough pay from their governments during lockdown, and are at home with available time and money to put into training and reskilling.
Online courses are a great way to increase your business’ revenue this year, especially if your online course focuses on subjects and skills that will be in demand in the post-coronavirus economy – e-commerce being one that instantly springs to mind. As people around the world look to change the way the industry, they work in operates, online courses can help them do that.
International eLearning courses
Of course, if you want to reach the biggest possible audience, then you’ll need to localise your eLearning. With the vast majority of online courses available only in English, translating your eLearning course will give you the edge in what could become a saturated market.
At Global Lingo, our specialised Learning & Development team will work with you to ensure your new eLearning course is accessible to everyone. Our specialists are experts in the learning and training space, so we’re able to make sure that your clients get the most out of your new eLearning experience – no matter their preferred language.
The global pandemic has affected every single country in the world, making now the perfect time for your multilingual eLearning course.
Get in touch for more information.