One of the sectors that is most booming today is neither more nor less than that of online training courses. The concept is not new, far from it, and in the United States and the United Kingdom they have been working very well for many years now, now already in the process of maturity.
functional need
In this article, I will not talk about universities on-line, nor of approved training such as higher grades or professional modules, but much more specific courses on specific skills. Remotely approved training is another business model that plays in a completely different league.
The courses to which I refer are aimed at those people who want (or have the need) to learn a special skill, and No to get the title itself. What moves them is very different from the students who seek approved training.
In the case of the clients for whom I have developed an eLearning project, the profile of the person who teaches these courses is usually an individual expert in a specific subject, who, far from wanting to set up a school or look for work in one, what he wants is to offer distance training of their knowledge to those specific groups of users. It is not usually a person who has studied teaching, but rather an expert in his field, with the skills of a good trainer. It is a very good way to set up a small business. online taking advantage of your skills.
Time and space flexibility
The great strength of these eLearning courses is the total flexibility that they offer both to the one who teaches them and to the one who receives them.
The professor The team of trainers does not depend on a specific schedule in which they have to teach the classes, since they are not held at a specific time, since they are available 24 hours a day, whether they are notes in PDF, videos or audios. Obviously, you should not travel to teach them either, since the students receive it from their homes.
The pupil has exactly the same flexibility. You can study when it suits you best, whether it’s first thing in the morning or in the wee hours of the morning. It’s perfect to combine it with another job, occupation or hobby, and you only need an Internet connection.
Structure of the courses
Normally, eLearning courses are divided into several blocks, each one made up of several classes on specific topics. We can take for example the ones I teach:
These courses are taught in person, not online. But if I offered them virtually, each point would be a different class. So, in point 2.4 of the SEO course I would dedicate myself solely to talking about links to sections: What they are, their advantages, how to use them, etc. And it would be a self-contained lesson.
multimedia classes
Each of these classes can use the full range of multimedia possibilities that come with using the Internet as a learning platform. They can only be notes in the private student section, but they can be enriched in several ways:
- Notes in PDF so that the student can download and print at home
- Videos in which concepts are explained, or even demonstrated (very useful in manual skills courses).
- Records of audio in which the same content of the notes can be offered, or extra material (interviews, reviews, etc.).
- Tests or exams virtual ones in which the student can check if he has learned the concepts. They can even be used to decide if the student can move on to the next lesson if they have passed the grade we decide.
- Chats or video conferences in which, privately or in groups, trainers and students can comment on whatever is needed.
Business model
The business model of all the eLearning systems that I have developed for my clients is based on that of the subscription. In other words, the students sign up for my client’s website, and in exchange for a monthly fee, they can access that content.
The delivery system for this content already varies depending on each client, their needs, the nature of the courses offered, etc. But in most cases it is one of the following options:
- Full access: The student can access all the content from the moment they register. They tend to be courses in which it does not matter where to start, since the lessons do not depend on each other, that is, prior knowledge of the previous one is not necessary for the last lesson. Let’s take, for example, the case of a first aid course, where you don’t need to know how to stop bleeding if you haven’t read how to treat heat stroke.
- Access by merit: The student can access some initial content, and as they pass tests at the end of each lesson, they are granted access to more content. For example, a nutrition course, in which you can’t talk about diets if you don’t know the basic macronutrients. As the student demonstrates her knowledge, she can move from class to class.
- Chronological access: The student accesses initial content, and as the weeks go by, additional content is delivered. It opts for this solution instead of the “Merit Access” solution in cases where the student may become overwhelmed if they try to learn too quickly. Sometimes it’s better to let him digest the concepts, or put them into practice. For example, a course to lose weight or stop smoking, in which each week they indicate the theory of what you should put into practice during the week.
There is even the possibility of combining them with each other, or offering the content in one way or another depending on the type of subscription that is chosen. For example, you can create the profile of “Basic Student” who can only access a certain part of the content, on the contrary of the “Deluxe Student” who can access all the content. You can even create a “Premium Student” who has special access to a private chat with the teacher, special videos, or even private video conferences.
technology to power
We come to the million dollar question. How to assemble all this? What a few years ago could be a project of hundreds of thousands of euros (millions of pesetas)Today it can be achieved with investments starting at €1,000. Obviously it will depend on the level of customization that you want to give to the project, and the number of possibilities that you want. That is why a project is so important.
There are several technological solutions. software like , WP Courseware, Premise, MemberPress, PaidMemberships PRO, etc. They allow us to set up a framework on WordPress for eLearning on which to develop our project, upload content and create a subscription system. There is no specific winner, nor a combination of them, because everything will depend on each project. All the variables must be assessed, clearly marking the objectives, the technical requirements, the business model… that is, .
If you are interested in setting up an eLearning project, but you don’t know where to start, let’s talk about it. All you need is to know a lot about a subject, and want to create your own online course website. Don’t worry about the rest 😉
And if you are interested in buying the best online training plugin for WordPress with technical support in Spanish, at 50% and with the possibility of installation. You can not ask for more, gentlemen! 🙂
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