One of the most important aspects of any form of training is that it should be learner-centric.
One way through which learner-centricity is ensured is through the development and delivery of custom eLearning design solutions. This is accomplished by utilizing the proper authoring tools, learning principles, and instructional design methodologies. But the real question is, how do you choose the best custom eLearning design tool when there are so many options available and the eLearning market is crowded with vendors? We’ve got you covered, so you don’t have to worry about this.
Here are the eight things you should keep in mind while selecting a custom eLearning design tool.
Make sure your tool allows you to easily align your courses to your specific business goals.
We are well conscious of the fact that for an online training program to be successful, courses must be created in such a way that every element, from learning criteria to instructional strategy, is in line with the objectives of the company.
The eLearning course should perhaps take into account the demands of the learners, whether those needs be for an easy interface, a wide range of personalization, or flexibility in picking a learning path. Due to their one-size-fits-all nature, off-the-shelf courses have a hard time satisfying these requirements.
However, with custom eLearning design tools, you can design and create eLearning courses that are specifically tailored to meet your needs and use a podcast hosting platform as well.
Keep in mind the various forms of delivery methods it offers.
All types of devices must be able to access a suitable eLearning course. To accomplish this, a responsive design should be supported by your eLearning course authoring tool. You should therefore choose a custom eLearning design tool that provides a preview feature that allows you to see how the content will look on various platforms.
To generate responsive materials that can automatically adjust the content to meet multiple screen widths, you should choose tools that allow it.
The tool should enable scaling of the content.
It is important to note that your custom eLearning tool should enable you to scale up the quality of resources by adding new features when you want to enhance a course or add additional features. With the help of an eLearning design tool that provides rich features, you can build resources that include sophisticated interactive exercises or simulations.
It should be able to measure effectiveness and track learning activities at every level.
Measuring a training program’s effectiveness is just as crucial to its success as developing it. Additionally, if you license courses from “off-the-shelf” suppliers, it might be impossible to apply learning analytics efficiently. The provider must be relied upon to deliver you tracking reports initially.
Furthermore, these reports often only include general information like average results and course completion rates. In that case, you should go for an eLearning design tool that enables your company to incorporate a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as well as measure the knowledge acquisition process at every level and milestone.
It should take into consideration the specific needs of the learners.
Your course designer should be well adept at taking the needs of your target learners into account before devising a course. Your selection of the design tool should be based on the type of content you would need to develop, the knowledge and technology you need for that, and the educational requirements of your learners.
Your design tool should have a solution available for each sort of content production, whether you need to produce an interactive simulation or a straightforward PowerPoint presentation to meet the demands of your learners.
It should be capable of using rapid eLearning for custom eLearning development.
Rapid eLearning and custom eLearning are similar in some senses. The sole distinction between rapid eLearning and custom eLearning is that the latter uses a few shortcuts to speed up the creation and lower costs.
A custom eLearning design tool usually helps you leverage pre-existing content, pre-made templates, built-in activities, and standard media from authoring tools for creating quick eLearning. This lessens the requirement for intensive customization, but it is still designed specifically for your organizational requirements.
Rapid eLearning can be used when you need specific courses for your learning objectives but have a tight budget or time constraint. For this reason, it would be highly beneficial if you chose a designing tool that also enables you to utilize rapid eLearning.
It should give you access to a host of online asset libraries.
The majority of eLearning development platforms have an integrated online asset library with a variety of pictures, characters, recordings, and even chart formats. You must conduct some research to subscribe to the ideal tool for your business. To learn more about the tool’s quality and the availability of an asset library, choose a free trial or look through internet evaluations.
You can choose the best tool to assist you in generating compelling training content for a range of learning and development goals by having a solid grasp of the in-built multimedia assets. Make sure you select a design tool that offers you access to a wholesome online asset library.
The tool should offer strong customer support.
Customer support should also be taken into account before choosing a tool. You need to ascertain whether a 24-hour client assistance system is offered or how much vendor assistance you may anticipate. Teams working on learning and development could benefit from 24-hour phone services or quick chat assistance from skilled professionals.
This is something that you should not compromise on. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation where you are found to be helpless as there is no customer service available to clear your doubts.
Conclusion
Even if there are many custom eLearning design tools on the market right now, it is important to pick one carefully. All of them offer a range of features to aid in teaching and designing techniques. So, when selecting a platform for creating personalized eLearning, keep in mind the aspects we have covered above.
