Want to Design An Online Course?
5 Tips for Planning
Have you ever considered creating an online course? Have you ever taken one? So many people are realizing they have the potential earn money by teaching others what they know. The learning industry is exploding.
I have taken several online courses on various topics. Some are better than others. Often, online courses can be disorganized or poorly crafted. Others are not very engaging. Instructors who take the time to outline and plan their lessons produce higher quality content.
Perhaps you want to create a course, but you are overwhelmed and wonder, “How do I start?” or “Where do I begin?” Before you dive into your video creation, you will want to create an organized and focused roadmap.
As an experienced educator, I have created hundreds of courses and lessons centered around different topics. I am trained in the course design process. Yes, professional teachers utilize a certain process whether teaching adults or children.
Following specific steps make your planning and design much easier, and you are able to create a higher quality course.
- Start with the “end in mind”. What do you want your students to know or be able to do by the end of your course? This is your “target”. You can use this to plan your course backwards. All lessons and activities should align with achieving this target.
- Map out your lessons. How many topics will you cover? How long will each topic take? This determines the number of lessons you will create to cover all of the information in your course.
- Create your lesson plans. Each lesson should have a clear beginning, middle, and end just like a good story. Engage the student at the beginning, deliver your information, then wrap-up with a conclusion. What will you say? What vocabulary will you use?
- Add activities. Aside from watching your videos, how will students learn more about the material? Will they need to read, research, or complete an activity? Cementing learning requires action.
- Add resources. You will also have students who want to explore your topic more in-depth. Consider what extra resources you may suggest. Maybe you are aware of books, videos, or articles that will expand students’ understanding.
Of course, following these steps will take time. Designing a course is not a quick and easy process. If you want to truly provide a service, however, you will want to put in the effort.
Questions about planning an online course? I created a framework to help you design your own. Check it out here on Gumroad.