But how do you make training truly engaging and productive? One of the top e-learning strategies is microlearning—delivering bite-sized, easily digestible content that suits today’s busy learners. Videos are an ideal format for micro-learning, capable of breaking down complex concepts into simple, engaging learning experiences.

As a powerful medium in e-learning, videos enhance understanding and retention. With the rise of interactive videos, employee training has become even more effective. In this guide, we’ll explore why video should be a cornerstone of your training strategy and provide a few real-life examples showing how to implement it.

Why Use Training Videos in Employee Training?

Training videos offer significant advantages in employee training, making them a valuable tool for organizations across various industries.

Scalability and Reusability: Once created, training videos can be used repeatedly across different departments or training sessions, saving time and resources.

On-Demand Access: Employees can revisit videos at their convenience, ensuring they can review and reinforce learning whenever needed.

Cost-Effective: Compared to on-site training, videos are more affordable, especially when split into short, digestible modules that cater to different learning paces.

Higher Retention Rates: Training videos increase information retention by providing visual and auditory reinforcement, making it easier for employees to remember key concepts.

Clarity for Complex Products: Videos can effectively demonstrate how to use products or systems that are too large or complex to train on in person, ensuring clear and consistent instruction.

Incorporating training videos into your employee onboarding process enhances learning and provides a flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient solution for your ongoing training needs.

Different Types of Training Videos

Training videos are a powerful tool for delivering knowledge and skills in an engaging and efficient manner. They come in various styles as well to meet different training requirements.

Here are some key types of training videos that are used often:

• Animated training videos
• Live-action videos
• Slide presentations
• Screen recordings
• Work Productivity videos
• Explainer videos
• Selfie-videos
• Tutorial videos
  

Choosing the right type of training video is crucial for delivering effective training.

Of course, each style has its strengths, making it easier to match the video format to your training objectives, business goals, and audience needs.

Successful Examples of Training Videos

Now let’s explore some examples of effective training videos that can inspire and guide your own video creation efforts.

Example 1: Simple slide presentation training

Slide presentations (usually made in PowerPoint) are one of the most popular and easy-to-create lecture styles. The presenter is either absent or present with their voice. Slide presentations can become very engaging if you put a lot of work into designing each of the slides carefully.

Slide presentations can also be overlapped by the instructor’s presence (here’s an example) or be split into a screen that also shows the instructor:

Example 2: Screencasts

Screen-casts, also known as video screen captures, are the most suitable means to teach computer software. They consist of “the capture all of the action on a computer screen” format and often contain audio narration.

Creating a screencast helps technical instructors show off their work. Instructors can also create this type of video to demonstrate the proper procedure to solve a problem. Here is an excellent article with tips and techniques for creating winning screencasts.

How to make screencasts the right way.

The screen movement can either be static or dynamic (follow the cursor). A screencast is essentially a movie of the changes over time that a user sees on a computer screen, enhanced with audio narration, so the agency is quite strong.

Example 3: Teaching masterful techniques

Wondering what’s the best way to use video to train employees? 

If you own a coffee shop, teaching new hires how to create the best coffee is essential. This video clocks in at less than three minutes, but it gives you a close-up look at the technique of making the perfect latte. With such videos, you don’t have to look for a high-level pro who offers in-person training only.

Example 4: Interactive video training

Interactive videos offer immersive training experiences. The viewer is put into the role of an active participant. This is easily achieved through various interactive buttons and labels.

The viewer interacts with several objects, inside the video and reads information about them, and selects the right objects in the scene when asked. Also, the viewer has the choice to navigate several parts of the video content with navigation buttons and answer questionnaires inside the video. In the latter case, the video stops, and the user interacts with a question. Then, the video gives feedback according to the user’s choice.

Very popular are also videos where you have to decide what you are going to do. In this case, we are talking about branched videos, where the viewer sees a different version of it according to their path choices. You can see an example here.

Example 5: Animation training Videos

Animated video lectures are becoming more popular, allowing learners to learn in a fun and relaxing way. Animations are very similar to the cartoons we used to watch in our youngest age and maybe that is what makes them so engaging:

Giving glimpses of such situations helps people first to understand the issue, and then how to deal with it.

In this type of lecture, the main protagonist is the media presented while the instructor plays an assistive role with a voice-over (most of the time). The most popular tools for creating animations are Animaker and Vyond.

Example 6: Live action with animation

Videos that combine animation with real video are fascinating.

Animated heroes in videos make a huge impact. Rather than narrated videos, it is better to create animations that make the viewer feel an expert is preaching them. An authoritative tone isn’t always the most persuasive.

Also, handwriting boards are very popular:

In this type of lecture, the viewer sees the words being written at the moment of speech. Here, you can also include whiteboard animations (which are available on most video animation platforms). The instructor can choose if a hand will be visible or not.

Example 7: Selfie videos

Selfie videos are much more lively and engaging, and they make the background much more interesting for the viewer. They can serve numerous purposes from traditional lectures with the presence in full screen to extended field trips.

Selfie videos are speaker-centric, and the presenter may be interspersed with slides, animations, other videos, images, etc.

Example 8: Conversation-style videos

Creating videos where two or more people discuss a topic and present valuable conclusions is a very engaging and authentic way to convey essential messages. At the same time, it is the most effective way to emphasize the people in a lecture video.

Just make sure the conversation is substantial and has something great to offer. The footage may sometimes be adorned with slides, annotations, and keywords.

Example 9: Short videos focusing on one skill

An employee training video doesn’t have to be super long to be effective. With short videos, you can give a few tips with close-up shots to show your students how to learn a new skill.

For example, an explainer video about how to deal with angry customers does the job in less than 90 seconds. Here’s another one that is under 5 minutes:

Generally, in terms of video length, the sweet spot is no more than 2 minutes. Longer than that and you risk losing your viewers’ attention.

How to Make Great Training Videos for Your Employees: A Step-by-Step Process

Whether you are onboarding new employees or upskilling your current team, following a structured process of creating your own training videos is essential. 

Doing so will also help you ensure they are impactful and deliver the desired results.

Step 1: Define Your Objectives

Before you start recording, you need to clearly define what you want to achieve with your training video. Are you looking to teach a specific skill, communicate a policy, or provide an overview of a new system? Knowing your objectives will guide your content creation, ensuring that every part of the video aligns with your end goals.

Step 2: Understand Your Audience

Your training video should be tailored to the needs and preferences of your employees. Consider their current knowledge level, learning styles, and any potential challenges they might face. This understanding will help you decide on the video’s tone and the complexity of the content.

Step 3: Script and Storyboard

Once you have your objectives and audience in mind, start scripting your video.  A well-written script keeps your message clear and focused. Along with the video script, create a storyboard to visualize the flow of the video. This helps in planning visuals, transitions, and any on-screen text or graphics that will support the narrative.

If you need video templates there are plenty of tools that offer them. Try Canva or Envato Elements.

Step 4: Production and Editing

Now, it’s time to bring your script to life. Use quality equipment when recording videos, to ensure good lighting and sound. Look for a video editor as well and during editing keep your video concise and engaging by cutting out any fluff and using visuals that complement the content. 

You can add overlays and additional interactive elements like quizzes or prompts to keep viewers engaged with the training materials and reinforce learning.

Need a video editing tool? Check this list of best training video tools to find the video editing software that matches your needs.

To create interactive videos from scratch and add all the elements you need, make sure you check out our very own Interactive Video Editor. Add pop-ups, questions, CTA buttons, watermarks, subtitles, transcripts, embedded content, and more!

Step 5: Review and Revise

Before finalizing your video, review it with a test audience or subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. Gather feedback and make any necessary revisions. This step is crucial in refining your video to ensure it meets its objectives and resonates with your audience.

Step 6: Share and Distribute Your Video

Once your training video is polished and ready to go, the next step is to ensure it reaches your employees effectively. Choose the right platforms and channels based on your employees’ or team members’ preferences—whether it’s through an internal Learning Management System (LMS), email, or a company intranet. 

Simply download your video files from the training video software you are using, then share them via a link or embed them directly into your communication channels. 

You can choose to upload them on Vimeo, YouTube, or other social media platforms directly. Just make sure the videos are easily accessible while providing options for different formats and are compatible with various devices. 

Tips for Effective Training Video Production

Creating impactful training videos requires more than just pressing the record button. To ensure your videos are effective and successful, it’s essential to follow best practices in video production. 

Below are some practical tips to help you produce high-quality training videos.

Ensure your videos are highly engaging

Your video needs to be as appealing as possible. There are numerous ways to do this. You might want to try to add aural features to highlight and reinforce important points. But, you should also learn how to draw attention to video lectures. 

The critical problem of learning with video lectures is the learners’ sense of distance between you and them. Emotion can shorten the distance. The emotion expressed by the instructor’s facial expressions creates the perception of closeness. Namely, it could overcome learners’ feelings of isolation.

Keep them short and to the point

Most people don’t watch videos for longer than 6 minutes. So, it is better to keep the idea of a short attention stream in mind the next time you create a training video.

Instead of long droning videos, use short videos.

Break them down into small chunks

By using small chunks of video content, trainees can see what information will be covered in each video segment. Your learners will understand what each video covers and won’t be forced to scan through an hour-long video to return to the information.

Edit the videos thoroughly

The real work continues after the video has been recorded, thus at the post-production stage. Usually, for high-quality corporate training videos, it takes between 30-60 minutes to edit each minute. 

Luckily, nowadays, video production is not just a privilege for professionals. Impressive techniques that are popular amongst experienced moviemakers have become available to beginners too. You can find affordable software and easy-to-use apps to unleash your creativity.

Compress the videos

Using high-definition videos might not be great when someone is watching from a mobile device or a non-high-speed internet connection. It’s better to compress videos before uploading them to your chosen LMS.

Compressed videos take less time to load and are more accessible even when employees choose to attend the training program on the go.

Monitor the video performance

By tracking key engagement metrics, such as views, completion rates, and user feedback, you can gain valuable insights into how well your videos are resonating with your employees. Such data is crucial for refining your training approach and making adjustments to future videos.

Wrapping Up

When it comes to training videos, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Different types of videos serve different purposes, from onboarding new employees to explaining complex concepts or reinforcing company policies. 

Before you even begin creating your videos, you will need to consider your lecture style. Are you going to use a slide presentation, create an animation, or a selfie-style video?

Choosing your instructional video style is essential, as this will inform your lesson plan, dialogue, and video editing process. If you want to learn more about training videos, read our Video-Based Learning ebook or visit our unique online course in our Academy!

The post How to Create Awesome Training Videos (+8 Great Examples) appeared first on LearnWorlds.

Whether you’re creating a screencast for YouTube, a classroom, or an online course, these videos are one of the most effective ways to produce engaging “how-to” content.

In this article, we have reviewed the latest research and best practices on how to create high-quality screencasts, ensuring you deliver valuable content and knowledge to your audience.

What is a Screencast?

Screencasts otherwise known as ‘screen capture videos’ or ‘screen recordings’ are recordings of computer screen activity, which often contain audio narration. They are an easy way to create walk-throughs, how-to video tutorials, and other educational videos, and are widely used as a learning tool.

A screencast features various elements like text, images, and mouse movements on top of audio, allowing online instructors to present adequate learning scenarios.

Some of the subjects that can be taught through screencasts are:

• Computer applications
• Software demonstrations
• Computer-based procedures
• How to navigate a website
• Step-by-step problem solving
• Answers in frequently asked questions
• Complex concepts
• Diagrams, pictures or simulations
• Recording lectures from presentations (PowerPoint, Keynote etc)

Screencasts may be the best choice, in comparison to using simple screenshots in a slide presentation if you want to accomplish any of the above tasks. Let’s see why…

What are the Benefits of Using Screencasts?

In many scientific studies concerning screencasts (eg., Palaigeorgiou, and Despotakis, 2010) learners have liked the authentic nature of screencasts and said that screencasts increased their application-specific confidence, and helped them be more confident about the knowledge provided in the lesson.

Undoubtedly, screencasts have a significant advantage since learning becomes less impersonal and creates a sense of social presence that can’t be found in traditional books.

Perhaps, the most important benefit is that they provide worked-out examples, where the learning content is featured within an authentic context.

In their study, Palaigeorgiou and Despotakis (2010) support that screencasts offer the following:

• Learners develop a better mental model of human-interface interactions.
• An ‘agency’ effect is created, namely, the impression of self-executing the task presented.
• Initial learning is fast since students do not spend time interpreting the steps as is required for the comprehension of textual instructions.
• There is an immediate example on the lesson’s subject instead of asking a student to imagine a situation, and, hence, unproductive cognitive load while skipping between different sources (e.g., from books to the computer) is circumvented.
• A user learns by observing the desired behavior of an expert, and, consequently, it aids learners with low self-efficacy in exploring the demonstrated behaviors.

There are multiple benefits to using screencasts and demonstrating the lessons in this way. If you are second-guessing yourself though, you might want to consider the following advantages.

Here’s what screencasts can do for you:

• Provide demonstration of complex processes
• Allow self-paced learning and additional flexibility
• Ensure consistent delivery of instruction to all learners
• Deliver reusable content that can be played multiple times
• Enhance retention and understanding of the material
• Help broaden your audience reach
• Offer real-time feedback
• Improve personalized learning

In some cases, screencasts can also serve as valuable documentation for troubleshooting, especially in customer support, and when onboarding new employees or students to your course.

However, not all screencasts are of equal quality and educational value. This largely depends on the screencast recording tool you are using and what you can do with it. More on this later.

What are the Main Components of a Screencast?

Sugar, Brown, and Luterbach (2010) analyzed the components of screencasts and found that they mainly consist of:

• A bumber: Α statement at the beginning or end of a broadcast. (e.g., “Hi, this is your instructor from…class.”)
• Screen movement: The screen movement can either be static, maintaining a constant frame in which the cursor moves within that frame or dynamic when the screencast follows the cursor.
• Narration: Some screencasts’ audio commentary is an explicit description of a procedure that coincides with what is displayed on the screen. This description can either be explicit or implicit.

To get an idea of this audio commentary, here are a few examples of both explicit and implicit descriptions.

Explicit description examples

Example for a Word Processor:

• “Click on File in the top-left corner, then select New Document.”
• “Type your document title in the header section, and press Enter.”

Example for Spreadsheet Software:

• “Select cell A1 by clicking on it, then type ‘Sales Data’.”
• “Click on the Formulas tab, then choose Insert Function.”

Example for Graphic Design Software:

• “Click on the Rectangle Tool in the toolbar, then drag to draw a rectangle on the canvas.”
• “Select the text tool, click on the canvas, and type your desired text.”

Implicit description examples

Example for a Word Processor:

• “Start a new document.”
• “Add a title to your page.”

Example for Spreadsheet Software:

• “Enter your data in the spreadsheet.”
• “Use a function to calculate the total.”

Example for Graphic Design Software:

• “Draw a shape on the canvas.”
• “Add some text to your design.”

The majority of screencasts include a combination of both of these narration formats. Of course, there are screencasts with no narration at all.

However, it is preferable to use narration because it can make your content more powerful, engaging, and personal. Most of the studies (eg., Ali, Samsudin, Hassan, and Sidek, 2011) agree, saying that screencasts with narration are significantly more effective than screencasts without narration in enhancing students’ learning performance.

How to Design an Effective Screencast: Best Tips for Success

Bad screencasts can hurt the learners’ satisfaction and even worse the quality of learning.

For example, screencasts are ineffective when:

• They have inflexible content structures and prevent exploratory learning.
• They have browsing difficulties and provide a predetermined pace of information.
• They lead to a delusion of skills and are not suitable for learning advanced operations.

Is there a way to prevent these disadvantages?

Most screencasts we’ve seen provide the same experience that pushes viewers into passivity and often leads to superficial learning with learners forgetting what has been demonstrated in the first place.

Researchers in screencast design though, found that there are specific design guidelines that can be applied to provide more active video consumption.

Here is a summary of those guidelines:

1. Add interactivity to your videos

To maximize the impact of your video content, you need to allow learners to have control over the presented material. Therefore, adding interactivity that helps them become more engaged with the experience is a crucial component of screencasting design.

With interactivity, representational holding is reduced as smaller chunks of information have to be processed in the working memory (Ertelt, 2007).

• How can you achieve that? Give learners control over the pace and direction of the succession of frames. For example, give them the ability to change the playback speed and also add skip forward buttons, to let users avoid certain parts of the video. While explaining difficult procedures provide pause buttons inside the video frame to give a greater sense of control.
• Create a table of contents for easy content access, especially in videos with many procedural examples.
• Give learners the capability to change the viewpoint or to zoom in, so that phenomena can be explored from different perspectives.
• Create breaks to give the ability to have five-second pauses. This can be achieved by adding overlays summarizing the steps explained in a certain example.
• Incorporate context-related pointer keywords within the video. These can be discrete action steps appearing inside the video. Make sure to use those keywords also as hypervideo links.
• Add questions that will create a dialectical relationship between you and your learners.

2. Keep videos short

One of the most challenging design tasks is creating meaningful videos for lengthy processes that can’t be covered in a single video. Breaking down the content into shorter videos not only makes scripting easier but also enhances clarity and retention for the viewer.

Shorter screencasts, focus on one concept, hence reducing learners’ cognitive load as well.

So, here’s what you can do for your screencasts:

• Create short videos with a clear beginning and end.
• Keep videos as short as possible. A length of 15 to 60 seconds is optimal for keeping the user engaged and minimizing what needs to be remembered. For screencasts, a two-minute video is long enough to explain a specific procedure.
• Alternatively, introduce physical changes on the screen or add intentional pauses – such as temporarily dimming the screen, to create distinct segments within the video.

These small adjustments can help to structure the content, guiding viewers through the material in a more organized and impactful way.

3. Craft your titles carefully

Carefully crafted titles are key to making your content easy to find and navigate. By using clear and accurate labels, you provide learners with quick access to the information they need.

Here are some tips on making this happen:

• Organize your content chronologically, alphabetically, or topically.
• Adopt a conversational tone in your titles to help learners draw connections between videos or screenshots.
• Keep titles concise while clearly conveying the learning objective of each video.
• Maintain consistency by presenting similar types of information in the same location and format across your videos. This consistency allows learners to develop a mental framework for navigating your content, making it easier for them to find and understand the material.

4. Offer illustrated tutorials at the end of your lecture

Designers should consider the “expertise reversal principle,” which suggests that screencasts effective for novices during the initial learning phase may lose their effectiveness—or even hinder recall—once learners have a foundational understanding of the material.

To help ensure that learners retain the information provided, consider the following strategies:

Use Simplified Videos: Provide videos that focus solely on a sequence of screenshots of the key actions performed, or offer a filtered view that highlights only the actions not previously covered in earlier videos.

Transition to Illustrated Tutorials: As learners develop a solid understanding of the procedures, replace detailed screencasts with illustrated tutorials. Research by Novakovic, Milic, and Milosavljevic (2013), has shown that illustrated tutorials are more effective for helping learners recall already acquired procedures during later stages.

5. Give learners practice opportunities

Practice is the key to improving the transfer and application of knowledge. The success of learning is closely tied to the amount and quality of practice. When it comes to procedural knowledge, the likelihood of forgetting how to perform tasks increases with the number of steps involved.

Encourage your learners to actively repeat the procedures demonstrated, and whenever possible, provide immediate feedback. Assign them specific tasks that require applying what they’ve learned, rather than just mechanically following the steps.

Additionally, incorporate spaced practice into your lessons, as it is one of the most well-established principles in psychology for enhancing learning. Urge learners to revisit and repeat a procedure at various points throughout the course, using task completion exercises.

This approach reinforces their understanding and builds confidence in their ability to perform the procedure independently.

6. Give knowledge-encoding opportunities

Learners seek opportunities to encode knowledge through activities that boost their confidence and help them better organize the material. To support this, consider the following strategies:

Create Post-Screencast Questionnaires: Design questionnaires to assess learners’ understanding of the content immediately after the screencast. This not only reinforces key concepts but also provides valuable feedback on their comprehension.

Offer Multiple Views of the Content: Enhance practice by providing various formats of the material, such as concise, printable summaries, e-books, or downloadable resources. These alternatives allow learners to review and engage with the content in different ways.

Incorporate Multimodal Learning: Present the material through various modes—text, audio, and video—to cater to diverse learning preferences. Different forms of organization, like mind maps or infographics, can also help learners structure their understanding more effectively, enabling them to achieve multiple study goals simultaneously.

7. Give explicit time requirements

Provide learners with a clear connection between their learning objectives and the estimated time required to achieve them. This approach encourages learners to organize their study plans effectively, helping them to schedule their study sessions for long-term success.

At the start of the course, offer a support tool that guides learners in creating personalized study plans. This tool should consider their learning objectives and the time they have available, empowering them to manage their progress and stay on track throughout the course.

8. Apply the multimedia design principles

Research on learning from multimedia indicates specific principles, which guide instructors when it comes to creating an effective multimedia message design. In the table below you can see how multimedia design principles can be applied in screencasts.

Examples are taken from Razak’s, and ALI’s (2016) study.

Other multimedia principles we have already mentioned are:

• The segmenting principle (providing short chunks of information).
• The worked-out example principle.
• The animation and interactivity principle.

9. Make learners more active

Self-regulated learning is a growing field of educational research, which seeks how students can become more active in the learning process, by creating learning goals, inferring meanings, and applying strategies.

In self-regulated learning conditions, learners are capable of monitoring, controlling, and regulating aspects of their cognition.

Loch and McLoughlin (2011) have proposed specific guidelines, with which an instructor can foster each stage of learners’ self-regulation through screencasts:

10. Take care of the narrative you develop

To keep your learners engaged, avoid the monotony of a single voice throughout your content. Relying on just one presenter can make demonstrations feel repetitive and dull. Instead, incorporate a variety of presenters with different styles and perspectives. This diversity maintains interest and enriches the learning experience by offering multiple viewpoints.

Your Instructional Video Style: How to Craft the Perfect Learning Experience

When presenting, aim for simplicity and clarity as well. Speak directly and conversationally, using an active voice and positive statements. Keeping your sentences straightforward and easy to follow will help massively.

On top of this, focus on providing procedural information rather than conceptual details. Learners typically watch “how-to” videos to understand the specific steps needed to complete a task.

So, your video should guide them through the process, enabling them to achieve the task quickly and effectively. Introduce conceptual information only when it is essential for understanding the procedure at hand.

7 Steps for an Effective Instructional Screencast Design

Now that we’ve seen the most popular design guidelines for screencast production, let me help you apply them to create your screencast by following seven simple steps.

Whether you are creating this screencast to showcase in a classroom, use it as part of an online course, educate your customers, or simply create a YouTube video, this is how it’s done.

Step 1: Study others

Begin by watching a variety of screencasts created by others. Observing both well-executed and poorly-designed examples will provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.

This analysis can help you identify best practices and common pitfalls, which can inform the design of your own screencasts.

As you study these examples, consider the following:

• Content Organization: How is the information structured? Is the flow logical and easy to follow?
• Visual and Audio Quality: Are the visuals clear and engaging? Is the audio crisp and free of distractions?
• Interactivity: Does the screencast include interactive elements that engage the viewer? If so, how effective are they?
• Pacing: Is the pace appropriate for the content? Does the screencast move too quickly or too slowly?
• User Engagement: How does the screencast keep viewers engaged? Does it use storytelling, questions, or prompts to maintain interest?

By critically evaluating these aspects, you can develop a clearer vision of what makes a screencast effective and apply these lessons to your work.

Step 2: Prepare Thoroughly

Invest time in your preparation to make sure you have all the resources and equipment you need. First and foremost, focus all your efforts on finding a high-quality screencast tool.

Best Screencast Software to Choose From

There are many screen recording software in the market that can help you create screencasts. You can choose based on your budget (free, paid, premium) or the functionality and features you need.

Here are a few examples:

• Screencast-o-matic
• Camtasia
• Filmora SCRN
• Apple QuickTime Player
• Screenr
• PowerPoint even has its own recording function helping you turn your to make your PowerPoint presentations into screencasts. Find out how here.

Other tools like Loom and Nimbus are handy as well, especially if you are using Google Chrome because they are available as Chrome extensions.

Choose the tool that works best for you, and always edit the result. You may opt-in for the software that also serves as a video editing tool or connects with a video editor to speed up the process.

Check out our list of the 36 best training video software here.

LearnWorlds’ interactive video player can help you add interactivity to your screencasts. You can add annotations, pop-ups, clickable buttons, questions, watermarks, table of contents, subtitles, or even show interactive transcriptions extracted automatically from your videos!

Other Tools to Consider

What’s great about screencasts is that they don’t require much equipment to begin with. A computer – either a Windows PC or an Apple Mac that connects with your chosen screencast video software, and an optional webcam will do the trick.

However, you want your screencasts to have top audio quality and eliminate background noise as much as possible to avoid distractions. Investing in a good microphone can make a difference here, and the good news is that you don’t need to buy an expensive one.

Instead of relying on your computer’s internal microphone, get headphones with a built-in microphone and you are good to go.

Step 3: Plan your content

Planning the content for your screencast includes three main subjects: a) What you want to achieve through your screencasts, b) how you will narrate your demonstrations, and c) what interactivity features you are going to use.

The questions below will help you understand these three elements:

What are your learning goals and content?

Create a clear plan with your learning goals and objectives.

How will you achieve those objectives through your screencasts?

What will your script/narration be for each screencast?

Create clear and concise story scripts or storyboards for the screencasts that are going to be recorded.

Which will your bumper be?

How many narrators will you have?

Will you appear in the video?

How explicit or implicit will the script be?

How will your mouse movement be?

What practical examples will you include in your description?

How will you help relate tasks between videos?

What kind of questions or statements are you going to use to make learners more active? (see the table about active learning)

What interactivity features will you add to each video?

Will you give learners a table of contents?

Will you give learners the capability to change the video’s viewpoint?

Will you insert questions inside the video?

Where will you insert breaks, pointer phrases, and highlights?

If you are a novice screencast creator you may need a few hours to create your first screencast, but this time should reduce significantly with experience.

Step 4: Start recording

Once you are ready, you can record your screencast. Choose whether you want to record your entire screen (full desktop), a specific browser tab, or your webcam.

Before you hit the ‘Record’ button, configure your system audio and do a test run to see if your video and audio are working properly. If you are planning to use any drawing tools have them ready as well.

Preferably, record audio during screen capturing. In case you are not giving out any voiceover instructions, add some music to play along in the background.

During the recording, your mouse movements should be slower than usual when something is being pointed out. These need to be controlled to avoid becoming annoying and distracting to the viewer.

If an error occurs in a sentence, sometimes it is better to pause and repeat the entire sentence without stopping the recording and edit later (cut out the bad parts) than restart the recording from the beginning (Mohorovičić, 2012).

Step 5: Edit your screencast video

As previously mentioned, a screen recorder with a built-in video editor can help you easily edit videos. With it, you can add the interactive elements you want, craft your titles carefully, and apply segmentation wherever needed.

You can also choose to cut parts of your video to make your screen capture as professional as it can be e.g. to correct a mistake you made or to remove any app notifications that might have popped up on screen during the recording.

Remember to create videos that last no longer than two minutes. Otherwise, make sure to create intentional and meaningful pauses in between segments.

Step 6: Save and share your screencast

Once editing is done, make sure you save your finished screencast. That is to not risk losing it after putting so much effort into creating it.

Most screencast tools will allow you to share your screencast via email or upload it to your Google Drive, which is great. Once you are ready to show it to your audience, you can choose to upload it on Vimeo or YouTube or embed the video file in your course content right away.

Step 7: Offer assistive learning material

Finally, if you want your screencast to perform well, you have to accompany it with meaningful activities that will boost your video’s effectiveness.

Here are some activities that you can make use of to accompany your screencast:

Activity #1: Personalized learning plans

At the beginning of your course offer a support tool for creating study plans based on what you want your learners to achieve and the time suggested.

Activity #2: Create presentations and e-books

Prepare slide presentations or e-books containing screenshots of the procedures you have taught. Ideally, prepare such an e-book for reach screencast.

Activity #3: Offer repeating and meaningful tasks

Give learners practice opportunities. Prompt them at the end of a complex task to repeat the procedure, this time giving them a meaningful task that would add some fun to the process.

Activity #4: Try questionaries and exams

Offer knowledge-encoding opportunities through questionnaires and exams to allow learners to test their knowledge evaluating what they’ve learned so far.

Ready to Use Screencasts to Educate Your Learners?

With all this preparation, you can be confident that your screencasts will have the greatest impact on your learners!

By following these steps, you’ll effectively reduce cognitive load and transform your videos into concise, digestible bits of information that boost engagement and participation.

Remember to continually reflect on your work, gather feedback from your learners, and refine your screencasts with each iteration!

Want to learn more? Find more information on how to create educational videos in the LearnWorlds Academy’s course Video-Based Learning (free course).

Get the most out of LearnWorlds by joining our Academy

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Research on Screencasts & Further Study

[1] Loch, B., & McLoughlin, C. (2011). An instructional design model for screencasting: Engaging students in self-regulated learning.

[2] Novakovic, D. R. A. G. O. L. J. U. B., Milic, N., & Milosavljevic, B. (2013). Animated vs. illustrated software tutorials: Screencasts for acquisition and screenshots for recalling. International Journal of Engineering Education, 29(4), 1013-1023.

[3] Mohorovičić, S. (2012, May). Creation and use of screencasts in higher education. In MIPRO, 2012 Proceedings of the 35th International Convention (pp. 1293-1298). IEEE.

[4] Oehrli, J. A., Piacentine, J., Peters, A., & Nanamaker, B. (2011, March). Do screencasts really work? Assessing student learning through instructional screencasts. In ACRL 2011 Conference Proceedings (Vol. 30, pp. 127-44). Philadelphia: Chandos.

[5] Ali, A. Z. M., Samsudin, K., Hassan, M., & Sidek, S. F. (2011). Does screencast teaching software application needs narration for effective learning?. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(3).

[6] van der Meij, H., & van der Meij, J. (2013). Eight guidelines for the design of instructional videos for software training. Technical communication, 60(3), 205-228.

[7] Despotakis, T. C., Palaigeorgiou, G. E., & Tsoukalas, I. A. (2007). Students’ attitudes towards animated demonstrations as computer learning tools. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 10(1).

[8] Plaisant, C., & Shneiderman, B. (2005, September). Show me! Guidelines for producing recorded demonstrations. In Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, 2005 IEEE Symposium on (pp. 171-178). IEEE.

[9]Ertelt, A. (2007). On-screen videos as an effective learning tool. The Effect of Instructional Design Variants and Practice on Learning Achievements, Retention, Transfer and Motivation. Dissertationsschrift, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.

[10] Palaigeorgiou, G., & Despotakis, T. (2010). Known and unknown weaknesses in software animated demonstrations (screencasts): A study in self-paced learning settings. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 9, 81-98.

[11] RAZAK, M. R. A., & ALI, A. Z. M. (2016). Instructional Screencast: A Research Conceptual Framework. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 17(2).

[12] Sugar, W., Brown, A., & Luterbach, K. (2010). Examining the anatomy of a screencast: Uncovering common elements and instructional strategies. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 11(3), 1-20.

The post How to Make a Screencast the Right Way appeared first on LearnWorlds.

It is an incredibly useful tool for both elearning and offline lessons. With a lesson plan, you can create a more effective training session, increase student understanding, and provide better learning experiences guided by the lesson objectives.

All educators must know how to create a lesson plan to ensure their learning sessions run smoothly. Depending on the students they teach and the timeline they have on their hands, educators set learning objectives, break the material up into sections, and choose learning activities that will be suitable for each trainee.

What is a Lesson Plan?

A lesson plan is a detailed step-by-step guide for educators providing materials to learners to accomplish their learning goals during the course.

It outlines the teacher’s objectives for the student’s accomplishments, the material to cover, and the delivery methods, including assignments, exams, and other evaluation forms.

A lesson plan is not a to-do list; it’s a strategic document that considers your students’ needs, your teaching style, and the subject matter at hand.

The key components of a lesson plan typically include:

• Learning objectives
• Materials and resources needed
• The lesson procedure (including introduction, main activities, and conclusion)
• Assessment methods
• Time allocations for each part of the lesson
• Content formats or media (text, video, quizzes, etc.)

The Learning Objectives

The foundation of any effective lesson plan is a set of clear, specific learning objectives. These objectives answer the question: “What should students know or be able to do by the end of this lesson?”

Make sure the learning objectives are SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable by all students
• Relevant to your students
• Time-based, aligning with your syllabus

It’s crucial to align these objectives with the overall learning outcomes for the course or unit. When setting these objectives, consider your students’ prior knowledge and needs.

Are you building on previously learned skills or introducing entirely new concepts?

Understanding where your students come from helps you set realistic and meaningful objectives. Lesson plans for training may have different learning objectives, such as compliance or work-related skills, over teaching lesson plans that may have a goal of memorizing knowledge.

Planning the Lesson Structure

Planning a lesson structure is like creating a road map for your class time. A typical lesson structure includes an introduction, main activities, and a conclusion.

The top three items to include in your lesson plan for each activity are learning objectives, timing, and materials you’ll use. Your lesson plans may vary depending on the time limit and how many students are in a class.

A simple example of a lesson plan is the following:

• Introduction (5-7 minutes): Get your students interested in what will happen in the class during a lesson; ask a question, come up with a creative name for your lesson, or provide them with some reviews so that they can get involved in the learning process.
• Presentation (up to 10 minutes): Create the need for students to learn what you will present.
• Procedure (the remaining class time): Prepare lesson materials, such as digital handouts, videos, visuals, textbooks, and some software platforms, that you’ll use with students to learn the topic.
• Practice (10-15 minutes): Think about exercises and other activities your students will practice in the lesson with you, individually or in group activities.
• Review and assessment (5 minutes): Consider how you will finish a lesson; write the takeaways for students to summarize their new knowledge.

Designing the Learning Activities

Learning activities are an essential part of your lesson. Make sure to include various kinds of activities to accommodate the different learning styles in the classroom, like:

Lecture: A lecture involves a teacher speaking to students about a specific topic, providing information, explanations, and sometimes visual aids to help students understand the material.

Presentations: Presentations allow students or teachers to share information on a topic using slides, images, and sometimes videos to make the content engaging and easier to understand.

Discussions: Discussions encourage students to talk about a topic in a group, sharing their ideas, opinions, and questions, which helps deepen their understanding and develop critical thinking skills.

Roleplay: Roleplay involves students acting out scenarios or characters to explore different perspectives and practice skills in a realistic context, making learning more interactive and engaging.

Case studies: Case studies examine real-life situations or problems, allowing learners to analyze, discuss, and learn from actual examples, helping them apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.

Group assignments: Group assignments require students to work together on a task or project, promoting teamwork, communication, and collaboration while tackling a shared goal.

Quizzes/skill tests: Quizzes and skill tests are short assessments that help measure students’ understanding and retention of the material.

Additional reading resources: Additional reading resources are extra materials like books, articles, or online content that provide more information on a topic.

When teaching online, you can include activities suitable for online learning like:

Videos: Pre-recorded lectures or presentations students can watch at their own pace. For example, you can record your powerpoint presentation.

Social activities: Instead of group assignments, students can interact through the community of the LMS.

Live lessons: Live classes and workshops through Zoom, WebEx, or similar software can substitute for some live lessons and create a stronger connection than self-paced videos.

Office hours: Setting aside time for questions, whether that’s a live chat, phone call, or video call, the lecturer is available to students taking an asynchronous class.

While designing your lesson plan, consider whether you are teaching in a classroom or online or planning a mix of the two. While activities will vary in different settings, you need to keep your learners’ attention equally well in both settings.

Assessment and Evaluation Activities

Assessments help you understand whether your students have achieved the learning objectives and inform your future teaching. They can be smaller knowledge checks like quizzes or more demanding like an assignment or an exam.

Assessments are a very important learning tool as they assist with knowledge retention and test progress.

One type of evaluation is formative assessments, those are ongoing checks for understanding and include:

• Quick quizzes
• Exit tickets
• Observation of student work
• Class discussions

Summative assessments, on the other hand, evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit. These could be:

• Tests or exams
• Projects
• Presentations

Many educators like to use rubrics to evaluate students’ work. Rubrics help evaluate students while being consistent in grading.

Example of a Rubric, Source

Reviewing and Refining the Lesson Plan

A lesson plan is never finished, and even online courses need reviewing an updating every few months.

You will find yourself coming back and updating various parts. Especially if you are writing a lesson plan for corporate training, where new skills and requirements are constantly being revised, you might end up reviewing your lesson plans often.

You will need to

• Double-check alignment with curriculum standards
• Add new skills or evaluate previous lessons
• Ensuring a logical flow of activities
• Verifying that all necessary materials are prepared
• Updating content to match requirements for compliance

Gaining feedback is also important. You can have feedback forms at the end of your lesson for students, or you can ask colleagues to offer feedback before publishing it.

Conclusion

Creating an effective lesson plan is both an art and a science. It requires careful thought, creativity, and a deep understanding of your students’ needs.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to crafting lesson plans that engage your students and achieve your learning objectives.

Remember, the goal isn’t perfection but continuous improvement. Each lesson you teach is an opportunity to refine your planning skills, so don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas and approaches. With practice and reflection, you’ll develop a planning process that works for you and your students.

Now, armed with these strategies, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and start planning your next great lesson.

P.S.: You can create your outline directly on LearnWorlds and use the AI Assistant to help plan your next online course. With LearnWorlds’ 30-day free trial, you can create your online course faster.

The post How to Write a Lesson Plan: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on LearnWorlds.

Just like every other educator out there, you need to come up with a lesson plan to help you give a basic structure of the class or the live session you will be delivering to your learners.

Effective lesson plans begin with having some learning objectives in place, which can help you organize your instructional materials and teacher resources and prepare the best learning activities for your students.

Whether you are a new teacher in primary education (at a pre-k or elementary or middle school) or a business trainer at a middle-sized company or a large enterprise with special education and training needs, you need a good lesson plan at hand to deliver effective and engaging learning.

In this article, you will learn how to create a good lesson plan and will get access to free printable lesson plan templates that you can use right away.

Let’s go!

What is a Lesson Plan?

A lesson plan is a detailed guide that outlines the instructional objectives, content, activities, materials, and assessment methods for a specific teaching session or unit. It serves as a roadmap for educators to organize and structure their teaching, ensuring that learning goals are met effectively within a given timeframe.

A good lesson plan typically includes:

1. Learning objectives: Clear, measurable goals for what students should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson.
2. Required material and resources: A list of resources needed, such as textbooks, handouts, or technology.
3. Timeline/duration: A breakdown of how time will be allocated to different activities.
4. Teaching methods and strategies: Methods the teacher will use to convey information, such as lectures, demonstrations, or group discussions.
5. Student activities and engagement opportunities: Tasks or exercises students will complete to engage with the material.
6. Assessment or evaluation techniques: Methods to check student understanding, like quizzes, discussions, or assignments.

A well-crafted lesson plan that includes this information can help you stay organized and focused while remaining flexible enough to adapt to your students’ needs.

What are the Different Types of Lesson Plans?

Many types of lesson plans allow you to structure your class material and make your students’ learning more effective. Creating a lesson planner just for a single session, e.g., for a one-off activity for a small group, may take up to a whole day, a week, a month, or constitute an entire course.

Luckily though, blank lesson plan templates can be of huge help here!

They can help categorize a lesson plan as either detailed, semi-detailed, or understanding by design (UbD) and tell you a bit more about each one’s characteristics:

• Detailed: a detailed plan includes what you will teach, presenting both the teacher planner and student activities.
• Semi-detailed: a semi-detailed plan is less complex and offers a general game plan of what you want to cover on a particular day or parts of the lesson.
• Understanding by design (UbD): this is more of a reversed engineering model, as it focuses on evaluating the outcomes before creating curriculum units for students.

A well-structured lesson plan template is immensely significant, whether for a school classroom or a business training session, as it serves as the cornerstone for effective teaching and learning.

First and foremost, such a template provides a clear roadmap for trainers, ensuring that they cover all essential topics and objectives in a systematic and organized manner. This helps to maintain consistency in training delivery across different sessions and trainers.  Training sessions may become disjointed without a structured plan, leading to knowledge gaps and less clarity among employees.

Moreover, a well-designed training lesson plan template promotes effective learning outcomes. It allows trainers to align their content with specific learning objectives and desired competencies, which in turn helps employees grasp and retain information more efficiently.

This structured approach also facilitates assessments and evaluations, making it easier to gauge the effectiveness of the training program. In essence, a business that invests in creating and utilizing a well-structured training lesson plan template is more likely to see improved employee performance, reduced onboarding time, and enhanced overall productivity, ultimately contributing to its long-term success in a competitive marketplace.

Most Common Lesson Plan Formats 

While every teacher or instructor has their unique approach, certain lesson plan types have emerged as go-to formats across various educational settings. 

This section will explore the most widely used lesson plan structures, each offering distinct advantages for different learning objectives and teaching styles. 

In doing so, it also features some great education lesson plan examples:

Example #1: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly Lesson Plan

A daily, weekly, or monthly lesson plan outlines all the activities you plan to do and all the content you have lined up until the end of the day, week, or month.

The lesson plan starts by listing the focus and goals of the course/lesson, as shown in the daily lesson plan example below. At the end of each class, the lesson plan prepares students for the next class and lists any assessments that need to be completed, such as exercises, chapter exams, projects, etc.

This type of lesson plan falls into the detailed lesson plan structure and can help you maintain a routine and keep track of your teaching schedule while conforming to any state standards. It’s also handy for distance learning.

Here’s an example of a weekly lesson plan:

And, here’s an example of a monthly lesson plan:

Best for:

• Elementary school teachers planning regular instruction
• Language course instructors offering daily lessons
• Corporate trainers organizing short-term employee development programs

Example #2: Unit Lesson Plan

Another way to plan your instruction is by using a unit lesson plan. With unit planning, you list all lesson objectives along with a projected completion time frame. Each unit offers certain activities and learning experiences using many types of learning that make up a systematic method of instruction on a subject matter (e.g., social studies, physical science, and so on).

Check out this example of a unit lesson plan:

Although unit lesson plans tend to follow a systematic approach, there is some flexibility in what is covered each day. As such, it falls in the semi-detailed lesson plan structure.

Best for:

• High school teachers covering a specific unit in a subject (e.g., Algebra in Maths, World War II in history)
• College professors planning a multi-week module within a semester
• Vocational trainers designing a comprehensive skill-building program

Example #3: Topic or Subject Lesson Plan

This lesson plan is structured around a specific topic or subject and falls in the detailed lesson plan format. Whether this is Science, Maths, English, Music, Art, or any other specialty, it can be used to offer thorough knowledge in a specific academic subject or a professional niche.

It is a versatile lesson plan that can be applied to various educational contexts, including homeschooling. It can help teach common core subjects and provide a structure for parents or tutors teaching children at home.

It also applies to language instruction, particularly useful for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL), and foreign language education, teaching popular languages such as Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, and others.

Best for:

• Guest lecturers preparing for a one-time presentation
• Conference speakers organizing their talk
• Tutors focusing on a particular concept or subject area

Example #4: Elearning Lesson Plan

An elearning lesson plan offers a structure that is broken down into smaller parts that help students make sense of the information presented. It can either be detailed or semi-detailed.

However, since online lessons don’t have the immediacy of classroom lessons, a teacher must do a lot to convey this. You can use a simple lesson plan structure (like the example below), but make a note to incorporate various interactive media, such as visuals, video, and audio, in your activities to help students get the most out of the lesson and keep them engaged at all times.

Best for:

• Online course creators structuring self-paced modules
• Corporate trainers developing remote learning programs
• Educational technology companies designing interactive digital lessons

As you can see, each lesson plan is different, and as a teacher, you need to experiment with other formats to find out which works best for you and matches your teaching style.

Other Key Things to Consider: Education Level & Standards

While at it, you must also consider the learning curriculum. This needs to be appropriate for the grade level you are teaching and should align with the geographical standards set by the country where you teach.

Perhaps you can be more specific here as well, targeting a certain student age group and crafting any of the following:

• Pre-school lesson plan

A preschool lesson plan should be flexible and engaging for the youngest children (3-5 years) not attending school. It consists of activities designed to work throughout the lesson, with the understanding that timing may vary due to the children’s age. 

Resources can be diverse and adaptable, allowing for spontaneity and adjustment based on the children’s interests and attention spans. The focus should be on creating a fun, nurturing environment that promotes early learning through play, exploration, and social interaction.

• Kindergarten lesson plan

Similarly to preschoolers, kindergarten students (4-6 years) will need much attention. You can work with the standard lesson plan template, but you must be creative and flexible to adjust your plan on the day to ensure continuous participation. 

At the same time, you must align your lesson activities with the core subjects they need to become more familiar with, e.g., math and language arts, science, music, physical education, etc. The goal is to introduce fundamental academic concepts while fostering a love for learning and supporting overall development.

• Elementary lesson plan

Elementary school lesson plans (for ages 6-11) are structured and subject-focused, aligning with grade-level standards. They balance whole-class, small-group, and individual activities across core subjects. 

Plans integrate technology and hands-on experiences to enhance engagement. Regular assessments and differentiated instruction accommodate diverse learning styles. A typical lesson includes a warm-up, main presentation, guided practice, independent/group work, and assessment wrap-up.

• High school lesson plan

High school plans (for ages 14-18) are complex and subject-specific, emphasizing critical thinking and career preparation. They incorporate diverse teaching methods, including lectures, discussions, projects, and labs. Plans often integrate current events, digital resources, and cross-curricular connections. 

They provide opportunities for student-led learning and independent research. Lessons may span multiple days and include regular assessments. A typical structure includes a warm-up, review, introduction of new content, guided practice, independent work, and a wrap-up with assessment.

In addition to the education level aspect, you should align your educational content with the geographical standards of the country where you teach.

For example, if you are a K-12 (elementary to high school) teacher and live in the US, you must ensure your teaching materials meet the Common Core* standards.

*Common Core is a set of high-quality standards used in maths and English language arts/literacy (ELA), and they outline what a student needs to know and be able to do at the end of each level.

The Basic Components of Lesson Planning

As we’ve explained, a lesson plan is the teacher’s guide for running a lesson. It includes the lesson goal(s)—what the students need to learn by the end of the class—and the method that describes how the goal will be achieved.

It also includes the way of measuring how the goal was achieved, usually through a test, a worksheet activity, or homework.

A lesson plan ensures that you approach the teaching process effectively and is summed up with the following steps:

Step 1: Set the learning objectives

First, you will need to set the lesson objectives. Ensure these are clear and follow a logical order that is easy to understand and helps students identify meaningful concepts and ideas.

A learning objective is what you want students to learn by the end of the class. Communicating the importance of the lesson you are teaching and focusing on your learning objectives will encourage students to put in the time and effort required.

Step 2: Identify the needs of the students

Let students know what you expect from them; however, make sure you are prepared to help them along the way. Every student is different, and some might need more encouragement or assistance from you than others.

Make time for such interventions or check-ins in your lesson plan. This will motivate them to actually go through the lesson, ask questions, follow your guidelines, and finally complete the assessments (e.g., any assignments you have prepared) more easily.

Step 3: Plan your teaching material

Most teachers may take this for granted, but creating a list of all the necessary teaching resources you will need can help you be more prepared.

From stationary like a pen or paper to technology equipment like laptops, software, or gamified learning tools like apps or any educational website, all these can help you get the most out of what you intend to do with your teaching.

Step 4: Present the outline of the lesson

Your goal throughout the lesson is to keep students engaged. A lesson outline can help them develop a context around the subject you are teaching, letting them know what is coming next, and encourage them to relate to the learning materials.

Don’t forget to draw relevant examples of events or develop creative activities that spark interest and attention.

Step 5: Instruct the lesson

It’s time to start teaching after you have come up with the material you want to instruct. As you go through the lesson plan, follow the order and present the resources you need, but also make sure to involve students in this process.

For example, if you are following a math lesson plan, ask a few students to participate by solving a problem or ask a student a specific question.

You may use as much multimedia as you want to facilitate engagement and give a wealth of examples students can relate to easily – from simple PowerPoint Slides to exciting graphics on a computer. What’s important here is presenting information in a meaningful way.

Step 6: Give students time to practice

Once you finish your instruction, it’s the students’ turn to take the lead. Ask them to show what they have learned through practice.

To help them out, start with guided practice, allowing students to make sense of the information they have just received. Then, follow with the collaborative process, letting students work in groups to explore the main concepts. 

Finally, finish with independent practice, giving each student time to work independently through an assignment (e.g., worksheet, essay).

Step 7: Do a wrap-up

As the lesson ends, give an overview of what has been discussed and what students have learned. Ask them to identify the key takeaways of the lesson, announcing the main ideas and conclusions. Assign homework duties and give them a preview of the next lesson to prepare them.

Step 8: Evaluate the lesson

Once the lesson is over, determine whether the learning objectives have been met, and ensure that students have understood what you taught through a small quiz, test, or exam. The results should give you enough insight into students’ understanding and will help you decide whether the class needs a review or not so that you are ready to move on to the next lesson.

Best Customizable Lesson Plan Templates [Editable Format]

Just like there are many types of lesson plans, there are also many ways to create them.

We have prepared a comprehensive set of unique lesson plan templates in PDF format to help you gather some inspiration to structure your own lesson plan. You can choose to use them right away or customizing them further to suit your needs.

Inside the PDF, you will find the following lesson plan templates:

• Daily Lesson Plan Template
• Weekly Lesson Plan Template
• Monthly Lesson Plan Template
• Unit Lesson Plan Template
• Common Core Plan Template
• ESL Lesson Plan Template
• Simple Lesson Plan Template

These are all editable lesson plan templates you can easily access, adjust, or save for later. 

PS: We’ve already included the templates for you in the article to check out firsthand.

Every template in this list works as a guiding framework for addressing important lesson information such as learning materials used, essential questions, learning goals, activities, evaluation, feedback, and more!

Choose the sample lesson plan that you prefer and make any adjustments to suit your instructional style.

Alternatively, you can find free lesson plan templates on Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Google Slides, Google Docs or in tools like Canva and Venngage, to name a few, or even create yours from scratch using Microsoft Word.

Ready to Plan Your Next Lesson?

When it comes to elearning, creating a clear-structured lesson plan is always helpful. It enables optimized classroom management, sets the mood, introduces the lesson’s learning objectives, and prepares you and your students for success!

Having access to sample lesson plan templates can also make the creation process easier and quicker. So, take advantage of our free printable lesson plan templates to guide your online instruction and assemble your next well-crafted lesson plan.

If you are ready to plan your next lesson and deliver it to your students using LearnWorlds, make sure to get your 30-day trial for free today!

The post 7 Lesson Plan Templates to Use in Your Online Courses appeared first on LearnWorlds.

By enabling businesses of all sizes to participate in global efforts towards online inclusion, we are committed to leaving no learner behind.

Why Website Accessibility Matters

Accessibility is more than a compliance checkbox; it’s a commitment to inclusivity. Making your eLearning platform barrier-free ensures that all learners, including those with disabilities, have equal opportunities to engage with your content.

This not only broadens your audience but also enhances the learning experience, fostering a more diverse and inclusive educational environment.

What is accessiBe?

accessiBe is a leading AI-powered web solution that makes websites accessible to people with disabilities in compliance with international standards such as WCAG 2.1, ADA, and Section 508. With accessiBe, you can easily implement accessibility features without extensive coding or technical expertise, ensuring your content is available to all learners.

Making Your School Accessible with a Smooth Integration

By integrating with accessiBe, you can add a widget to the bottom right corner of your school’s website and course player. This widget allows learners to make accessibility adjustments tailored to their needs.

Users can select from various accessibility profiles, such as Seizure Safe Profile, ADHD Safe Profile, and Blind Users Profile. Additionally, learners can manually customize their experience by adjusting settings like contrast, cursor size, font size, and more.

Transform Your School into an Inclusive, Accessible, and Compliant Learning Environment

Making online courses accessible to all

With accessiBe, you can ensure that interactive elements like videos, and reading materials of your online courses are available to all users.

This means learners with visual impairments can use screen readers to navigate your course, while those with hearing impairments can access transcripts and captions.

Enhancing navigation and engagement

Are you a learning designer focusing on creating a seamless learning journey? accessiBe helps you implement features like keyboard navigation and color contrast adjustments, ensuring that all learners, regardless of their abilities, can easily navigate and engage with your content.

Attracting a diverse audience with inclusive learning

When promoting your online school, accessibility becomes a unique selling point. Highlighting your commitment to inclusivity can attract a more diverse audience and position your brand as a leader in barrier-free education.

Effortlessly meeting accessibility standards

If you’re working with educational institutions, compliance with accessibility standards is often mandatory. accessiBe simplifies this process, allowing you to meet institutional requirements effortlessly and maintain your professional reputation.

Fostering inclusivity in community learning

For those running community-based educational programs, accessibility is crucial for serving diverse populations. accessiBe ensures that community members with disabilities can fully participate in and benefit from your programs, fostering a more inclusive community.

Ensuring all stakeholders benefit from your training

When you create educational content for your customers and partners, accessibility is key to ensuring all learners can benefit from your training program.

For instance, a software company offering tutorials and how-to guides can use accessiBe to make sure their materials are accessible to customers and partners with disabilities.

This enhances user satisfaction and ensures your customers & partners can use your products effectively.

Providing an inclusive onboarding experience

Onboarding new employees is a critical process that sets the tone for their experience with your company. accessiBe can help make your onboarding materials, such as training modules and company handbooks, convenient for employees with disabilities.

This ensures that all new hires, including those with visual or auditory impairments, receive the same high-quality onboarding experience.

Inclusive Education is Not Just a Trend – It’s a Necessity

The integration of accessiBe with LearnWorlds marks a significant step towards inclusivity in eLearning. By harnessing accessiBe’s cutting-edge accessibility tools, eLearning specialists can create engaging, compliant, and accessible courses that cater to the diverse needs of all learners.

Embrace this update and make a meaningful impact by ensuring your content is accessible to everyone.

Let’s commit to creating learning environments where every individual, regardless of their abilities, can thrive and succeed.

For more information on getting started with accessiBe, visit our support article.

Not a LearnWorlds customer yet? Take advantage of LearnWorlds’ 30-day free trial and discover all the amazing things you can achieve with your online academy.

The post Introducing accessiBe Integration: A Key To Inclusive eLearning appeared first on LearnWorlds.

What is a SCORM Package?

SCORM stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model and is a collection of industry standards for elearning courses and LMS systems that support it.

Those technical specifications help build a file similar to a zip file with multiple files inside, written in a specific language that a scorm-compliant LMS understands.

In this way, if an elearning administration purchases a compliance course by a freelance instructional designer, the resulting course will probably come in the SCORM format. The elearning admin will then be able to upload the file to the LMS, which will work smoothly.

Having a set of standards allows for communication between systems, and the same SCORM file should work across most LMS without a problem. This way, a company can change LMS but keep their course material and easily migrate to another.

SCORM standards facilitate the communication between elearning authoring tools and learning management systems.

SCORM Compliance

When an LMS is SCORM Compliant, it can “read” and deliver the course content inside a SCORM package. There are different levels of SCORM compliance, as some LMS can only read and deliver the course but do not track attendance, scores or save the learner’s progress.

SCORM Certified

Not to be confused with compliance. A SCORM-certified course has passed and was certified by ADL, the organization behind the SCORM standard.

What are the Benefits of SCORM?

The SCORM format has many advantages, which is why it is one of the most adopted standards in elearning and has stood the test of time. But why use SCORM over other formats?

Here are the most important benefits of SCORM:

LMS Compatibility (Interoperability)

Most LMS are partially or fully SCORM compliant. It makes it easier to create a course that can be used across various systems.

Progress Tracking

It allows for tracking the learner’s progress in a standardized way and feeds it back to the LMS for reporting.

By the way, are you looking to engage your learners quickly? Discover strategies that work in our free webinar How to boost learners’ engagement in under 60 minutes! Watch the webinar and learn how to engage faster and boost learner participation in just 60 minutes!.

Modular & Customizable

SCORM is highly customizable and can be designed to offer modular courses as well. You can build a complete interactive course or microlearning activities using only SCORM lessons.

Portable Courses

As a widely recognized and used standard, it allows for the courses to be portable in case of changing LMS.

Persistency (Progress Saving)

The way SCORM is built allows the learner to continue their learning journey from where they are left. Not all LMS support persistency, but if they do, it is a powerful advantage for the learning experience.

What is tracked in a SCORM?

Here are a few examples of what is tracked using SCORM persistency:

• The final score of the course
• Total time spent
• Learners progress so they can resume at the point they left off
• Overall status, such as pass, fail, complete or incomplete

LearnWorlds is a scorm-compliant learning management system able to track all of the above. You can get a 30-day trial and try it yourself:

How Does SCORM Work?

All SCORM formats work based on two principles: Content Packaging and Data Exchange.

Content packaging is how content should be delivered. Inside the SCORM package is a file called “imsmanifest,” which dictates how to import and launch the content to the LMS. This is an XML file that describes the hierarchical structure of the contents.

Run-Time communication, also called data exchange, dictates the communication between the content and LMS. This two-way communication channel passes information between the SCORM course and the LMS.

For example, the SCORM course might be personalized and request the learner’s name from the LMS, or the LMS requires the final score or a pass/fail status to report on the learner’s progress.

SCORM Versions

There are three versions of SCORM right now:

• SCORM 1.1,
• SCORM 1.2, and
• SCORM 2004 (formerly known as 1.3)

SCORM 2004 is the latest version of the standard used today. It has new and improved capabilities, better reporting variables, and sequencing.

The downside of the 2004 version is that fewer LMS vendors support it due to its complexity.

SCORM 1.2 is the most commonly supported format by LMS providers because it is easier and simpler to work with.

Review your LMS compatibility guide and your course’s requirements before deciding which SCORM version suits you.

There are other elearning standards like xAPI (Tin Can), cmi5, and AICC for more advanced capabilities. Unfortunately, both are more demanding, and few LMS support these formats and usually come at an additional cost.

How to Create a SCORM

Creating elearning content in SCORM format is now easier than ever. In the past, you would have needed a programmer to write the code for a SCORM file.

Now, elearning authoring tools make it incredibly easy to offer SCORM templates to quickly create a course and include the functionality to export learning material into a zip file as a scorm-compliant course.

There are three popular types of authoring tools to create SCORM courses:

• Standalone software
• Cloud software
• PowerPoint add-ons

Take a look and choose the best scorm software for your needs!

Standalone Software

You can download these authoring tools to your computer to build an online course. Here are some of the most popular authoring tools in this category:

• Adobe Captivate
• Articulate Storyline
• Lectora Desktop

Creating a SCORM course on Articulate Storyline SCORM

Cloud Software

With the prominence of cloud computing, you no longer need to download demanding software. You can create a scorm online with cloud software.

If you are looking for a cloud solution, then here are some of the best authoring tools for you:

• Articulate Rise
• DominKnow
• EasyGenerator

Working on DominKnow to produce a SCORM lesson

PowerPoint Add-Ons

One of the easiest ways to make a course is by converting a PowerPoint file into a SCORM. You can achieve this with an add-on that can take your slides and add quizzes, interactive elements, and more. These tools can help you convert a ppt file into a SCORM file with ease:

• iSpring Suite
• Articulate 360 Studio
• Adobe Captivate (by importing the slides)

Here is a video on how to import a PowerPoint presentation and edit it in Adobe Captivate:

Exporting a Course into a SCORM

An authoring tool can export its result as a SCORM file or one of the alternative standards like HTML5 or Tin Can.

When exporting a course, you need to know which version of SCORM is supported by your LMS and what version supports the learning activities you are creating.

For example, the first version of SCORM (1.1) would not support interoperability, the transfer of a course from one learning platform to another. But, SCORM 1.2 makes that possible, and SCORM 2004 has had many improvements over the years but may not be supported by all LMSs.

SCORM may not support simulations. In this case, you need to use an export with Tin Can API that supports more advanced modules.

Add SCORM to LearnWorlds LMS

LearnWorlds is a SCORM-compliant LMS with many course creators using it to host their SCORM courses.

To import a SCORM file to LearnWorlds, you need to create a SCORM learning activity and upload the file. Here is the step-by-step process of uploading a SCORM file to LearnWorlds:

1. Create a course.
2. In the Courses menu, visit the course’s Contents tab.
3. Click on Add an activity under a course section.
4. Choose the SCORM/HTML5 Package activity unit in the Multimedia menu.
5. Give a title to your SCORM file and click “Save” or “Save and Edit” to make changes.
6. Upload the file and click “Save.”

The SCORM course is ready to be viewed in the course player by your learners.

Example of SCORM on LearnWorlds

Here is an example of how a SCORM file will play inside the LearnWorlds course player. On the left is the standard player navigation. On the right, a SCORM course is loaded.

Below is an example from Sendinblue Academy’s Certification for Marketing Automation, using multiple SCORM modules to deliver their online training.

The Future of Online Learning

Most elearning professionals use SCORM, as it is a widely used standard for online training and is supported by most LMSs. Since SCORM’s last update, there have been a lot of newer standards that support more advanced learning activities.

At the same time, the LMS vendors have evolved, and many offer their own authoring tools or support newer standards such as AICC or TinCan API.

There are many advantages to building a course inside your own LMS. If most of your course learning material is based on video (as many newer courses are), you might not need a SCORM and can easily upload the course and supporting material to the LMS.

The downside of using the LMS authoring capabilities would be the trouble migrating to another LMS in the future.

It is essential to review your course requirements, your clients’ requirements (internal or external), and the capabilities of the LMS before choosing how to create the course.

Are you looking for a modern, SCORM-compliant LMS? LearnWorlds can help you take the learning experience and learner management to the next level. Try LearnWorlds with the 30-day trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– Is SCORM still relevant?

Yes, SCORM is still a widely used standard for many professionals, authoring tools, and LMS in the elearning industry. Due to its widespread appeal, SCORM enables instructional designers to create courses that can operate in multiple learning systems and makes the work of elearning professionals much easier.

– What is a SCORM activity?

In SCORM 2004 (1.3), an activity is the collection of online training material packaged to an agreed standard for learning objects.

– What is SCO?

The Sharable Content Objects (SCOs) are the reusable building blocks of a SCORM file. Defining the training material as a set of SCOs enables them to be reused within and across courses.

– How to test the SCORM package?

To test if your SCORM package runs correctly, you need to upload it to the LMS and use it as a student to see how well it performs and if it offers the intended learning experience.

If you need to track time spent, quiz scores, and completion of the SCORM, you can use the reporting function of the LMS to check whether those items are captured.

To test various versions of SCORM on an LMS, you can use these sample SCORM packages.

To test a SCORM file and how it will perform in various LMSs, you can use the SCORM cloud service by Rustici Software.

– Which one is better? SCORM 1.2 vs. 2004

SCORM 2004 is the newer version and supports the most advanced features, but it is not as widely adopted as 1.2. If your LMS supports SCORM 2004, you are better off using that for your SCORM courses.

– How do I check the SCORM version?

The imsmanifest.xml file holds the version information in-between the metadata tags of <schemaversion>. For example, a SCORM version 1.2 will show up on the imsmanifest file as: <schemaversion> 1.2 </schemaversion>

The post What is SCORM? A Complete Guide on SCORM Files and Packaging appeared first on LearnWorlds.

In the e-Learning field, your course catalog works the same way as a shopping window for offline consumers. It showcases your offerings and entices potential learners to explore and engage with your content.

At LearnWorlds, we’re proud of our commitment to delivering impactful product updates that empower creators to run their knowledge business efficiently and with the utmost simplicity.

As the newest advancement to our platform, we’re bringing several updates to our course catalog to optimize admin management and enhance course discovery for students.

Let’s dive into the latest improvements to see how they will make course management easier for you, and course exploration – for your learners.

Manage course categories from a single place

We understand the importance of efficient organization. You can now access and manage all your course categories from a centralized point – course category manager – simplifying the categorization process and ensuring a cohesive structure across all courses.

No more jumping between separate courses to adjust the category – everything can be done from a unified dashboard.

From a convenient dashboard, admins can delete or add new categories, rename them, and add or remove courses to the category, all in a couple of clicks.

Customize the visibility of relevant elements

Show/hide the course progress bar

Not all interface elements are relevant to your courses. For example, in some cases, you might not want students to see the course progress bar.

Now, you have the power to control the visibility of the course progress bar to fine-tune the user interface.

Display subscription course prices

With just one toggle, hide the individual course price from the course subscription block.

This update allows for a more personalized and streamlined experience, ensuring that key interface elements are present only when relevant.

Display more comprehensive and relevant search results

Customly arrange courses in the catalog

Customize the way you display courses to the students. Do you want your students to see all courses in your offering or discover only specific ones?

You can flexibly tailor the courses you showcase to your students by creating a custom list showcase or enabling initial view by the newest, popular, free, and other available categories.

Improve courses discoverability

We have improved our search engine to help your students discover relevant courses more easily.

Our search engine now finds a keyword in section names, activities, and all other entities of a training program. So, when your students are searching for a course, they will be presented with expanded and more relevant results.

Offer a free section of a paid course to increase course sales

Do you want to boost course purchases? Nothing works better than a free sample.

Make the first section of your paid course free and offer it to potential customers. In this way, users will get a taste of your valuable training program and will be enticed to continue learning.

After completing the free section, an engaged user will more likely enroll in a paid course. What a simple way to generate more sales!

Personalized learning paths based on enrollment status

Your course catalog is not only a shopping window for potential customers. It’s also a learning portal for your existing students.

As a school owner, you don’t want to create a situation where a learner visits your catalog with the intention of accessing the course they’re already enrolled in, only to be redirected to the checkout page. This creates confusion and unnecessary friction, ruining the user experience.

Now, you can flexibly customize the flow of an enrolled and not-enrolled user. With a couple of clicks, personalize the learning experience by redirecting leads to purchase the course and existing students to view the course player or course overview.

Boost course visibility in search results

With the newest update, courses in your catalog work as hyperlinks. This means a user can open them in a new tab or window with a right mouse button click.

This will also make your courses more easily discoverable in search engine results. Such a small change both enhances user experience and increases your courses’ visibility.

These new features represent a significant leap forward in enhancing the overall user experience for both administrators and students. We are committed to providing a platform that is not only feature-rich but also intuitive and user-friendly.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to innovate and elevate the learning experience on our platform!

The post Course Catalog Updates: Streamlined Management for Admins and Improved Course Discovery for Students appeared first on LearnWorlds.

The all-powerful LearnWorlds Site Builder can help you build a training website within minutes. The website builder comes with 50+ elearning website templates, full customization, and added functionalities like pop-ups, controlling visibility, HTML/CSS editing, and much more!

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

When it comes to online education, there are many online learning platforms and Learning Management Systems (LMS) that can help eLearning professionals build their websites to sell online courses. That said, you still may need an authoring tool for the actual course creation.

At LearnWorlds, we pride ourselves on being one of the top providers of comprehensive learning solutions. Our platform combines intuitive and elegant website design, mobile responsiveness, pre-made & customizable templates, and course authoring in one tool that gives you full control of your elearning website and the user experience. Create your website today, hassle-free!

Building Your eLearning Website: 4 Easy Steps

Your eLearning website is the platform you are going to use to share knowledge, facilitate learning, and reach your audience. Whether you aim to educate students, train employees, or create a repository of specialized courses, it’s going to be the most versatile tool in your inventory!

With this guide, we’ll quickly walk you through the steps to create an engaging, user-friendly, and effective online learning environment that caters to your business needs using our powerful no-code Website Builder. 

Step #1: Choose Your eLearning Website Template

Let’s see the first step to building an online learning platform to sell your online courses. Our Site Builder comes with a set of customizable elearning website templates to make the web design process easier for you.

Unlike eLearning marketplaces such as Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, or edX, where the UX design and learning environment are pre-defined, LearnWorlds, as a truly white-label eLearning platform, allows for in-depth customization even if you’re a complete beginner. With our platform, you can build your course pages exactly as you like to match your brand (after all, you’re a knowledge entrepreneur and personal branding matters!).

 

The first step when you create a LearnWorlds account is to choose the template you want to work with.

 

There are 50+ Professional Templates to choose from. Choose which one works for your industry and further customize it to fit your elearning business:

• Art & Design
• Coaching
• Customer Education
• NGOs (and other NonProfits)
• Professional Training
• Fitness
• Healthcare
• Medical
• Financial

Then, use the following tools to customize the website experience further as you like. Give it a professional or fun mood, and design it for children, K12 education, or corporate training. The choice is yours!

The Site Flavors (Full website templates)

The Site Flavors feature allows you to completely redesign your entire school in just a few clicks. You can clone your current site, edit the theme, customize the design on your own page, and instantly switch and update the entire website with a brand-new design!

Site flavors in your LearnWorlds school

You can create as many designs as you need for any occasion or just to refresh your site. You can even make short-term changes to your school’s site without compromising the site’s original design. Learners will view your learning website’s new design only when you activate it.

For example, you can create a Black Friday version of your website, keep it on for 24 hours, and instantly return to your original website theme.

Select a theme that describes your business or industry best and is closest to the website style you want to create to attract your target audience. If you offer courses on professional development, for example, go for a more sleek template.

Remember: all our templates are mobile responsive because a responsive website is equally important as a good-looking website.

Once you have chosen a template, give it a name and click on ‘Create site flavor’. Start making your changes, and click ‘Save’. At any point, you can go back and edit it.

To access the Site Flavors, log in to your LearnWorlds school, click on the Website > Design, and then select ‘Manage Site Flavors.’

The Page Templates (Full page templates)

Apart from the full website templates, there are also some ready-made templates for specific pages you want to add to your website like your homepage, landing page, About page, Thank You page, Contact page, Courses page, After login page, Payment page, and many more. We even offer course website (and page) templates out of the box.

Access the list of page templates from the Site Flavors page. Pick one and hover over it, clicking on ‘Edit in Site Builder.’

Inside the site builder, click on Pages + ‘Add new’ on the top menu.

Page templates in your LearnWorlds school

Each template has a different layout, structure of zones, and design elements, so you get to choose those that suit your preferences.

Design Zones

What’s great about the Site Builder is that it allows you to customize each content block or section of your landing page, even if you have zero experience with coding or frontend/backend web development!

Each type of page (Landing, 1 Click Sales Funnel, Courses, About Us, and so on) has its own variety of design zones allowing you to make unique and limitless combinations of layouts.

For example, you can choose the design for your Hero section (aka website header) by going through a set of ready-made designs that present the elements of text, image, and video content in different ways.

Hero section (website header) layout options

The same goes for your product section, your FAQs, your offers, pricing tables, email grabbers and contact forms, student info, and even your CTAs sections, amongst others.

Then again, if you prefer to get creative on your own, you can easily build your own layout with just a few clicks.

You can access the design zones by clicking on the ‘Add Section’ button on the page you are currently editing.

Adding widgets

While working on the design of the sections, you can add your own widgets.

Inside a widget, you can embed code, add any type of image you want, or insert a video from YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia.

Click on ‘Add a Widget’ or the + sign to open a collection of ready-to-use headings, icons, GIFs, vector graphics, animations, counters, event calendars, tabs, accordion, typing effects, buttons, social media buttons, video placeholders, and so much more to create your content.

Customized Experience, Visibility, and Pop-ups

There is now a way for you to offer a more personalized, inclusive, interactive, and high-quality learning experience to your users.

With our unique tagging system, you can add tags for your students. This way, you segment your customer base and then create zones on your landing page that are visible only to specific individuals or a group of students.

Apart from the ability to personalize the design of the page for a specific user (from Page Templates > Student Info), you can also customize the signup fields through your ‘Site Settings’ with the addition of user-specific questions in their registration process.

This is an important functionality to try out, especially if you have different target audiences and you are running distinct marketing campaigns for them. It also helps to distribute content or any other course-related information relevant to their needs.

From now on, each student will have their own UTMs, too, allowing you to track where they came from using Google Analytics and better monitor what they are doing inside your platform.

You can also create pop-ups that you can show to all your visitors and students or customize them to a specific group.

 Read more on the pop-ups here.

Step #2: Customize Your Elearning Website

The Theme Explorer is basically the command center of your website when it comes to customizing your school. The changes you make here are applied to your entire website. It is built to help you keep things consistent. For example, if you choose a color scheme or a font combination, those will be applied across your site, not only on your course’s landing page.

There is a plethora of premade color schemes that you can choose from, as well as font combinations and even content layouts. Selecting or modifying any of these options will instantly show how your page will look as the site updates. Cool, right?

Suppose you’re an educational institution with red and blue colors in your brand that wants to create a school website. Wouldn’t it make sense that you’d also want those colors to reflect on your online educational platform?

The branding process is made super easy for you with Theme Explorer since you can easily set your primary and accent brand colors and apply them across your entire website. For further customization of your elearning site, you can access Theme Explorer.

From there, you can adjust the colors you use, the fonts, and the page layout and instantly see their effects applied to your page.

Colors: Choose the colors for your brand, background, and text. If you can’t find the colors you need from the color palette, enter the RGBA codes that match your preferences.

Typography: Use the typography settings to choose your font family, headings, and text sizes. You can choose three or more fonts from a rich library of font styles.

Buttons & Inputs: Change the display buttons and inputs easily by increasing or decreasing your font sizes, paddings, and border-radius.

Layout: Decide on the height of your sections on the page and make them as big or small as you wish.

To use the Theme Explorer, click on the ‘Design’ tab inside the Site Builder.

As you go deeper into adding the content on your page, you will notice that the right-hand toolbar is there to help you make further customization* on the elements you add in your sections.

From here, you can make individual changes to text sizes, colors, element position/alignments, and appearance. Also, you can insert links between your pages or decide which elements should be visible to whom and by which devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops/laptops).

*If you know how to code, there is always the option to add custom CSS code.

Step #3: Create (or Upload) Your Online Course

To launch your elearning site, you need at least a course to get you started.

Creating online courses can be a piece of cake, especially if you already have some content that you can reuse, like blog posts, PowerPoint presentations, video tutorials, podcasts, or even infographics.

Everything that adds to the knowledge of the subject you are teaching can go into your course content.

Just think about which learning materials and activities you want to add to your courses.

Would it be a text, an ebook, audio, a series of PDFs, a webinar, a YouTube video, an assignment, a quiz, a SCORM/HTML5-type of content, gamification elements, a certificate of completion, or all of them?

Once you create your first course, you can repeat the process for new courses.

Step #4: Launch Your eLearning Website

Before launching your elearning site and your mobile app, there are a couple of important things to consider.

These are pricing your course, choosing an efficient eCommerce solution – a payment gateway from where you will accept payments – your go-to marketing tools, establishing your website’s domain name and connecting your site domain.

Pricing your online course

There are many tactics to price your course, but the most effective is finding the optimal price tag for your course and discovering where the best value for money is.

Ask for the price at which you feel comfortable, taking into consideration its length and the time and effort you put into building your course.

Also, consider the number of learners you are ready to take in and evaluate the time you need to spend with them. You can offer a full self-paced course at a low price, but if you offer coaching, live classes, and feedback, you can’t undervalue your own time.

For more information, check our Ultimate Guide on How to Price Your Course.

Choosing a Payment Gateway

LearnWorlds supports a range of payment options. You can choose one or combine any of the following payment gateways:

• Stripe
• PayPal
• Shopify
• PagSeguro

Out of these, Stripe is the only payment gateway that supports subscriptions and payment plans. If you want to accept payments for specific European countries, you will need the following local payment gateways:

• iDeal (Netherlands)
• Bancontact (Belgium)
• Giropay (Germany)
• Sofort (Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands)
• Przelewy24 (Poland)

For more information on how to use the local payment gateways, click here.

Investing in marketing tools

Some marketing tools can make your life as an edupreneur a lot easier.

Whether you want to automate mundane tasks, prepare email campaigns, or communicate with your students directly, LearnWorlds integrations are at your disposal.

Visit our integrations page and check which software or app works best for you.

Connecting your domain

If you already own a website or a domain name, then you can easily connect it to your LearnWorlds account. To do this, you will need to choose whether to use your main domain as your school’s website or a sub-domain.

Let’s say you own www.myperfectonlinecourse.com, you can connect your school – myschool.learnworlds.com, to the address.

If you already have a website or blog connected to the domain, you don’t want to lose that. Here comes the subdomain to save the day!

You can create a subdomain like “academy” and connect your school there. In this case, it looks like academy.myperfectonlinecourse.com

Other popular subdomains are:

• Academy
• School
• University
• Course(s)
• Training
• Elearning
• Education
• Coaching
• Program(me)
• Online

For more information on how to connect your domain name with your LearnWorlds site, click here.

Once you have everything in place, you are ready to launch your course website using these templates!

Elearning Website Examples

Here, you will find some great examples of elearning websites from online educators across the web to get inspired. See how to develop an eLearning portal as these guys have:

Unraveled Academy

The Unraveled Academy teaches photography and photo/video editing skills while it nurtures a big community of amateurs and professionals. Their academy is an example for anyone looking to get inspired while launching creative courses.

We’re Helping You Build Your eLearning Website From Scratch

Whatever needs to go into your elearning website development, LearnWorlds has it. With our unique Site Builder, the website design process is made simple.

Any online course creator can rapidly and effortlessly build an entire school using hundreds of ready-made templates and widgets. Businesses can create an eLearning website for training their employees. It offers an all-in-one solution that replaces many third-party tools and requires zero code skills.

So what are you waiting for?

As the elearning industry is growing, use your expertise to provide paid on-demand training courses or learning programs to people who could benefit from leveling up their skills. You can even provide free courses to train your employees or customers. In this post, we’ve shown you how to make an educational website, so you can get started ASAP.

You can create mini-courses and digital downloads as lead magnets to boost course enrollment and lead generation. Whatever your business model and course material you have, whether you are a startup or an established enterprise, you will discover that LearnWorlds is the ideal platform for monetization and business growth.

Start your own free 30-day trial with LearnWorlds today and build the elearning website of your dreams!

Further reading you might find interesting:

• Knowledge Economy: How to Sell Knowledge Online
• Starting an Online Course Business from Scratch
• How to Create and Sell Profitable Online Courses: Step-by-Step Guide
• Sell Digital Downloads: The Complete Guide
• How To Create an eLearning Website with Templates & Examples
• The 19 Best Learning Management Systems

The post How To Create an eLearning Website with Templates & Examples appeared first on LearnWorlds.

Now that Microsoft added a recording function directly into PowerPoint, it has become easier to create a video out of any presentation.

All you need is to start recording yourself narrating.

In this tutorial, we will be taking you through the step-by-step process of recording audio on PowerPoint for both Windows & Mac.

Why Record PowerPoint Presentations?

PowerPoint is a great tool to give live presentations, but there are cases where you won’t be able to present live.

While you could send a PPT file or PDF export, a presentation recording allows you to capture the sentiment of the topic, and helps connect with your audience.

Videos are more engaging than presentations, and especially when giving a lecture or training online, video is a better solution.

Let’s hit that record button and go directly to the instructions:

Recording a PowerPoint Presentation on Windows

Windows is the default option for PowerPoint, follow the instructions below to turn your slides into video. All you need to do is find the Record tab and follow the step-by-step instructions to create a video presentation in no time.

Go to the Record Tab

Located in your toolbar, the record tab includes all the options for recording a video inside the software. Click on it to bring up all the options for recording a video.

Record slide show

Now, you need to start the audio recording and follow the steps to record your PowerPoint slides to turn them into video.

Start the Recording

Choose whether to start the recording from the beginning or a specific slide. This will bring you to the full-screen recording mode.

Settings

Be sure to check all the recording options including the camera, microphone, narration, and letter size of the transcription before you start recording.

Start recording

Click on the red circle to start recording. Wait for the countdown and start presenting (or narrating).

Tip: Replay the video playback and ensure the recording is good enough before saving. You may need to delete and reshoot it.

Use the Cameo feature

A recent addition to Microsoft PowerPoint is the Cameo feature where you can also record video from your webcam directly into the presentation. Read more on Microsoft’s website about it.

On the presentation, all you need to do is click on the camera icon while in presenting mode.

Control the presentation, timing, and transitions

While in presenting mode, you can control the transition between the slides by clicking the next slide button. You will also see the time you are recording to control your timing between slides.

Keep an eye on the timer.

Export the Video

On Windows, there is the Export option in your toolbar to save the recording as a video. Alternatively, you can go through the main menu, but it’s easier after you hit stop to just export directly.

Choose a destination for your video or audio file before hitting the button for “Export Video”.

Customize Export

Choose “customize export” and select your preferred setting for the video file. Here is where you can select your preferred quality, dimensions, and more.

Then, click “Create Video” to get your video file.

Edit the Recording

For longer video recordings, it’s a good idea to do some video editing, trim pauses, and make your presentation look more professional. You may want to add transitions or sounds as well.

Especially if you are creating an online course or training, your presentation will look more professional after editing. Consider a professional video editor to help you out.

Check out our choices for video training tools to edit your videos.

Upload to your LMS

For video training or courses, you will need somewhere to host and deliver your videos to your learners.

LearnWorlds is the top online course platform, you can easily upload your video as a video learning unit.

You can try LearnWorlds a 30-day free trial:

Recording a PowerPoint Presentation on Mac

While PowerPoint is a Microsoft software, many Mac users download and use it on their computers as well. With more than 40k reviews on the app store, PowerPoint is a very popular Keynote alternative.

Go to the Record tab

PowerPoint on Mac has a dedicated tab for recording. Find it at the right side of your toolbar.

Record the Presentation

The next step for recording your slide show is to click on the record icon on the left. Click on the icon with the red circle to bring up the full-screen presenting mode.

Control the presentation, slide transition & timing

You can choose whether to show your camera, mute the microphone, use the highlighter, or change slides while narrating.

You can monitor the time you spend recording, and you can record, pause, or stop the recording at any time. The transcript helps to record the narration by reading while recording.

When you press record, wait for the countdown timer and then start speaking.

Cameo on Mac

You can use the Cameo feature to add a video recording of yourself to the presentation.

Use the audio button icon if you just want to insert audio. You can play the audio while presenting a slide live, instead of recording a voice-over.

Replay the video to ensure it was recorded correctly

Before you end the slideshow (End Show option), watch the playback to ensure you have a high-quality recording.

Export Video File

Mac’s “File” toolbar is hidden, so you need to move your cursor out of bounds on the top of your screen to find the “Export…” option.

Choose “File” above the toolbar, and then “Export…”

Choose Destination

Next, choose a destination for your video file.

Customize Export: Compression, Format, Quality, TImings & Narration

Choose the format (MP4 or MOV) instead of a PowerPoint file, the compression, and presentation quality. Be sure to customize the settings to your liking.

Edit the Recording

Be sure to trim pauses, and do some editing of the video. This is especially important for longer videos for a more professional output. Consider hiring a video editor for better editing.

Upload to your LMS

For video training or courses, you will need somewhere to host and deliver your videos to your learners.

LearnWorlds is our recommended best learning management system, you can easily upload your video as a course or any other training material. It comes with everything you need to create and sell online education out-of-the-box.

You can try LearnWorlds a 30-day free trial:

Additional Tips for Recording Audio on Powerpoint

After many meetings, recordings, and live webinars I have hosted over the years, I came to understand the huge importance of high-quality audio in any live interaction,

Before you start recording, be sure you are ready with the right video lighting setup and microphone setup.

You will need to be ready:

• A good microphone (depends on your budget) – and test the sound quality
• Reduce external noise (close windows, have sound absorbents like audio sponges in the room, etc.)
• Prepare your speaking notes or transcript
• Prepare for multiple takes (recordings)
• Practice before-hand

Additionally, be sure your face is well-lit, and for more professional setups, you may need to buy lights for your video recordings.

Recording your presentation comes with many advantages, like making it more engaging and getting to be “present” even asynchronously to your audience.

It makes a huge difference, especially when taking your training material from offline presentations into online courses!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I record a PowerPoint presentation as a video?

PowerPoint includes the built-in ability to record video in slideshow mode and record both audio and your webcam for a more personalized experience.

Can you record a PowerPoint in presentation mode?

Yes, there is a tab dedicated to recording videos in PowerPoint without any additional plugins.

Can you video record yourself on PowerPoint?

Yes, PowerPoint allows you to use the Cameo feature to either add video to your slides or record the presentation while you narrate it.

How do I convert a PPT slideshow into a video?

You will need to record a narration on top of your presentation. You can skip the narration and just record the slides with a transition to create a video.

Can PowerPoint record computer audio?

Yes, you can record audio from your microphone.

How do you add audio and video to a PowerPoint presentation?

You can either record and insert it at that moment or import video and audio from your computer to PowerPoint by clicking on the “Insert” tab.

The post How to Record Audio on PowerPoint – Windows & Mac Instructions appeared first on LearnWorlds.

Writing an effective course description requires more than a simple enumeration of topics though; it demands the artful fusion of clarity, persuasion, and engagement. Gone are the days of dry and formal language – today’s learners crave a connection with the instructor and want to know what the course entails before they decide to join in.

If you want to instill excitement and, ultimately, entice learners to embark on an educational journey with you as the expert, you need to say goodbye to the ordinary and hello to a course description that speaks directly to your audience.

In this article, we offer guidance on creating a winning course description that attracts and converts new learners. We also present the best course description examples that will equip you with the know-how you need to write yours.

But first, let’s go over some basics.

What is a Course Description?

A course description is a concise and informative overview of an educational offering that provides potential learners with insights into the content, objectives, and structure of the course. It aims to convey the key aspects of the learning experience, helping individuals make informed decisions about their educational or professional pursuits.

Key Characteristics of a Course Description

A course description offers a snapshot of what the course offers, allowing learners to determine if it aligns with their interests and academic or professional goals.

These are three of its key characteristics:

• It is concise: Course descriptions are brief and always focus on presenting key information in a condensed format.
• It is learner-focused: Aimed at prospective learners, course descriptions are written to attract interest and provide a general understanding of the course.
• It’s found in marketing materials: Course descriptions are commonly found in course catalogs, program brochures, and institutional websites as part of the marketing and recruitment process.

A course description should not be confused with a syllabus. Even though both share some similarities in terms of the information they provide for a course, they have different purposes, contents, audiences, and timing.

While a course description offers a general overview to help learners decide whether to enroll or not, a syllabus is a more detailed document that guides learners through the specifics of the course once they are enrolled.

The course description is often more static and does not change much, while the syllabus is dynamic and may be adjusted by the instructor based on the needs of the class.

Why Do You Need a Great Course Description?

A great course description is essential for several reasons. For starters, it is the number one decisive factor in whether a learner purchases your course. It is also the one piece of information that provides the most important details about your e-commerce product.

Apart from attracting and informing learners about your course though, a course description can help you achieve the following:

• Offer Clarity and Transparency: Course descriptions serve as a transparent communication tool, offering a clear understanding of what a course entails. This helps with setting expectations on the topics, learning outcomes, and prerequisites, ensuring that learners enroll in a course that aligns with their needs, aspirations, and goals.
• Add Differentiation in Promotion: In a competitive e-learning market, a great course description can help a particular course stand out from others. Highlighting unique features, benefits, or teaching methods can attract learners looking for specific qualities in a course.
• Build Credibility and Trust: A professional and informative course description contributes to the credibility of the course platform or LMS you use and the course itself. Learners are more likely to trust and invest in your course when they can easily access detailed information about its content and purpose.
• Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Well-written course descriptions can enhance the visibility of your course on search engines. Including relevant keywords and providing detailed information improves the chances of it being discovered by individuals searching for specific topics online.
• Aid Compliance and Policy Communication: Course descriptions can communicate important information regarding enrollment policies, refund policies, and any other terms and conditions. This helps establish a transparent and trustworthy relationship with learners as customers.

A course description is a powerful tool for any instructor selling online courses. It serves as a key component in marketing, customer communication, and building trust, ultimately contributing to the success and reputation of your elearning business.

How to Write a Course Description: Best Tips & Practices

A well-written course description should include all the key elements that provide a comprehensive overview of the course and all the relevant details, encouraging learners to proceed with enrollment.

However, course descriptions are never meant to be the same – in fact, they can be different in format, tone, and writing style.

For example, a course description of a gardening course – ‘How to Grow an Avocado Tree’ will be totally different from one used for a graduate-level course or online degree program offered by a college or university, regardless of the discipline.

Nevertheless, every course description needs an analogous amount of persuasion in their writing and includes similar types of information, as you will see below.

So, when you are about to start writing a course description, these are the key questions you need to answer:

• Who is offering this course? (individual instructor or organization)
• Why should a learner take this course? (listing the takeaways/benefits)
• What are the key contents, principles, or topics that it covers?
• How are you going to offer the educational experience (learning activities & instruction methods) in this course?
• When will this course take place? (if enrollment dates are available, e.g., for cohort-based courses)
• How much does the course cost? (determine the price of your course)

These questions will guide your write-up process, helping you ensure you include all the essential elements. But, let’s check these out in more detail.

Essential Elements of a Course Description

The table below shows the key elements of a course description and can work as a checklist when creating your own course descriptions.

Now, let’s explore the practical application of this information through a few illustrative course description example templates.

Best Course Description Example Templates for Inspiration

Using the checklist above, you can create a course description for just about any course subject, industry, and educational or professional setting.

In some instances, you may choose to leave out any information that is not directly applicable to your course, e.g., course codes or certifications – if you don’t offer any.

In case you need inspiration, though, make sure you go through the following examples:

Course Description Example 1: English Language Course

Course Title: Fluent English Mastery Course
Course Code: ENG301

Brief Introduction:
Embark on a linguistic journey with our Fluent English Mastery Course. Designed for learners at all proficiency levels, this comprehensive program is your key to unlocking the power of effective communication in English. Join us, and let’s explore the world of language together!

Course Overview:
The Fluent English Mastery Course is crafted to enhance your language skills across listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Led by experienced language instructors, this course provides a structured and engaging learning experience for individuals looking to achieve fluency and confidence in English.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, you will:

• Develop fluent and articulate spoken English.
• Enhance your listening and comprehension skills.
• Refine your writing abilities for various contexts.
• Expand your vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.

Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for learners of all levels, from beginners seeking a solid foundation to advanced speakers aiming for mastery. No prior knowledge or language proficiency is required.

Course Content:
This course will cover:

• Pronunciation and accent improvement.
• Conversational English for real-life situations.
• Reading comprehension and analysis.
• Writing exercises for different genres.
• Vocabulary expansion and idiomatic usage.

Teaching Methods:
Engage in dynamic classroom sessions, interactive group discussions, language games, and multimedia resources. Our instructors foster a supportive learning environment where practical application is key.

Assessment and Evaluation:
Assess your progress through regular quizzes, speaking assessments, written assignments, and a final project that allows you to showcase your newfound language proficiency.

Required Materials:
Access the course materials online, including e-books, audio resources, and interactive language learning platforms. A reliable internet connection and a headset are recommended for an optimal learning experience.

Unique Features:

• Live conversational practice sessions with native English speakers.
• Language immersion activities to reinforce learning.
• Cultural insights to understand English in a global context.
• Peer collaboration through group projects.

Career or Academic Outcomes:
Enhance your communication skills for various professional and academic settings, opening doors to new opportunities and connections.

Practical Applications:
Apply your fluent English skills in business meetings, academic presentations, travel, and everyday conversations. Become a confident and effective communicator in an English-speaking world.

Instructor Information:
Our team of experienced English language instructors brings a wealth of expertise to guide you through your language-learning journey. [Names of instructors & Title]

Contact Information:
For inquiries, contact [Language School Email: info@fluentenglishmastery.com] or [Language School Phone: (555) 789-5678].

Registration and Enrollment Information:
You can enroll now at [languageschoolwebsite.com]. Limited seats available. Registration deadline is [Date]. No language proficiency tests required.

Duration and Schedule:
This course spans 12 weeks, with classes held twice a week for 90 minutes each. Choose between morning and evening sessions to suit your schedule.

Language and Format:
The course is conducted in English, with a format that combines in-person and online sessions for additional flexibility.

Certification:
Upon successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Proficiency in Fluent English. This course is eligible for Continuing Professional Education – CPE credits, providing valuable recognition for your commitment to ongoing language development in professional contexts.

Course Description Example 2: Health and Safety Course

Course Title: Workplace Health and Safety Training

Brief Introduction:
Welcome to the Workplace Health and Safety Training – your gateway to fostering a safe and healthy work environment. This course equips employees with essential knowledge and skills to promote a secure workplace for everyone. Whether you’re new to the organization or seeking to enhance your safety awareness, this training is tailored for you.

Course Overview:
This course covers fundamental health and safety principles, hazard identification, emergency response, and best practices for maintaining a safe workplace. Gain the skills to contribute to a culture of safety and well-being in your organization.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand basic health and safety regulations.
• Identify and mitigate workplace hazards.
• Respond effectively to emergencies.
• Promote a culture of safety within the organization.

Who is this course for?
This training is essential for all employees, especially those new to the organization or undergoing a job role change. No prior safety knowledge is required.

Course Content:
This course will cover:

• Introduction to workplace health and safety.
• Hazard identification and risk assessment.
• Emergency response procedures.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) usage.
• Safety communication in the workplace.

Teaching Methods:
Engage in interactive training modules, scenario-based simulations, group discussions, and hands-on demonstrations. Assessments and quizzes will ensure that you grasp key concepts.

Assessment and Evaluation:
Evaluation includes individual assessments, participation in scenario-based evaluations, a final leadership and public speaking project, and continuous improvement through feedback.

Required Materials:
Access the online training platform and receive a safety handbook or manual, provided digitally or in print. Any specific tools or equipment for hands-on demonstrations will be provided.

Unique Features:

• Live Q&A sessions with safety experts.
• Workplace-specific case studies.
• Emergency evacuation drills (if applicable).
• Access to ongoing safety resources and updates.

Career or Academic Outcomes:
Enhance your safety knowledge and skills, contributing to a safer work environment. The training provides valuable insights applicable to various industries and roles.

Practical Applications:
Apply safety principles in day-to-day work tasks. Contribute to a safer workplace culture through proactive hazard identification and reporting.

Instructor Information:
Led by the Safety and Compliance Department, under the guidance of [Safety Officer’s Name], a seasoned professional with extensive safety experience.

Contact Information:
For further information, contact the Safety Department at [Email: safety@company.com] or [Phone: (555) 789-1234].

Registration and Enrollment Information:
Employees are automatically enrolled. Access details through the company’s Learning Management System (LMS).

Duration and Schedule:
The training is a two-day intensive session. Regular refresher modules are available for ongoing learning.

Language and Format:
The language of instruction is English. The course format is blended, combining virtual and in-person instructor-led sessions on the company’s premises.

Certification:
Upon successful completion, you will receive a Workplace Health and Safety Certificate of Completion.

Course Description Example 3: Leadership & Public Speaking

Course Title: Leadership and Public Speaking Mastery

Brief Introduction:
Welcome to the transformative “Leadership and Public Speaking Mastery” course. Led by the esteemed Leadership and Public Speaking Coach, [Coach’s Name], this program is designed to elevate your leadership and communication skills. Whether you’re a professional, manager, or aspiring leader, this course will empower you to become a confident and influential communicator.

Course Overview:
This course integrates leadership principles and advanced public speaking techniques to develop a holistic skill set for effective communication, persuasion, and leadership presence. Through personalized coaching and engaging workshops, you’ll gain the confidence to lead with impact.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, you will:

• Develop confident and persuasive public speaking skills.
• Enhance leadership presence and influence.
• Master effective communication strategies.
• Learn practices to overcome public speaking anxiety.

Who is this course for?
Professionals, managers, aspiring leaders, and anyone seeking to enhance their public speaking and leadership capabilities will find immense value in this course.

Course Content:
This course will cover:

• Foundations of effective leadership.
• Advanced public speaking techniques.
• Storytelling and persuasive communication.
• Leadership presence and influence.
• Overcoming public speaking anxiety.

Teaching Methods:
Engage in interactive workshops, personal coaching sessions, speech critiques, role-playing scenarios, and virtual or in-person speaking opportunities. Benefit from [Coach’s Name]’s wealth of experience and expertise.

Assessment and Evaluation:
Assess your progress through evaluations of individual speeches, participation in group activities and discussions, and a final leadership and public speaking project.

Required Materials:
Access a course handbook with essential resources and online learning platforms. Video recording equipment is recommended for self-assessment (optional).

Unique Features:

• Exclusive access to [Coach’s Name]’s toolkit for leadership and public speaking.
• Networking opportunities with fellow course participants.
• Guest lectures from industry leaders.
• Graduation ceremony to celebrate your achievements.

Career or Academic Outcomes:
Acquire skills applicable to various professional settings, enhancing career prospects and personal growth.

Practical Applications:
Apply leadership and public speaking skills in meetings, presentations, and networking events. Contribute to a positive and influential organizational culture.

Instructor Information:
Your guide, [Coach’s Name], is a Leadership and Public Speaking Coach with over 10 years of experience.

Contact Information:
For inquiries, contact [Coach’s Email: coach@leadershipmastery.com] or [Coach’s Phone: (555) 678-5678].

Registration and Enrollment Information:
Enroll now at [coursewebsite.com]. Limited seats available. Early bird discounts and payment plans are available.

Duration and Schedule:
This 8-week course consists of weekly sessions lasting 2 hours each, with a flexible schedule to accommodate various time zones.

Language and Format:
The course is delivered in English, with a blended learning format including virtual and in-person sessions, in-class workshops, and online resources.

Certification:
Upon successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement in Leadership and Public Speaking Mastery.

These examples can be tweaked to work for your course (can be shortened or lengthened) and have their own dedicated landing page. Once prospective learners go to your website and course catalog, they should be able to click on the course they are interested in and go to your sales page to see the full course description and other course details.

Course Description Examples From Existing Online Courses

Now, let’s move on to some real-life course description examples created by online course creators and existing online academies. Doing so should give you more context as to what goes in it and what stays out, and then implement their most effective strategies.

Lecciones De Acuarela – Watercolor & Drawing Learning School

Lecciones De Acuarela is a Spanish-based school that offers courses on Fundamentals of Watercolor and various drawing techniques. It works with monthly subscriptions and caters specifically to Spanish and English-speaking students.

Course Title: Drawing Classroom: El dibujo de contorno (The Contour Drawing)

In one of the courses it offers, the instructor gives the introduction to the course, explaining what contour drawing is, and says that it includes an exercise that shows the procedure for making one.

Lecciones De Acuarela’s course page

The course description is brief but offers the information students need, including the duration of the course (a 20-minute long video), the instructor’s name, and the subscription options.

Lecciones De Acuarela’s instructor information and commentary

Apart from that, the course description offers a special commentary featuring the perspective of the watercolorist and instructor, who explains why he chose to work with watercolor in the first place. This works as a unique selling point, fostering trust between the instructor and potential students.

Imagineer.me – School for Critical And Creative Thinking

Imagineer.me is a school that provides visual learning modules that develop the creative potential of learners. It fuses visual, symbolic, and metaphoric thinking with Aboriginal pedagogy.

Targeting mainly Australian users, it focuses on visualization processes based on neuroscience and visual mapping of paths for students, while offering many more interesting subjects for both teachers and students to explore.

Course Title: ‘The Neuroscience of Imagination’

Their course description on the selected course is structured effectively, listing the course title prominently, the course price, and the course group it belongs to (The V Series), and clearly states for whom this course is: ‘It is appropriate for all teachers including math, language, art, science, etc. It is also relevant for pre-school, primary, high school, and university.’

Imagineer.Me course page

On top of that, it includes a note that informs teachers they can get their NESA credits by enrolling in this course, giving them another reason to join in.

Imagineer.me offering detailed course information

For this course, the school also lists the guidelines and contents on the page and offers additional information for every module. It clearly shows what types of learning activities are included in the outline, like video tutorials, PDFs, audio files, quizzes, and exams.

It also contains numbers to describe its contents e.g. 14x Video tutorials, 2x guided visualizations, 2x Downloadable MP3 mindfulness audio tracks, and 1x digital workbook communicating the value it offers to its potential students.

FriEdOnline – EdTech Professional Learning Academy

FriEdOnline is an online academy created by FriEdTech – an education technology professional learning and development organization that offers fun, useful, and engaging EdTech professional development.

The company offers a range of training services to educators, and its mission is to empower them through flexible, self-paced learning experiences to build the expertise needed to excel in their field.

Course Title: ‘Rock the Classroom: Classroom Management & Behavior Strategies for Today’s Classroom’

On their course catalog, you can easily see what each course is about. The one we chose for this example, has a visually appealing image and a bold course title and lists the course price, name of instructor, awarded credits, and access duration (12 months).

FriEdOnline’s course catalog

All these elements are accompanied by a unique and catchy course description that shows it understands the target audience’s pain point and speaks directly to them – teachers who need help managing the classroom.

FriEdOnline course page

On the course page, the academy makes use of video and on-page visuals to show the course duration (6 hours) and highlights the benefits of enrolling in the course. With this course, learners will get their certificate and badge and will be able to go through the course content at their own pace.

The course description also lists the course outline, talks about the experts/instructors, and provides reviews, enrollment options, and FAQs. For a more concise and marketable course description format, it also offers a downloadable course flier!

Do’s and Don’ts When Writing a Course Description

Reviewing course description examples like the ones above is helpful in terms of identifying what works best. As the course creator, however, it’s up to you to decide which approach to follow.

Either way, make sure you are ticking off the following dos and exclude the dont’s:

Do’s

• Tailor the language and tone: Ensure that text resonates with your target audience – think of the background, interests, and aspirations of potential learners.
• Use engaging language with active verbs: Make use of words like ‘Explore, Examine, Gain, Learn, Develop’, descriptive phrases, and storytelling techniques to make the description memorable.
• Include testimonials from previous students: Highlight success stories related to the course to add more credibility and value to your offering.
• Be clear and concise: Clearly communicate the key aspects of the course using straightforward and concise language. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex terminology.
• Focus on the benefits: highlight the benefits and practical applications of the course. Explain how it addresses specific challenges, enhances skills, or contributes to personal and professional growth.
• Provide additional contact information: Include contact information, instructors’ social media profiles, or links for further inquiries. Make it easy for prospective students to reach out with questions or seek additional information about the course.
• Include relevant keywords: Conduct keyword research and incorporate keywords related to your course topic, industry, and target audience throughout your course description to boost search engine visibility.
• Proofread and edit: Ensure that the course description is free of grammatical errors and typos. A well-edited description reflects professionalism and attention to detail.

Don’ts

• Don’t overuse technical jargon: While it’s important to convey the depth and rigor of the course, avoid overwhelming readers with excessive technical jargon. Strike a balance between sophistication and accessibility.
• Don’t misrepresent the course: Be honest and accurate in your portrayal of the course. Misleading information can lead to unmet expectations and dissatisfaction among students.
• Avoid generic statements: Refrain from using generic or clichéd statements that could apply to any course. Instead, focus on the specific and distinctive features that set your course apart.
• Don’t overpromise: While it’s essential to showcase the benefits of the course, avoid making unrealistic promises. Ensure that the description aligns with the actual content and outcomes of the course.
• Avoid excessive detail: While you want to provide sufficient information, avoid overwhelming readers with excessive details. Save in-depth information for the syllabus and focus on the essentials in the course description.
• Don’t neglect formatting: Pay attention to the formatting of the course description. Use headings, bullet points, and spacing to enhance readability. A well-organized description is more likely to capture and maintain the reader’s interest.

Ready to Start Creating a Description for Your Online Course?

Writing course descriptions is the pivotal step that transforms your educational vision into a compelling and informative narrative for your learners.

A good course description will lay the foundation for attracting the right audience and setting clear expectations. So, as you begin writing yours, consider the unique value your course offers, the specific needs it addresses for your learners, and the outcomes they can anticipate.

Take the opportunity to showcase the distinctive features that make your course stand out and rise above the competition today!

And If you’re searching for an exceptional online course platform to create and promote your online courses, look no further than LearnWorlds. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial to explore the myriad possibilities and unlock your full potential!

Further reading you might find interesting:

• 183 Profitable Online Course Ideas With Examples
• Knowledge Economy: How to Sell Knowledge Online
• Sell Digital Downloads: The Complete Guide
• Personal Branding Guide: How to Build Your Brand Strategy
• How to Create a Course Outline [With Templates]
• How to Start a Profitable Online Course Business From Scratch
• How Much Money Can You Make Selling Online Courses?

The post How to Write a Winning Course Description: Examples & Best Practices appeared first on LearnWorlds.