How to Organize Content For Your eLearning Program or Online Course

Originally published on linkedin.com
The idea of organizing content into an e-learning program can seem overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of content you want to be included in your course. But with a few simple steps and a bonus pro tip, you will find this process to be pretty straightforward. 

Step #1. Create a Learner Transformation Statement (LTS) 

Start by creating an LTS, a statement that outlines how your learners will be transformed by taking your course. In other words, it clarifies point A, where they start, and point Z, where they will be upon completion. 

Step #2. Create Milestones 

Once you have your learner transformation statement, it is time to work on your milestones. These are your learner objectives for the course. Think of the milestones as paths or checkpoints along the journey from A to Z. Ideally, you want about three to five milestones. 

Having more milestones should be manageable as well. Some of our clients have 15 milestones, which works for them. As long as your milestone has an actionable result your learners can derive, it is worth including. 

Step #3. Outline the Course Content 

Now, it’s time to take your LTS and milestones and turn them into a course outline. For each milestone, determine three to five main modules to teach within that milestone. This doesn’t have to be highly detailed. Simply identify the main points that you will cover within each milestone. 

Step #4. Use a Content Management System 

A smart tip for how to organize content is to use a content management system (CMS). A CMS will help you manage and track everything about your milestones, courses, and content types. You can see details like: 

• Who is involved?
• Who is the subject matter expert?
• Has it been shot? 
• What part of the process is it in? 
• Has it been created? 
• Has it been edited? 
• Has it been uploaded? 

You can track all this in the CMS, and so can everyone else on your team. The CMS lets you stay organized and ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

You can purchase a CMS program, but you can also create your own for free by using Google Sheets. 

Pro Tip: Get Learner Feedback 

As you go through the above steps, remember that getting learner feedback is crucial to how to organize content. Get feedback from your learners throughout the entire process of developing and organizing content. Remember that you need your learners to engage with and buy your content. However, they won’t do this if it doesn’t fit their needs. Getting feedback at regular intervals is the best way to ensure that your course will indeed resolve your learners’ major challenges while being engaging. 

Conclusion

Organizing your content for an e-learning course doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start by creating a learner transformation statement and listing the milestones that will take your learners on their journey from A to Z. Then, create a course outline using that information, organize everything in a content management system, and get feedback from your learners.