Top 4 principles of creating online courses!

Creating an online course has become a new trend and if you are also eager to become an entrepreneur in this successful business then it is a good move. But before you start with your course creation you need to understands that selling online courses in India is a bit difficult as the competition is comparatively high. 

These days, many students opt for online courses as they are really helpful but with so many courses available on similar topics, the student drop-out rates are constantly increasing. So here your goal is not to just sell online course but also to decrease the attrition. Some students leave the course rights at the beginning whereas some switch to another course in the middle of the previous one. 

This article will cover the top 4 principles that will help you to reduce drop-outs on your online courses, improving the course completion rates.

In terms of content, online classes are similar to conventional classes. You create the study material according to the demand of your learners and deliver instructions to them. To increase your course effectiveness and retention you need to follow the basic steps of conventional teaching methods. Apart from that, these 4 principles will further help you with achieving your goal-

1. Use simple yet effective Graphics
2. Create shorter lessons 
3. Build engagements 
4. Seek feedback

Now let’s look at each of these points in detail

1. Use simple yet effective Graphics:

Use of audio recording and pictures in your courses can be more indulging then a monotonous use of plain writing. When learners come to learn from a course there knowledge related to it is limited. When they find interactive pictures and audio recordings in the course that incites their interest in your course. Learners can process limited information at once and showering them with unwanted information will only reduce their interest. 

2. Create shorter lessons:

Long lecture videos or course videos are difficult for learners to follow at one go. Hence you must try your best to create online course in short parts. The game here is all about sensibly dividing the modules. You don’t need to lessen the information that your course consists of you only need to divide that information in few minutes modules which will make it all the more effective. For instance, if your course has this 60 minutes video then divide it into 4 or 5 videos of 15 minutes. Also, adding fun quizzes at the end of every module can engage your learners better. 

3. Build engagements :

When interacting through virtual methods of delivering instructions whether through courses or live classes, teachers usually lack the sync that is maintained in conventional classrooms. This is where you need to work! You need to bring that sync or say natural interaction in your courses that can build a relationship with your learners. 

You need to build your courses on a platform that supports discussion forums and live chat feature just like Study24x7 does. For students motivation comes from the support of their educators. Asking queries, discussing doubts, talking about creative ideas… all of this inspires them to learn better. You can work through this point with these four tips-

1. Give your students the confidence of your availability; let them know that you are there to help them whenever they need it. 
2. Schedule a fixed time everyday for a doubt clearing session.
3. Schedule weekly live classes to discuss on the topic and modules of your course.
4. Provide your learners with a discussion forum where they can interact and discuss with other peers. 

4. Seek feedback

Many research studies have proven that feedback acts as a positive driving force for educators to create better and more effective content for their learners. After all, on the receiving end of your course are your learners, you are creating educational content for them so what can be more beneficial than a feedback that lets you know what are the demands on the receiving end.

Some quick ways to get feedback from your learner’s are-

1. Ask your learners to drop their doubts on a common chat space or discussion forum. 
2. Take a poll.
3. Ask them questions directly.
4. Discuss the problems through live chat.