Hire An eLearning Course Developer / eLearning Specialist
eLearning Course developers are very much in demand in the eLearning industry. This article discusses the role of course developers in the eLearning environment, the best methods of developing courses, and what to be aware of when hiring a developer.
Course developers are integral to eLearning content development. In this blog, we will discuss the role they play in eLearning development along with some tips on hiring expert eLearning developers.
The role of the eLearning Course Developer
An eLearning developer designs the online content based on the storyboard created for a training course. eLearning developers have in-depth expertise in using eLearning authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Elucidat, iSpring and Lectora.
During online content creation, an instructional designer initially analyzes the raw content, creates the course structure, and plans how the course should be developed. The eLearning developer, on the other hand, brings the course to life by adding the required design elements to it.
eLearning developers play a key role in developing and deploying the course. As part of eLearning development, they create a user interface for the course, add media elements and finalize the overall visual design.
How do eLearning Developers improve course content?
1. Converting existing training material
In the past, online training programs were not used as widely as they are today. Instructor-led training programs were the norm. Many organizations are now converting the legacy course content from these instructor-led training programs into engaging and interactive eLearning training programs.
Here is where good eLearning developers are important. They convert the legacy content into effective eLearning courses using eye-catching graphics, interactive methods, gamification, and simulations. These features enrich the content leading to greater retention of the course content.
Converting the existing training material into engaging eLearning content has a wide scope. This method includes the conversion of PowerPoint or PDF files, presentations, instructional manuals, participant guides and marketing brochures. Good eLearning developers effectively use rapid authoring tools to make the conversion quick and smooth.
Rapid eLearning solutions have become commonplace. F.A.S.T. Rescue offers its rapid eLearning solutions for our diverse client base. Learn more about our rapid eLearning solutions.
2. Developing new eLearning materials
This is the method most organizations prefer to use. When you develop a custom training course from scratch, you can assess the course to ensure it meets your current standards and requirements.
eLearning companies can assist you with this process by analyzing the content, creating a design plan, using subject matter experts (SMEs) to review the content, and developing an instructional design (ID) strategy. Based on the approved ID strategy, they will finalize the course objectives and create a storyboard for the course.
Once the storyboard is approved, eLearning developers design the content, develop the online learning program, and integrate the final course into your learning management system (LMS).
Your existing eLearning courses can be customized according to your training needs. For more details visit our customized eLearning solutions page.
Hiring an expert eLearning developer
Whether you decide to convert your existing content into eLearning or to create a brand-new eLearning course, eLearning developers play a vital role. Hiring the right eLearning developer can determine the success of your training program. To hire the best eLearning developer, follow these guidelines:
- When building custom eLearning content, make sure your course developer has hands-on experience in multiple authoring tools. They should have expertise in common authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline 360, Studio, Adobe Captivate, Creative Suite, and Lectora.
- Assess if you want this developer to develop a single course or if you want them to be managing several courses.
- If you want your developer to manage the project independently, ensure that you select a developer with expertise in adult learning.
- Ensure that the developer is experienced in graphic design, animation, and video editing.
- Give the developer a sample job before you hire them for your project. Many organizations ignore this step, relying solely on the interview. Ignoring this step will make the difference between the success or failure of your project.
- Assess the expertise level you need based on the complexity of your course.
Here is the list of the experience and responsibilities you will need in an eLearning developer for a complex course:
- Experience:
- More than 4 years of eLearning development experience
- Experience in the independent development of individual modules
- Experience of using at least one authoring tool
- Responsibilities:
- To create eLearning modules from storyboard content
- To create content using engaging interactivity and knowledge assessments
- To publish modules for different LMS platforms
- To work with the development team to ensure quality control
- To work on media assets and imagery from source content to improve the quality
- To have an overall understanding of the course curriculum
- To use client’s templates, tools, and methodologies
Conclusion
In this blog, we have reviewed the role of eLearning developers, the methods they use for developing the course content, and the best practices for hiring a competent developer. For more details, please contact us.
F.A.S.T. Rescue has been developing effective eLearning courses for our diverse clients across the country. We create the best learning experiences while combining the best of instructional design and visual design strategies to create effective corporate learning solutions.
Related FAQs
1. What are the popular authoring tools for converting PPT files to eLearning?
Many authoring tools are able to easily convert PPT files to eLearning. Some of these authoring tools include:
- Articulate Storyline
- Adobe Captivate
- Lectora Inspire
Your legacy content in the form of PPTs can be easily converted into online courses. For more details visit our page PowerPoint to eLearning conversion:
2. Why is custom eLearning the best option for your organization?
For generic training, off-the-shelf content is a good option. When training is required to develop specific skills and competencies, customizing your eLearning content is the most efficient way to train your staff. Custom eLearning enables your content to be updated at frequent intervals making your training flexible and dynamic.
3. How is legacy content conversion achieved?
Legacy content conversion happens in several ways, which are listed below:
- If the source files are not available, screen recordings may be the best option.
- If the course needs to be republished without modification, ensure that it adapts to all devices and browsers.
- Assess if the slides should be redesigned.
- Assess if the course must be recreated from scratch. If this is the case, instructional design must also be involved to build the course.