In recent times companies, public administrations and institutions of all kinds are experiencing an increasing need to provide distance learning courses (DL) to their employees, collaborators or students to promote refresher and training courses.
The widespread use of digital technologies and Internet connection in every workplace has made the use of online materials easier and easier. In addition, there is the need to provide reference points to help employees, and not only, to make their way into the endless network of information with which people are constantly being bombarded nowadays.
In fact, it is now clear that continuous training has become a necessity, which always requires new updates in every professional and non-professional field. The best way to respond to this need is precisely to create learning courses, which make full use of their potential when they are delivered online.
It should be pointed out that online courses allow to get a series of advantages, such as the possibility to:
- monitor learners, thanks to a set of available tools
- provide and sell courses in a flexible way
- save time and costs for both learners and the organization
- overcome the difficulties due to physical distance
- increase performance and productivity
- check the results of the learners
- offer to learners the opportunity to invest in their training using their devices with great comfort
If you have already encountered the need to provide online courses, you will now be wondering how to do it and who you should contact. If you’ve already asked these questions on the web, you may have noticed that in recent times there are so many and varied offers related to distance learning platforms that choosing the right one seems complicated.
This is why we have identified three simple seps to follow, in order to help you choose the right LMS platform.
First step: create your own course
Whatever the topic of your online course is, you’ll definitely have to go through some steps before delivering it on an LMS platform. First of all, you need to clarify both the topic and the target you’re referring to. Once you have analyzed the market and made the necessary analyses, you can start to create your course or give others the guidelines to create it. It is important to choose the style that best suits the needs of your future learners.
In order for it to be effective, a distance learning course should be:
- complete of all the required contents related to the topic
- divided into modules and lessons
- equipped with a series of teaching materials to support (audio, video, infographics, slides...)
Once all materials are ready, it is recommended to convert your course to SCORM format (Shareable Content Object Reference Model), which is the most widely used international standard for DL courses.
In these cases, given the very nature of the content where the attention to detail is fundamental, it is important to always rely on the most prepared professionals in order to convert to SCORM and avoid technical problems during the work.
If your online course is already ready and you have all the necessary formats, you can move on to the next level.
Second step: identify your needs
Before you start delivering your course on an LMS platform, you need to understand the differences of the various kinds of distance learning: asynchronous and synchronous. Depending on the needs of your organization and on the course itself, in fact, you may need one, the other, or both.
To sum up briefly, asynchronous training has the following characteristics:
- there is no simultaneous presence of teachers and learners and the interactions between the two parties are limited
- they allow you to present video modules, SCORM, quizzes, handouts, slides and timesheets
- offer tracking systems that allow to monitor the actions of the learner
For what concerns synchronous training, on the other hand:
- the lesson takes place in real time
- the interactions between teachers and learners are possible
- it is possible to present teaching materials, comment on them and respond to any doubts in real time
It is evident that both types of distance learning have opportunities and limitations. That’s why, in order to have greater flexibility in a world where needs continue to change, it would be recommended to choose those LMS platforms that allow to deal with both asynchronous and synchronous training, in order to take full advantage of the full potential of distance learning.
Both methods allow to obtain a certificate of completion of the course, thus enriching the professional skills of the learners who have followed it. In some cases, the LMS platform may be affiliated with a public entity and may be authorized to provide courses that give certain professional requirements. It is essential, in fact, to evaluate whether you need a platform that follows the directives, decrees and guidelines issued by the authorities to provide a specific type of course.
Last step: choose the LMS platform that best suits your needs and deliver your course
In order to choose the provider that best suits your needs, you need to consider a number of things.
The distance learning platform you have identified:
- allows to upload unlimited courses?
- is it easy to use?
- does it allow you to add supplementary services?
- is it fully customizable?
- allows to sell your courses online?
- provides technical assistance 24/7?
If the answer is yes to each of these questions, then you will probably need one of the LMS platforms offered by VITECO. After many years of experience in the field of distance learning, the company has perfected its offer over time, always remaining updated with the latest news. That’s why VITECO has added new features, like the facial recognition system, and it has understood the necessities of those who have recently discovered the need for a reliable LMS platform, providing Customers with a 24/7 technical support service in order to help them at every stage of the project.
The minimal and intuitive design also allows flexibility and ease of use, making distance learning accessible even to those who interface with it for the first time.
To conclude…
We hope to have provided you with a set of tools and knowledges that will help you to consciously choose the LMS platform that best suits your needs. If you are looking for a reliable partner that allows you to provide and sell your courses online or if you need more information, do not hesitate to contact us.