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We have just redesigned - some pages will follow.
Memberspot with a new look
We have just redesigned - some pages will follow.
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The perfect e-learning platform: 3 tips, features and examples

All good things come in threes. That's why in this article we'll give you 3 tips and 3 features for e-learning platforms and show you an example. Why? So that you then know how you can build an e-learning platform and how it can bring you closer to your goals. You can find out what these are at the end of the article in the three biggest advantages that e-learning offers you.

What exactly is an e-learning platform? 

E-learning ("electronically supported learning") refers to learning with the help of electronic or digital media. E-learning also has synonyms such as online learning, distance learning or multimedia learning.

Consequently, an e-learning platform is an information system that is used for digital learning. These platforms can have very different characteristics, so there are different interpretations of e-learning portals: 

  • as a content management system (CMS)
  • as a Learning Management System (LMS)
  • as a computer-supported collaborative learning system (CSCLS) 
  • as a virtual community of learners and teachers

That's why e-learningcan look very different in practice: digital learning content, online lectures, video courses, webinars, podcasts or blended learning (a mixture of face-to-face and online events). Under the term e-learning, you will find customized products (digital consulting or online lessons for a class) as well as standard offerings such as online courses. 

E-learning: a growing market?

The e-learning industry is booming, not least due to the coronavirus crisis. More and more knowledge is being imparted digitally. In addition to individual learners and companies that use e-learning for employee training, schools, universities and public administration are also among the preferred e-learning target groups.

According to analyses by Ambient Insight, the global e-learning market will grow by 5% annually and replace more and more offline formats. And e-learning is also a future market in Germany. In contrast to 2019, the e-learning industry was able to increase its turnover by 16% in 2020.

3 features your e-learning portal needs?

There are many e-learning tools on the market, but the features that a platform offers are crucial. We'll tell you what you should look out for when choosing your e-learning platform.

  1. User-friendliness through app application

What is the decisive advantage of e-learning? Learning independent of time and place, that's right! As we spend more and more time on our smartphones these days, it's important to find an e-learning portal that also makes your courses accessible via a mobile app.

  1. Track learning progress using reporting

How can you know which learning content was particularly well received, where many participants have switched off and how far along the course participants are? With targeted reporting via a professional e-learning platform, you have insight into important data, can monitor learning progress and can optimize your e-learning offering.

  1. Quizzes and certificates for engaged learning

Decisive factors that determine the learning success of your course are interactivity and entertainment. You can provide additional motivation by including quizzes or issuing certificates.

3 tips: What needs to be considered when building an e-learning platform?

Tip N°1: Use a simple e-learning portal

Of course, you have the option of building your courses in Wordpress with a plugin or theme, but this requires some programming knowledge in CSS and means a lot of fiddling around, unless you are a Wordpress pro. 

If you don't want to deal with all the technology, we recommend using an intuitive and simple e-learning platform like Memberspot, where you can create your learning content, manage a member area and access reporting and email marketing options in no time at all.

Tip N°2: Know the needs of your target group

You are not creating the course for yourself, but for your customers or employees. What do they want, how can you help them and what types of learners should your course cater to? You don't want to be in front of the camera yourself, but you know that your topic is better explained in a video than in text or audio form? Then look for a compromise and make a screen recording in which you explain the presentation off-camera. If you design your e-learning without the target group in mind, the drop-out rate will be high and your efforts will not be crowned with success. Therefore: the customer is king and the customer is queen!

Tip N°3: Value interactivity and contact

Digitalization helps us enormously, but don't forget that the screen cannot replace real proximity. Since the drop-out rate in e-learning is not insignificant, you should definitely ensure interactivity and exchange. Remember that the participant is sitting in front of a screen at home and can be distracted by all kinds of things if the course does not captivate them. Alternating learning formats, opportunities for exchange and personal contact with the target group are important factors for the success of your e-learning offer.

Example of a successful e-learning platform

Katja Graumann is a business coach for personal trainers, hosts the largest business podcast for personal trainers and has opted for the Memberspot e-learning platform. She has created online courses for her coaching programs and versatile workshops that are impressive in design and easy to use. Whether as a desktop version or as a mobile app - your customers can play your courses from both devices. The user-friendliness for providers and customers as well as the member area is a great benefit for both sides. What's more, your courses run via a German tool, which also ensures optimal data protection for all user data. 

Website excerpt Kaja Graumann
Source: https://www.katjagraumann.com/


3 advantages: Why use e-learning portals for companies? 

Why are more and more companies, universities and private individuals turning to e-learning? Because it offers clear advantages that traditional forms of knowledge transfer cannot keep up with.

  1. Independence in terms of location and time

With e-learning, nobody is tied to a specific place and often not to a specific time. If you want, you can design your learning content so that it can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. Even via an app on your smartphone. This means that everyone can learn at their own pace and can view the content several times if necessary.

  1. Cost and time savings

For you, imparting your knowledge via e-learning means extra work at first, as you have to prepare the course accordingly. But once this work is done, you will save a lot of time compared to your face-to-face courses. In most cases, online courses also save you money, as you don't have to rent a room or travel anywhere. 

  1. Scalability

With a created e-learning offer, you can finally reach many people. In contrast, face-to-face courses are limited to a certain number of participants. With online courses, you can scale your business. You can also update the content again and again and easily bring it up to date or add something new.

Your goals: For what purposes do you create e-learning programs?  

  1. Education & knowledge transfer

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, all parents have been familiar with the e-learning platform IServ. E-learning is increasingly being used in the education sector, such as in schools, universities and adult education centers, to expand the range of education on offer without the need for a physical presence. Private individuals want to continue their education in order to learn more about a specific topic or to specialize or reorient themselves professionally. 

Nowadays, almost all companies use e-learning to train and develop their employees or to impart knowledge for a new position. The many advantages of e-learning for companies are making this type of knowledge transfer increasingly popular. The courses are accessible as a knowledge database for all relevant employees, ensure broad coverage, lower costs and standardized processes such as onboarding new employees.

  1. Standardization and automation

Expert knowledge, training content and employee training can be standardized using e-learning. Access to the online course is all that is needed to access the knowledge. With standardized and automated processes, not only large companies save a lot of time and money when inducting and training employees, but also coaches, consultants and experts can automate processes with an e-learning offering and concentrate on other areas of their business.

  1. E-learning courses as a marketing tool

Would you like to draw attention to yourself and your products or services? Free e-learning offers or webinars increase your visibility and are ideal for generating leads. In the non-marketing sector, this means that you collect contacts with interested parties in order to convert them into buyers in further marketing campaigns.

Conclusion

Online learning is not only becoming increasingly popular in schools and universities, but online courses, video courses, webinars and other digital forms of learning are also being used in B2B and B2C. Whether e-learning for companies to train employees for the complex world of work or as an online course for nutritional advice for private customers: the e-learning market is booming and has achieved stable growth in recent years. 

Did you know that thanks to e-learning platforms such as Memberspot, anyone can now easily create an e-learning course - without any programming knowledge?

Create your content and upload your videos, audios and presentations easily and create an online course in an attractive design with drag-and-drop, which can also be accessed as an app on your smartphone. You can test the e-learning platform with many features for 14 days free of charge.

Image source: E learning photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com