The way that businesses think about the education and training of their employees has undergone a fundamental shift in recent years. There has been a shift away from traditional and tedious classroom approaches toward the innovative and contemporary ways of eLearning, which are now employed to create a more conducive learning environment via the production of individualized elearning material. This shift has been brought about as a result of the rise of eLearning.
As a consequence of the increasing demand for online learning courses, Learning and Development managers often find themselves in a difficult position. They are confronted with the dilemma of whether to purchase a pre-packaged learning course or to develop customized learning content that is specifically designed to meet the needs of their organization.
Standardized elearning Courses:
An official course outline that is presented as if it were recommended for a particular trainer is what is meant when people talk about taking an “off-the-shelf course.” It is affordable because it can be accessed without much effort and comes pre-loaded with a wide variety of capabilities. Because these courses cannot be modified to meet the specific requirements of an organization, it is not feasible to integrate them with any other types of technology. This limits their versatility.
The term “off-the-shelf course” refers to an official course outline that is given as if it were prescribed for a specific trainer. It is inexpensive because it is easily accessible and pre-loaded with a multitude of capabilities. These courses lack adaptability since they cannot be tailored to the demands of a company, making it impossible to connect them with other technology.
When may off-the-shelf eLearning courses be utilized?
Off-the-shelf courses are sometimes the best option for training if the subject matter is ubiquitous. Individuals studying for an examination or certification that needs more generalized understanding or material will benefit more from pre-packaged courses.
Universal content –
When the information is general and more generic than particular training programs or tools, off-the-shelf training is most effective. Instead of investing excessive time and money in personalizing the material, courses may be sent out on more broad themes such as negotiation, team building, compliance training, and the like, which cover all pertinent issues and are useful.
Urgency in necessity –
When the need is immediate and urgent, off-the-shelf courses perform effectively since they can be uploaded to a Learning Management System quickly.
Obtainability –
Off-the-shelf courses are a cost-effective choice since they are premade and need no extra resources. The development costs are divided across several customers, resulting in comparatively modest costs.
Customized Courses:
Custom content creation or customized courses allow the chance to adapt, add, delete, or adjust any course outline material to best meet the requirements of an organization.
When are customized courses applicable?
When a corporation deploys new software versions and wants its personnel to be well-versed in the newest capabilities, custom content would be the optimal solution.
Specific training prerequisites —
Custom content creation is appropriate when there is a need for specialized training requirements. Not only is there a great deal of control over the desired material, but there is also an improvement in workflow and a decrease in time and money wasted.
Dynamic instructional material –
Training requirements might evolve. Custom content production is appropriate in such circumstances since you control the customized course and may make modifications without incurring extra fees. Here is further information on how to maximize your eLearning ROI.
An image of your brand –
Using customized concept images, colours, and a corporate logo, you can tailor your material to your organization and promote your brand via personalized courses.
Conclusion
Standard training and personalized training both have their advantages and disadvantages. While off-the-shelf software is very simple to acquire and use, it is not always effective for meeting the unique company and employee demands. Customized content entails tailoring a course to your specifications. It is all about what your company needs. Although time-consuming, it provides efficiency and results and ensures a successful learning experience.