Inside the Briefcase
7 Elements To Look For In Your Custom eLearning Development Solution Provider
January 17, 2023 No Commentsby Eada Hughes
Custom eLearning development positively impacts the quality of training since it is specifically created to meet corporate learners’ needs. Custom learning solutions help retain a brand’s distinct tone, effectively communicate the training objectives, and improve overall performance, all of which help the company’s bottom line. But if the custom eLearning development solutions provider falls short, it could all be for nothing.
Therefore, take into account looking for the following seven factors before choosing a vendor.
Make Sure The Core Business Of The Vendor Is eLearning.
Unfortunately, not all vendors who claim they can create and develop eLearning courses have the required expertise. Some people’s primary line of work may be creating videos or translating eLearning materials. Do you wonder why this matters?
An eLearning vendor whose primary line of work is not eLearning creation may not be able to give your project their full attention or deliver the required expertise. They may not be able to cater to your specific needs, leading to the creation of an unprofessional eLearning course.
Custom eLearning vendors specializing in eLearning development will ensure their sole focus is on creating and delivering a course tailored to your and your corporate learner’s needs. Therefore, it is important to choose a vendor specializing in custom eLearning development with the knowledge and tools to help you create the ideal training experience.
They Should Have A Strong Portfolio Of Work To Show You.
Imagine providing an eLearning vendor with a detailed brief and discovering their delivery does not match your expectations. What could be more distressing than learning they cannot meet your needs? It is important to verify some of the past work of every potential vendor to avoid such a situation.
Any trustworthy eLearning development company will have samples of generic courses that can be shared with potential clients. Studying these samples will give you a comprehensive understanding of whether their work meets your expectations.
In addition to inspecting their work portfolio, you can request that they create a prototype based on your specifications.
They Should Have Significant Industry Experience.
This one is a no-brainer. The more experience an eLearning solution provider has, the greater their expertise will be.
Vendors who have been in this business for a while will have first-hand experience adapting to the latest developments in course creation. They should be able to comprehend the technological advancements and the extent to which they can use them to satisfy the wants of contemporary corporate learners.
As project managers, instructional designers, graphic designers, and experts in authoring tools, they will also have the specialized skill sets needed for eLearning design and production.
But occasionally, age might just be a number. That is why you need to assess the vendor team’s qualifications and domain knowledge. You can look through their social media channels to see what content they share with the academic community. You can ascertain their skill proficiency by looking at the content they are producing. Of course, you should also look at their previous work and talk to them about specific challenges they have helped other clients overcome.
They Must Have The Resources To Keep Up With The Latest Trends.
It’s crucial to prepare for a long-term partnership with an eLearning vendor. To achieve this, you must ascertain whether the provider remains current with market trends. For instance, current trends include leveraging rapid authoring tools to create courses quickly without sacrificing quality, including VR and AR to advance training, making courses xAPI compliant to allow monitoring of learning activities anywhere, and much more.
If the vendor makes conscious efforts to keep up with the latest trends, it will make sense to have a long-term relationship with them. This will ensure that the course they are creating for you uses the latest techniques to engage learners and improve comprehension and retention.
They Must Be Competent And Knowledgeable In Instructional Design.
Custom eLearning vendors need a solid foundation in instructional design to deliver a course that your learners find valuable and effective. Learners can be instructed on dos and don’ts, for instance, using a slide presentation or a PDF that includes a few instances. However, this is insufficient to engage and inspire your corporate learners. A competent eLearning vendor would have the necessary knowledge and tools to transform such classroom material into interesting eLearning. They might advise creating a game-based or scenario-based learning course in this situation.
They Should Have A Well-Defined Development Process In Place.
A project’s success depends on how it is managed, and eLearning development is no exception. The eLearning provider you selected might be technically competent, but if they are difficult to work with, you may end up with extra work or confusion. To facilitate quick communication and modifications, you must ensure that their project management method is simplified and iterative.
Find out more about their past projects, talks, and evaluations and whether they have a strong quality assurance strategy. Keep in mind that every project requires a unique approach and collection of resources. However, regardless of how many individuals are working on the project, there should always be one point of contact, the project manager, and they must always be accessible to you.
Consider Their Client Reviews.
Speaking with the company’s current clientele is the only effective technique to understand a vendor. Ask the vendor for a list of former clients they have worked with. Ask to see testimonials from previous clients. It is also a good idea to look for client reviews on third-party platforms.
But a vendor’s reviews should not be used as the only criterion for evaluation. Whenever possible, direct communication with their clients is preferable. You will have a very good understanding of every facet of the vendor if you do this.
Conclusion
Choosing the right eLearning vendor to deliver the ideal online training is just as crucial as offering good training. Making a wrong decision will undoubtedly have negative effects. The seven aspects mentioned here will point you in the right direction and help you choose the best eLearning development solution and provider.
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