Online Strategies to Promote Business Goals

Not every training need has or warrants a budget for the development of custom eLearning. It can therefore make economic sense to use off-the-shelf training for basic needs, reserving training budgets for topics that are more complex, proprietary or mission critical.

Customizing Off-the-Shelf Training

BudgetingThere is a middle ground that helps to stretch your training budget further: Customization of off-the-shelf training can meet the needs of eLearning on a budget. This approach results in training that is more tailored to your needs than an out-of-the-box course, and it is faster and costs less than custom development. Not all eLearning vendors will accommodate this niche, but some will.

Customization of a course makes it more relevant, increasing its effectiveness. Here are some ways courses can be tailored to your company’s needs.
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  • Add Company Specific Examples
You can ramp up the relevance to your audience by adding company specific examples of critical points. This can be done by adding links or additional screens. Examples can show learners specific ways a point applies to their job or to your facility.
  • Link Company Policies and Procedures
Your company’s policies and procedures can be linked to relevant content or appended as course resources. In addition, you can remind employees where to find these resources on the job.
  • Add Company Specific Exercises
Consider adding exercises that address your company specific additions.
  • Add Relevant Visuals
Company specific photographs or other visuals can replace existing visuals or be linked in as specific examples. This can reinforce your branding or simply make examples more relevant.
  • Add Your Branding
By adding your branding you are emphasizing the importance of the subject to your company. This can encourage learners to take the subject more seriously or to take pride in their workplace.
Which Courses Are Good Candidates?

Look for courses that are well structured with clearly defined objectives. This will aid you and the vendor company in identifying where tailoring is appropriate. The course outline that the vendor has already prepared will be a useful tool. Then, ask the vendor if they are willing to customize. One vendor that offers this option is CDT Micrographics. Check out off-the-shelf courses at CDTLearning.

For more information, contact

CDT MicroGraphics, Inc.
cdtmicrographics.com

(603) 778-6140
info@cdtmicrographics.com

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Susan Vaillancourt

Project Manager/Instructional Designer at CDT MicroGraphics, Inc.
Nineteen years experience in the field of eLearning, with emphasis on project management and instructional design. Management responsibilities have included planning, scheduling and directing all phases of project development, from needs analysis through testing and implementation, management of instructional design teams, and client liaison for custom development initiatives. Instructional design responsibilities have included design of eLearning courseware (Bloom’s Levels 1 through 4), design and development of job aids, operations and training manuals and adjunct materials, and development of curriculum and eLearning standards.
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