How much does one spend on e-Learning

The cost of e-learning needn’t be high, but don’t just aim for cheap.  E-learning is a difficult area to price because poor e-learning can be done for next to nothing, and high-quality work usually costs.

The challenge for e-Learning providers is how much to spend and figuring out what is sufficient.

Having recently worked on creating over 50 hours of high quality video based e-Learning content that’s aimed at a very sophisticated cohort (audience), the cost per minute or even per module was quite reasonable (one could say even cheap), but when you’re creating 50+ hours of it, the costs do steadily creep up and you have to factor in a number of additional components that require scale (such as sub-titling).

A short e-Learning programme needn’t cost that much, and there are plenty of off-the-shelf LMS (learning management systems) platforms that start at free or a low monthly retainer that’s affordable for most.

Here are a few pointers to bear in mind when considering your e-Learning options:

1. When investing in e-Learning, think carefully about the quality of the learning experience, not just the quality of the look.  A great look and a poor learning experience is not a desirable combination
2. If you have very little budget, do less.  Or start with a small amount of material, and test it, so that when you roll it out, you more or less know that it works for your audience
3. Think multi-layer, not just a single approach. Even video content should be multi-layer, and encapsulate live presenting, motion graphics, voice and animation where appropriate to create the most immersive and engaging content possible
4. Learning is based on engagement, so don’t forget to integrate live components and work out how the learning will be best delivered
5. Always review, and allow some budget to keep on making improvements as you develop your e-Learning programme

There are no quick answers to creating high-quality e-Learning, and, as with most things, good things come to those who wait and take their time to do it properly.