Anyone who has taken on an eLearning design and development project will tell you it’s not for the faint-hearted. Creating effective eLearning content takes time and involves significant effort.
Finding the internal resources needed to bring everything together can be challenging, too, even for bigger businesses.
This is why bringing in a professional eLearning development company makes good sense.
Finding the Right Partner for Your Project
When it comes to making sure your project is the best it can be, finding the right partner is critical. You’ll want to collaborate with a company that’s easy to work with, has a highly skilled team, and is experienced in delivering exceptional training outcomes.
To set you up for resounding success, here are five things you should do when you’re considering collaborating with a new eLearning development company.
Be Certain They Really Understand and Can Meet Your Requirements
While this tip sounds obvious, we often hear stories from clients whose projects have previously missed the mark simply because their requirements were not properly understood from the start.
A prospective partner’s understanding of exactly what you need should extend beyond the standard information required to prepare your quote. At Poncho eLearning, we pride ourselves on our communication, always making sure to go above and beyond for our clients so we can provide excellent results every time.
We’ll take the time to ask questions about your project, and we encourage you to ask us questions, too! Open communication will help us to fully understand the learning outcomes you want to achieve, as well as any learning and development challenges you need help overcoming.
It’s important to check that the company you choose genuinely understands your learning focus and can cater to your target learner groups. For example, make sure they can deliver your eLearning content at an appropriate literacy level if you’re training people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Developing effective content requires more than expert production and technical skills. You should consider whether a company offers all the eLearning development services you need, such as instructional design, learning design and storyboarding.
Verify Their Track Record
Many companies will claim to have a ‘proven track record’, and it’s a good idea to find out what exactly that entails.
Make it your mission to find out what makes a company’s past performance remarkable and distinguishable from other providers, and relevant to your needs.
Review their client list and credentials in detail, and make note of their past experience and successes. If your chosen company can deliver large, multi-layered projects, they’ll be well-placed to take on a project of any size.
While it’s preferable to choose a company that has worked with reputable brands similar to yours, it’s also important to remain open and flexible. Experience in your industry can be beneficial, but it’s not essential if the company can demonstrate transferable skills. To get an idea as to whether or not a company is a good fit for your project, it’s a good idea to request case studies detailing:
- what they’ve delivered;
- how they’ve done it, and;
- the improved outcomes achieved
These case studies will accurately demonstrate the company’s abilities and successes, letting you know if they’re the right choice for you. It’s also a good idea to ask for examples of past projects similar to yours to get a better understanding of the learning strategies they may apply.
Ask to See Their Portfolio of Existing Work
An experienced company will have an extensive portfolio showcasing a diverse range of custom eLearning content. Consider how their portfolio is organised and presented — if it’s well structured, it’s likely their eLearning content will be too.
Reviewing their portfolio will give you a clear picture of their full capability and expertise. If they specialise in multimedia learning content, you may also be able to request a hands-on demonstration to really get a feel for their skills.
In our experience, people learn best and effectively absorb the information presented when they’re truly engaged and captivated by their educational content. Teaching through a range of different mediums helps to create enjoyable, memorable and effective eLearning experiences.
Make sure your prospective provider can provide examples for a range of captivating media elements, such as:
- Animations
- Interactive environments
- 3D visualisations
- Games and simulations
Make Sure They Have a Proven Production Process
Developing eLearning content is complex and involves many moving parts. Your project’s success will depend on whether your chosen company offers a structured and well-defined production process.
Ask your prospective provider how they’ll manage your eLearning project, ensuring they break their production process into stages for instructional design, storyboarding, development and reviews.
Have them walk you through each stage, its associated tasks, and indicative timings for clarity. Ask questions to make sure you understand your responsibilities and how often you can expect updates, including when and how you’ll need to undertake reviews and provide feedback.
To be confident you can rely on their production process, ask about their history of delivering projects on time and within budget – a surefire way of confirming they have a proven approach that keeps projects on track.
Check Their Online Reviews
Researching your prospective company’s online reputation via their social media pages and through Google Reviews can be incredibly valuable. There are also several third-party websites offering independent ratings and reviews, so consider checking those out too.
Take note of the feedback provided as well as their ratings. These comments offer genuine insight into what it will be like to work with the company and are more likely to reveal potential pain points – things that can be missed when a happy client has been nominated to provide feedback.
Get in Touch With Poncho eLearning today!
The good news is there is a host of brilliant eLearning content development companies in Australia to choose from, not least of which is Poncho eLearning! Following our tips will make sure your eLearning project can really shine, providing your audience with the effective learning strategies they need to achieve success.
To learn more about how we can help with your project, head over to our booking page and schedule a call with the friendly Poncho team today!
