Switching Instructor-Led to Online

Instructional design is not limited to new courses. Often the instructional designer is called upon to transform one type of training into another. This provides a great opportunity to reevaluate the course and find ways to improve it. Simply transferring instructor-led material into online training page by page won’t work.

Transforming an instructor-led course into an online format carries its own challenges and benefits. An instructor-led course has the benefit of the facilitator as well as the socialization of the students in the classroom. If any information in the course has changed or if the facilitator has determined that a section is not working, modifications are made on the spot. The original materials will not reflect the facilitator’s modifications. The online version must reflect them in a clear and coherent way.

The information in any course must build upon itself, leading through the skills needed to arrive at the final objective. The online course has the burden of presenting the content and acting as the facilitator. Great care must be taken to assure the fulfillment of both roles.

Benefits of the change include:
• Using the facilitator’s input on ways to improve the content since the facilitator knows it best and has essentially performed a thorough testing through its use
• Assessing the original objectives to determine if they are still relevant
• Evaluating the content in the course to ensure it is up to date and in line with any new objectives and changed job roles

Special needs to consider include:
• Remember that the online course plays the role of both the content and the facilitator presenting it, and the content and navigation must guide the learner in the direction needed
• Determine the impact the online format will have on the natural interpersonal elements of the instructor-led course, and attempt to implement interactions where needed
• Remember that the facilitator holds the content together by voicing additional explanations, discussions, and learning cues such as diagrams and handouts, which may need inclusion
Paying close attention to the objectives and approaching the transformation as if it was a new course can turn a successful instructor-led course into a successful online one.