The Secret to E-Learning Success: It’s Not Just About the Course

Creating great e-learning isn’t just about building the perfect course. A lot of your success depends on how you manage the project and work with your stakeholders. Here’s what you need to know to set yourself up for success from the start.

Getting the right people involved

Project success often hinges on having the right people at the table from day one. When key stakeholders aren’t involved early, you risk major revisions or even complete overhauls late in the process. This not only impacts your timeline but can significantly affect the quality of your final course.

Make sure you know:

• Who has the final say on approving the course
• Which subject matter experts will review your content
• Who can provide essential assets like logos and images
• Which people/teams need to be involved for technical support
• Who will participate in pilot testing

Getting these people involved early makes everything run more smoothly. Have your primary stakeholder introduce you to these team members and clearly explain their roles in the project.

Understanding what success really means

Meeting with stakeholders always reveals different perspectives on what they think makes a course successful. Some focus on completion rates, others on behavior change, and still others on cost savings. These are all viable but obviously not the same objectives.

Taking time to align these expectations at the start prevents misunderstandings and helps you design with clear purpose.

Talk with your stakeholders about:

• The specific problems they’re trying to solve
• How they’ll measure success
• What changes they expect to see after training
• Any current metrics they want to improve

Managing the practical stuff

Even internal projects need resources. Here’s how to handle the practical aspects:

Setting a budget

Every project has costs, whether they’re obvious or hidden. Being upfront about resource needs helps prevent costly delays and compromises in quality. Taking time to plan your budget shows stakeholders you’ve thought through the entire project lifecycle.

If you’re a vendor hired to build a course, you’re getting paid. But if you’re an internal employee, getting a budget may be challenging. Don’t shy away from asking for a small budget, even for internal projects. 

You might need:

• Stock images or graphics
• Custom development work
• Specialized software
• External resources or tools

It’s easier to get budget approval at the start than to ask for money halfway through the project.

Creating clear agreements

Project agreements serve as your roadmap and safety net. While they might seem formal, they actually help build trust by ensuring everyone shares the same understanding of project goals and responsibilities.

Document everything in writing, including:

• Project deliverables and due dates
• Review cycles and timelines
• Success metrics
• Service level agreements
• Change request processes

Measuring results

Defining success goes beyond simple completion rates or test scores. Think broadly about the various ways your course can deliver value to the organization and its learners.

Success isn’t always about performance improvement. Consider tracking:

• Cost savings compared to previous training methods
• Improved accessibility and convenience for learners
• Meeting service level agreements
• Learner satisfaction and engagement
• Time savings in delivery or development

Keys to staying on track

Regular communication keeps your project moving forward:

1. Schedule regular check-ins with stakeholders
2. Show prototypes early and often
3. Get feedback on small pieces rather than waiting until the end
4. Document and clarify any assumptions
5. Follow through on your commitments and deadlines

Remember: while technical skills matter, your ability to manage stakeholder relationships and project expectations often determines the success of your e-learning initiatives. By establishing clear agreements, maintaining open communication, and staying focused on defined success metrics, you can deliver projects that truly meet organizational needs.ourses. But that’s not always the case. Hopefully, these tips give you some ideas. What would you add to the list?