Custom eLearning Vs Off-The-Shelf Courses: Know What’s Right for Your Organization

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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
for You Kyteway
Fazilath Ahmed
Did you know that the e-learning market share is
expected to sprout at a CAGR of over 21 between
2021 and 2027? Yes, it will, and the reason for
this is the number of advantages it offers. Not
only do e- learning solutions bring down the
cost and training time of any organization, but
they also provide captivating learning. This has
led to a boost in the demand for e-learning
solutions. Many businesses have changed their
approach to employee training. Modernized methods
of e- learning have replaced conventional
classroom techniques. Organizations that are
making the shift from conventional training to
eLearning solutions have two options either they
can design customized training courses according
to their specific training requirements or go for
ready-to- use off-the-shelf solutions. Most of
the training managers often find themselves on
the horns of a dilemma. The question that
bothers them the most is if they can buy a
learning course that is available off-the-shelf
or design personalized learning content as per
their needs. There will always be this custom vs
off- the-shelf e-learning comparison, as both
can be very effective. Article insight if you
are not able to think straight and are in a fog
when deciding between custom e-learning vs
off-the-shelf e-learning courses, we will help
you make the right choice by looking at the pros
and cons of both solutions.
The Pros and Cons of Custom e-Learning Solutions
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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
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With custom e-learning, you can easily arrange
the areas and required skills to be addressed in
connection with your business without giving up
on the quality of the content. Custom e-
learning helps your employees attain knowledge
that is eccentric to your organizational
requirements by tailoring e-learning content to
specific needs. This will be satisfying for
employees and increase productivity. Tailored
content lays out a compatible learning
experience, ensuring every employee attains equal
knowledge. Advantages of custom
e-learning Addresses specific challenges your
employees face. Makes training more
engaging. Allows you to alter the content.
Accommodates any budget.
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earning-vs-off-the-shelf-courses
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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
for You Kyteway
Tailored content to meet specific needs Custom
e-learning considers both employee and
organizational requirements to ensure a high
level of quality. Moreover, they can be created
in a most comprehensive format by incorporating
advanced technology and learning methods like
blended learning, microlearning, social and
collaborative learning. You can use personalized
training materials more effectively by designing
them according to specific knowledge gaps and
skill deficiencies. Custom e-learning allows you
to address the specific challenges your employees
face. Greater engagement and interactivity Trai
ning programs are no longer a drudgery for
learners thanks to custom e-learning, they have
become an absorbing experience that engages
learners from start to finish. The
one-size- fits-all approach was unsuccessful in
engaging employees. Custom e-learning helps
learners by designing the learning experience
according to the requirements and preferences of
each individual learner. This tailored approach
makes training more engaging. Not only this, but
these courses also include a level of
interactivity in the course that makes the
learner an active participant in the course
rather than a passive recipient of
information. Adaptability and scalability Custom
eLearning's adaptability allows you to alter the
content to meet your organizations evolving
needs. It's possible for you to stretch or update
the training materials to integrate the latest
information, industry trends, or changes in
policies. Because of this scalability, you're
learning content always remains current and
applicable. Adaptability and scalability in
custom e-learning help grow the organization by
making sure the training remains of a high
standard.
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earning-vs-off-the-shelf-courses
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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
for You Kyteway
Accommodates any budget Most people usually
think that custom eLearning costs more and breaks
the bank. This is largely a myth, because custom
e-learning development is for every type of
business, no matter how small or big. You can
always go for customization. Just tell your needs
to an eLearning development company, and they
can design content particularly for your
industry, job roles, and learning objectives.
This focused approach makes sure that you provide
learners with applicable and relevant training
material. Whatever your business may be, it's
possible for you to customize certain parts and
rely on pre-built eLearning solutions that are
needed.
Disadvantages of custom e-learning
Prices can vary There is no fixed price for a
custom e-learning course. The price can vary
according to factors like the duration of the
course and skilled labor. You must know that the
custom e-learning courses cost is not a one-off
budget item. Can Consume time Sometimes it will
take some time to develop custom content as every
course is crafted and created according to your
demands. But rapid eLearning development has
changed this as well, as it can create absorbing
learning content in an agile manner. Needs a
project plan
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5/4/24, 1147 AM Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf
eLearning Best Choice for You Kyteway it's not
easy to create custom eLearning programs. The
process can be a knotty affair that includes many
phases involving internal and external experts.
It requires an in-depth project plan as it has
many potential constraints and complexities, and
the most obvious one is managing time, budget,
and scope.
The pros and cons of off-the-shelf eLearning
solutions
The learning programs that have already been made
for various subjects are called off-the-shelf
eLearning. You just have to buy the programs as
per your needs and deliver the courses to your
learners by uploading them into your LMS. This
one is also known as out of the box, as the
content is ready-made. There are many
off-the-shelf benefits. Let's have a look at some
of the benefits of off-the-shelf e-learning for
organizations.
Advantages of off-the-shelf solutions
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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
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Brisk execution The speed of off-the-shelf
eLearning, with which you can upload and dispatch
the content, is truly incredible. Content is
available within moments of searching for it.
Sometimes LMS integration may take some time,
but you just can't compare it to the weeks or
months a custom eLearning solution takes to
design, develop, and implement. Off-the-shelf
solutions are lightning- fast in terms of
implementation timelines. Cost-effectiveness The
cost-effectiveness of off-the-shelf eLearning is
a huge advantage that any organization can have.
You dont have to spend much to set up an
off-the-shelf course. The front cost is very
reasonable, as all you must do is just buy the
course training materials and install them. The
process is straightforward and economical.
Wider availability It's easy to find
off-the-shelf e-learning content in various
formats. Videos, quizzes, interactive modules,
and text-based materials are always available in
bazaars. The best thing is that theres a format
for everyone, so you can easily get one according
to the needs of your team members. Learners are
more engaged when they switch between video,
text, and interactive content. Learning is not
drudgery when it's in a variety of formats. No
doubt this one is among the best off-the-shelf
benefits.
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5/4/24, 1147 AM Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf
eLearning Best Choice for You
Kyteway Disadvantages of off-the-shelf
solutions Lacks optimization. Not
adaptable. Fails to connect with personal
concerns. Needs regular renewal.
Lack of optimization Almost all the
off-the-shelf e-learning courses are designed for
a wider audience, they are not particularly for
you, and they may not align with your objectives
either. As they are made for generic learning
requirements, they may not suit your
organizations style or learning objectives. The
big disadvantage of off-the-shelf learning is
that it lacks customization options. Limited
adaptability There is no scope for alteration in
the content in off-the-shelf eLearning solutions.
It's not possible to integrate fresh data to
meet the evolving organizational requirements.
Most of the time, you aren't able to blend your
own branding elements into the off-the-shelf
eLearning courses. May not perfectly align with
specific needs The most compelling pitfall of
off-the-shelf eLearning is that it doesn't meet
the requirements of your learners or address
their individual learning preferences.
Off-the-shelf courses are designed for wider
audiences, but the developer of those courses
didnt have the data that recognizes the skill
and performance gaps of your learners. There are
more chances of online training content going
off-target. Off-the-shelf eLearning courses focus
more on regular performance issues and
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earning-vs-off-the-shelf-courses
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5/4/24, 1147 AM Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf
eLearning Best Choice for You Kyteway address
the crucial takeaways but fail to connect with
personal concerns that block your employee's
productivity.
Needs subscriptions Off-the-shelf e-learning
courses usually come with special usage rights
and licenses. Restricting your use of the
resources for specific applications. Moreover,
some of the pre-built options do have monthly or
yearly subscription fees. So, you must renew your
license regularly to have it in your eLearning
course index. For every part of off-the-shelf
eLearning content you buy, you must mention how
many users will have access to the content and
pay accordingly. So, the cost can add up over
time when you renew the license on an annual
basis. Making the right e-learning choice for
your organization is not that easy. Most need
clarification on looking at the pros and cons of
both eLearning solutions. Off-the-shelf
eLearning seems affordable, but most
organizations have their own methods to out-beat
their counterparts, and you can't change that
approach to fit into generalized software to save
money. On the other hand, building custom
e-learning solutions helps you keep your
competitive advantage intact. If you are still
in a dilemma, we will help you make that
all-important decision about picking between
off-the-shelf and custom e-learning courses. We
have a checklist that will help you make the
right decision.
Factors to Consider When Choosing E-learning
Solutions
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Custom vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning Best Choice
for You Kyteway
Learning objectives You should know you're
learning objectives first, then it will be easy
for you to decide which eLearning solution to
pick. Training needs analysis can also help you
decide what to pick. For instance, if TNA
discloses that your employees lack communication
skills, which is a common challenge in many
industries, then an off-the-shelf course on
effective business communication will do the job
for you. When your organization's training
requirements are more specific, like
communication with clients regarding your
services, then custom e-learning is the best way
to go. Budget and resources Your budget plays
a big role in your decision-making. You should be
aware of the overall cost associated with the
training program. And it's more important if your
organization is initiating the implementation of
e-learning for the first time. A catalogue course
is more affordable as opposed to custom
e-learning, as it takes extra time and effort to
develop a course. Timeline and urgency If your
training needs are urgent and you have a timeline
to swiftly address the need, then off- the-shelf
courses are the best. Pick the one that meets
your requirements and roll it out to your team.
When you have enough time to develop a training
program from the start, you can go for a custom
e-learning course. Rapid e-learning solutions
have drastically shortened the time taken to
develop e-learning courses.
Summing up Off-the-shelf is much quicker and
easier to implement, but it is not that effective
in fulfilling the specific requirements of your
organization and employees. Whereas custom e-
learning's purpose is to design your course as
per your needs, custom content is all about the
requirements of your business. When you invest in
custom eLearning solutions, you get a complete
training solution that features an extensive and
personalized learning experience that enriches
employee growth, enhances productivity, and
improves overall organizational success.
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earning-vs-off-the-shelf-courses