In addition to speeding up the digital transformation in many schools, this period of crisis has led professionals from the most diverse areas to seek distance education as a way to continue working without leaving home.

Create online courses: discover 5 types of distance learning courses that you can produce

There are several options for those who want to create online courses and they go far beyond the theme and resources used.

Online classes for schools will follow the school schedule, of course. But, for those who want to create their own course, independently, there are some formats that can be adopted.

– Tips for using eLearning in school education

Take a look at the 5 possibilities below to get an idea of ​​which best fits your goals.

Master class 

A Master Class is a class on a specific discipline taught by a renowned specialist in the field, with a focus on the development of skills generally linked to art. 

Examples of subjects covered in a master class:

• Music
• Painting
• Culinary
• Acting
• Dance

A master class is usually held for a small class of advanced students, who want to improve their performance.

Initially, this type of class was considered one of the most effective means of musical development. Today, it is not limited only to music, but also to theater and all other types of arts and sciences.

Online courses of this type usually involve tutorials, recorded lessons and private (live) lessons with the instructor.  

It is important to note that the quality and effectiveness of a master class depends a lot on the ability of the teacher to involve the public and on the student’s willpower to improve their knowledge.

During the course, it is common for the master to test his students, placing them to perform a task in front of the others, while making corrections and comments on the execution.  

Coaching

In online coaching courses, an experienced person, called a coach, supports the student in achieving a specific goal, providing guidance for them to achieve this goal.

– How to Offer Online Coaching

Coaching works in areas such as sports, performing arts, business, education, health and relationships. 

Examples of online courses that you can create in this format are: 

• Business
• Careers
• Family and Relationship
• Mindfulness
• Personal success

The tasks proposed to achieve the desired result can take days or weeks. Coaching courses are usually delivered in modules, so that the trainer can control the flow and not overload the student.

In short, it is a course format that supports customers in any type of human enterprise. Therefore, the coach must have experience to offer advice and guidance as they learn.

MOOC 

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) are online courses that were first developed in 2008 and emerged as an affordable way of learning in 2012. 

– What is MOOC?

A massive open online course aims at the participation of an unlimited number of people via the web, without the requirement of any type of prerequisite.

A MOOC must offer pre-recorded courses, including tests and activities, and support in case of doubts.

Good online courses within this teaching model are:

• STEM Sciences (mathematics, physics, programming, etc.)
• Human Sciences
•  Entrepreneurship
• Technology

Among the advantages that MOOCs offer students, the following stand out:

• Easy access to higher education
• Accessible alternatives to formal education
• Sustainable development goals
• Flexible learning programs
• Online guidance

A survey by Class Central, a search platform for MOOCs, shows that the number of massive open online courses has exceeded 9,400, with 78 million users enrolled by the end of 2017.  

Corporate Training

Corporate Training is provided by companies for the purpose of educating and training employees. 

– Corporate Education in Companies

Today, organizations suffer from a lack of qualified professionals and need to invest in developing the skills necessary for the perfect performance of their tasks.

Cultivating the skills of employees and preparing them for career advancement results in a more trained and productive workforce.

– Benefits of Online Corporate Training for Companies

To offer a training program that does not require the entire infrastructure of a classroom, online courses hosted on eLearning platforms are being used more and more.

The managers themselves can prepare the training, which can involve different sectors of a company, such as:

• Customer service and support
• Manufacturing
• Administration
• Human resources and employee integration
• Marketing and sales

At the conclusion of the course, it is a good practice for companies to offer certifications to encourage performance improvement.

These certifications allow employees to obtain recognition and can be inserted in career development plans, promotions or assignments in special projects.

– How to create a certificate for online courses

In addition, online corporate training courses are for recycling, assisting employees in updating their skills.

Another way for companies to use this online education tool is to teach their customers about the use of the product / service sold.

By doing so, the organization avoids support overload and shows customers how to overcome challenges and solve problems with their product.

A software company (SaaS), for example, can create online courses to educate its customers about using the software, capture valuable leads and sell more.

Mini-course

A mini-course is a short-term online course that takes 2 hours or less to complete.

Usually used as a teaser or test for a longer course, a mini-course does not require as much effort or time to be produced and can even be assembled from other content and materials that you already have, such as blog posts, articles and tutorial videos. 

– Step by step to create an online mini course

An excellent first step for anyone thinking of entering the online course market, a short course can be used to test the public’s interest in the topic you are thinking of addressing.

It is also an incredible tool to increase your online audience. For example, you can offer a free mini-course as a lead magnet.

– Free online courses as a strategy to attract students

Mini online courses also serve to show your authority on the subject, convincing your potential customers of the quality of your content.

Create online courses: how much you can earn 

The launch of an online school or online courses can, of course, generate an income supplement or a new significant source of capital.

There is vast potential for making money through online courses.

From simple lectures to intensive training, you’ll find courses that range from a few hundred dollars to almost $ 20,000, depending on the topic.

– How to price online courses 

How much money you can earn from your online courses depends mainly on the resources available, including the value of your personal brand or company, your industry, target audience and the work you devote to creating, marketing and selling your courses. 

The more new courses you are willing to launch will also make all the difference for you to be able to build a recurring income system through the sale of tuition.

– Benefits of Recurring Payment for Online Courses

At the same time, you learn more and the quality of your online courses grows, allowing you to charge a higher price. 

Create online courses: think positive and get started

Many people are discouraged and give up before they even start. Doubts and insecurity are common in all aspects of life, but that cannot stop you, otherwise you will never accomplish anything.

Waiting for the “right time” doesn’t help either. This is just a trap of procrastination that keeps you from getting started. 

Don’t think of yourself as a person trying to start your own business. Think of yourself as a business owner.

To create online courses, you don’t need anyone else, so if you start, your company is already created, it’s already yours.

No technical skills are required to use an eLearning platform and you don’t need thousands of dollars to create a course.

All you need is a computer, a camera, internet, disposition and discipline to format your material.

–  Learn how to record videos at home

Does it take time? Generally, yes, especially if it is your first and you are figuring out how to do this. But with practice, that time is cut in half.

Remember: If you let fear of failure stop you, you are losing your real potential. 

It didn’t work the first time. No problem. Learn from your mistakes and try again.

ELearning platform for online courses

There are many different resources you can use to make your online courses a sales success.

But, for that, you need to host your content on a platform that provides all the tools necessary for virtual learning.

The good news is that SaaS platforms that work as a Learning Management System (LMS) are already prepared for this and offer a very low cost compared to the purchase and implementation of standard software.

– Whats is a Learning Management System

In addition, a platform in the SaaS model (software as a service), developed specifically for this purpose, has advantages such as a friendly interface, a responsive system and the possibility of being accessed from any device with internet access.

Elearning platform, Coursify.me features integration with content platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. In addition, the users can upload videos, texts, images, audios and any other material they have hosted on Dropbox or on their own computer.

Attending schools, companies and professionals in more than 60 countries, Coursify.me is a dynamic Learning Management System, ready to serve you. 

To learn more, visit our website, test the platform and start now to create and sell online courses.

The post 5 types of online courses you can create appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Advantages of online courses with certificate

Those interested or searching for online courses have probably heard of MOOC.  

Acronym of Massive Open Online Course, proponents of MOOCs aim to provide free learning opportunities to anyone, anywhere in the world.

However, while most MOOCs are geared towards academic disciplines, with the popularization of distance education, soon short courses have emerged with a focus on professional specialization.

Many professionals, teachers or not, realized the opportunity to teach about their area of ​​expertise in a practical way, through the internet.

Thus, short courses, courses for who wants acquire new skills, refresh or enhance existing skills, began to emerge.

– How to set an online course

The great advantage of this type of course is the democratization of education, since it can be done by anyone, regardless of their level of education.

They are taken as training courses for a large part of the audience, focus on increasing their CV, which triggered the demand for online courses with certificate.

The certificate acts as a learning proof, and has more “weight” at the time of hiring.

Check out some advantages in taking online courses with certificate.

1. Show off skills

Executives and business managers attest that the certificates serve to prove skills in a curriculum, portfolio, or even in professional profiles.

“A verified certificate is an important credential that students are proud to own and share on their LinkedIn profiles or on social media,” says Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX.

2. Competitive difference

In disputed jobs, having online courses with certificate is often the differential that puts one candidate ahead of another.

Short courses demonstrate both the individual’s proactiveness in the search for more knowledge, and his mastery of technologies and practical skills demanded by companies.

3. Incentive to complete the course

By allowing classes to be done at any time, online learning requires an even greater commitment and discipline on the part of the student.

So, online courses with certificate end up being an extra incentive for the student to complete the classes.

Kelly Walsh, chief information officer at the College of Westchester, completed a course last year on how to assess and teach 21st-century skills and says earning the certificate was a key motivating factor.

“It did add a level of commitment, because otherwise you can kind of walk away at any point, and you might be disappointed in yourself, but other than that you’re not really losing anything, per se,” Walsh says.

How to create a certificate for online courses

Many instructors who are launching their e-courses, and even students, wonder about the validity and legality of issuing certificates.

In order to answer this question, it is first necessary to understand that a short course is not intended to graduate students, but to update or improve a certain knowledge.

These courses are sought after by people seeking to enhance their skills and improve their position in the work market.

– Elearning and Corporate Training

Thus, it is understood that if the course is not technical, technological or superior, it is a short course, and individuals and institutions can minister these courses and issue certificates to prove participation.

So, make your online courses with certificate without fear! And if you want to know how, check out some tips on how to produce your own certificate.

1. Information

A certificate is a formal document, and to create one you need information.

To begin, gather the data that should appear in the document, which, although they may vary depending on the course, are most often the following:

• Name of the student;
• Name of course;
• Teacher’s name;
• Course date;
• Workload;
• Signature of the person in charge of the institution/course.

Other information, such as company responsible for the course (if applicable), the law that regulates the course, the institution’s website, the learning platform used, etc. may be added if necessary.

However, in most cases, the data listed above is sufficient.  

2. Template

The layout of the certificate is important because it transmits formal character and gives greater credibility to the document.

With the data mentioned above in hand, time to arrange them in the template, which must be clean, readable and well organized.

The first information that usually appears is the word “Certificate”, which indicates what kind of document it is.  

If you are using a website that has ready-made templates for formatting your certificate, such as Canva, for example, it will guide your next steps..

But if you prefer to do a custom, using tools like PowerPoint, you can choose to insert some graphic elements, such as your school logo.

– How to make a PowerPoint presentation

These elements enrich the visual and convey more credibility, but should be applied discreetly in a corner of the document or as a watermark.

Keep the visual identity of your company, use their colors, but remember that you are producing a formal document, don’t pollute the background with images or exaggerated contrasts.

With the general design of the template defined, enter the information in an orderly, logical way and prioritized easy reading and understanding.

3. Emission

Task that demands work in online courses with certificate, the issuance of the document can be done in different ways.

Manual Issue

After creating your first certificate, save the document in editable mode, as your first choice is to edit the file with the name of each student.

If the task of producing the certificate was fun, now the really hard and boring part has start.

Carefully enter each student’s name and change other information if necessary, save and send one by one. Or, if it is to be printed, make multiple copies of the main template and leave blanks to fill with the variable data with a pen.

Easier emission

Want to make this process more efficient and put it on automatic? There are softwares that can help you.

On the Internet you can find some specialized platforms for this type of service.

Most of these software allow you to insert a template in the platform and, when you want to issue certificates, you just have to register the data of the class and the filling is done quickly and automatically.  

4. Digitized signature

If you are creating online courses with certificate, and are responsible for the lessons and information that appear in the document, it should carry your signature.

To do this, either you print everything, sign one by one and mail it to each student, or make everyone’s life easier and digitizes your signature.

The options to do this are: sign on a tablet or paper that will be scanned.

In the first case you will sign on an equipment that does the drawing automatically on the computer.

In the second, you sign, scan and then ask a designer to help you insert it into the template or do it yourself and save money (not time).

Anyway, by following these simple tips, you can create online courses with certificate and add this differential to your course.

It does not take much effort or investment, and it sure is worth it.

Online courses with certificate in eLearning platforms

Instructors who host their courses in a Learning Management System (LMS), such as Coursify.me, may choose to issue a certificate for their students.

– Whats is a Learning Management System

It is possible to create and send this document to each registered student, quickly and easily, using the platform’s own resources.

A complete eLearning platform, Coursify.me is the perfect solution for those who want to create, sell and promote their courses on the internet.

With a pleasant and intuitive interface, integration with different payment methods, SEO optimization, and much more, Coursify.me serves instructors and students in more than 60 countries.

Perfect for those who want to start their own business, visit our website, test the platform and find out why we are the best option for your business.

The post Online courses with certificate: how to offer this advantage to your students appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

What is MOOC?

The first MOOC was created in 2008, by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, from the University of Manitoba, Canada. The course “connectivism and connective knowledge/2008” has been made available for twenty-five paying students of the University and to other 2300 students who were able to participate for free online over twelve weeks.

While there isn’t a joint definition about what is a MOOC, two basic characteristics deserve to be highlighted:

• Open access: To participate in a MOOC you do not need to be a student actually enrolled in a school, and there is no need to pay any fee. Although there may be maintenance costs, in principle are completely free and open to any kind of public.
• Scalability: Many traditional courses depend on a number of participants and some teachers to start. However, the motion of the MOOC in being massive, so the course is designed to withstand an indefinite number of participants.

Keeping the fundamental characteristics of an online course, a MOOC is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week, so that you can make the lessons and activities in time and place that are best for you.

However, one of its first differences (in spite of not being rule to all MOOCs), there are tasks that must be delivered every week, within the deadlines set, if you want to receive a certificate of completion (if applicable).

According to Peter Norvig, Director of Google searches, professor of Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University and author of one of the first MOOCs, “In many online lessons videos are always available. People can watch them when they want. But if they can do so at any time, means that they can do this tomorrow, and if you can do this tomorrow… well, perhaps never resolve to do.”

Another interesting factor are the valuation techniques. To enable the evaluation of papers written by tens of thousands of students, the solution adopted by the MOOC is the peer-assessment, or “peer review”. Each time a student delivers a work, he have to evaluate the work of some other students. “Studies show that peer assessment is a strategy surprisingly efficient to obtain correct notes.”, says Daphne Koller, co-founder of Coursera.

Many top universities have joined and organized several platforms to extend the offer of this type of free online education: Harvard, Yale and Oxford are only some of the institutions that are involved in this process.

Currently, the majority of MOOCs are in English, only a few courses have subtitles in Portuguese. But with the steady growth of the market for online courses in Brazil, this reality is about to change.

MOOC in Brazil

In Brazil, the first MOOC initiative was launched by Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) on 14 June 2012 with the name Unesp Aberta. The platform offers free content and didactic materials of courses of undergraduate, postgraduate and extension of the University, produced in digital format in partnership with the Center for Distance Education of the University (NEaD) for anyone with access to the Internet in Brazil and in the world. More than 37.400 people have already registered to perform one of these courses and the platform has already been viewed more than 1 million 600 thousand times. 

The first MOOC in Portuguese language was the MOOC EaD on Distance Education, coordinated by Professors João Mattar and Paulo Simões with the support of the TIDD – Graduate Program in Technologies of Intelligence and Digital Design of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and ABED – Brazilian Association of Distance Education, held in the second half of 2012.

The main objective of this method of teaching is to enable anyone to study, learn about new fields of interest and/or enhance skills that may be useful for your study or work.

ELearning platform (LMS), the Coursify.me provides access to online courses that cover a wide range of issues, in addition to offering free hosting for instructors who want to disclose their content. If you are interested, please visit our website or send an email to help@coursify.me. Start using our platform today to learn and teach online.

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