Rapid eLearning - A Faster Avatar of Custom eLearning

Struggling to keep up with the constant demand for online training and digital assets? Always hearing “there’s no time to create eLearning”? We get it. But don’t worry—Rapid eLearning is a game-changer for that!

With tighter budgets and shorter timelines, rapid eLearning can take care of everything—converting instructor-led (ILT) training to online training, eLearning translations, or refreshing old content. Rapid eLearning gets it done fast.

Curious to learn more? Let’s dive into the what, why, and how of rapid eLearning development learning experiences and see how it can transform your training development process!

Rapid eLearning is essential in today's fast-paced world where organizations need to deliver effective training quickly and efficiently. Rapid eLearning development learning experiences focuses on creating engaging and impactful learning experiences within a shorter time frame, making it ideal for businesses adapting to evolving needs. By leveraging ready-to-use templates, streamlined processes, and modern tools, rapid eLearning ensures that learners receive high-quality content without long production cycles. This approach not only reduces development time but also enhances accessibility, enabling learners to acquire knowledge and skills on demand.

Rapid eLearning — Face-off Between Myths and Facts

Rapid eLearning offers the know-how to design, develop, and rollout eLearning courses within weeks, unlike conventional eLearning projects that can take months. What’s the secret? And what makes it so much better than conventional eLearning development? Let’s find out!

All of us will agree that for employee training and development to be effective and positively impact business goals, it should be aligned with the desired goals.

And how do we do that? We aim for the required performance through the all-important performance-based learning objectives!

A performance-based learning objective states in specific and measurable terms what the learner will be able to do by the end of the eLearning course.

Rapid eLearning design is based on those very same performance-based learning objectives, linking the training with performance and ultimately, the desired business goals. It leverages existing training content (ILT material, manuals, videos, old courses, etc.) and stays away from the ornamental fluff so commonly seen in conventional eLearning courses, thus saving instructional designers and SMEs a lot of time (and ultimately, a lot of cost for the organization).

What isn’t Rapid eLearning?

Ever since rapid eLearning development made its entry into corporate training, it has been a hot topic for debate among eLearning pundits. For some, rapid eLearning is all about using authoring tools that enable quick development; for others, rapid eLearning equals sub-standard courses.

So first, let’s get some things straight!

• Rapid eLearning does NOT compromise on quality or instructional design.
• Rapid eLearning does NOT mean throwing creativity out of the window.
• Rapid eLearning does NOT do away with efficient project management.

Think rapid eLearning is all about cutting corners? Let’s separate facts by debunking common myths!

Related Read: Rapid eLearning – Debunking 6 Myths Around it

Rapid eLearning: Myths vs Reality

Why Rapid eLearning?

Better Costing

One of the key benefits of rapid eLearning development is its cost-effectiveness. Since it takes significantly less time to create compared to traditional eLearning methods, it also reduces overall development costs, making it a more budget-friendly solution.

Easy Updates

Rapid eLearning authoring tools — such as Storyline 360, iSpring, and dominKnow — make it easy to update existing courses and help provide up-to-date training for employees even when there are changes in regulations, policies, or market trends. Moreover, because of their ease of use, you can do the updates in-house rather than going to the vendor.

eLearning authoring tools will help you:

• Create courses that are multi-device and multi-platform compatible
• Record and salvage courses that don’t have source files
• Recreate Flash-like interactivities
• Translate courses easily

New-age Learning

For today’s multigenerational workforce (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z), a “one-size fits all” conventional training strategy will not work. Developing personalized eLearning courses that cater to the needs of this multigenerational workforce doesn’t have to be next to impossible, not with rapid eLearning! Rapid eLearning helps make learning engaging by incorporating modern-day learning strategies while offering anytime anywhere access on mobile devices. 

Also Read: Rapid eLearning: How It Expedites the Development of Popular Gen Z Training Formats

1. Microlearning

Microlearning that offers bite-sized learning nuggets – ideal for time-pressed learners. Though there are a variety of microlearning assets to choose from, the choice of format should depend on what the course needs to achieve, not anything else. Always ensure form follows function!

2. Social learning

Social learning allows learning with and from others. Social learning doesn’t necessarily have to happen face-to-face, it can also be incorporated in online learning. The interactions in a live classroom can be emulated online using social learning approaches via video conferencing tools. Discussion forums and chat rooms are another great way to facilitate social learning.

Looking to boost engagement and collaboration in your corporate training? Here's how social learning can make it happen

3. Gamification

Gamification serves as a powerful strategy for rapid eLearning development by making the learning process more interactive and goal-oriented. By integrating game elements such as rewards, progress tracking, and challenges into eLearning modules, it fosters a dynamic learning environment. It improves knowledge retention and application, making it an invaluable tool for fast-paced and efficient eLearning development.

Related reads: Rapid eLearning & Gamification: We Helped a Retail Major

Rapid eLearning and Gamification: A Powerful Duo to Create Engaging eLearning Courses

4. Virtual training

Rapid eLearning makes it easy to develop digital assets that can be used in both self-paced eLearning and virtual classrooms.

Rapid eLearning Design for Quick Rollout

5 Best Practices for Instructional Designers

• Working Efficiently with SMEs
• Engaging Learners through Design Strategies
• Working with the Right Authoring Tools
• And More!

Download eBook

Tool Expertise

Rapid eLearning development leverages advanced authoring tools and AI tools to create engaging and interactive learning experiences efficiently. These tools are handled by skilled professionals who know how to maximize their potential, ensuring the final output is both visually appealing and instructionally effective. From simulations and quizzes to multimedia elements, the expertise in using these tools ensures a seamless, high-quality learning experience delivered in record time.

Related Read: Rapid eLearning Authoring Tools: Effective eLearning Development

Uncompromised Creativity

Speed doesn’t mean sacrificing creativity. Rapid eLearning blends quick turnaround times with innovative design to deliver content that is both engaging and impactful. Whether it’s through interactive storytelling, gamified learning elements, or visually dynamic presentations, rapid eLearning development ensures that creativity remains at the forefront, keeping learners motivated and invested throughout the process.

Enhanced ROI

“ROI” is the stuff of every training manager’s nightmare! Simply put, ROI is proof that your training is getting the desired returns. But proving that to management can be next to impossible.

But with rapid eLearning, you can show enhanced ROI, because rapid eLearning:

• Delivers effective eLearning courses backed by robust instructional design principles and adult learning principles
• Accelerates time to proficiency
• Cuts down development time by almost 40%
• Allows easy updates and changes
• Enables quick rollout of responsive courses

Related Reads: Rapid eLearning: 4 Simple Steps to Calculate ROI

Rapid eLearning – A Checklist to Assess Your Organizational Readiness

Rapid eLearning: Explore How it helps Improve Corporate Training ROI

Rapid eLearning development is a better option than conventional eLearning development:

The 3 pillars of rapid eLearning are the content, the 4 Rs strategy, and rapid authoring tools.

The Content

Rapid eLearning development content creation uses existing training material – classroom material or legacy courses – and leverages the power of authoring tools to convert it into:

• Online courses
• Microlearning assets
• Digital performance support solutions

Whatever form the content is in the form of SOPs, PDFs, eBooks, documents, or ILT handouts, it can be converted to eLearning, as long as it is aligned with the learning objectives.

Transforming instructor-led training (ILT) into engaging eLearning can save time, reduce costs, and boost learner flexibility. Check out our infographic for a step-by-step guide to making the switch seamlessly!

The Strategy: The 4 Rs of Rapid eLearning

Rapid eLearning offers a 4-pronged strategy – Record, Republish, Rebuild, and Redesign!

1. Redesign Classroom Material to Online Learning

Classroom Instructor-Led Training (ILT) has a lot of challenges—high logistics cost (travel, venue, and so on), non-availability of trainers, the difficulty in gathering learners and instructors at one place at the scheduled time, etc. And with the uncertainties around COVID-19, classroom training doesn’t really seem to be a viable option anymore. Migrating from classroom to online training would ensure you reach a larger audience with a smaller investment. But how do you do that painlessly?

Through our Redesign strategy of rapid eLearning development that helps you convert classroom training materials to online training:

• Asynchronous training (eLearning, mobile learning, blended learning, job-aids)
• Synchronous (Virtual Instructor-Led Training)

2. Record to Save SME Time

The Record strategy will help reduce SME touchpoints in the eLearning design and development from the 9 (for conventional eLearning design & development) to a mere 3.

Step 1: The SME puts together a rough PPT deck of relevant content and records the explanation for each slide (highlighting important points) on the mobile phone or any audio recording app/software.

Step 2: The ID team works on the PPT deck to enhance it instructionally, transcribes the SME’s audio into the narration script, and finalizes it.

Step 3: The SME reviews the narration script and the enhanced PPT storyboard.

Step 4: The eLearning team develops the final eLearning course with audio.

Here is a mini guide with 10 handy tips to reduce SME time.

3. Rebuild Legacy Courses into Microlearning Assets

Courses developed a few years ago might have seat time anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour. Such lengthy courses don’t fit into the busy schedules of today’s employees anymore. With our Rebuild strategy of rapid eLearning development, these lengthy eLearning courses or curriculums can be broken down logically into short and crisp microlearning nuggets for easy assimilation and better recall. The key is to ensure one microlearning module addresses one learning objective.

4. Republish for Mobile Compatibility

If your organization has been using eLearning for some time, you might be saddled with a library of legacy courses developed in obsolete software such as Flash or older versions of authoring tools that are not compatible with mobile devices. Our Republish strategy of rapid eLearning development enables you to:

• Upgrade the course to a newer version of an authoring tool (with new interactivities, eLearning assessments)
• Update content or branding
• Revamp the look and feel of text-heavy, visually unappealing courses
• Make courses compatible with mobile devices

Rapid eLearning Design for Quick Rollout

5 Best Practices for Instructional Designers

• Working Efficiently with SMEs
• Engaging Learners through Design Strategies
• Working with the Right Authoring Tools
• And More!

Download eBook

The Tools: eLearning Authoring Tools for Rapid eLearning

Rapid authoring tools (desktop or web-based) enable eLearning developers to create meaningful learning experiences, quickly and effectively – from creating interactive modules and multimedia assets to making them mobile-compatible.

Why use Rapid Authoring Tools?

Because they:

• Enable delivery of courses across different platforms and mobile devices. Learners can access courses seamlessly on any mobile device with any operating system (Windows RT, Android, iOS, or modern-day browsers Mozilla, Chrome). These tools are also frequently updated based on the latest technology, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the latest eLearning trends.
• Allow easy updates and scaling up. If in future, you want to update or change some elements of your eLearning course, you can simply import the existing course in the rapid eLearning dashboard and make the appropriate changes. It’s as simple as that!
• Allow templates to be standardized and reused. Most eLearning authoring tools offer an array of pre-built themes, templates, and interfaces that can be tweaked to suit your corporate branding and saved in an eLibrary.
• Make eLearning translations simple and quick with options to export course content as XML files. Once the content is translated, it can be imported back into the tool, synced with audio, and published. Check this blog for insights on tools that simplify eLearning translation.

eLearning Authoring Tools

• Articulate Storyline 360
• Articulate Rise
• iSpring
• Elucidat
• dominKnow
• Easygenerator

GenAI Tools

• ChatGPT
• Midjourney
• Vyond Go
• Synthesia
• DeepL

Must Use eLearning Authoring Tools

Articulate Storyline 360

Articulate Storyline 360 is a popular choice among eLearning professionals due to its efficiency and simplicity in designing interactive, tailored courses. Known as one of the most robust tools for eLearning course creation, it features an intuitive interface and numerous capabilities to develop engaging learning experiences. Furthermore, courses built with Storyline 360 are optimized to work seamlessly across different devices, screen sizes, operating systems, and browsers.

Related Read: Articulate Storyline: When to Use + Features

Articulate Rise 360

Rise 360, part of the Articulate 360 suite, is a web-based tool designed to create visually stunning and responsive eLearning courses. Built with modern web technologies, it ensures courses automatically adapt to any device, offering a seamless user experience. With no software downloads required, it allows you to design and edit courses directly in your browser, making it an excellent choice for rapid eLearning development.

Related read: Articulate Rise 360: An Authoring Tool for eLearning Success

iSpring Suite

iSpring Suite is a comprehensive tool designed for rapid eLearning development, allowing users to create dynamic content like videos, interactive quizzes, and scenario-based simulations with ease. It ensures the creation of fully responsive eLearning courses ensuring they function smoothly across all devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, making them accessible to all learners.

Related Read: Rapid eLearning with iSpring Suite - A Beginner's Guide

Elucidat

Elucidat is a cloud-based authoring tool recognized for its ability to rapidly develop eLearning courses. It provides a variety of customizable templates that can be tailored for both courses and assessments. The platform also simplifies the process of creating responsive eLearning content and supports translations for global learners. With its advanced features, Elucidat streamlines the process of developing high-quality professional eLearning materials.

Related Read: Elucidat: Pros and Cons for eLearning Development

Rapid eLearning Design for Quick Rollout

5 Best Practices for Instructional Designers

• Working Efficiently with SMEs
• Engaging Learners through Design Strategies
• Working with the Right Authoring Tools
• And More!

Download eBook

GenAI Tools you Cannot Miss

ChatGPT

ChatGPT supports rapid eLearning development by enhancing learner engagement through interactive and conversational training content. It allows for the customization of learning experiences by tailoring content to individual learner needs and creating dynamic scenarios for adaptive, personalized learning paths. With ChatGPT, content creation is significantly faster, reducing instructional design time while enabling the generation of quizzes and assessments to enrich learning materials. Additionally, it efficiently scales content to support a growing number of learners, making it an invaluable tool for modern eLearning.

Listen to this podcast to explore the game-changing implications of ChatGPT for rapid eLearning development and how your team can stay ahead in a fast-evolving landscape.

Related reads: Instructional Designers: ChatGPT Explained

ChatGPT: Leveraging ChatGPT and Rapid eLearning Accelerators for L&D Teams

Midjourney

Midjourney is a powerful AI tool that generates high-quality, stylized images from text inputs, making it a valuable asset for eLearning content creation. Known for its artistic and dreamlike aesthetics, it can produce visually striking visuals tailored to abstract, conceptual, or fantasy-inspired themes.

For eLearning, Midjourney helps create unique illustrations, custom avatars and backgrounds to enhance eLearning course materials. The platform allows creators to fine-tune and reimagine image outputs based on prompts, offering a collaborative space to bring concepts to life.

Whether it’s designing interactive learning modules, storytelling visuals, or personalized avatars for learners, Midjourney supports instructional designers in shaping compelling and immersive eLearning experiences.

Watch this video to learn to unveil the secrets to effective Midjourney prompts that unlock the full potential of the tool.

Vyond Go

Vyond is an AI-powered instant video maker that transforms your prompts into scripts and videos in seconds, even generating visuals tailored to your input. Effortlessly customize and edit within your workflow, choosing from various layouts, styles, and dialogue options to match your learning objectives. Create engaging eLearning videos faster, easier, and more efficiently than ever before.

Explore a range of template styles featuring unique characters and visuals, along with photorealistic and mixed-media options. With Vyond Go, you can also localize your videos in over 70 languages with just one click.

An AI-powered tool to streamline your script writing and video creation process? Let’s dive into Vyond Go and see if it’s the ultimate solution for your needs!

Related Reads: Vyond: How Does it Help Design Effective eLearning Courses?

Video-based Learning: 5 Reasons to Leverage Vyond Go for Explainer Videos!

DeepL

DeepL is a powerful AI-powered translation tool designed to enable seamless eLearning translations in 30+ languages. With advanced deep learning algorithms, it delivers accurate, context-aware translations that closely resemble human quality. This makes it an ideal solution for creating multilingual eLearning content, ensuring global learners can access and engage with training materials effortlessly. DeepL simplifies the process of expanding learning programs across borders, fostering global learning like never before.

Curious how AI can transform eLearning translations? Watch this video to discover how to use AI to create accurate, efficient, and cost-effective multilingual content for your eLearning courses.

Related Read: eLearning Translations: Top 5 AI Tools and How to Choose One

Rapid eLearning empowers you to bid adieu to inefficient development processes, puffed up bills, and stretching timelines. All this without compromising on learner engagement! It’s your one-stop solution to keep up with ever-changing business demands and deliver efficient and up to date training.

So, Are you Ready for Rapid eLearning Development?

Let’s check!

Content

Do you have the content ready to meet the learning objectives?

SME

Is an SME available for reviews for the rapid eLearning project?

Vendor

Does your vendor have the expertise & resources for rapid eLearning?

LMS

Is your LMS SCORM compliant?

If your answer is “Yes” to all questions, you’re good to go!

Rapid eLearning development might seem simple; however, to take it to the finish line, you need expertise in robust instructional design, set communication channels, proficiency in authoring tools, quality assurance processes, resources for easy scale up, and so on. So, what should you do to ensure a successful rapid eLearning project?

1. Set Clear, Realistic Goals

This is the most important (and unfortunately, the most ignored) step in the rapid e-learning development process.

Asking these 4 questions will help you in this:

• What do you expect learners to achieve after this training?
• How relevant is the training program to the learners?
• Will the training be a single e-learning module or a curriculum offering of courses on a specific subject?
• Do you need to evaluate learners’ understanding of the subject?

2. Get the Content Ready

Once you answer these four questions, you will need get the learning content ready. Rapid e-learning development leverages existing classroom and other training materials, and in most cases, there are content gaps in the material. So, start by identifying resources needed to achieve the set learning objectives. For resources that need to be updated, the SME can quickly record an audio track to fill the gap.

3. Plan for Curriculums

Whether eLearning or microlearning, curriculums offer a lot of scope for standardization and save SME time.

A curriculum consists of small, interrelated, or standalone modules that can be put together to cover one topic comprehensively, leading to mastery in the said topic. Curriculums usually provide access to modules sequentially, where learners need to complete one module to move to the next. However, free navigation can be offered for experienced employees who might need the courses only for refresher training.

Also with curriculums, all the content related to one topic can be made available at a single, centralized repository using the LMS. This helps learners easily access the content they need. Managing content also becomes hassle-free when it is stored in a single place.

4. Go for Online Reviews

eLearning development can be really streamlined with online reviews. Thanks to modern authoring tools that offer scope for online collaboration, giving (or receiving) feedback is no longer a chore. SMEs don’t need to work with bulky PPTs, and the design team doesn’t need to deal with contradictory feedback from multiple SMEs or missing emails containing feedback.

With authoring tools that enable online reviews, all you have to do is share the course link with SMEs or stakeholders who can then log in and review the courses – even from their mobiles – without having to install the software. Reviewers can flag issues, view each other’s comments, and streamline feedback; the design team can implement the final feedback or add comments – which can be checked by the reviewers again online.

A few popular Online Review links:

• Review 360 by Articulate 360
• iSpring Space
• Review My eLearning
• dominKnow | ONE
• zipBoard

5. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

It is also important to designate roles and responsibilities at the start of the project. Decide who will be responsible for:

• Reviews
• Tracking the review process
• Making decisions
• Gathering feedback and resolving conflicts
• Quality checks

Fast-Track Your eLearning Success Today!

Adopting rapid eLearning development is a pivotal step toward delivering rapid, accessible, engaging, and efficient learning experiences for modern learners. By adopting the right strategies and tools, you can rapidly create impactful courses that cater to diverse learning needs and drive measurable outcomes.

If you're looking to accelerate the process, download our free eBook, "Rapid eLearning Design for Quick Rollout", to explore proven techniques and actionable insights that will empower you to launch quality eLearning programs in record time.