Creating a Learning Product

Though demand of learning industry has increased rapidly over the last decade, but till date many organizations mistake a learning product to be a tool, software, or a platform. The platforms (Learning Management Systems) play a very crucial role in imparting services to learners/users, however, it cannot be considered as a learning product.

What is a Learning Product?

Learning product can be a program or course ware or training that is hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS). Based on the age, demographic, interest of different audiences, these products are specifically designed to help them enhance their knowledge, skills, and transform/implement their learning at their work places and social circles. A learning product can be designed/created for any of the following purposes:

• Educational transformation of an individual/group
• Professional transformation of an individual/group

How to Take a Decision whether to Invest in a Learning Product or not

Before you start building a learning product, it is mandatory to understand the need of it in the market. Developing a product with lesser demand will not even give you Return on Investment (ROI) and despite this organization can result into huge losses in terms of brand image and failure to understand the market. Before you even start thinking of a learning product:

• Do a thorough market research and collect the apt/required data (in terms of what is trending, declining demands, costing etc.)
• Analyze the market needs (what specifications is market looking at, what is required by users to not only enhance their knowledge but to be able to implement it in live scenarios etc.)
• Do a competitor analysis (check what your competitors are offering and why)

Post this analysis, you will get a fair idea of market needs, demands, required investment and returns. Basis this, you can take a call to invest on this product or not.

How to Start Creating a Learning Product?

Once you have researched the market, analyzed the needs and decided to build a learning product, start thinking about product specifications. Focus on 3 Ws (i.e. What, Why and Whom). To be more precise, ask yourself these questions:

• What will your product contain and how is it going to be different than others?
• Why do you want to develop this product?
• Whom are you going to serve this product offerings?

Get yourself answers for these questions. You may brainstorm, conduct activities, get the feedback forms filled from people or adapt any method for it.

Design, Develop, Test and Release your Product Offerings to Market

Now that you have a fair idea of what are you and market looking in this learning product, follow the steps below to design, develop, and test your product.s

• Think and create an ideal product profile based on your target audience (i.e. what should your product contain for users/learners and in what way, for example, a program for project managers must be more application based, real life scenarios, case studies and more practice sessions/simulations or can be more of experiential learning)
• Create a Learning Design based on your ideal product profile (i.e. how should the program flow, for example, for a particular unit first there can be a video explaining the concept, followed by a simulation and concluded by a small project)
• Develop the content (remember, it should be informative, clear, concise and easy for learners to understand). Try making the content interactive, adaptive and interesting for learners.
• Place the content on live platforms/Learning Management System (LMS) which the users are going to use. Review the design/structure of the product and content at LMS thoroughly. Try using it as a learner and check its effectiveness.
• Showcase the product to other stakeholders and people who do not know anything about this product but share the same target audience. Take their suggestions and bring in more value to the product before you release it or go live with it.
• Review it again at live platform and release the product.