Custom Content Development Or Off-The-Shelf Courses – Which One To Choose?

What is an Off-the-shelf course?
An off-the-shelf course is a pre-packaged eLearning course readily available for use without customization.

What is a Custom e-learning course?
A custom e-learning course is tailored eLearning content developed specifically for an organization, considering its unique needs and requirements.

If you want to introduce online courses or eLearning in your organization, there are two options – off-the-shelf content and custom eLearning.

How is off-the-shelf eLearning content different from custom eLearning content?

Off-the-shelf content is convenient as the courses are ready to go. You just need to assign the users. But the content will not be customized as per your organizations requirement. Whereas in custom e-learning you can personalize the content according to the needs of the target audience.

A typical organization structure consists of various departments with different functionalities. The needs and the requirement of each department vary with one another. As such, each activity and training part concerned has to be customized accordingly in the backdrop of delivery options.

Through custom content, the attributes like job activities, course content, evaluations, and set goals can be designed in accordance with the organization and its department, team and its members.

Factors to Consider When Choosing between Off-the-Shelf and Custom eLearning:

Organizational Needs: Assess the unique needs and requirements of your organization. Custom eLearning is beneficial when there’s a need for specific content tailored to your organization’s structure.

Content Updates: Consider the frequency of content updates. Custom e-learning provides flexibility for regular updates, especially crucial for industries with rapidly changing rules and regulations.

Budget Allocation: Evaluate your budget carefully. While off-the-shelf may seem cost-effective initially, custom eLearning could be a more sustainable long-term investment.

Learning Objectives: Define clear learning objectives. Custom content allows you to align learning objectives precisely with your organizational goals.