course outline for business education

How to create a course outline with real examples

You have the idea and the skills, now you need a course outline. When it comes time to building your course on Teachable, we’ve made sure to create a platform that can handle all of the heavy lifting so you can focus on the creativity part. But before you even jump into how to create an online course , we want to let you in on a powerful secret step that can save you a lot of time and help make your course creation process even better: outlining . Learning how to outline your online course will help you stay organized and know exactly what you’ll need when it comes time to get those creative juices flowing. Whether your niche is reading tarot cards or you’re working on a management course, having a course outline will ensure the creation process is structured, smooth, and organized. Your students will thank you, too!

But first, let’s take a step back to make sure you have all the information you need to outline your Teachable course like a pro.

What is a course outline?

A course outline contains the building blocks of your online course. It might also be called a class outline or training course outline. It breaks the topic and subject matter down into sections or modules, which can be determined by considering milestones, or learning objectives, you intend for students to have. Modules will be further broken down into specific lessons and learning activities.

Course outlines will include the overall learning objectives, so that the intended outcome is crystal clear for both you and your students. It’s essentially the roadmap for what you’re teaching and how you’re teaching it, as well as what practice/activities students will do in order to best learn what you’re sharing. It will also include any plans for “quizzes” with which students can self-assess where there might be learning gaps or to focus on material they might not have fully grasped the first time.

What should you include in a course outline?

In order for your students to gain the most value from taking your course , it’s imperative that your course outline covers the following:

• The overarching goal – This usually can be summarized in a sentence, and encapsulates the main goal of the course. What will students be able to do, perform, or have fully learned by the end of your course? For example: By the end of this course, students will be able to create their own watercolor painting that includes elements of depth, color psychology, shape, and perspective. You can also include a brief course description here, too!
• Breakdown of modules/sections – What subtopics are essential for students to know in order for them to achieve the overarching goal? Depending on the overarching or main goal of your course, each module can focus on a main component necessary to build towards mastering the skills needed.
• Learning objectives for each module – While it’s tempting to simply present the content of the lessons, including learning objectives really strengthens your lessons. Having these means that you and your students are on the same page about why this particular module is essential to the bigger picture. (And curbs the age-old learner question of “what’s the point of this?”) These are the skills that students will acquire from each lesson. For example, in a module focused on color psychology, the learning objectives could be along the lines of: Students will be able to explain the impact that colors have on the subconscious brain in eliciting specific emotions and feelings.
• The content for each module – How are you teaching it? Determine if video, visuals, or hands-on practice best aligns with the learning objective for each module. Ideally, there’s a mix of all three so that the three main types of learning styles are catered to.
• Homework/practice opportunities – It’s important to include opportunities for practice so that students have a chance to implement what they’re learning. Otherwise, you run the risk of the information going in one ear and out the other for students, which means the overall effectiveness of the course will be lessened.
• Quiz or self assessment – Ideally this is present within each module, and prompts the students to determine how well they grasp the material that you’ve taught. This is an empowering way for students to take more control of their own learning. Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be a full blown test with multiple choice questions! It can be as simple as including a reflection question at the end of each module.
• Learning objectives that are skill centered – (Also known as learning outcomes!) How well the content is presented and taught can be impacted by the learning objectives that are set. Preferably, these are written in a way that allows for self assessment. For example, saying “students will be able to know why depth perception is important in watercolors” implies they just need the theoretical understanding of depth perception. If we edit this to say “students will be able to implement strategies for varying depth perception”, it’s more specific and translates to a deeper understanding of the content.We’ll dive more into learning objectives and a formula for writing them in the next section!
• Optional: pre and post assessment – While not strictly needed, this is a potent way for you and your students to measure (and marvel at) just how much they learned in your course. The great news is that the same assessment or questions is given both at the beginning or the end, so they are pretty simple to make. The differences between these two assessments are measured and then used as a way to gauge how effective your course was at teaching and what students achieve. These can also make for good testimonial material, and don’t worry, they’re way easier than final exams! We’ll get into how you can create these in a simple and effective way in the next section.
• Optional: learning resources – Providing a brief list of extra resources after each module or after the course as a whole is a supportive way to ensure that student needs are being met. Having these additional links enables students to dig a little deeper and to gain more clarity on certain areas of the material that may have been unclear or where they want to know more.

How to create a course outline step-by-step

Step 1: begin with the end.

Yep, that’s right. To make a great course, think of the end result of your course before anything else. What’s the overarching goal or transformation that your course provides? Then work backwards to determine, step by step, how your ideal student would get to that end goal you’re selling. It’s essential to get clear on this before designing any lesson plans!

Take a few minutes to actually write down the transformation students will experience in your course. Go on, finish this sentence: “By the end of this course, students will be able to do blank .”

If your transformation is either too vast or too vague (e.g. how to live your best life vs. how to feel confident when meeting new people at a conference) you will find your outline may be difficult to craft. Instead think smaller and more specific. In fact, the more specific your outcome is, the better.

{{maximizebusiness-component="/blog-shortcodes/popups"}}

It’s best to choose more actionable words than “understand” when you’re describing your transformation. Consider create, write, make, speak, design, etc. Outcome-based training is the most important thing for being able to outline your online course—and also for your students to comfortably progress through their learning. This will also help you identify if your course is best suited as a standalone course, a subscription, a mini course, or even a course with coaching options.

Step 2: The breakdown: modules & sections

Now that you have the umbrella of the overarching goal open, it’s time to get more specific by looking at the modules/sections that are underneath it. While you’re determining this, keep a time frame in mind. Many creators will split the modules within a certain number of weeks or days to help students pace their learning. If you want your course to be five weeks long, then determine the most important five subtopics that need to be covered, and each of these becomes a module.

Alternatively, you can also decide what the most important subtopics are and then base the time frame off of that.

Step 3: Writing powerful learning objectives

Once you’ve determined the modules, go ahead and decide what is most important for students to learn in each one. Learning objectives usually start with “Students will be able to…” and then include some kind of action word, followed by the task or skill. Remember to get specific with the action words, ideally avoiding the words “understand” and “know” for more concise words that are measurable, outcome based, and taught in the course material.. (For example, how do you measure if someone understands something? That’s a lot more nuanced and subjective than measuring if someone is able to create a podcast or design a website.)

Use the formula below to quickly make learning objectives that are highly effective and measurable:

Students will be able to + [insert specific verb] + [description of end product or demonstration of knowledge]

Students will be able to produce a podcast episode. Students will be able to write a completed screenplay. Students will be able to author a book proposal with two sample chapters. Students will be able to construct a gardening plan.

Examples of strong verbs to use: create, produce, write, design, develop, assemble, collaborate, invent, construct, build, blog, devise, podcast, manage, facilitate, generate

Step 4: Organize the material (including homework)

Now that you have the course broken down into modules, it’s time to sort through the material you want to include. Ideally, each module will include the learning objective, some type of content where the material is being taught (keep reading for the five basic content types!), and “homework” of some kind. This is really just a chance for students to practice and implement whatever skill is being taught in this module—it doesn’t have to be very long, but rather to provide a chance for students to move from passively taking in information to actively getting involved with what you’re teaching. Invite them to try their hand at whatever it is being taught, because the more action and practice that they’re taking, the faster and more thoroughly they’ll learn!

Five basic content types

The style of your course is up to you, and the method of content delivery you think will make the most sense for your subject matter and students may differ from course to course—even section by section or lesson by lesson. There are five basic content types that are most often found on Teachable creators’ courses: text and photo, PDFs and downloadables, slide decks, screen recordings, and video. Since people have different learning styles, incorporating a combination of content types will enhance student learning. We break them down to help you better understand which might be ideal for your course.

• Text and photos: easy and quick; best used for simple concepts or lessons that can be demonstrated in a format that’s most similar to a blog post or article. Just be cognizant that not everyone learns best by reading, and if your lesson has multiple steps, perhaps blocks of texts and pictures aren’t the best option.
• PDFs and downloadables : include spreadsheets, workbooks, cheat sheets, resource material, checklists, etc. that can easily be referenced; not ideal for complex subjects that require walkthroughs or explanations of why.
• Slides : visually emphasize your points; walks students through material one step at a time

• Screen recordings and videos: ideal for complex topics that need step-by-step attention as well as explanation and demonstration; provides more interaction with students and gives a more personalized instructional experience. Screen recordings can be as simple as you talking through a slide presentation or a recording of your computer screen as you demonstrate your skill and provide commentary. They’re cheap to produce and provide a lot of value to students.

• Home videos are also another popular option for content delivery. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a lot to get quality video at home . For your course videos , you can speak directly to the camera, film your hands doing work, or even use a pre-recorded webinar or live event you’ve done.

Some lessons may need just one content type, like a screencast, but others may need two, like a video with a companion PDF workbook. It’s perfectly fine—and encouraged—to use a variety of methods within your course.

Step 5: A closer look at assessments & reflections

Including these elements in your course is a potent way to ensure that students are really getting the most from the material you’re providing. Keep in mind, the assessments can be simple, and you certainly don’t have to grade them! You can use questions that align with the learning objective to assess. For example, if the learning objective is “Students will be able to utilize Podcastle to edit a podcast”, then the assessment or homework would be to familiarize themselves with the platform and to edit a podcast episode! Pretty straightforward, right? Although uncomplicated, this is an effective way for students to implement and check their own learning.

It’s a proven pedagogical theory that reflection on the learning process actually helps to deepen understanding of the material and help it stick. Some weeks the homework could simply be to reflect on what they learned or what areas they found challenging or the most interesting from that module.

Step 6: Decide on a pre & post assessment

Along the same lines as number five, having a pre and post assessment is a great way for students to track their learning, and it can also give you helpful feedback about your course. Including a few questions that align with the learning objectives in your course are a good measure of the learning that’s taken place. These can be collected on a survey (like Typeform or Google survey) for ease of feedback and also a way to collect testimonials!

What do you know about producing a podcast? How confident are you with editing and publishing individual podcast episodes?

The end result

We believe in the art of simplicity, so we’ll do anything we can to help make your road to course creation a simple one. In fact, we’ve built our entire online course platform to do just this.

So, once you’ve learned how to outline your online course and have pumped out some content, you can easily use Teachable to physically create your course. Our one-click bulk upload option will also help you upload your course sections and lessons simply. From there you can customize your content, preview, and publish.

Course outline examples & template

If you want a template to create your course outline, then look no further. With Teachable’s outline templates, you can be led through creating a Course Outline in a step-by-step process. To get it, just click here to download for free ! You can even think of it as a preview of what’s needed if you’re still in the ideation phase of creating your virtual product.

The example below shows how your course outline could look once it’s uploaded onto the platform. Splitting the modules into different categories is a helpful way to keep things organized for your students.

{{transformbusiness-component="/blog-shortcodes/popups"}}

Key takeaways:

• Actionable transformations lead to the most successful courses and are the easiest to outline and plan.
• A course is made of sections and lessons . Sections contain groupings of lessons. Lessons are structured, informational units composed of text, files, video, and images.
• Sections are the milestones in your course a.k.a. major concepts and skills your students need to master in order to achieve the final transformation.
• Lessons are the bite-sized units of video, audio, text, images, etc. within your section that deliver one takeaway.
• Mapping out your content delivery method will help prepare you for the creation process.
• Use the one-click bulk upload button on the Teachable platform to begin to organize your content.

Outlining your course doesn’t have to be daunting. And, putting in just a little bit of elbow grease before you start creating will not only save you lots of time and energy later on, it will also enhance the learning experience of your students. Future you is already thanking past you.

Why create a course outline?

Creating a course outline is an essential part of producing your course. It provides you with structure and organization, which is very helpful as the process can feel overwhelming at times. More importantly, it means that the course material you’re curating is intentional and focused on providing students with the most value possible—having course objectives that you’re building off of creates a solid foundation for learning. Having this outline also means you can share learning objectives with your students so that they feel empowered in their learning process. Overall, a course outline makes it more clear for you and your students, and provides a sense of ease for you during the creation process.

What is the difference between a course outline and a syllabus?

Generally speaking, a course outline is a tool for course creators to consider during the planning phase, while a course syllabus is intended for students to read ahead of starting the course. Once you’ve created a course outline, you can move on to creating the course syllabus, which includes more detailed information, including the course description, specific modules and assignments, dates, a grading rubric, rules of conduct, and other course requirements and expectations of the teacher.

Additional reporting by Nicole Quintana-Wolf

Caitlin Miller , Caitlin Miller is the Manager of Content Marketing Strategy at Teachable. In her spare time, she's often found listening to vinyl records, buying too many house plants, and enjoying a run on the streets of Brooklyn.

Related articles

Create and sell ‍ anything Teachable

30M+ products have been sold on Teachable. Ready to launch yours?

How to Create a Course Outline [With Templates]

Table of Contents

Do you have a great idea for an online course but don’t know where to start? You’re not alone – getting started is the most overwhelming part of course design for first-time course creators, who struggle to put their ideas together and turn them into a well-structured course.

The solution to your problem is something as simple as a course outline.

Creating a course outline will help you overcome your mental block and start building your online course.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of designing an online course outline following instructional design principles. We’ll also offer you 18 amazing course templates to spark your creativity.

💡 If you are more of a visual learner, watch the following video on how to create an online course from Idea to Outline with Rachel Reclam.

Table of contents

• 1 What is a Course Outline?
• 2 How to Write a Course Outline Step-by-Step
• 3 Training Course Outline: How is it Different?
• 4 18 Course Outline Templates to Download

What is a Course Outline?

A course outline is a plan of the course that contains all the learning material, structured in the order you’ll use it in your online course. It can be in the form of a storyboard or a simple list.

A course outline usually includes the following:

• Essential course information like name & description
• The learning objectives
• Course requirements & prerequisites (if any)
• Learning activities per session
• Supporting learning material
• Milestones (assignment due dates, quizzes, final exams)
• Course schedule (if there’re any live sessions)

An outline is not just a tool to create an optimal learning path but also a resource to share with your learners .

How to Write a Course Outline Step-by-Step

Let’s go over the steps you need to follow when creating an online course outline:

• Step #1: Build a Learner Profile
• Step #2: Write the Learning Objectives
• Step #3: Break Down the Course Into Sessions
• Step #4: Choose the Learning Activities
• Step #5: Plan for Interactivity
• Step #6: Include Knowledge Checkpoints

💁 The LearnWorlds WorkBook will guide you through all the necessary steps, offering additional items you can go through.

Step #1 – Build a Learner Profile

How well you know your audience has a massive impact on student learning. The better you know the people who will be attending your course, the more beneficial the learning experience you can build for them.

A learner profile should include the following:

• Basic demographics
• Knowledge level
• Desired goals & pain points

Pre-assessments can help you determine the learners’ knowledge of the subject matter, while a survey can give you information regarding their demographics, their reason for taking the course, and potential roadblocks.

Step #2 – Write the Learning Objectives

Learning goals are broad, general statements of what we want our students to learn – they’re the end goal of the course, the bigger picture. For instance, if you’re teaching social skills, the learning goal is to improve the learners’ social skills. But that doesn’t really say much, right?

When creating your online course outline, break this broad goal down into learning objectives , which are specific and, whenever possible, measurable . So, in this case, ask yourself:

• What does improving social skills entail? What will learners be able to do after the course that they couldn’t do before?
• Carry out conversations with confidence.
• Make a great first impression.
• Master small talk.
• Feel more comfortable in a large group of people.

Write all these objectives and make sure to a) use them as a reference point when creating your content and assessments, and b) clearly mention them in your course description and syllabus.

Step #3 – Break Down the Course Into Modules

Now that you know the learning objectives, the next step is to break down the course into smaller learning modules, keeping in mind that you need to keep each module short and sweet and increase the level of difficulty gradually.

A helpful practice creating a topical outline of your course to organize subtopics under general topics. This way, you’re creating the backbone of your course, upon which you will create your course content. In the LearnWorlds’ Course Creation Workbook, visit pages 7-8 to see how to create a topical outline.

Step #4 – Choose the Learning Activities

What learning activities are you going to include in your course? Before choosing, think about the content you may already have and can repurpose . For example, you can use the highlights from a blog post to create PDF infographics.

Most importantly, before adding any activity to your lesson plan, think about whether it serves the learning objectives of the course. Anything that doesn’t directly support the learning objectives should be offered as additional/supportive learning resources.

Why? Because bombarding the learners with a mountain of videos, eBooks, and what have you will inevitably lead to cognitive overload .

LearnWorlds supports a wide variety of learning activities to choose from, some of which you can also sell separately as digital products , like:

• Interactive videos
• Audio files & podcasts
• Live sessions
• Self-assessments, quizzes & exams
• SCORM packages

Step #5 – Plan for Interactivity

Remember that what separates a great course from a good-enough one is interactivity. This single “detail” can skyrocket not only learner engagement but the effectiveness of the course, as it allows for in-depth conversations and meaningful connections.

If you can’t include real-time sessions, then at least make sure to build an online community , like a discussion group, where you will interact with your learners and enable them to communicate with one another and exchange knowledge.

Step #6 – Include Knowledge Checkpoints

Last but not least, make sure to include several assessments throughout the course and for different purposes. Let us give you a few ideas:

• Non-graded quizzes : to help learners refresh, practice, and test their knowledge “safely” without it having an impact on their final grade. Including non-graded quizzes will also help you identify learners who need extra support.
• Self-assessments and self-reflection journals : to enable learners to reflect on their learning journey and figure out ways they can improve their learning processes.
• Graded assignments & exams, like written or video submissions : to accurately measure learner knowledge and offer a certificate of completion (or CPE credits ).

💡Interested in taking your knowledge business a step further? Then our free webinar Use AI & Instructional Design to supercharge your elearning is the right one for you! Watch the webinar now and learn how to harness AI with Instructional Design for more effective eLearning.

Training Course Outline: How is it Different?

An online training course designed for employees, customers, or partners, like employee onboarding or customer education, is different from an online course addressed to a wide audience.

Goals are set based on company priorities and result tracking (on multiple levels we’ll explain below) is non-negotiable. Employee training is often mandatory and crucial. All this means that your outline might look a little different.

Assessment Evaluation

The first major difference is an assessment evaluation. If you are tasked with creating a training course, there are good chance the company hiring you has already assessed their training needs and documented them.

If not, you should perform an assessment evaluation and identify the training needs of the company. These are similar to learning goals and objectives but focus specifically on the people or departments requesting the training to improve specific deficiencies.

Adult Learning Principles

Training is addressed to adults. They might be coming with some industry or work experience and will be looking to implement their newfound knowledge and skills in their work. As such, they have different preferences and needs than younger students.

Adult learning principles will help you make training more relevant to their needs:

• Prefer self-directed learning
• Draw on life experience to assist with learning
• Willingness to learn when transitioning into new roles
• Immediacy of applying the new knowledge to real-life situations and problems
• Internally instead of externally motivated

Remember to make the training more practical, using real-world examples and allowing learners to draw from their years of experience.

Training Evaluation & Tracking

Lastly, evaluating the results is a huge part of training. More often than not, it’s the key stakeholders who will decide the course prerequisites and how success is measured.

For example, compliance training might include a specific number of video watch hours and a final exam with a passing score of 80%. It’s also possible that you should include a certificate to award learners at the end of the course.

You might additionally need to collect grades, assignments, or physical examinations. Some advanced learning management systems , like LearnWorlds, include a gradebook or reporting features you will need to meet these requirements.

Include evaluation activities such as exams, on-site testing, scenarios, or other forms of evaluations to the course outline for training, and plan on certifications or reporting requirements.

Your professional looking Academy in a few clicks

18 course outline templates to download.

The best way to create your own outline is to use a good example as a guide. Our team of experts reviewed LearnWorlds’ course creators and prepared 18 course outline templates based on the most popular course types.

Here is a sneak peek of the templates:

Assessment courses

These courses help you and your potential students assess their skills. This course type can also be used as a powerful lead magnet to gather students’ emails early in the process.

Presell courses

Presell courses serve as a storefront for an upcoming course . They can help you validate a course idea and build an email list of your potential students before officially releasing a course.

Orientation courses

An orientation course provides an overview of all your courses . They can build student engagement and interest. Don’t forget to add a walkthrough of your academy and the online community, as well as the instructor’s contact details.

Orientation courses can also help mobile app users onboard faster. Be sure to add an orientation-style course on your roadmap for user training!

Μini-courses

Mini-courses are versions of full-sized courses. Like presell and orientation courses, they serve as teasers that make students enroll in a course. However, in contrast to the other two categories, mini-courses provide real educational value : a full summary of what will be taught in the full-sized course.

Live courses

This course type includes mostly scheduled live sessions , which you can enrich with different types of material, like quizzes, discussions, transcripts, and downloadable PDF files. Live courses could also have office hours, during which learners can reach the instructor for questions, feedback, or support.

Workshop courses consist of a series of videos where an instructor demonstrates practical tasks while describing the process for the students to follow through. Workshop courses are usually about arts & crafts, painting, sewing, fitness, content creation, etc. You can also share top highlights of your event for your social media as part of your marketing strategy.

Professional training courses

Professional training courses aim to build knowledge, skills, and competence in a group of individuals or a team. Companies deploy employee training & development initiatives to improve employee performance, smooth out productivity issues, and enhance the soft skills of their workforce.

The “X days challenge” courses

Through an “X Days Challenge” course, an instructor guides the students through daily or weekly small achievements to reach a more challenging end goal at the end of the course. Deploying gamification gimmicks, like badges, is good practice in these courses, as they motivate and reward learners along the way.

A good example of a challenge course is “Create your first mandala painting in 14 days” or “Improve your sleeping habits in a month.”

Certification courses

Certification courses verify the skills and knowledge the learner has obtained in the course in the form of a (usually sharable and printable) certificate. They require learners to pass a final exam or perform a practical task demonstrating their skills. Certifications can be obtained from external governmental organizations or recognized entities.

Unsurprisingly, certification courses often have prerequisites and strict navigation; you can read more on the course navigation on LearnWorlds here .

Spotlight/Niche topic courses

Niche topics are created to teach particular skills . Instructors can create a whole academy with multiple niche courses and sell them in bundles to provide a more comprehensive learning experience while boosting their revenue.

Academic courses

Academic courses follow the traditional structure that higher education institutions follow . This type of course usually consists of an introduction to the course and its learning outcomes, a short test or discussion to assess pre-existing knowledge, and multiple lectures (live or video) supported by written learning material, like handouts.

Drip-feed courses

In a drip-feed course , you organize the timely release of your content (section by section) so that it doesn’t become available to your students all at once. This comes with multiple benefits, such as avoiding overwhelming learners , ensuring they learn at a reasonable pace that boosts knowledge retention , and preventing them from downloading the course content all at once and asking for a refund.

Conceptual change courses

Conceptual change courses create a learning experience based on storytelling. These courses don’t intend to teach a skill but rather challenge the learner’s mentality and open them up to different perspectives. Conceptual change courses don’t have a fixed structure.

Hybrid courses

Hybrid courses combine the benefits of online learning with traditional in-class learning offering the flexibility of the first and the opportunity for practice and direct communication of the latter.

Series of “invited talks” courses

Courses made up of invited talks from guest speakers who are experts in the course topic are particularly engaging. A typical course of this sort could include a series of live webinars with key insights sent out to participants in the form of an eBook.

Selling digital goods or extra services

Online courses are not strictly used for teaching. An online course can be a suitable wrapper for your digital product or service , sold either as additional or standalone offerings. For example, you might be an online coach who sells a package of inspirational videos and eBooks separately in a course.

💡 If you are selling digital downloads , be sure to check out our guide as well.

Bonus courses

Bonus courses are usually short and offer some extra resources to students. They typically contain scarce resources, like a PDG, an exclusive interview, an exciting webinar, etc. What makes bonus courses popular is that they add value to your initial offering. They’re usually promoted as being free, which makes them even more appealing.

Complementary to physical products courses

A complementary course offers additional material to a product you sell through your website. Such complementary content can be information about that specific product or guidelines about how to use the product, similar to customer education.

💁 You can download all of these templates for free in our downloadable pdf. Download the entire collection here:

Start Creating Your Course Outline

A course outline is the foundation of your online course. You’ll find that creating one will help you streamline the content development process and focus your energy on building your course instead of trying to bring order to the chaos.

Leverage the 30-day free trial and start putting together your course in your shiny new LearnWorlds academy.

Further reading you might find interesting:

• How to Teach Online & Earn Money: Definitive Guide
• SCORM 101: The Definitive Guide to Choose a SCORM-Compliant LMS
• How Much Money Can You Make Selling Online Courses?
• The 19 Best Employee Online Training Software Tools (A Comparison Guide)
• What is an LMS (Learning Management System)?
• How To Start A Profitable Online Course Business From Scratch
• The Essential Guide on How to Create Cohort-Based Courses

What does a course outline include?

A course outline should include a brief course description and the learning outcomes, outlining the topics that will be covered in the course in the order in which they will be covered. The outline can also mention a list of required and recommended readings you plan to include in the course, as well as assessments and exams.

What is the difference between a course outline and a course syllabus?

A course outline is a document that includes the basic components to be taught, such as learning activities, assessments, and evaluations of an online course. It is used to plan and organize the course creation process.

A course syllabus is built for the learner and includes all learning material (mandatory and optional), specific assignments, dates, grading standards, and rules of conduct & classroom policies defined by the instructor.

What is the purpose of a course outline?

The purpose of a course outline is to assist the instructor in creating and delivering the course by following a predetermined structure, planning activities, and creating the materials beforehand.

What are the benefits of a course outline?

A course outline helps the instructor avoid pitfalls while creating a course, from setting clear learning outcomes to including/creating the most suitable content, therefore speeding up the course creation process.

How do you write an outline for an online course?

To write an online course outline you need to follow these steps:

• Build learner profiles
• Write the learning objectives
• Break down the course into modules
• Choose the learning activities to include
• Plan for interactivity
• Include knowledge checkpoints

What are the components of an online course?

An online course might include the following:

• Video lessons
• PDFs, slideshows, and PowerPoint presentations
• Discussion forum
• Assessments and final exams

Androniki Koumadoraki

Androniki is a Content Writer at LearnWorlds sharing Instructional Design and marketing tips. With solid experience in B2B writing and technical translation, she is passionate about learning and spreading knowledge. She is also an aspiring yogi, a book nerd, and a talented transponster.

• Skip to main content

For Online Courses & Coaches looking to scale their current successes.

We help you scale with Ad Campaigns while you can focus on strategy and running multiple programs.

Increase student enrollment with Ad Campaigns. Engage where your students are.

We help conferences accelerate ticket acquisition and partnerships with content amplification.

• Case Studies

Read the latest articles on everything education marketing.

Get access to tools that help your campaigns become more efficient.

Candid discussions with education marketers, creators & the Think Orion Team

• BOOK A STRATEGY CALL

How to Create an Online Course Outline | Complete Guide & Template

You have chosen your online course topic. Great! Now what? To create a winning course outline, you must encompass your course vision, details, and templates. Course outline sets the tone for the entire learning experience for the students and ensures they get the most out of their course.

A  well-designed course outline clearly defines what students can expect and how it can benefit them. Creating a course design template efficiently standardizes the online course outline and lays out a clear pathway for learning outcomes.

Wondering how to create a course outline that wins? Let’s explore all the key steps to create a winning course outline.

What is a Course Outline?

A course outline is a comprehensive document that includes information about the topics, objectives, and learning outcomes of a course. It is an essential tool that serves as a guide for both teachers and students during the course of study.

A course outline provides a roadmap for the students to stay on track and remain organized with their studies.

A clear and concise course outline acts as a framework for the assessment of student performance as they move through the course. You must know how to make a course outline that helps students construct and organize a learning flow in a sequential manner and provides a foundation before they enroll.

The Benefits of Having a Clear Course Outline

The purpose of the course outline is to support the learning process. A clearly structured course outline allows you to  promote your course online  with an organized roadmap for students. Let’s explore the key benefits of developing a clear course outline:

• A clear course outline provides a structure and logical order and help students and teacher stay organized.
• Explicitly outlines topics, concepts, activities, objectives, and resources for students.
• Promote self-directed learning, and allow students to complete their coursework at their own pace and take responsibility for their learning.
• Promotes student engagement to bolster learning and give them direction to track their progress

Key Elements in a Course Outline: An Overview

A course outline is an essential document for both student and instructor alike, as it ensures all objectives are covered and relevant information stated. While the course information and outline are filed away neatly in your brain, it is important to deliver in a format for students.

For this, you need to identify key elements in a course outline that are ordered in a way that sets out a promise for the student about their learning journey.

Let’s look at key elements in a course outline.

• Course Title & Information: Provides a brief description of the subject matter covered in the course.
• Course Objectives: Describes the broad learning outcomes for students.
• Course Content: Relevant material for students such as study resources, information, videos, assigned readings, and all other data sources needed for learning.
• Learning Outcomes: A statement that defines students at the beginning what they can expect, and what value they will gain as a result of taking a course.
• Assessment & Evaluation: Determines the extent of learning for students from the course and provides goals and outcomes. 
• Supporting Material: Information, and data not limited to lectures, study notes, and syllabus. It includes visual aid, images, diagram, external data resources, and access to journals, study guides, web-ready content, and educational software.
• Course Schedule: Classifies topics for a specific course that will be taught in each week/module in detail.
• Course Policies: Policies concerning attendance, assignment submission, re-submissions, participation, academic integrity, missed exams, recorded lectures, and other related guidelines.

For example, this Microsoft Word Basics course outline highlights all the essential information that relates to the course outline.

How to Create an Effective Course Outline in 7 Easy Steps: An Overview

Sorting through piles of content and creating an entire course outline by yourself can be overwhelming. Ask yourself questions such as what unique elements you can add.

What will make your course stand out from others? And what difference in your course can benefit the students?

At this point, think about how you can best sell your course. Even if it’s manageable, you can take help from an online course promotion agency to get started.

1. Explore the Topic: A Brief Overview

It may seem obvious, but only the best instructors know how to explore the topic in-depth from different sources and create a comprehensive course outline.

Begin the process early, and give yourself plenty of time to explore the topic. Careful planning and continual refinement can set your course apart.

Explore Books on the Topic

There is a wide range of books written on your chosen course. You can always refer to them. It can become your key to further dividing the course outline into modules and lesson plans.

For example, as an online course instructor, you can explore a range of books available online to create a comprehensive course outline.

Case Studies from Relevant Industry

Case studies are the most effective way to get students to understand the practical application of the skills and knowledge developed during a course. Include case studies of the relevant industry to make students learn facts from real-world situations.

Instructors can visit different websites including online resources, and universities websites to explore case studies on diverse topic areas.

For example, MIT Sloan Management School has provided real-life organizational case studies for the subject of Accounting and Finance.

Analyze Similar Online Courses

SOURCE: MIT Sloan Management School 

Learning objectives for your course can be a bit different from what others are offering, still, you can prepare the right material by examining different courses of similar subject areas available on online learning platforms.

For example, platforms like Udemy provide access to thousands of courses online, where you can look for similar course content. Here you can see 10,000 results for SEO Courses.

SOURCE: UDEMY

Search the Internet for High-Ranked Courses

Research, research, and research! The Internet is full of different online courses, make sure you go through some of the top courses on search engines to make notes about what you might want to add, or what can set your course apart.

Once you’ve sketched the outline, start putting the pieces together, considering  SEO strategies for an online course  to ensure it reaches the relevant audience.

For example, you can search “Python Development Course Online’ and Google will show results for the most high-ranked courses.

2. Defining Your Course Objectives: Setting the Direction

A clearly defined course objective will provide your students with an outline of what they can learn from the course. When defining your course objective, you must consider the learning outcome your target audience (students) wants to achieve.

Make sure objectives and learning outcomes are SMART, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Identifying Your Goals & Outcomes

When designing your online course creation template , firstly identify your goals and outcomes. It can also help your better sell course online to the right target audience.

Some questions to consider:

• Who are your learners?
• What they want to achieve?
• What different can you offer?
• How will your course benefit their learning?

Once you’ve answered these question, you can sharpen your focus and stay on track to create an inclusive course outline.

Aligning Objectives with the Curriculum Framework

It is equally important to ensure your course curriculum is aligned with the objectives. An aligned course curriculum ensures students reach the milestones outlined during the course module.

It can guide students to stay connected and achieve the desired learning objective from your online course.

Setting Clear & Measurable Learning Objectives

It can be achieved by identifying the level of knowledge necessary to achieve the learning objectives and precisely intending to accomplish the course.

Each learning objective involves a measurable outcome for the expanded growth of students with each module or lesson plan.

3. Outlining the Course Content

Constructing a course outline is an essential piece when designing any course. As an instructor, you can go through numerous course outline examples related to the topic on the internet.

The prerequisite and the co-requisite will establish a link and align students with the outcomes mapped out in the shape of course content.

Dividing the Course into Modules or Units

Dividing your course into modules and learning units is always the best choice as it creates a sequence of course content. It can help students identify under what module or unit knowledge will be demonstrated and the criteria for performance.

Modules or units support students throughout the course, as they help them organize the assessments, and learning activities.

Arranging the Content in a Logical Sequence

The logical sequence in online course content refers to all forms of delivery that will be used, including videos, lectures, readings, case studies, explanations, and assessments. It may sound simple, but it isn’t easy to set up and arrange online course content.

• Sit down, draw objectives
• Define learning outcomes
• Create draft course outline 
• Get curriculum organized and planned
• Finalize assessments

Estimating the Time Allotment for Each Module

While there is no exact formula to calculate the time allotment for each module, it can take about 3 days to 2 months to create course modules, depending on the complexity of the course.

Defining the Learning Outcomes for each module

Learning outcomes for each module clearly define students with statements that demonstrate content from the start till the end of the course. Module-level learning outcomes showcase the complete learning process and experience that students will undertake by enrolling in this course.

Deciding on the Appropriate Teaching Methods for each module

Once you’ve set out the course objectives and goals, it’s time to decide on the most appropriate teaching methods. As an instructor, you need to employ different teaching methods for a balanced provision of lecture delivery.

However, it’s always better to ask yourself certain questions before making the decision. For example:

• Who are the learners?
• What is the objective of the course?
• What are the gaps you’re fulfilling through this course?
• What resources students will require during the course?

4. Content is King: Building the Core of Your Course

High-quality course content helps you build credibility and gain the trust of students. Until students see potential in your online course, they’re not likely to opt for it. Make sure your content is designed to create an impact, attract students and generate profitable leads. 

Well, only focusing on the content can certainly help you achieve relevance for the students, but  marketing affiliate programs  for online course promotion can increase your reach and conversions.

Without any doubt, we all know that Google loves quality content. Thus, you must exactly know what it takes to get in the good graces of search engines and rank on the first page.

Conducting a Comprehensive Content Audit

Now that you know  how to create an online course outline , you need to systematically review all the content that you have organized for the course.

The content audit enables you to closely review the content, instantly optimize the quality of content and align it with the course objective that you’ve already defined.

You can conduct a content audit by undertaking following steps:

• Define the course metrics
• Measure inventory of your content
• Analyze the organized content
• Draw up a clear action plan

Choosing the Most Relevant Topics to Cover

When it comes to topic selection, it can be tricky. Some course instructors struggle to organize relevant topics in their course outlines. A fail-proof online course requires an efficient  content marketing strategy  to arrive at a coherent outcome.

Here are five pro tips you must keep in mind while choosing the most relevant topics to cover in an online course:

• Choose topics that attract the right number of students
• Choose topics that provide clear direction for learners
• Choose topics that sets the pace for learning
• Choose topics that engage more learners online
• Choose topics that impact the course significance to make it relevant

5. Incorporating Supporting Materials

Supporting materials and resources are significant for learners, as they assist them throughout the course. Commonly available supporting materials for your online course include textbooks, software, reading materials, videos, and recorded lectures.

Choosing the Right Format for Supporting Materials

It’s time to learn how to create a course outline that includes the right format of support materials. Your supporting materials must engage the learners, and offer ease of use, meeting their ability to perform the course tasks.

As an instructor, you need to make sure that the format for supporting material is audient appropriate, and offers all relevant information they will need throughout the course.

Integrating Supporting Materials into the Course Outline

Supporting materials such as examples, narratives, definitions, statistical data, facts & figures, and testimony are significant for the learners and must be integrated into the course outline.

Relevant supporting materials in course content emphasize the learner on the outcomes and enable them to believe in the course. 

Including Assessments and Evaluations in the Outline 

Assessments and evaluation plans in online course outline template sets out a standard for the learners and helps them determine whether or not the goals, of course, are being met as per their requirement.

It can also help learners to improve practice, develop reflective habits, and meet the standard learning outcome of the course.

6. Types of Content for Creating A Course Outline

It’s no wonder that online courses consume less energy than face-to-face teaching, but you need to pick the  right course content to sell  a great learning experience.

You can produce content for online courses in more than one format, usually, the one preferred by students. 

Now let’s take a deep dive into the types of content an online course outline must include.

Lecture Content

Lecture content refers to the information and topic that you plan to teach the learners.

1. Online Lectures: As an online course instructor, you can deliver lectures online, in real-time, and in form of recorded videos.

2. Text-based Content: Designing course content with a text-based approach ensures a better understanding of the subject matter, and provides explanations for every topic. It can be in form of study notes, case studies, research papers, and other text-based materials.

Reading Material

Reading material refers to anything designed for the purpose of being read by the learners. It can be in different forms, depending upon the objective and goal of the course.

1. Textbooks: Online courses can include e-textbooks for student study reference, and in-depth understanding of the topic.

2. Online Articles: Including online articles in the course outline extend learning options for learners and provide comprehensive information on the topic.

Multimedia Content

Multimedia content refers to any content that utilizes a combination of text, images, visuals, videos, and audio to deliver lecture.

1. Videos: The most commonly used multimedia content format by online course instructors is videos. As an instructor, you can pre-record lectures in form of videos or deliver live lectures in video format.

2. Audio Recordings: It is one of the most efficient ways to deliver course content to students, as they get greater flexibility to process information at their own pace.

3. Interactive Activities: It helps learners retain information faster, and develop communication skills. Immersive and engaging interactive activities along with other learning formats can drive more engagement, and attention, and promote retention.

Assessments and Evaluations

Assessments and evaluations refer to the diagnostic tools that focus on the learning of individual students during the course. Evaluation can determine the extent to which the learner has been able to achieve pre-defined course objectives and goals.

1. Quizzes: It provides a quick and informal assessment of the knowledge of the learners. The result of quizzes determines whether the student has been able to comprehend the course content and where the gap exists.

2. Exams: To improve the learning and ability to retain information, exams serve as the most efficient way to evaluate the learning outcome.

3. Group Projects: Online courses often include group projects to ensure learners can develop teamwork, collaboration, analytical thinking, and critical analysis skills while tackling conflicts and managing project tasks.

7. Planning for Assessment and Evaluation to Measure Success for Student

Assessment and evaluation are the heart of the learning process. There is a lot more than what you think when it comes to testing the knowledge and skills students have gained throughout the course.

To assess and evaluate the learning from your online course, you can set clear criteria and clarify expectations from the students. Learning from online courses can be measured through:

• Percentile ranking
• Standard scores
• Completion progress

Tips for Crafting a Successful Course Outline: Overview

When you are creating an online course to sell online, you must create excitement, curiosity, and engagement among the students whom you plan to target.

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to create content for an online course, and put together a winning course outline. Establish a uniquely crafted course outline and  build a sales funnel  for your online course.

Read on and get ready to craft a successful course outline.

Keep it Organized & Structured

Keep your online course outline interesting for the students, provide a piece of solid course information, and define a clear roadmap with outcomes. Keeping it organized will help students know what to expect and get prepared for it. 

Test the Outline

Make sure you validate your online course outline before the final launch. Refine your course outline by answering the following questions yourself:

• If I were the student, would I have paid to enroll in this course?
• What pain points does it address for the learners?
• What outcomes learner expect after completion of course?

Most importantly, go through other online courses to understand the offerings in the market, and make your online course unique.

Selecting the Right Tool for Your Course

Teaching tools are vitally important to help you stay more organized, and make your course easier for learners. Numerous tools can make your course delivery fast and efficient, but you need to evaluate the options that fit best with your course requirements.

It doesn’t matter how you’ve organized everything for your online course until you’ve finalized the right tools. 7 high-demanding course tools include following:

• Google Docs
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Note
• Cloud Outliner

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you write an outline for an online course.

Step 1: Understand the topic

Step 2: Understand your target audience

Step 3: Define learning objectives and goals

Step 4: Organize your core content

Step 5: Select online course delivery methods

How do I evaluate and refine my course outline as I create it?

• Review course outline from student perspective
• Assess information covered & materials
• Justify the learning outcomes
• Align learning objectives with course content

How do I keep my course outline up-to-date and relevant?

• Explore the topic
• Stay relevant and accurate
• Define content types
• Validate your course outline
• Optimize content for learning

Final Words

It’s time to put all the wisdom that you’ve gained from here to practice. You’re on your journey to create a successful online course outline to deliver a great learning experience for your students.

Ensure you develop engaging and enticing online course content that excites learners to enroll and generate more sign-ups. Remember, the most important part is to stay relevant, organized, and focused on a topic and make it easier for learners.

I'm Manno, the founder and lead marketing strategist at Think Orion. My role revolves around assisting online education providers in crafting and implementing effective go-to-market strategies, while also guiding our team to bring these strategies to life. With a deep commitment to marketing principles, I often emphasize the importance of research, positioning, and messaging. I'm passionate about uncovering significant opportunities through innovative and creative ideas.

• Higher Ed Digital Marketing Strategies:
• Higher Ed SEO Tips
• Higher Ed Social Media Strategies
• Higher Ed Lead Generation Strategies
• How to Promote an Online Course:
• How to Create an Online Course:
• Promote Online Courses Using Social Media:
• Webinars to Promote your Online Courses:
• Digital marketing strategies for Edtech:
• SEO Strategies for Edtech:
• Content Marketing Strategies for Edtech:
• Events Marketing Strategy:
• Promote Virtual Events:
• Social Media Event Marketing:
• How to Promote your Events:

Get your weekly dose of strategies, stories, and insights in one single mail.

How to Create a Course Outline: A Step-by-Step Guide

Wondering how to create a course outline? Learn what a course outline is, why you need it, and how to write yours.

What’s a Course Outline

It serves as a roadmap for both instructors and students, outlining what will be covered in the course and how it will be delivered.

A well-structured course outline provides students with a clear understanding of what to expect from the course, its learning goals, assessment methods, and the overall learning journey. Instructors use the course outline to effectively plan and deliver their lessons while ensuring alignment with the course’s educational objectives.

How to Create a Course Outline

Creating a well-structured online course outline is crucial for delivering an effective and engaging learning experience for your students.

Define Clear Learning Objectives

Determine course topics.

Identify the main topics or themes that your course will cover. These topics should align with your learning objectives and serve as the foundational content for your course .

Organize Content Into Modules or Sections

Write module descriptions, specify learning resources.

List the learning resources required for each module, such as readings, videos, articles, or external websites. Provide clear instructions on where and how students can access these resources.

Design Engaging Activities

Set module completion criteria, create a course schedule.

Develop a detailed course schedule that specifies when each module will be available and when assignments or assessments are due. Consider factors like pacing and progression.

Provide Grading Rubrics

Include course policies, facilitate interactivity.

The next step in learning how to create a course outline is to incorporate interactive elements.

Promote Accessibility

Offer support and resources.

Communicate the support resources available to students, such as technical assistance, academic support services, and contact information for questions related to course content.

Set Clear Communication Guidelines

Review and revise, share the course outline.

Distribute the course outline to students before the course begins. Ensure that it’s easily accessible within your online course platform throughout the duration of the course.

Stay Flexible and Responsive

Ready to create a course outline.

Now that you know how to create a course outline, it’s time to get to action.

Free Course Outline Template - Plan a Good Online Course

By Nicola Choon

January 8, 2023 min read

1. Use our course design template.

2. link your content to your learning outcomes., 3. identify your module sets, modules, and pages., 4. seek examples from other online courses on how to arrange your course content..

You have decided to create your first online course. Great! Now what?

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.” — Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor

Often, training professionals and university lecturers come under pressure to deliver online courses within a short time frame . A good course plan is crucial in maintaining quality while achieving tight course authoring deadlines.

What is the importance of planning your online course before building it? 

A course plan lays out a clear pathway for linking your content to your learning outcomes. In other words, a course plan helps your learners to achieve their goals through your content.

By planning your course before building it, you will have a map that prevents you from getting stuck on a single module or straying too far from your original goals—saving you valuable time in the process.

In this blog post, we’ll demonstrate how you can create your own online course plan in a short amount of time.

To help you get started, we have created a course design template that you can copy on Google Drive.

Once you have defined the basic course information, the course design template will guide you to strategically map out:

• Learning outcomes
• Module Sets

The modules and pages make up the “content” of your course (e.g. videos, text, audio, sharing activities, quizzes). The learning outcomes are the “goals” that you want learners to achieve through your content. The main goal of this template is to create a birds-eye view of how your content will support your learning outcomes.

We’ve already written about why learning outcomes matter and how to write them . Here’s a quick primer for the purposes of this blog post:    

What is a learning outcome?

Learning outcomes are the goals of your course. They are statements that usually start with “By completing this course, learners will…” and describe what students will be able to demonstrate by the end of your course.

For example, in a course called Start Your Own Bakery in 3 Months, the learning outcomes might be:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to: Analyse market trends and consumer preferences to develop a unique and profitable business model for a bakery. (#business-model) Calculate startup costs, create financial projections, and devise a comprehensive business plan for a new bakery business. (#business-plan) Outline the process of sourcing quality ingredients, maintaining hygiene standards, and managing staff in a bakery setting. (#operations-management)

You can also get creative with this course design template. For instance, you might choose to tackle a combination of learning outcomes throughout each module, or a different learning outcome on each page. 

You might be wondering how courses are structured on OpenLearning. Your course content can be arranged into three levels: Module Sets, Modules and Pages:

Here is an example from inside a course. The module sets are distinguishable by the chevron ( > ) next to them.

Module sets can contain many modules. This is an advanced feature that allows you to add an extra layer of structure to your course.

Modules are the major topics of your course which can contain several pages.

Pages are where you can add and arrange content, media, and activities.

Content can be arranged into as many module sets, modules, and pages as desired.

In our 'Start Your Own Bakery in 3 Months' example, there is 1 module set, 5 modules and the first module has 5 pages. They are:

• Page 1: Welcome to the World of Baking
• Page 2: Navigating the Bakery Industry
• Page 3: Decoding Market Trends
• Page 4: Analysing Consumer Preferences
• Page 5: Crafting Your Unique Business Model
• Module 2: Business Plan Development
• Module 3: Operations Management
• Module 4: Marketing and Customer Service
• Module 5: Cultivating and Entrepreneurial Mindset

💡Did you know? You can use AI to generate your own course structure from within the OpenLearning platform. In fact, these modules were planned using the OpenLearning AI Course Builder , which combines user input with best practices in learning design to generate an entire course structure. 

Here are some popular arrangements used by creators in higher education, training, and corporate learning:

Example 1: Project-based learning for a self-paced online course on AR/VR

• Learning Activities  - contains modules for learning about AR/VR
• Let's Get Working!  - contains modules for completing the final course project

You can read more about how these two module sets interact in this explainer article by the course creator , or join the course yourself to check it out! Underneath the two module set tabs, you may notice a few other tabs such as ‘Groups’ and ‘Announcements’. These tabs are listed by default in all OpenLearning courses, but can be hidden if needed. Besides the default tabs, you can also add your own tabs on the left-hand side: for example, '#inspire' is an additional tab.

Example 2: Time-based learning for an online course that meets up once a week

Another way of representing this structure is:

Week 1: Pre-Lesson Materials Reading List Notes Test Your Knowledge During the Lesson Homework

Those are just two ways to arrange your course, but you can get creative with your own course plan. Just be sure to explain how to navigate through the course to your learners. To see more examples from other courses, try enrolling yourself into any of these 10 courses . Take note of how you feel as a learner in other courses: is the course fun? Does it have an interactive, vibrant learning community? If yes, is there a pattern between the content and the course learning outcomes? These are the patterns that you can use in your course, as well.

It’s time to create your course plan!

Given all of the moving parts in an online course, it's easy to slip off-track without a course plan. You may not have all of the details of your course right now, but you can use the course design template to kickstart your learning design process. 

You can also use the OpenLearning AI Course Builder to create your course at a quicker pace while utilising social constructivist learning philosophy! Find out more about this tool on the OpenLearning Help Community . 

We hope you enjoy using our free online course planning template to outline your course. Stay tuned for the next part of the series, where we will explore activity design in further detail.

The OpenLearning course design template helps you to design an online course that helps learners to achieve their learning outcomes. It is available for you to make your own copy on Google Drive. 

Topics: Course Design Tips Download

Liked this post? Don’t forget to share it!

Recommended Resources

Enhance your courses with ai tools: a how-to guide.

How To Make Your Online Learning Activities More Engaging

Ai assistant tutorial: how to crowdsource challenges with worked examples, get more resources in your inbox.

• Case studies
• Professional development
• Course marketplace
• Learning Design
• Help & support
• Learning Designers' Toolkit
• BEST Network
• UNSW Transition Programme Online
• Terms of service
• Privacy policy

Business Coaching

Free PDF: The 3 worst online course mistakes (and how to fix them)

How to Create a Successful Course Outline (+Templates)

• By Luisa Zhou
• Online Courses
• Updated: April 17, 2024

On this page

Want to create an online course? The first step is to create your outline. And today, you’ll learn how to create an online course outline that will make your course stand out – in 2 hours or less. 

Want to learn more? Read on!

In this guide, you’ll learn…

What is a course outline? 

What should you include in a course outline? 

How do you write a course outline? 

Course outline template and example

Key takeaways: Online course outline 

• Your course outline is a plan that helps you create an effective course.
• To create an outline you need to first define your students’ learning outcomes (goals) – this is the transformation your course offers. 
• The goal of your course is to help your students achieve that transformation . 
• A course is made of modules and lessons . Modules are the milestones your students need to go through to get to their transformation and lessons are the steps they take.
• Lessons are bite-sized and easily implementable and they consist of video, audio, PDFs, images, and other file formats. 

An online course outline is a plan that includes all the information about how you’ll structure your course. You can create an entire storyboard or a simple list – the format doesn’t really matter. 

Discover the top 3 reasons most courses fail

(plus how to fix them so you succeed).

As a result, you as the course creator offer better results for your students. 

And that helps you tap into the course market and build a thriving course business – one that helps you achieve so much more freedom, fulfillment, and abundance. 

After all, it has become much more normal to start a course business, leave your job, and make 6-, even 7-figures. 

Just look at the industry numbers; the global e-learning market is projected to be worth $325 billion in 2025 . One of the leading online course platforms, Teachable, reports that in the past year, the number of Teachable creators earning 6-figures increased by 38% and 7-figures by 48%.

Courses can help you free up your time from money and if you have an existing business, they can help scale it.                                                                                                                  

Those are the real benefits of a course.

Just like my student Emily who is a career coach – she created her course “Happily Hired” to help people achieve their career goals. 

Or Ruby, who is a relationship coach and helps men find love with the help of online courses. 

But to do so, you need to learn how to create your online course outline – and that’s what we’ll look at next. 

What should you include in a course outline?

An effective course outline should include: 

• Course name: Include your course name in your outline. 
• Course description: Describe your course and what the end goal is that people get when they go through your course. Include the learning objectives here. 
• Course schedule: Include a schedule that outlines when you’ll create each step of the course.
• Modules: Include your modules.
• Lessons: Add the lessons you’ll include under each module. 
• Bonuses: Include an overview of the bonuses you’ll include.
• Assessments: Include assessments (like a quiz at the end of a module) (optional).

Here’s an example template you can use:

Description: 

Name: 

Lesson 1 

Description:

Lesson 2 

Lesson 3 

Bonus 1: 

Bonus 2: 

Bonus 3: 

Bonus 4: 

Note: You’ll get a fillable course template document at the end of this blog post. 

Now you have a course outline “skeleton.” But how do you implement it? Here’s how to write your course.

How do you choose your modules, lessons, and structure your course? 

It’s simpler than you might think. Sit down and brainstorm these steps:  

1. Understand your target audience 

2. Define your learning outcomes

3. Identify the main milestones

4. Name your course 

5. Plan your modules and lessons

6. Decide on your course bonuses and assessments 

Remember: Your outline isn’t necessarily the final outline you’ll use because you might end up modifying it based on student feedback. But it still gives the overall picture of what your course will teach and its outcomes.

Step 1: Understand your target audience

First, understand who your ideal clients are. Identifying your course target audience is crucial for your outline. After all, your course teaching style will change depending on your audience. (Are your students adults? Kids? Teens? College students? Corporate professionals? Small business owners?)

And you need to know how to talk to them about your course. If you use jargon or technical terms or go into technical details too soon, you might confuse your audience, depending on who they are. 

In other words, understand: 

• Their knowledge level
• What their challenges are

One great way to get to know your audience on that level is to first work with approximately three private coaching or consulting clients. By working with different people, you see what the patterns are, where people typically get stuck, and so on. 

You also need to understand the problem your course solves. 

Let me explain: 

Your course topic does one thing: it solves a problem that people care so much about that they’re willing to pay for it. 

For instance, for some people, learning how to bake sourdough bread isn’t something they’d pay for. But other people really care about their lack of sourdough baking skills and they’re willing to pay for a course that teaches them how to do it. 

Ask yourself: what problem does your course solve? Is there a paying audience for that topic? 

When you know what problem your course helps to solve, you can create a course outline that focuses on that one thing. 

Step 2: Define your learning outcomes

Once you know your audience and the problem you solve, the next step is to get clear on your course’s learning outcomes. 

You see, the transformation you offer is the most important part of your course so don’t skip this step. 

However, this part doesn’t have to be very long; a few sentences are enough. Like this:

“(Your course name) teaches you how to (your course topic) so that (goal).”

That said, make sure those learning objectives are specific and, if possible, measurable (for example, will your students be able to lose a number of pounds or earn a higher salary?). 

Even intangible topics can have measurable outcomes. A course on self-confidence can help people increase their income and a course on stress relief can help people sleep for longer at night. 

That said, learning outcomes don’t need to be tangible. A course on happiness can be extremely effective, but there’s no measurable outcome. In that case, focus on those specific outcomes happiness can bring, like a better relationship with people around you, lower stress, and improved health. 

In this video, I share a few more thoughts on the subject: 

Step 2: Identify the main milestones 

The next step to creating your perfect outline is to identify the main milestones that your student is going to pass through while following your course. These milestones support the overall goal they’re working towards and they constitute the course modules or course requirements someone needs to go through to achieve that goal.  

Every milestone also has sub-milestones. 

In other words, if your course requires students to achieve certain subgoals before they can move on to the next module, you’d organize your outline according to those goals. 

For example, if your course teaches how to build a savings account, the milestones might be getting out of debt, then saving your first $100, then saving your first $1,000.

The second way to organize your content is through distinct areas of mastery . These milestones might not necessarily be part of a linear process, but they are distinct areas or benchmarks that your student will have to master before being able to reach the final destination.

For example, if you’re creating a course on how to play tennis, you might organize your content around the 5 different stroke types, with one module each on the serve, the forehand, the backhand, the volley, and the overhead.

By organizing your course in this way, you’ll know what to include in each module.

I talk more about organizing your course in this video: 

Step 3: Name your course and describe it 

Before you create your modules, you need a course name .

Think about words related to your course. You don’t want to be too creative here; instead, use a clear name. A few examples include my own courses (Employee to Entrepreneur, Your First Paying Clients, and Ultimate Course Launch). 

Also, include a brief course description. You can use the learning outcomes you brainstormed in the previous step as your course description. 

Step 4: Plan your modules and lessons 

The next step is to plan your modules and lessons.

Your course needs to be easy to follow so that your students achieve their learning outcomes. 

A common mistake many first-time course creators make is to include as much as they can in their course because they mistake information for value. 

But your students don’t care about how many lessons you include or how many PDFs they get. They care about results.

And that’s why the best courses include only the information people need to implement it and get results. 

To be easy to implement, your course should include 4-8 modules . And each module should have no more than 3-7 lessons. 

Fill in the course outline template with your modules based on the milestones and sub-milestones you defined earlier in this section. 

Module 1: Saving your first $100 

Lesson 1: Shift your mindset around money

Lesson 2: Reduce your spending 

Lesson 3: Create a spending plan

Lesson 4: Pay off debt

When creating your lessons, add: 

• An introduction in each lesson where you tell students what they’ll learn in that lesson
• A summary of the main takeaways and of the steps your students should take next at the end of each lesson 

Overall, you deliver the best results by including results-focused content that isn’t just information. Make it bite-sized so that it’s easy to take in – again, pure information isn’t the same thing as value.   

You also need to specify how you’ll deliver the content. 

Are you using audio, video, or text? Or a combination of all of them?

Most online courses that cost $100 and up tend to use a combination. 

The different content types are…

• PDFs: These are typically bonus material like eBooks or worksheets or supporting material like lesson summaries.
• Slides: Slides help you walk your students through different steps. 
• Screen recordings: These types of videos are effective for tutorials.
• Talking head videos: If you want to build a more personal relationship with your students, talking head videos can work really well. 
• Audio: Audio files can be “mini courses” within your course or supporting audio file material. 

Next, let’s look at what supporting material you should include in your course. 

Step 6: Decide on your course bonuses and assessments 

Finally, you need to include bonuses so that your course offer feels like a no-brainer for your students. Your bonuses depend on your course, but a few examples include:

• Results trackers 
• Scripts 
• Case studies 
• Bonus lessons

Include a list of your bonuses in your outline. 

Also, if your course includes assessments, such as quizzes, include them here, along with any student learning resources. 

And with that, you’re done with your outline! 

Bonus: Do this after you’re done with your course!

While you DO need a course outline to sell your course (to know WHAT you’re selling), you shouldn’t create your course material just yet. Let me explain…

To successfully sell your first course, you need to start with the smallest course possible. 

Too many aspiring course creators try to turn their first course into a complete flagship course with all the bells and whistles. Which ends up by way too overwhelming to create and sell.

Instead, focus on a “First Steps” course that makes it way easier for you to create, sell, and over-deliver on it.

A First Steps course teaches the first steps people would need to take to achieve their ultimate goal. For example, when I created my first online course for this business, I sold a course called “Your First Paying Clients” (YFPC). Once I had sold that course, I moved on to my flagship course, “Employee to Entrepreneur” (ETE). 

YFPC teaches how to get your first client and is far less comprehensive than ETE, which outlines the entire process of starting a business while in a full-time job. 

What’s more, you don’t create your course right away. Instead, start with the outline and the first module before you sell it. 

Once you’ve pre-sold it to your first students, you create the rest of your course in real time, based on student feedback. 

This way, you create the best course on your topic because it’s based on what students actually want. (So to be super clear, you’ll create a rough outline so that you know what you teach in your course and then add or remove things as you teach your course.)

Now, if you feel you absolutely want to create your course before selling it, you can. But make sure you’re not just doing it because you think that’s going to be higher value or more “perfect.”

Because it might be the opposite. Most course creators have experience with the subject they’re teaching, but not so much experience actually teaching it. When you create your course based on live feedback, you’re able to create the best value and experience for your clients. 

Online course outline template and example 

Now you know how to fill out your outline.

Want a template to get started? 

Here’s a fillable document with the course outline template.

And if you want an example, here’s one on how to get out of debt (note that this is just an example):  

Module 1: Foundations for a debt-free life

• Lesson 1.1: What is debt? 
• Lesson 1.2: The biggest debt mistakes people make 
• Lesson 1.3: The psychology of debt
• Lesson 1.4: Assessing your debt

Module 2: Planning and budgeting

• Lesson 2.1: Setting financial goals 
• Lesson 2.2: Creating an effective budget
• Lesson 2.3: Reducing your expenses 
• Lesson 2.4: Track your spending

Module 3: Debt repayment plan

• Lesson 3.1: The snowball vs. avalanche methods
• Lesson 3.2: Consolidation and refinancing options
• Lesson 3.3: Negotiating with creditors
• Lesson 3.4: Saving vs. paying off debt

Module 4: Increasing your income

• Lesson 4.1: Side gig ideas 
• Lesson 4.2: Setting up your side gig
• Lesson 4.3: Allocating your side gig income

Module 5: Managing credit

• Lesson 5.1: Understanding credit scores and reports
• Lesson 5.2: Improving and maintaining your credit score
• Lesson 5.3: Steps to using credit cards 
• Lesson 5.4: Do this with collections and defaults 

Module 6: The long-term plan

• Lesson 6.1: Building an emergency fund
• Lesson 6.2: Invest your money 
• Lesson 6.3: Retirement planning

Module 7: Avoiding future debt

• Lesson 7.1: Course correcting your financial habits
• Lesson 7.2: Building in financial check-ins

Next steps 

There you have it! Now you know how to create an online course outline. 

That said, creating your outline is the FIRST step in the course creation process. 

But there are plenty of mistakes first time course creators tend to make.

Want to know what they are? 

Get my free blueprint on the three deadly mistakes course creators make. 

Learn more: 

What is an Online Course? 

How to Launch Your Online Course 

How to Price Your Online Course

About Luisa Zhou

Luisa Zhou has helped thousands of students build and scale their own profitable online Freedom Business. Fun Fact: She used to work as an engineer for the Space Station and holds a B.S.E. from Princeton. Click here to learn more about Luisa.

Hope you enjoy this blog post.

Want to know the 3 worst online course mistakes (and how to fix them)?

Want to know the top 3 reasons most courses fail?

(plus how to fix them so you succeed).

When you sign up, you’ll also receive regular updates on building a successful online business.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

How to price your digital products (most profitable strategy), what is a cohort-based course how to run one profitably, 18 ways to make money as a content creator in 2024.

Enter your name and email to get instant access to the PDF

— FREE PDF —

How to build a 6-figure online business that frees you from the 9-to-5

The proven blueprint

For building a profitable online coaching business that frees you from the 9-to-5.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies

Create powerful business content together.

How To Plan A Course Outline

Updated July 10, 2024 by Xtensio

Creating a course outline is about organizing your ideas and goals into a plan that guides your students through their learning journey. In this article, we’ll show you how to design a clear and engaging course outline, step by step. Whether you’re an experienced educator or new to teaching, these practical tips will help you create an outline that inspires and informs. Let’s build a course that captivates your students and enhances your teaching experience. Follow along with the FREE Course Outline Template .

Listen to this article:

Xtensio is your team space for beautiful living documents . Create , manage and share business collateral, easily.

Table Of Contents

The purpose of a course outline.

Imagine teaching a class without a clear plan. You might cover important topics, but without a logical flow, your students can quickly become confused and frustrated. A well-crafted course outline provides a roadmap, ensuring that each lesson builds on the previous one, creating a coherent and engaging learning experience.

This guide will help you design effective course outlines. You’ll find practical tips to make your outlines clear, organized, and inspiring. Let’s get started…

Steps to write a course outline

A course outline helps educators plan and communicate the core values and goals of their course. It includes course objectives, schedules, readings, assignments, quizzes, and teaching methods. A well-crafted lesson outline will help you:

• Set course goals, develop student learning objectives, and create assessment plans.
• Guide student expectations by outlining goals, materials, timelines, and learning outcomes.
• Provide a reference for colleagues, administrators, and accreditation agencies.

With Xtensio, you can easily create lesson plans tailored to your course objectives and learning outcomes. Collaborate with colleagues and department heads to develop an effective, ongoing course outline. Work together on a live document, leave feedback, demonstrate your course knowledge, and share a link to keep students updated on the lesson plan and objectives throughout the course.

Create your course plan header

Start your lesson plan by including the course title and a brief description of the course. Make sure to add the instructor’s name, course level, date, time, and location.

QUICK TIP: Save a custom template to easily repurpose it for other lesson plans.

Outline your course

Successful courses require careful planning and continual revision. Take time to thoughtfully consider your course objectives before developing your weekly lesson plans.

Consult with Colleagues: If possible, speak with colleagues who have taught the same or similar courses to learn from their experiences, including their tactics, student expectations, and outcomes.

Team-Teaching: If you are team-teaching, start planning with your teaching partners well in advance. This proactive approach allows your team to thoroughly evaluate course objectives, align teaching philosophies, strategize content, determine effective teaching methodologies, and set clear course policies. Define distinct roles for each instructor to ensure a smooth and cohesive teaching experience.

Example Table of Contents:

• Course Goals
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Materials/Equipment
• Course Schedule
• Course Format (Style)
• Course Evaluation

Define course goals and learning outcomes

Course goals should focus on what students will learn, rather than what the instructor will teach. To formulate these goals, consider what students need to learn in terms of content, cognitive skills, and personal development. Clearly outline what you want your students to know or care about by the end of the course.

• Will students retain key concepts from your course years from now?
• How does this course fit into the broader curriculum of the discipline? Define the goals based on whether it’s an introductory, fundamental, or advanced course.

Learning outcomes break down these broad goals into specific, observable, and measurable objectives. These outcomes should center on student learning and development.

• How will taking your course transform your students?
• What specific skills and knowledge will students gain from this course?

List materials and equipment students will need

To ensure the successful completion of the course, both educators and students will need various tools and materials.

Materials for the Educator:

• Trainer’s Manual: A comprehensive guide with detailed lesson plans and instructional strategies.
• Articles/Books: Essential readings and references to support the course content.
• Presentation Slides: Visual aids to enhance lectures and presentations.
• Whiteboard/Pens: Tools for illustrating concepts and engaging with the class.
• Projector: Equipment to display slides, videos, and other multimedia resources.
• Other: Any additional materials specific to the course requirements.

Materials for the Students:

• Note Pad: For taking notes during lectures and discussions.
• Pen/Pencil: Basic writing tools for note-taking and completing assignments.
• Course Outline: A document that provides an overview of the course structure and key objectives.
• Handout(s): Supplementary materials that reinforce the course content.
• Workbook: A resource for practice exercises and activities.
• Learner’s Manual: A guide to help students navigate the course and its requirements.
• Other: Any other specific materials required for the course, such as lab equipment or software.

Plan your course schedule

Outline the specific course structure, including the number of sessions, modules, and lectures. Specify the topics, readings, and assignments for each session.

When preparing an effective lesson plan, consult relevant academic calendars, and consider major holidays and significant campus events (such as Winter Break and Homecoming). Allow time for active learning during classes and for students to complete major assignments and prepare for exams.

At a minimum, your course schedule should include the date and time of each session, topics and units (modules), required readings, assignments, and major exams.

QUICK TIP: To create more sections in the course schedule, duplicate modules, tables, and sections to repurpose the content.

Map out your course format

Detail how topics, themes, and learning outcomes will be covered. Explain how these will be presented and how learners will engage with them (e.g., videos, slide-based presentations, images, articles, etc.). Select and develop teaching methods and tools that are appropriate for the class size and consistent with the course goals.

Course presentation methods could include:

• In Classroom
• Live Webinar

Additionally, specify the learning styles you’ll incorporate in your course:

Explain how you will assess your course

Specify the assessment instruments to be used to determine whether students are meeting the course goals. Include dates for each important test, quiz, and course assignment. Assessments may include quizzes, tests, exams, scenario questions, hands-on assignments, written papers, labs, etc.

Assessment Instruments:

• Quizzes: Short assessments to gauge understanding of specific topics.
• Tests/Exams: Comprehensive evaluations covering multiple topics and learning outcomes.
• Scenario Questions: Situational questions that test the application of knowledge.
• Hands-On Assignments: Practical tasks that require applying learned skills.
• Written Papers: Essays or reports of appropriate genre and length.
• Labs: Experimental or practical sessions to reinforce theoretical knowledge.

Key Considerations:

• Alignment with Course Goals: Ensure assignments reflect and help achieve course goals. For example, confirm that required papers are of appropriate genre and length, and allow sufficient time for completion.
• Relevance of Exams and Quizzes: Design exams and quizzes to reflect course goals and measure achievement of learning objectives.
• Skill Acquisition and Practice: Provide opportunities for students to acquire and practice skills needed for exams and major assignments.
• Practical Tasks: Assign practical tasks to help students practice and apply course content.

Example Schedule:

• Week 2: Quiz on introductory topics
• Week 4: Hands-on assignment submission
• Week 6: Midterm exam
• Week 8: Written paper due
• Week 10: Scenario-based quiz
• Week 12: Lab session
• Week 14: Final exam

By aligning your assessments with course goals and providing ample practice opportunities, you can ensure that students are effectively meeting learning objectives.

Evaluate your course and iterate for the next one

Course planning is an ongoing process. Taking the time to review each lesson once it’s completed can help you plan and revise future lessons. Focus on teaching core concepts and critical-thinking skills along with the course content.

Immediate Course Benefits:

• Completion: Track how many participants completed the course.
• Competency: Assess whether learners demonstrated competency during assessments.
• Feedback: Collect feedback through surveys or questionnaires immediately after course completion.

Long-Term Course Effectiveness:

• Return on Investment: Compare the benefits of the course against its costs.
• Change in Behavior: Monitor changes in confidence, communication skills, productivity, etc.
• Long-Term Feedback: Conduct surveys with participants weeks or months after course completion to gauge the lasting impact.

By evaluating both immediate and long-term indicators, you can continuously improve your course to better meet learners’ needs and achieve your educational goals.

Share your course plan as a link, monitor, evaluate & iterate

Once you’ve created your sample lesson plan with Xtensio’s editor, you can:

• Send the live link to share it as a responsive webpage (with optional password protection).
• Export it as a PDF to post on your bulletin board.
• Embed it on your website.

The course plan is adaptable, just like other Xtensio tools. It can and should be repurposed, revisited, and revised regularly.

Creating a course outline is crucial for a smooth and engaging learning experience. Clear goals and a solid plan help both you and your students succeed. We hope that you will make a lasting impact on your students’ learning journeys.

Design, manage and share beautiful living documents… easily, together. Explore Xtensio

• Click and edit anything… together.
• Customize to match your branding.
• Share with a link, present, embed or download.

Teamspace for beautiful living documents .

278,218 users and counting…

• Book a Demo

How to Create a Course Outline (Free Template + Examples)

Baidhurya Mani

Hey there! I’m Baidhurya, the brains behind SellCoursesOnline. I used to run a digital agency, where I helped course businesses launch their eLearning platforms. I also led the tech and marketing teams at StationX, helping it grow to 500K+ students. In addition, I created the popular supply chain network design course. With 8+ years of experience, I’m here to share my expertise and insights on course creation and platforms with you.

Creating a course outline is a vital and often overlooked part of the course creation process.

Many course creators approach this step by creating a barebones outline with a few headers, subheaders, and bullet points and then calling it a day. However, your course outline should do so much more than that.

An effective outline encompasses your course vision, details the course elements, and acts as the plan for your course creation project, so it’s important to get it right.

This article will show you how to create a course outline step-by-step. Then, we’ll share a free course outline template and some real-life examples.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

What Is an Online Course Outline?

A course outline describes your students’ knowledge journey throughout your online course, and it should define the steps they’ll take to reach the desired endpoint.

The most critical component of an online course outline is the course structure. So, your outline should list all of the modules and lessons covered in your course.

Apart from the structure, an outline should also include your learning objectives, course requirements, and, most importantly, how you’ll deliver the lessons.

By now, you’ll have understood that an outline acts as the foundation for creating an awesome online course .

A good outline is based on solid course design principles  and ensures that your course delivers the promised value to your students. Plus, it helps you maximize student engagement.

It also lets you stay organized in the chaos of course creation and comes in handy when planning your entire course creation project.

For example, you can use the outline to create tasks in your project management system; then, you can assign them to yourself or one of your team members and set a deadline for completion.

Get A Detailed Course Outline In 30 Secs!

Do you need help creating a course outline? Our Course Outline Generator will help you quickly and easily create a detailed outline with modules and lessons.

Rules for Creating a Kickass Course Outline

Before you start creating your outline, there are some rules that you should keep in mind to create a great outline and make the creation process easier.

Focus on the Outcome When Outlining

When you clearly identify the outcome of your course and incorporate it in every step of the planning process, the structure, materials, and lessons should all work towards completing the students’ learning outcomes.

Start by writing down what they’ll gain by the end of your course. You can write it in this format: We help X to Y by Z.  

For example, let’s say your course teaches how to write a story in English. Your phrase could be: We help beginners write a story in English by practicing grammar and sentence structure.

That’s just an example. Your learning outcomes depend entirely on the kind of online course  you’ll teach.

From here, you can align your course materials to the goal.

Write down what a student needs to do right before completing your course. Then, continue moving backward until you reach a natural starting position.

Follow the Course Design Principles

Your outline should be based on the Sound Course Design Principles (SCDPs), a process for assessing the needs of learners and then following a strategy to meet them. Generally, the SCDPs focus on five points, including:

• Keeping content short:  Learners’ attention spans are pretty short , so it’s important to break your content down into digestible bites.
• Incorporating small wins:  Students should earn progress throughout the course, which will motivate them to complete the course.
• Testing the students’ knowledge:  Once a learning module is complete, it’s important to test what you’ve taught. To do this, you should add a quiz or an assignment at the end of every module.
• Making it interactive:  Your course delivery shouldn’t be a one-way street. Instead, it should be interactive. For example, you can include live lessons or group projects in your outline.
• Providing feedback:  Give specific and constructive feedback on the student’s progress.

So, it’s important to incorporate the SCDPs in your outline from the first step all the way to the wrap-up. It will make your course more engaging, and you’ll help students achieve the intended learning objectives.

Deliver the Content in Fewer Modules

Your course structure has three levels. First, you’ll need your high-level subtopics, which can be broken down into smaller steps. These will be your modules.

Once your modules are set, you can break them down into steps. We refer to these as lessons, and here be more specific about what you’ll teach.

Finally, each lesson will have a structure of its own.

When it comes to modules, less is more. Remember that a key part of your online course is student engagement. Having fifteen modules for a course that could easily be structured around five or six may be too long for students.

Since keeping the course at a reasonable length is important, we suggest having anywhere from five to ten modules.

Again, aiming for the optimal number of lessons under your modules is important.  You don’t want to have too many—since this can overwhelm students—but you should avoid having too few because your lessons won’t be specific enough.

Use a Tool to Stay Organized

Creating a course outline usually begins with bullet points, a series of post-its on the wall, or a messy diagram.

After you work on it for a while, it becomes a full-on document that includes your course’s information from the beginning to the end.

You can download or print the document and use it during your lives, scribble all over it, and refer to it when in doubt.

Next, you’ll need a tool to help you keep all the sections of your outline organized. There are some robust—and free—tools that have everything you need to do this.

For instance,  you must have heard of Google Sheets.  We’ve created many outlines with this tool, like the example below.

You can download this online course outline template here .

With its gridlines and numbers, Google Sheets is the best option for keeping everything structured and organized. Plus, you can add as much critical information as you want. You can also change the color of the boxes for labeling, add headings and subheadings, and much more.

It’s also extremely user-friendly, and you can share the document with multiple people. While you can’t include attachments or insert videos directly inside a sheet, you can always upload your content to Google Drive and add URLs to the sheet.

Another option is to use a project management system like ClickUp .  

With ClickUp, you can create your outline and manage the whole process. You also have the option to create a task list where you organize all your modules and lessons under one dashboard.

When you click on a task item, you can fill out the information for each lesson, add attachments and subtasks, and assign them to team members.

We don’t recommend getting a project management tool to create your outline. However, if you already use it, it’s a good choice.

Steps to Develop Your Online Course Outline

Now it’s time to develop your course outline. We’ve broken the outlining process into six simple steps (with examples) to give you a thorough idea of what you need to do.

1. Consider Course Milestones

The first step in developing your outline is to break down your course’s objective into milestones.

Milestones are the major accomplishments your learners will make while enrolled in your course and are developed based on the course’s learning outcomes.

Let’s say that you’re creating a course on Instagram marketing. The milestones for this course could be:

• Setting up your Instagram account
• Understanding the Instagram algorithm
• Creating and posting content
• Running advertisements
• Monetizing Instagram

You can jot down your milestones in Google Docs. It doesn’t need to be complicated; something like this will do:

This is just an example, but you can make your chart even more detailed by leaving out some space to write the steps under each milestone.

2. Break Down the Milestones Into Steps

Your students can’t achieve their milestones without taking specific steps, so you’ll need to identify what they should do to complete them.

These steps are your lessons, so making them actionable is critical to ensure that your students learn and progress.

Coming back to the Instagram marketing course example, the steps under the milestone “Monetizing Instagram” could be:

• Find brands to partner with
• Craft a pitch for brands
• Negotiate a deal
• Run the brand promotion

3. Outline the Course Lessons

Now, it’s time to break your lessons down to the bone to know what you’re teaching. This is your chance to include all the little details you’ll cover in the lessons.

For each lesson, ask yourself:

• What topics will I cover in the lesson?
• What examples will I use?
• What activities will I use?
• What resources do I need?

For example, if you’re teaching how to create a pitch for brands, this lesson could cover pitch structure, introduction, body, language, and sending format.

This is also where you’ll determine the delivery format for each lesson. Will it be a video? An audio interview? A live class? An assessment?

Videos are certainly the preferred method for course delivery since they’re super engaging, and most people learn best through visuals.

Below is an example of an engaging video to begin a section on the history of video games.

Now, you don’t necessarily need to create talking head videos. You can also work with screencast videos , as they’re much easier to create.

However, you can get creative and mix it up with different delivery formats to keep your course engaging.

4. Back It up With Downloadable Resources

There will be areas in your course that could use some extra support. Specifically, look for parts that could use downloadable resources like workbooks , cheat sheets, checklists , templates , etc.

The types of resources you’ll use depend on what you’re teaching and how your learners will get the best results.

It’s important to consider how a resource will help learners progress and what won’t provide value. Your resources should:

• Complement what you’re teaching
• Make learners feel a sense of progress
• Act as a resource that students can consult repeatedly
• Enable learners to write and take notes

The screenshot below is part of a worksheet from Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy . Her students can download the PDF and fill in the details.

You likely won’t need a downloadable resource for every lesson of your course, so remember not to overdo it and only provide one when useful.

If your resources are thoughtfully designed, you can shorten your training videos, allow students to learn in their preferred format, and make your lessons more actionable.

5. Get Feedback on Your Outline

Once you wrap up your outline, it’s important to get feedback on it.

For instance, you can reach out to your friends and colleagues and ask them to review it.

If you have an existing audience, you could also reach out to the most engaged members. You can even get them on a Zoom call and hear what they have to say about your outline.

By the way,  your course outline can also be a good marketing tool.  

You can create a less detailed version that doesn’t leak too many spoilers and includes it in your email campaigns to tease potential students.

Extras That You Can Add to Your Course Outline

Your completed course outline is a great standalone product as it is. However, it may need some extra components to become more valuable.

Here are some extras that can accompany your course outline to help push potential students toward buying your course.

Add Learning Objectives

Every course should include learning objectives. This allows students to see what they’ll learn by the end of the course and is usually a big enrollment motivator.

You can include this section at the top of your sales page and outline it since it’s the most important thing. This is exactly what Udemy does for the courses on its platform.

Here’s where you can show your students the value of your course, so make the learning objectives detailed.

Don’t forget to create the learning objectives for each module and course overall.  

You can even go as far as including the objectives for each step. It’s not always necessary, but it can be helpful, depending on your content.

Write a Detailed Course Description

A well-written course description can be a decisive factor in whether a student registers for your course or the competition. In many cases, it’s one of the most important aspects of earning new students.

This will be one of the most important parts of your outline, so you should spend considerable time crafting it. Too often, course descriptions are bland, causing readers to bounce even before getting through it.

Here are some tips to make your course descriptions more interesting:

• Focus on clarity.
• Use aspirational language.
• Speak in your audience’s language.
• Keep it succinct.

For more information on this, read our guide on how to write a killer course description .

Explain the Course Requirements

The course requirements are there so that your students can prepare themselves and see if they’re eligible to take the course.

Listing them clearly will save you a lot of time interacting with them to solve any problems arising from this.

The requirements should be simple and manageable. Just think about what students must already know to complete your course successfully and go from there.

These are the course requirements for a course on mastering Airbnb:

You can see that it’s relatively easy for students to meet the requirements if they don’t already.

Here’s another set of requirements for a cybersecurity certification prep course:

This one’s a little more demanding, but your students need to know whether they can benefit from the course.

Online Course Outline Examples

Now, let’s look at some real-life examples of online course outlines that can act as an inspiration for your course.

Supply Chain Management A-Z

Supply Chain Management A-Z  is an introductory course taught by Laurence Gartside on Udemy.

The course has 16 modules, and each module has around five lessons on average. Almost all the lessons are video-based, and the course has a couple of quizzes.

Social Marketing Certification Course

The Social Marketing Certification Course  by Hootsuite is an industry-recognized certification for those interested in becoming social media experts.

The course curriculum is divided into six chapters with eight to ten lessons and their respective quizzes. In some cases, the lessons are further divided into mini-lessons.

At the end of the curriculum, students must take the Social Marketing Certification Exam. If they pass, they’re sent a digital certificate via email.

Part-Time YouTuber Academy

Ali Abdaal’s Part-Time YouTuber Academy  is a live, cohort-based online course.

The course is delivered over four weeks. Each week starts with a live class, followed by daily workshops and Q&A sessions. While lessons are used to deliver the core content, workshops cover specific topics and focus on implementation.

Camera Basics for Filming Videos

Caleb Wojcik is the author of the Camera Basics for Filming Videos  course. It’s a mini course , and the curriculum is short, with a couple of modules only.

This article covered everything you need to know to create a course outline.

If your course outline clearly defines the modules, lessons, and mini-lessons, you’ll be extremely organized and have something solid to base your teachings on.

It’s important to realize that the success of your course isn’t only in the outline, but it has a lot to do with the type of content you’ll include; that’s why you must plan the content delivery formats while outlining it.

Make sure to grab a copy of our course outline template .

We hope that you found this guide helpful! If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.

About The Author

Related Posts

How to Sell Online Courses From Your Own Website (2024)

How to Make Certificates of Completion for Your Courses for FREE

10 Best Screencasting Software in 2024 (With Free Options)

The 7 Best Video Hosting Platforms You Need to Know (2024 Guide)

Online Course vs Membership Site: Which One Is Right for You?

How to Screencast: The Complete Video Creation Guide

This website uses cookies. Learn more

Course Outline: Learn How to Create an Effective Course Outline

 · Create Courses

Steps to create an effective course outline

1- start with the end goals , 2- walk on the road to the destination , 3- put it to test , how to choose the best online course platform, to sum it up: .

In this blog, we are going to share a step-by-step guide on how you can create an effective course outline for your online courses.

Launch your online teaching business Got Your Content Ready? GRAPHY is all you need to get started!

Is it fine to directly jump into recording after you have validated your online course idea? 

Well, the answer to this question is a big No!

You can not just start recording after getting your idea validated . Because no matter how good you are at teaching a certain topic, you will have to create a roadmap (course outline)  for your learners. You will have to design your online course in such a way that it would help your learners to achieve their end goals. 

Even if you are teaching the most boring or complicated topic, your learners should be able to understand it while enjoying the learning process. 

Are you in alignment with what we are saying? Aren’t you nodding your head? 

Since we have worked closely with thousands of creators, we understand that it is not easy to create a life-changing digital course . From finding your niche to giving a structure to your course to finally launching it in the market, it is a long journey. 

Hence, if you have figured out your niche and have validated your online course idea, we would like to appreciate you because you already have cleared the two levels of your course creation journey successfully. 

Here is a huge round of applause for you! (Endless claps..)

But, if you are not able to create an effective course outline, don’t worry because we have it all sorted for you. As in this blog, we are going to share a step-by-step guide on how you can create an effective course outline for your online courses . Plus we are also going to tell you why it is important to create an effective course outline before jumping into the recording phase. 

Let’s dive in!

Why you should create a course outline?

Creating a course outline is important because knowing the destination is the key to not getting distracted. Since you will have a roadmap (course outline) before actually working on your online course, the chances of getting swayed away are very less.

The moment you would feel lost, you can look at your course outline and stick with what you have planned. Consequently, you will end up creating a power-packed, well-structured online course for your learners . It will help them to consume the content in the best possible way. 

Table of Contents

While creating the course outline it is important to visualize the destination ie, the results that your learners will get. Believe it or not, this is the best way to create an effective course outline because once you are clear with the end results, you would be able to create a roadmap on how your learners can achieve that. 

Here, the key is to sit at the destination and then look backward. 

Have a clear picture of what your learners will be able to achieve after finishing your online course. For instance, if you teach Facebook ads, your learners should be able to create well-optimized Facebook ad campaigns for their clients after finishing the course. 

Once you are clear with the end goals, visualize how reached there. What were the steps you followed to reach there? 

For instance, if you are a fitness instructor and teach people how they can stay fit and shed a few pounds. It is obvious that you will give the proper training to your clients regarding – lifestyle changes, diet, workout, and sustainable habits. You will also make sure that your clients stay motivated by giving them the required breaks as well. 

So, when you are creating a 12-week course on it, you will be very clear about what your clients need to do to achieve their goals. Like in the first week, you will ask them to perform easy workouts, make some lifestyle changes and follow the diet chart that you have given to them. You will also chalk out the days on which they have to take a pause and rest. 

Week by week the intensity of workouts will increase and they will also have to make some drastic changes in their lifestyle. 

That’s exactly what you have to do in this step. Break down the journey of your learners week by week. Jot down all the topics and sub-topics on a sheet of paper. Don’t forget to include targets that they have to achieve every week. Include quizzes and puzzles to make their journey challenging. This will also help you to assess their performance. 

Now, assemble all the pieces all together and give a structure to your online course. 

Once you have given a structure to your course, put it to the test. Go through the course outline that you have created by yourself. Figure out if you have arranged it in the best possible way or not. 

Ask questions like, will my learner be able to complete modules in the order in which I have arranged them or will they find it difficult? Get into the shoes of your learners and try to think like them. 

If the answer is yes, you can get into the final creation phase. But, if the answer is no then re-edit the course outline, fix it in the best possible way, and then test it again. Follow these steps till the time, you are satisfied with your course outline. 

If you have someone maybe your mentor or senior who can guide you in this context, you should show them the course outline that you have created to get a second opinion. 

Once you get the go-ahead from them and yourself, you can jump to the next step ie, The Creation Phase. 

But, wait! 

Before you start recording, you need to choose the best online course platform to host your online courses. 

By now, you will be clear with the type of content that you want to add to your course. For example, if you want to: 

• Create a rich multimedia course  
• Conduct live classes and live tests
• Include quizzes and challenges in your course
• Launch your own branded course website and mobile app 
• Market your online course all around the world 
• Integrate multiple payment gateways

Then you will have to compare all the alternatives based on your requirements and budget. Do your research and choose the one that fulfills your needs and provides decent customer support. 

Well, we would recommend you choose Graphy. As it not only provides the above-mentioned features but also assigns you a dedicated account manager, who would always be there to help you out. 

Moreover, you will get all the tools that you need to scale your knowledge-commerce business . 

Now, you have a clear idea of how you can create a course outline for your online course. We are sure that if you religiously follow the steps that we have shared, you will be able to create an effective course outline. 

So, what are you waiting for? Follow the path and launch your supercharged online courses on Graphy!

Online course platform

create your online course

market online course

sell online course

Top creators use Graphy to sell courses and memberships

Join 150K+ creators who have launched their online knowledge business using Graphy

You may also want to read

How to Plan Your Online Course Content in 5 Easy Steps?

Create Courses

How To Maximize Your Marketing ROI? Build an Email Sales Funnel

Must-Have Tools for YouTube Creators in 2024

Previous Post

Center for Teaching Innovation

Resource library.

• Assessing student learning online

Creating a Course Outline

• Delivering Your Content

Typically, online courses are divided into weeks or modules that last anywhere from four days to two weeks. Without prescribed class meeting times, you have more options for structuring content and interactions. Here are a few important considerations: 

• Organizing Content - Each week or module might have several subunits or topics. It is best to break content into small pieces to allow for the most effective learning. 
• Navigation - Students will often be navigating content without direct guidance. Your content should be provided in a logical and clear path. 
• Layout - Structure your content for online consumption, e.g., if a piece of text is too long, you run the risk of students not scrolling to the bottom of the page to continue reading. In this case, it might be worth further dividing your content to allow for a better user experience. 

A course outline should include mapping your content to specific weeks or modules. This will help inform the creation of a detailed course syllabus. 

Course Syllabus 

An online syllabus is similar to one for a face-to-face course, however, research supports that online students need even more detailed instructions. For help in developing a syllabus, review writing a syllabus . 

• Get started

How to Start an Online Course Business: A Comprehensive Guide

Deciding What to Teach: Identifying Your Niche

How to create an online course for first-timers, crafting your business plan: your blueprint for success, pricing your course: striking the perfect balance, building your brand: distinguishing your online training business, launching your course: a step-by-step guide for first-time creators, growing your business: nurturing success beyond the launch, harnessing the power of online platforms for educational success, staying ahead of trends in e-learning, maximizing profits: cost-effective strategies for online courses, mastering the art of course sales: strategies for business owners, the potential earnings: unleashing the power of online courses, tax deductions: navigating the financial aspects of online courses, embarking on a rewarding journey: the final word on starting your online course business.

Welcome to the exciting world of digital learning! If you’ve ever dreamt of channeling your expertise into a thriving online course business, this comprehensive guide is your golden ticket. Tailored for aspiring course creators, we’ll navigate through the ins and outs of launching your own online education venture.

From pinpointing your perfect course topic to marketing your digital classroom, this guide promises to equip you with all the tools you need to transform your knowledge and passion into a successful and rewarding online business. Get ready to embark on a journey that could redefine your professional landscape and connect you with eager learners across the globe!

Embarking on your quest to sell online courses starts with a pivotal decision: what will you teach? This isn’t just about picking a subject; it’s about discovering your niche, the sweet spot where your expertise meets market need.

The right choice here can set the stage for your success in the competitive world of online education. In this section, we delve into the art of identifying that perfect niche, ensuring your course not only captivates but also sells.

Understanding Market Demand

Before anything else, you need to get a grasp on market demand. But how? Here’s a simple yet effective roadmap:

Keyword Research : Start with tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Look for keywords related to potential course topics. High search volumes with low competition are golden tickets. It indicates a hungry audience with not enough supply.

Explore Online Platforms : Dive into platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn Learning. What courses are trending? What topics are getting rave reviews but have limited course options? This can be a goldmine for identifying gaps in the market.

Social Media and Forums : Platforms like Reddit, Quora, and specific Facebook groups can be insightful. Look for frequently asked questions or topics that stir up a lot of engagement.

Aligning Your Interests and Expertise

Now, let’s turn the lens inward. It’s time to align market demand with your own expertise and interests. Here’s how you can approach this:

Assess Your Skills : List down your skills and expertise. What are you good at? What do people often ask for your help with? Your strongest skills are potential course topics.

Passion Matters : Passion is contagious. If you’re excited about a topic, it’ll shine through in your course, engaging your students more effectively. Choose a topic you love talking about, something that doesn’t feel like work when you delve into it.

Market Viability of Your Interests : Sometimes, our passions might be too niche. In such cases, tweak your angle. How can you make your passion more appealing to a broader audience? For example, if you’re into vintage toy collecting, consider a course on “The Art of Collecting: Building a Profitable Vintage Toy Collection.”

How to Get $50,000 from YouTube in 30 Days

• No #1 community for creators
• FREE training worth $4498
• Strategies to monetize your passion
• Tips & guidance on course creation

Validating Your Course Idea

Validation is key. You don’t want to invest time and resources into creating a course only to find out there’s no paying market for it. Here are a few strategies:

Surveys and Polls : Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create surveys. Share them in your network, social media groups, or relevant online communities. This direct feedback is invaluable.

Pilot Programs or Mini-Courses : Consider launching a mini-course or a workshop on your chosen topic. The response you get will be a strong indicator of interest in a more extensive course.

Competitor Analysis : Look at competitors who are offering similar courses. What are they doing right? Where are they lacking? This can help you position your course to fill those gaps.

Engage with Prospective Students : Use social media or blogging platforms to start discussions on topics related to your course. The engagement level can be a good indicator of interest.

Bringing It All Together

Combining market demand with your passion and expertise is an art. It’s about finding that sweet spot where your knowledge meets your audience’s needs. Remember, the most successful online course business is one that not only educates but also inspires and connects with the audience on a personal level.

So, take the leap! Your unique insights, combined with a keen understanding of market demands, can lead to an online course that not only sells but also makes a significant impact. The world of online learning is your oyster, and you’re just getting started!

Creating an online course can be an enriching experience and a lucrative business idea. If you’re considering stepping into the realm where knowledge meets digital innovation, here’s a comprehensive guide to help you create your first course.

1. Planning the Cost of Creating Your Course

Before diving into the course creation process, it’s crucial to plan your budget. Here’s what to consider:

Time Investment : The most significant investment in creating online courses is your time. Depending on the complexity and length of your course, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to develop quality content.

Editing Software : Quality content requires good editing. Factor in the cost of video editing, graphic design, and course authoring software. Prices vary, but there are both free and paid options available.

Additional Expenses : These might include costs for a professional microphone, camera, lighting equipment, and possibly hiring subject matter experts or voice-over artists.

2. Selecting the Best Learning Management System (LMS)

Choosing the right LMS is critical for your success in selling online courses. A few factors to consider are ease of use, customization options, integrations, and pricing. Some of the top current LMS platforms include:

• Moodle : Known for its flexibility and vast array of plugins.
• Blackboard : Popular in academic settings for its comprehensive features.
• Teachable : Ideal for beginners with its user-friendly interface.
• Thinkific : Offers great customization and marketing tools.
• Canvas : Known for its clean design and ease of use.

Why Teach.io is Ideal for First-Time Course Creators

Teach.io stands out as a great choice, especially for first-timers. Here’s why:

User-Friendly Interface : Its intuitive design makes it easy to create an online course without any technical background.

Supportive Community : Teach.io offers an amazing learning community for both creators and students, making it easier to share ideas, get feedback, and connect with paying customers.

Integrated Tools : It provides tools for content creation, marketing, and analytics, essential for online businesses.

3. Creating Your Course Content

When you create online courses , content is king. Here’s how to do it:

Define Your Objectives : Clearly outline what you want your students to learn.

Structure Your Content : Break down your course into sections or modules. This makes the content digestible and organized.

Create Engaging Materials : Use a mix of videos, text, quizzes, and interactive elements to cater to different learning styles.

Quality Production : Ensure your audio and video quality is professional. This enhances the learning experience and adds value to your course.

4. Attracting and Retaining Paying Customers

Attracting customers requires strategic marketing:

Identify Your Target Audience : Understand who your course is for and tailor your marketing efforts to this group.

Leverage Social Media : Utilize platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to promote your course.

Content Marketing : Start a blog or a YouTube channel related to your course topic to attract potential customers.

Email Marketing : Build an email list to keep your audience informed about your course offerings.

5. Launching Your Online School

Launching your online school is the culmination of your hard work. Before the launch:

Test Your Course : Ensure there are no technical glitches.

Gather Feedback : Consider offering a beta version to a select group for feedback.

Plan Your Launch : Create excitement around your launch with countdowns, teasers, and early bird discounts.

By following these steps, you can successfully create and launch your first online course. Remember, your journey in creating online courses is not just about sharing knowledge; it’s about creating an impactful learning experience that resonates with your audience.

With the right approach and tools, especially platforms like Teach.io , you’re well on your way to establishing a successful online course business.

As an online course creator, venturing into the world of digital education demands more than just subject matter expertise; it necessitates a comprehensive, strategic approach. Crafting a robust business plan is akin to charting a course through the ever-evolving terrain of online learning.

Defining Your Online Course Topic

Your course topic is the foundation of your online course creation journey. It’s imperative to choose a subject that not only showcases your expertise but also aligns with the needs and interests of your target audience . Here’s how to refine your choice:

• Assess Your Strengths : Identify areas where your knowledge and passion intersect. Your unique insights here can set you apart in a typical online course business market.
• Analyze Market Trends : Research current trends in online education to find topics that are both popular and underrepresented. Utilizing tools like Google Trends can provide valuable insights into what potential learners are seeking.
• Survey Potential Learners : Directly engaging with your intended audience through surveys or social media polls can give you a clear idea of their preferences and pain points.

Conducting a Thorough Market Analysis

Understanding the market is crucial in positioning your course effectively. This involves:

• Identifying Your Audience : Who are they? What are their learning objectives, challenges, and preferences? Creating learner personas can be a helpful exercise.
• Competitor Analysis : Evaluate other courses in your niche. What are they offering, and how can you differentiate your course? Identifying gaps in their offerings can highlight opportunities for you.
• Market Demand : Assess the demand for your chosen topic. This can involve analyzing search engine data, social media trends, and existing course enrollments.

Developing a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

To ensure your course reaches its intended audience, a multifaceted marketing strategy is key:

• Social Media Outreach : Utilize platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to create buzz around your course. Tailoring content to each platform can increase engagement.
• Email Marketing : Building an email list and regularly engaging with subscribers can be an effective way to promote your course.
• Content Marketing : Starting a blog or YouTube channel related to your course topic can attract and educate potential customers, establishing you as an authority in your field.
• Partnerships and Collaborations : Partnering with influencers or other course creators can expand your reach and lend credibility to your course.

Projecting Your Financials

A crucial component of your business plan is the financial forecast. This involves:

• Calculating Initial Investment : Consider costs like software for course creation, marketing expenses, and any technical or administrative support you might need.
• Ongoing Costs : These can include website hosting fees, continued marketing efforts, and any updates or enhancements to your course.
• Revenue Projections : Estimate your potential earnings based on your pricing strategy and projected enrollments. Be realistic and consider offering different pricing tiers or packages to appeal to a broader audience.
• Break-Even Analysis : Determine how many course sales you need to cover your initial and ongoing costs. This will give you a clear goal to aim for in your sales strategy.

By meticulously crafting your business plan, you lay the groundwork for a successful online course creation journey . This plan should not only align with your vision as an online course creator but also resonate with your target audience , ultimately leading you to establish a profitable online course business .

Determining the right price for your online course is a critical step in ensuring its success. It’s a delicate balance – price it too high, and you risk alienating potential students; too low, and you might inadvertently signal low quality or undervalue your expertise. To find that pricing sweet spot, consider the following strategies:

Conduct Comprehensive Market Research

Start by exploring what competitors in your niche are charging. This will give you a benchmark, but remember, it’s not just about matching their prices. Analyze:

Competitor Course Features : Look at the length, depth, and format of their courses. How does your course compare in terms of content and delivery?

Target Audience Financial Capacity : Understand the spending capacity of your potential students. Students in different demographics or professional fields might have varying expectations and budgets.

Reviews and Feedback : Check what students are saying about these courses. High ratings and positive feedback can justify a higher price, while negative reviews might point to the need for lower pricing or added value.

Evaluate Your Course’s Unique Value Proposition

Your course’s unique aspects play a crucial role in pricing. Consider:

Course Length and Depth : Longer, more comprehensive courses can command higher prices. However, ensure that the length adds value and isn’t just filler content.

Quality of Content : High-quality, professionally produced videos, interactive elements, and well-researched materials can increase the perceived value of your course.

Your Expertise and Credentials : If you’re a recognized expert or have significant experience in the field, you can price your course higher. People are willing to pay more for learning from industry leaders or subject matter experts.

Factor in Additional Costs and Goals

When setting your price, also consider:

Production Costs : Factor in the costs incurred in creating the course, such as software, equipment, and any hired help like editors or graphic designers.

Business Goals : Align your pricing with your business objectives. If you’re looking to build a broad audience quickly, you might opt for a lower price. For a more niche, specialized audience, a higher price could be more appropriate.

Pricing Models : Beyond a one-time fee, consider subscription models, payment plans, or tiered pricing for different levels of course access.

Test and Adjust

Finally, remember that pricing isn’t set in stone. You can:

Offer Promotional Prices : Initially offer the course at a lower rate to attract students and gather reviews, then adjust the price based on feedback and demand.

A/B Testing : Try different pricing strategies to see what resonates best with your audience. Monitor enrollment rates, feedback, and overall satisfaction.

Listen to Your Audience : Pay attention to student feedback regarding pricing. If many potential students express interest but hesitate at the price, it might be time to reconsider your strategy.

In conclusion, finding the right price for your course involves understanding your market, recognizing your course’s value, considering your costs and business goals, and being flexible to adjustments based on feedback. A well-thought-out pricing strategy not only reflects the value of your course but also ensures its appeal to your target audience.

In the bustling world of digital education, your brand is your identity. It’s much more than just a sleek logo or a memorable name. It embodies your story, your ethos, and the unique connection you establish with your audience. A robust and relatable brand is a powerful tool to differentiate your online training business in a competitive market. Here’s how you can build and enhance your brand:

Crafting a Compelling Brand Narrative

Define Your Brand Story : Your story should reflect why you started your business, what drives you, and what you hope to achieve. This narrative forms an emotional connection with your audience.

Establish Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) : Identify what sets your courses apart. Is it your teaching methodology, course content, personal experience, or success stories? Your USP should resonate throughout your branding.

Consistent Branding Across Platforms : Ensure your brand’s visual and verbal identity is consistent across all platforms, including your course platform , website, social media, and marketing materials.

Leveraging Social Media Marketing

Social media isn’t just a marketing tool; it’s a storytelling platform. Here’s how to use it effectively:

Engage with Your Audience : Regularly post content that adds value, answers questions, and starts conversations. Engagement builds community and loyalty.

Showcase Success Stories : Share testimonials and success stories from your students. This not only provides social proof but also humanizes your brand.

Utilize Various Formats : Use a mix of videos, images, live sessions, and stories to keep your content dynamic and engaging. This variety can cater to different preferences within your audience.

Utilizing Content Marketing to Build Authority

Content marketing is crucial for establishing credibility and trust:

Educational Blog Posts : Write about topics related to your courses. This not only boosts SEO but also demonstrates your expertise.

Instructional Videos and Webinars : These can provide a sneak peek into your teaching style and course content, enticing potential students.

E-books and Guides : Offering free downloadable resources can be a great way to gather leads while providing value.

Developing a Strong Course Outline

Your course outline is a direct reflection of your brand’s quality and commitment. A well-structured outline:

Clarifies Course Objectives : It should clearly state what the course will cover and what students will achieve by the end.

Enhances Learning Experience : A good outline ensures that the course is organized, coherent, and progressively builds upon each section.

Reflects Professionalism : A meticulously crafted outline shows that you value your students’ time and learning experience.

Choosing the Right Online Course Platform

The online course platform you choose can significantly impact your brand perception:

User Experience : A platform that is easy to navigate and reliable enhances the overall brand experience for your students.

Customization Options : Platforms that allow for branding and customization can help in maintaining consistency in your brand’s look and feel.

Marketing Features : Some platforms offer built-in tools for marketing online courses , such as SEO features, social media integrations, and email marketing capabilities.

Building a strong brand for your online training business goes beyond superficial aesthetics. It’s about creating a narrative that resonates with your audience, using social media marketing effectively, providing valuable content, meticulously planning your course outline , and choosing the right course platform . Each of these elements plays a pivotal role in how your brand is perceived and, ultimately, how well your course sells online courses .

The launch of your online course marks a significant milestone in your journey as an online educator. For first-time course creators, this step can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. A successful launch requires meticulous planning, thorough testing, and strategic marketing. Here’s how you can ensure a smooth and effective launch:

Final Pre-Launch Checks

Testing Everything : Ensure every aspect of your course, from the signup process to the final assessment, works flawlessly. Test the payment process, video playback, and any interactive elements. It’s crucial that your course platform operates seamlessly across different devices and browsers.

Quality Assurance of Course Material : Review all course materials for clarity, accuracy, and engagement. This includes proofreading texts, checking video and audio quality, and ensuring that all links and resources are functioning correctly.

Feedback from a Beta Group : Before going live, consider offering your course to a small group of beta testers. Their feedback can be invaluable in identifying any issues and improving the overall learner experience.

Crafting a Compelling Launch Strategy

Email Marketing Campaign : Build anticipation with a series of emails leading up to the launch. Start with a teaser, follow up with more in-depth information about the course, and finally, send an announcement on launch day.

Utilizing Social Media Channels : Announce your course launch on all your social media platforms. Create engaging posts, share snippets or previews of your course, and consider going live to talk about your course and answer questions.

Leveraging Existing Networks : If you have existing clients or connections with local businesses, reach out to them. They can help spread the word within their networks, increasing your course’s visibility.

Engaging Launch Activities

Webinar or Live Q&A Session : Host a webinar or a live Q&A session on your course topic. This not only promotes your course but also establishes you as an authority in your field.

Special Launch Offers : Attract students with an early bird discount, exclusive bonuses, or additional resources available only for a limited time.

Collaborating with Influencers or Industry Experts : Partner with influencers or experts in your field to tap into their follower base. This can significantly boost your course’s reach and credibility.

Content Marketing : Publish blog posts, infographics, or videos related to your course topic. This content should provide value while also highlighting the benefits of your course.

Post-Launch: Monitoring and Adjusting

Once your course is live, the work doesn’t end. Monitor the performance of your course closely:

Collect and Analyze Feedback : Gather feedback from your students to understand what’s working and what can be improved.

Adjust Marketing Tactics : Based on the initial response, you might need to tweak your marketing strategy. Track which channels are driving the most enrollments and focus your efforts accordingly.

Stay Engaged with Your Students : Regularly communicate with your students through emails, discussion forums, or social media. This helps in building a community and enhancing the learning experience.

Launching your online course successfully sets the tone for its future growth. With careful planning, thorough testing, and strategic marketing, you can ensure that your course not only reaches your target audience but also provides them with a valuable and engaging learning experience. Remember, a successful launch is just the beginning of your journey as an online course creator.

Launching your online course is a significant achievement, but the journey doesn’t end there. The growth phase is where you solidify your position in the market and expand your reach. For most course creators, this phase is vital for sustaining and scaling their business.

Here’s how you can effectively grow your online course business, focusing on key areas like understanding your target market, refining your offerings, and employing strategic marketing techniques.

Continuously Gathering and Implementing Feedback

Active Feedback Collection : Regularly solicit feedback from your students through surveys, direct emails, or discussion forums. Understanding their experiences and suggestions is crucial for improvement.

Iterative Course Refinement : Based on feedback, make necessary adjustments to your course content. This could involve enhancing clarity in certain sections, adding more resources, or improving interactive elements.

Tracking Learning Outcomes : Monitor how well students are achieving the learning outcomes you’ve set. Adjust your teaching methods or course content if you find that many students are struggling with specific concepts.

Expanding Your Course Offerings

Creating Additional Courses : Based on the success of your initial course and the needs of your target market, consider creating courses that delve into related topics or more advanced material.

Personalized Coaching or Consulting : Offering personalized coaching or consulting can be an excellent way to provide more value to your students and generate additional revenue.

Enhancing Marketing Strategies

Refining Digital Marketing Efforts : Utilize data from your initial launch to fine-tune your digital marketing strategy. Identify which channels and messaging resonated most with your audience and optimize accordingly.

Leveraging Paid Advertising : Invest in paid advertising on platforms where your target market is most active. This can be an effective way to reach new students and start selling more courses.

Developing a Proven Track Record : Showcase the success stories and positive outcomes of your students. This helps in building credibility and a proven track record, which is essential when you sell courses.

Pricing Strategies for Sustained Growth

Evaluating Course Price : Periodically review your course price to ensure it remains competitive and reflects the value you’re offering. Consider special promotions or bundled deals to attract new students.

Dynamic Pricing Models : Experiment with different pricing models, such as subscriptions, one time payments, or tiered pricing structures, to see what works best for your audience and content.

From Point A to Point B : Remember, the goal is to take your students from point A (where they are before taking the course) to point B (where they aspire to be). Ensure your pricing and course structure reflect this transformational journey.

In summary, growing your online course business involves a mix of strategic improvements, expanded offerings, and targeted marketing efforts. By consistently engaging with your students, refining your content based on their feedback, and adapting your marketing and pricing strategies, you can build a sustainable and thriving business that continues to attract and benefit learners around the world.

In today’s digital age, thriving in the online education sector extends beyond creating compelling courses. A crucial aspect of success lies in effectively utilizing online platforms for brand enhancement and visibility.

Among these, YouTube stands out as a powerful tool for educators and course creators. Here’s a deeper look into maximizing this platform’s potential, including expert advice on forming strategic partnerships.

Maximizing YouTube for Brand Visibility

Establish a Strong YouTube Presence : Start by creating a YouTube channel that aligns with your brand identity. Regularly post educational content, course teasers, and insightful discussions related to your course topics.

Engage with Your Audience : Use YouTube to interact with your viewers through comments and live streams. This interaction not only builds a community around your brand but also provides valuable insights into your audience’s preferences.

SEO Optimization : Ensure your YouTube content is easily discoverable by optimizing video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. This enhances visibility and drives traffic to your courses.

Building Partnerships and Sponsorships

Leveraging Sponsorships : As your channel grows, consider partnering with brands and businesses that align with your educational niche. Sponsorships can provide additional revenue streams and increase brand credibility. For a comprehensive guide on this, explore how to get sponsored on YouTube , which offers valuable insights into building these partnerships effectively.

Collaborations with Other Educators : Collaborate with fellow educators or influencers in your field. This not only broadens your reach but also adds diverse perspectives to your content, enriching the learning experience for your audience.

Utilizing YouTube Ads : Use YouTube’s advertising platform to promote your courses. This can be a targeted way to reach potential students who are already interested in similar educational content.

Expert Advice for Online Platform Success

Consistency is Key : Maintain a regular posting schedule. Consistency helps in building a loyal audience and enhances your channel’s ranking on YouTube.

Quality Over Quantity : While regular uploads are important, prioritize the quality of your content. High-quality, informative videos are more likely to attract and retain viewers.

Engage Beyond YouTube : Use your YouTube presence as a springboard to direct viewers to your other platforms, like your course website or social media profiles. This integrated approach can significantly boost your overall online visibility and student enrollment.

By harnessing the power of YouTube and other online platforms, you can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and credibility in the online education sphere. Remember, it’s not just about creating content; it’s about creating connections and opportunities that can take your educational business to new heights.

In the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of online education, staying updated with the latest trends is crucial for any course creator. The field of e-learning continuously introduces new technologies, teaching methodologies, and learner preferences.

By keeping a pulse on these developments, you can adapt and refine your strategy to meet the changing needs of your students. To dive deep into the latest evolutions and understand what’s driving the future of digital learning, explore Trends in E-Learning . This resource offers valuable insights into emerging trends that are shaping the world of online education today and beyond.

Establishing a successful online course business doesn’t necessarily require a hefty investment. In fact, with the right approach, it’s possible to create a profitable venture with minimal start-up costs. The key is to identify and implement low-cost, high-profit business strategies that align with your course content and target audience.

This can involve leveraging existing resources, focusing on niche topics, or adopting scalable digital marketing strategies. For practical ideas and strategies that combine affordability with profitability, take a look at Low-Cost Business Ideas with High Profit . This guide can serve as a source of inspiration, providing you with innovative ideas to launch and grow your online course business without significant financial strain.

For any business owner in the realm of online education, selling your course is not just a transaction; it’s an art form. Your course is indeed your masterpiece, crafted with expertise and passion. However, the success of this masterpiece hinges not just on its quality, but also on your ability to effectively market and sell it. This is where understanding diverse business models and sales strategies becomes paramount.

To excel in this aspect, it’s vital to explore and implement effective techniques tailored to your unique content and target audience. From choosing the right marketing channels to crafting compelling sales pitches, every step plays a crucial role in attracting and converting potential students. But how do you begin to unravel these strategies and apply them effectively?

A great starting point is diving into resources like How to Sell an Online Course . This guide is a treasure trove of insights, offering a comprehensive look at various tactics and approaches that can elevate your course from a hidden gem to a sought-after commodity. It covers a range of topics, including:

• Identifying the Right Business Models : Understanding different models can help you determine the best approach to sell your course. Whether it’s a one-time purchase, a subscription model, or a tiered pricing structure, each model has its unique advantages and can be tailored to suit your course and audience.
• Effective Marketing Techniques : Learn about the various marketing strategies that can amplify your course’s visibility. This could include digital marketing, content marketing, social media campaigns, and more.
• Building a Sales Funnel : Discover how to create a sales funnel that guides potential customers from awareness to purchase. This includes crafting engaging landing pages, using email marketing to nurture leads, and employing persuasive call-to-actions.
• Leveraging Testimonials and Reviews : Understand how to use social proof effectively to build trust and credibility for your course.
• Utilizing Analytics : Learn how to use data and analytics to refine your sales strategy, understand your audience better, and make informed decisions to boost sales.

As a business owner, mastering the art of selling your online course involves continuous learning, experimenting, and adapting. By leveraging the wealth of knowledge available in resources like the aforementioned guide, and staying attuned to the ever-evolving landscape of online education, you can develop a robust sales strategy that not only sells your course but also builds a lasting and profitable business.

The realm of online course creation is not just about sharing knowledge; it’s also a pathway to significant earning potential. If you’ve ever pondered the question, “How much can I earn from selling online courses?”, you’re in for some encouraging news.

The earning potential in this field can be substantial, depending on various factors like the popularity of your course topic, marketing strategies, and the engagement level of your courses.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the financial possibilities and what factors contribute to the success of an online course, delve into How Much Can You Make Selling Online Courses? . This resource provides valuable insights into the earnings landscape of online courses, helping you set realistic goals and strategies for your venture.

An often-overlooked aspect of running an online course business is understanding its financial intricacies, particularly tax implications. As an online course creator, you may be eligible for various tax deductions that can significantly impact your financial planning.

These deductions can range from expenses incurred in the creation and marketing of your courses to the technology and tools used to deliver them. Navigating these tax nuances is essential for optimizing your profits and ensuring compliance.

For detailed information on what aspects of your online course business might be tax-deductible, explore Are Online Courses Tax Deductible? . This guide offers a clearer understanding of the tax benefits associated with online courses, providing you with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions in your business journey.

In conclusion, starting an online course business is an adventure that blends passion with practicality, creativity with strategy, and knowledge with marketing savvy. As we’ve journeyed through the comprehensive steps of this guide, it’s clear that the path to creating a successful online course business is multifaceted.

From the initial stages of identifying your niche and crafting a business plan to the intricate processes of creating, pricing, and marketing your course, each step is crucial in building a sustainable and profitable online education venture.

Embarking on this journey requires you to wear multiple hats – as an educator, a marketer, a content creator, and a business owner. The key lies in your ability to convey your expertise in a way that resonates with your target audience, meeting their learning needs while also providing them with an engaging and valuable experience.

Remember, the success of your online course business is not solely measured by immediate profits or enrollments but also by the lasting impact and value you deliver to your students.

As you move forward, stay agile and responsive to the evolving trends in e-learning. Continuously refine your courses based on student feedback and market demands. Embrace the power of digital platforms, not just for selling your courses, but for building a community around your brand. Leverage tools and resources, like those provided by Teach.io , to enhance your course creation and marketing efforts.

Moreover, don’t underestimate the importance of the financial and legal aspects of your business. Understand the tax implications and maintain a sound financial strategy to ensure your business thrives without any unforeseen fiscal hiccups.

As we wrap up this guide, remember that the journey of starting an online course business is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands patience, perseverance, and a continual willingness to learn and adapt. The world of online education is vast and ever-growing, presenting endless opportunities for those willing to explore and innovate.

So, dream big, plan meticulously, execute passionately, and watch as your online course business flourishes into a rewarding and impactful venture. With dedication and the right strategies, your educational content can transform lives and careers, establishing you as a key player in the dynamic world of online learning.

Get $4,498 worth of free training to help you make $10k/month as a creator

• Ask questions, get help & support
• Educational content to help you grow
• Find ways to monetize
• 100% free for life

100% FREE, no credit card needed

Start & grow your community to $10k/month

• Build a thriving community for your students
• A space for students to collaborate
• Share tips, tricks & useful resources
• Gather feedback from other students

BUS101: Introduction to Business

Course introduction.

• Time: 62 hours
• College Credit Recommended ($25 Proctor Fee) -->
• Free Certificate

Course Syllabus

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

Unit 1: The Context of Business

This unit covers the basic concepts that give context to a business. We explore economic and historical information governments use to make decisions, which provides a foundation for future decision-making. You will learn about productivity, the business cycle, the impact of business on society, economic trends and policies, and elements of global business. We will examine the financial meltdown of 2008, including the government bailout of AIG and General Motors, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which provide teachable moments in economic policy and business cycles.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 15 hours.

Unit 2: Entrepreneurship and Legal Forms of Business

In this unit, we explore various forms of ownership (sole proprietorship, partnerships, and corporations) that affect how businesses are taxed, how profits are distributed, and what regulations must be followed. The form of ownership you choose corresponds to the growth, taxation, and future of your company. We also examine some techniques business owners use to analyze profitability. We review the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, how small businesses impact the economy, and the role of the Small Business Administration in the United States.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 10 hours.

Unit 3: Marketing

Marketing encompasses more than simple advertising and selling. It describes the activity businesses engage in to create, communicate, deliver, and exchange their products to their customers, clients, partners, and society. Business owners not only aim to provide customers with the goods and services they want and need, but they also need to convince them to make a purchase and come back for more. It involves the product, price, distribution, and promotion in the form of advertisements, publicity, public relations, and sales promotion. We will explore e-commerce, e-business, and the use of social media marketing.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.

Unit 4: Accounting, Finance, and Banking

Every day, business owners make financial decisions that will affect every phase of the business operation, such as payroll, cash flow, and projecting future growth. A thorough understanding of accounting and financial management allows business owners to find the best sources and use of funds. For example, you can derive an accurate measure of the health of your business from the income statement, balance sheets, and financial ratios. We investigate financing options, how to analyze credit, and the time value of money. We also examine how banks, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, affect the ability of businesses to obtain financing.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 12 hours.

Unit 5: Management

The management practices that a business adopts will inform how well it can achieve its goals and respond to changes in the workplace. For-profit and nonprofit companies achieve their goals through the four steps of management: planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. Technical, conceptual, and interpersonal skills are essential to the management process. It also involves using human, financial, and informational resources. In this unit, we explore how successful business management requires teamwork, communication, creating a clear corporate mission and culture, following good business ethics, and committing to social responsibility.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 16 hours.

Study Guide

This study guide will help you get ready for the final exam. It discusses the key topics in each unit, walks through the learning outcomes, and lists important vocabulary. It is not meant to replace the course materials!

Course Feedback Survey

Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses. I f you come across any urgent problems, email [email protected].

Certificate Final Exam

Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.  Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate .

Saylor Direct Credit

Take this exam if you want to earn college credit for this course . This course is eligible for college credit through Saylor Academy's Saylor Direct Credit Program .

The Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam requires a proctoring fee of $5 . To pass this course and earn a Credly Badge and official transcript , you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam. Your grade for this exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again a maximum of 3 times , with a 14-day waiting period between each attempt.

We are partnering with SmarterProctoring to help make the proctoring fee more affordable. We will be recording you, your screen, and the audio in your room during the exam. This is an automated proctoring service, but no decisions are automated; recordings are only viewed by our staff with the purpose of making sure it is you taking the exam and verifying any questions about exam integrity. We understand that there are challenges with learning at home - we won't invalidate your exam just because your child ran into the room!

Requirements:

• Desktop Computer
• Chrome (v74+)
• Webcam + Microphone
• 1mbps+ Internet Connection

Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a Credly Badge  and can request an official transcript .

Saylor Direct Credit Exam

This exam is part of the Saylor Direct College Credit program. Before attempting this exam, review the Saylor Direct Credit page for complete requirements.

Essential exam information:

• You must take this exam with our automated proctor. If you cannot, please contact us to request an override.
• The automated proctoring session will cost $5 .
• This is a closed-book, closed-notes exam (see allowed resources below).
• You will have two (2) hours to complete this exam.
• You have up to 3 attempts, but you must wait 14 days between consecutive attempts of this exam.
• The passing grade is 70% or higher.
• This exam consists of 48 multiple-choice questions.

Some details about taking your exam:

• Exam questions are distributed across multiple pages.
• Exam questions will have several plausible options; be sure to pick the answer that best satisfies each part of the question.
• Your answers are saved each time you move to another page within the exam.
• You can answer the questions in any order.
• You can go directly to any question by clicking its number in the navigation panel.
• You can flag a question to remind yourself to return to it later.
• You will receive your grade as soon as you submit your answers.

Allowed resources:

Gather these resources before you start your exam.

• Blank paper

What should I do before my exam?

• Gather these before you start your exam:
•   A photo I.D. to show before your exam.
•   A credit card to pay the automated proctoring fee.
•   (optional) Blank paper and pencil.
•   (optional) A glass of water.
• Make sure your work area is well-lit and your face is visible.
• We will be recording your screen, so close any extra tabs!
• Disconnect any extra monitors attached to your computer.
• You will have up to two (2) hours to complete your exam. Try to make sure you won't be interrupted during that time!
• You will require at least 1mbps of internet bandwidth. Ask others sharing your connection not to stream during your exam.
• Take a deep breath; you got this!

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management

Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)

• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team
• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Online Business Certificate Courses
• Business Strategy
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability

Organizational Leadership

Key concepts, who will benefit, experienced team leaders, entrepreneurs, leadership principles past participants.

What You Earn

Certificate of Completion

Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online

Earn by: completing this course

Certificate of Specialization

Prove your mastery of leadership and management

Earn by: completing any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Leading at Scale and Scope

• Capital "L" Leadership
• Transitioning to a New Role

Featured Exercises

Leader as beacon: understanding the context and setting direction.

• Contextual Intelligence
• Developing Contextual Intelligence

Leader as Beacon: Communicating Direction

• Setting Direction
• Communicating Direction
• Types of Communication

Leader as Architect: Designing to Deliver Value

• Introduction to the Architect Model
• Creating Value as an Organization
• Organizational Design Levers: The Conditions
• Organizational Design Levers: The Components

Project Week

• Introduction to Project Week
• Bank Leumi Case Study
• Organizational Challenge Conclusion

Leader as Catalyst of Change

• Catalyst of Change
• Conceptualize and Hear
• Agenda and Nexus
• Guide & Govern and Engage & Execute

Leader as Catalyst of Innovation

• Catalyst of Innovation
• Creating a Culture of Innovation

Leading Self at Scale and Scope

• Leading During Crisis
• Bethany Quam
• Johan Lundgren
• Leading Self

How to Become a More Effective Leader

Our difference, about the professors.

Joshua Margolis Organizational Leadership

Anthony Mayo Organizational Leadership

Dates & eligibility.

No current course offerings for this selection.

All learners must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course.

Learn about bringing this course to your organization .

Learner Stories

Organizational Leadership FAQs

What are the learning requirements in order to successfully complete the course, and how are grades assigned.

Participants in Organizational Leadership are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Organizational Leadership. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

What is the Learning Path Tool?

The Learning Path Tool (LPT) is a 360-degree assessment developed at Harvard Business School to provide leaders with insights into key areas of competence essential for effective leadership. At the beginning of Organizational Leadership, you’ll be asked to complete a self-assessment and solicit feedback from colleagues, such as direct reports, clients, or managers, for the assessment. Upon successful completion of the LPT—which requires obtaining ratings from at least two colleagues (and ideally at least six)—you will receive a detailed report that provides insight into your leadership and how others experience you.

Please note that Qualtrics—the tool used in the delivery of the Learning Path Tool—​does not provide services to individuals in Russia and Belarus. If you take Organizational Leadership from any of these countries, you won't be able to complete the Learning Path Tool. However, you'll still be eligible to complete the course successfully. Please contact the HBS Online Support Team for more information.

What materials will I have access to after completing Organizational Leadership?

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

How should I list my certificate on my resume?

Harvard Business School Online

Certificate in Organizational Leadership

[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page:

School: Harvard Business School Online Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program] Degree: Other; Certificate in Organizational Leadership Field of Study: Leave blank Grade: "Complete" Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Organizational Leadership is a 7-week, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Organizational Leadership equips experienced team leaders with the skills, strategies, and tools to set and communicate direction, influence through other managers, generate organizational alignment, drive innovation, and engineer change.

The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Related Programs

CLIMB enables new and experienced leaders to ignite their careers with a combination of vital and forward-looking business skills, self-reflection, and an immersive cohort-based learning experience with a diverse global network.

Leadership Principles

Learn to bring out the best in others by applying and adapting your leadership style and managing the conditions that drive team performance.

Negotiation Mastery

Secure maximum value for your organization through a mastery of negotiation techniques.

Management Essentials

Master four vital managerial processes: decision-making, implementation, organizational learning, and change management.

Grow Your Business

8 steps to building an online course business (+ business plan template), share this article.

There has never been a better time to build a business selling online courses . By 2027, the global e-learning market is estimated to reach an enormous $521.8 billion ( Research and Markets ), signalling an enormous potential.  Millions of people are purchasing online courses, inside and outside of the traditional education system, in order to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

Skip ahead:

Step 1: Decide what to teach

Step 2: create a business plan for your online training business, step 3: validate market demand, step 4: create a compelling and unique brand, step 5: build your audience, step 6: create an online course, step 7: focus on customer success, step 8: scale your business.

It comes as no surprise that in response to this demand, entrepreneurs and subject matter experts from all over the world have started creating and selling online courses to share their knowledge with others.

At Thinkific, we’ve felt the effects of this demand first hand as thousands of individuals and organizations have started using our platform to create online courses .

Creating an online course is just one part of building an online course business. Building a business is the other part.

But let’s be real here. If you ask ANY type of business owner if it was easy for them to build their business, they will tell you that it wasn’t.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is an online course business

At the beginning of 2017, I watched a close friend of mine open his own barbershop. It took him 3 months of renovations and tens of thousands of dollars just to get his barbershop ready for him to welcome his first customer through the front door. (I was his second customer, by the way. Someone else beat me to the grand opening by about 5 minutes!)

For my friend, those 3 months of preparation work was just the beginning. During the next 6 months after his grand opening, he worked 7 days per week to build up his clientele and recoup his startup costs before he started hiring more barbers. Why did he do this? Because that’s what it took to start his own barbershop. 

What does this have to do with building an online course business?

The point of this story is that it takes a lot of work upfront to build a business . It doesn’t happen overnight and building an online course business is no exception. There is a lot of work you will have to do, both before and after you create your course, in order to be successful.

Unfortunately, most course creators give up on their business before putting in the work required to ensure they will be successful. They stop digging for gold before they experience the big payoff that makes all the hard work worth it.

Even though it takes a lot of work to build a successful online course business, there are plenty of other people that have done it before (check out our customer stories to see some examples). 

With that in mind, we reached out to more than 40 successful entrepreneurs and online course creators. These people have literally built their careers by sharing their knowledge with others, many of them selling millions of dollars worth of training programs and online courses throughout their careers.

After reviewing all of the valuable insights these online course creation experts and entrepreneurs shared with us, we managed to distill the process of building a successful online course business into 8 specific steps (well, more like phases, since each one of these phases has several steps involved).

In this guide to building an online course business, we’ll be sharing these 8 steps with you.

8 Steps to Building a Successful Online Course Business

Before we jump into Step 1, there is something very important that you need to understand:

By itself, an online course is NOT a business

Without an online course to sell, you can’t exactly build an online course business. But creating your online course is just one part of building your business . Your online course is your product. It’s not your entire business.

As you can see from the graphic below, a typical online course business has many other parts as well:

This may surprise you, but creating an online course isn’t even the first step in the process of building an online course business. Out of the 8 steps we’re about to go through, creating a course is Step #6.

You’re welcome to skip steps 1-5 if you want to, but I would advise against it and here’s why:

If you jump straight to creating a course without strategically choosing a topic to teach (Step 1), creating a business model (Step 2), and validating demand for that topic (Step 3), you could end up creating a course that no one wants to sign up for.

Secondly, if you don’t build your brand (Step 4) and audience (Step 5) before you launch your course, you won’t have a way to stand out among your competition or have an audience to promote your course to.

Even if you have the “perfect” course created today, without a compelling brand and an audience to promote it to, it will be very difficult to generate sales. No sales = no business.

So to save yourself many hours of effort and (potentially) thousands of dollars in course creation and marketing costs, don’t skip these steps.

Okay, let’s dive in…

The first step in building an online course business is deciding what you will teach. What topic do you want to become known for? What topic are you expert enough to teach to others?

To be an expert at something, you just have to know more about your topic than the person you are teaching. That’s it. To that person, you’re an expert. Don’t overthink this.

Choose your course topic

Between the combination of your life experience and your professional experience, there are likely several topics that you know enough about to create a course on.

To help narrow down a specific course topic , we recommend completing the following exercise:

On a piece of paper, draw 2 vertical lines to create 3 columns. Label the first column Passions & Interests . Label the second column Skills . Label the third column Experience & Achievements .

Next, start adding as many things as you can think of to each column (aim for at least 20 per column).

Once you’ve done this, identify the top 2-3 topics where your passions/interests, your skills, and your experience/achievements intersect.

For example, if you like science fiction ( passion/interest ), you’re a great writer ( skill ), and you’ve written several science fiction novels ( experience/achievement ), then “how to write a science fiction novel” is a viable topic to consider teaching to others.

“You’ve been given a talent, you’ve been given a gift, you’ve been given experiences in your life that are here to serve others.” – Alexi Panos

Identify a specific target audience

Once you’ve identified a specific topic to teach, the next step is to identify a specific target audience (aka a target market) that is interested in that topic.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your topic (and therefore your course) will appeal to everyone. If you try to create a course that appeals to everyone, it will likely appeal to no one. I know it’s counter-intuitive, but trust me on this.

To give you an example, one of our customers ( Lizzie Lasater ) is a yoga practitioner and instructor. When she decided to create online courses , naturally, she decided to start teaching yoga online  

Instead of creating courses to teach people how to practice yoga (a very broad and highly competitive topic) she decided to narrow her target audience to other yoga instructors (more specific). With other yoga instructors as her target audience, she created courses that are specifically about how to become a better yoga teacher.

Once you have decided on what to teach and have sufficient clarity about your course topic, it is time to get your business plan ready. 

A business plan or business model is a formal blueprint describing how you will structure, manage and market your online course business. It is important to create one as it helps to ensure that your online course business will remain competitive and financially successful in the long term. 

You can choose one of the many software tools to create a standard business plan or use a regular spreadsheet or word processing software.

Now, as every business is different, their business models can vary drastically. However, certain aspects remain common to most companies. 

Here, we have laid out what you must include in your business plan:

Describe your business

A business description is needed to clearly state the purpose of your business, your target audience, and how you plan to deliver your products and services. 

When drafting it, you must be as objective and concise as possible regarding the nature of your online course and how it intends to help the target audience. 

Make sure to highlight if you will deliver your courses only online or offline. It also helps to state if your courses will be instructor-led or delivered through other e-learning methods. 

Identify your marketing strategy

Once you describe the nature of your business, the next step is to put together a marketing and sales strategy. 

Describe the strategies you will use to market your online course and how you plan to implement your email marketing, social media marketing, and other organic methods. 

In addition, you need to plan to allocate a budget for your paid advertisements and online marketing if you decide to opt for pay-per-click ad programs. 

Hiring and team management

While many online course creators choose to run their own shows, many opt to hire virtual assistants or full-time employees for help. Others choose to delegate tasks to freelancers or third-party vendors. 

Make sure to describe how you plan to delegate the tasks you cannot do. It is always a good idea to outsource tasks that do not require your intervention to save time for those that require your expertise.

Business operations

This section of the b-plan states how your day-to-day business activities will be structured and managed. 

You can include your course content, operational hours, telecom and IT-related necessities, insurance, etc. The more concise your operations section, the better ground it makes for you to validate your plan later. 

Every business requires money to run, and online businesses are no exception. In addition to the marketing and advertising expenses mentioned above, you will also need to factor in infrastructure, technology, hiring, etc. Remember to also describe what you plan to sell and how you plan to monetize your business. 

With this, make sure to have a detailed budget plan and allocate your resources to different expenses fairly. However, be careful to ensure that your budget is within what you can commit to and it does not make you feel overstretched. 

Please note that in addition to your online business course, you may also add other income streams such as selling ebooks, offering paid talks, etc. 

Two financial calculations you should consider initially are:

Gross Profit Margin: This is the number of courses you sell minus the cost of running your online course. It can be represented as a percentage. 

Gross Profit Margin = (Net course sale revenues – cost of running your online course) / net course sales x 100

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Ratio : This figure tells you the percentage of your online course sales revenue used to cover your operational expenses. 

SGA = [Selling + General + Operational (Administrative) expenses] / Net online course sales revenue

While we have described the essential aspects of a business plan, it also helps to follow the structure of a formal Business Model Canvas .  This concept was popularized by Alexander Osterwalder in 2005 and consisted of nine building blocks. These include key partners, activities, resources, cost structure, revenue streams, value propositions, customer relationships, channels, and customer segments.

Once you’ve identified a specific topic to teach and have your basic business plan blueprint in place, the next step is to validate the demand for that topic.

As a course creator it sucks to spend several weeks, maybe even months (or years?!), creating an online course about a topic that you find out there is no demand for.

It’s a lot more efficient to validate demand for your course upfront before you invest time, effort and money creating a course.

Here are 2 ways you can validate the demand for your course topic:

Research your competition

See if you can find other people or companies that are selling courses and other forms of training about your topic (or a similar one), or who serve your target audience.

• Bestselling books on Amazon
• Other online courses
• Popular blogs and forums
• Top podcasts on iTunes
• In-person seminars, conferences, workshops
• Online events (virtual summits, webinars )
• Networking groups on Meetup
• Coaches and consultants

If you can’t find anyone that is profitably teaching your topic to others, that is a red flag that there isn’t enough market demand for that topic to justify creating an online course (or building a business). Competition is usually a proof of market demand.

What if there is no competition?!

On the rare occasion that you can’t find any competing products or services about your topic, that could mean one of two things:

• There is demand, but no one is serving that market yet (rare), or
• There is no demand, and you should pick a different topic

Either way, there are still two more steps you should take before you pull the trigger and decide to create (or not create) your course.

A great way to gauge demand for your topic is to use Google’s Keyword Planner to see how many people are searching for your topic per month. The higher the search volume, the higher the demand.

“Do not be afraid of competition. Their very existence validates that there is demand for the problem you’re trying to solve or for a solution to it.” – Greg Smith, CEO of Thinkific

Ask your target audience what they want to learn

If you have access to your target audience, whether online or offline, the best way to find out what they want to learn (and would be willing to pay to learn) is to ask them directly!

Here are a few ways you can ask your audience what they want to learn:

• Ask your list of email subscribers
• Ask your fans/followers on social media
• Ask your past and/or existing clients

With each of these options, you can send people a link to a survey, ask them open-ended questions directly, or ask them to have a quick call with you.

Another way is direct outreach (aka cold calling) to your target audience by phone, email or social media. Do this in a polite, non-spammy way of course.

See how many people are searching for your course idea on google

Engaging in keyword research is a great way to identify a course topic that can possibly sell like hotcakes, without directly asking your audience., keyword research essentially helps you to understand what people are looking for online by keying in terms on google or other search engines. , to conduct keyword research on topics that may interest your audience, you can use specialised tools such as semrush or ahrefs . , irrespective of the tool you choose to use, here is the basic framework to engage in keyword research:, identify your seed term, which would be an umbrella term for your course topic. , type in “course” + your seed term., get specific and find a niche area that has not been covered by other course creators but has a high search volume. check out this tool to identify search volume, continue to search and eliminate topics that are not feasible or interesting. , for example, if you wish to start an online course on gardening, type “gardening course” in the keyword search tool. you will see multiple results with different search volumes. these results will help you get more specific. for example, you may find that “gardening courses in semi-arid regions” is a possible course topic with a decent search volume. , alternatively, you can also use our search volume too l to discover popular course topic ideas. .

Remember: If you can’t find anyone that wants to learn the topic that you’re thinking of teaching, you should probably move on to another topic.

If you can’t find buyers before you create your course, you probably won’t find any after either!

The ideal scenario is you choose a topic that there is obviously a demand for (proven by competing products and services about that topic), but nothing that is for your specific target audience.

Facebook marketing , for example, is a broad topic with strong market demand (proven by all of the blogs, books, courses, consultants, seminars, etc. about this topic).

Now, assuming we want to create a course about Facebook marketing, let’s see what topics we come up with as we hone in on a specific target audience:

• Topic 1: Facebook marketing 101 (very broad)
• Topic 2: Facebook marketing for business owners (more specific, still pretty broad)
• Topic 3: Facebook marketing for local businesses (not bad)
• Topic 4: Facebook marketing for real estate agents (very specific)
• Topic 5: Facebook marketing strategies to get more listings (ding ding ding, we have a winner!)

If you are a real estate agent and you want to learn how to use Facebook to get more listings, which course topic is going to appeal to you the most? Which topic would you pay the most money for? Probably #5, because it is the most specific. It is exactly what you want to learn.

“The easiest way to know what to do is listen to what people are asking for and then give that to them.” – JJ Virgin , Celebrity Nutritionist & Fitness Expert

Once you’ve decided on a specific topic to teach, it’s time to start building your brand.

Don’t jump straight to getting your logo, website, and business cards designed. Those things do play a role in representing your brand, but they are not the starting point.

The starting point to creating a compelling and unique brand is making a conscious decision about how you want to be positioned in your industry. Branding is about positioning .

Your brand should position you as the go-to expert on your topic. Unless you’re positioned as an expert and a trusted authority on your topic, it will be hard to convince someone to buy a course (or any product or service) from you.

Even though we’re told not to, we do judge a book by its cover. Think of your brand as the “book cover” for your business.

Be strategic with your positioning

The biggest mistake that people (and organizations) make with their branding is trying to appeal to everyone. Don’t do that. Be strategic with your positioning.

Build a brand that appeals to your specific target audience. Don’t try to appeal to everyone, because everyone is not your ideal customer/client.

Here are some questions to consider as you create your brand:

How do you want to be positioned and perceived in your marketplace? What do you want people to think of when they think of you? Who do you want to attract? Who do you NOT want to attract? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? Why do you do what you do?

When your target audience is searching for information about your topic, you want them to find you and immediately feel like they’ve come to the right place. They should feel like they’ve found the exact person (or company) that can help them overcome a specific problem or achieve a specific outcome.

“A great brand starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for, understanding your marketplace and understanding your positioning.” – Re Perez, CEO of Branding For The People

Identify your Unique Value Proposition

An exercise that we recommend all course creators complete is creating a Unique Value Proposition (UVP). Your UVP is what will help you differentiate yourself from your competition.

To create your UVP, answer these questions:

• Who do you help?
• What do you help them do?
• Why is that beneficial for them?

Once you have the answers to these questions, tie them together in a single sentence.

To give you an example, one of our customers Ellie Diop aka Ellie Talks Money , is a business coach with a proven track record that helps you scale your business and have financial success. Pretty good UVP right?

Here is a screenshot of her website’s homepage:

As you can see, anyone who visits her website will be able to instantly figure out who she is, what she does, and who her target audience is. She has a clear and compelling personal brand . If you’re someone who wants to improve your business and reach financial success, it’s obvious you’ve come to the right place. 

Good branding makes your target audience feel like they’ve come to the right place.

Once you’ve decided how you want to be positioned in your market, it’s time to start building your audience.

Your audience is the sum total of all the people that you have the ability to communicate with through various distribution channels (your blog, social media, email list , personal network, etc.).

Why is it important to build an audience?

Without an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you, it will be very difficult to sell your course for the simple reason that you don’t have anyone to sell it to!

So the sooner you start building your audience, the better.

“Online courses are the wave of the future. They can help expand my content and message into places and countries that I have yet to physically visit. Online courses have boosted my income and helped me share my message with a much larger audience.” – Andrea Beaman , Health Educator & Author

Related: How to Create Epic Content Your Customers Will Love

How to define your target audience

It helps if you follow a systematic framework to define your target audience . Some useful steps to that end include: 

• Ask your current customers
• Get details on demographics like age, gender, location, etc.
•  Understand their needs and pain points
• Analyze the solution they’re hoping for
• Create a customer avatar

Download our detailed step-by-step guide for audience research

Size is important (but not the most important)

The size of your audience is important, but not as important as you might think. The obvious benefit of having a large audience is the ability to reach more people. If you have 10,000 fans on Facebook, for example, your posts will probably be seen by more people than if you had 1,000 fans (all else being equal).

But the size of your audience is not as important as the relationship you build with your audience.

It’s more valuable to have 100 people on your email list that open and read every email you send them than it is to have 1,000 followers on Twitter who rarely see your Tweets or engage with you in any way.

When it comes to building an audience, loyalty and engagement are the most important.

Here are some of the most common ways that online course creators are building their audience:

• Social media

Set up profiles and/or pages on the social network networks that your target audience spends time on. You don’t need a presence on every social media network. Choose the top 2-3 that make the most sense for you and focus your efforts there. Share your content, join relevant groups, start your own Facebook group , and engage in conversations. The goal here is to build real relationships with other people that are interested in your course topic.

Read More: Social Media Marketing Guide: Uncracking the Code for Course Creators

• Content marketing

Publish free content about your course topic as often as you can. Free content helps you build trust and authority in your industry. Common types of content that you can create are articles, videos, podcast episodes, images, and infographics. All of these help to increase traffic to your website and exposure for your business.

The more content you publish on your website and other platforms (like YouTube ), the more likely your target audience will find you as they are searching for information about your topic.

• How To Generate Leads With Content Marketing (6 Simple Steps)
• The Complete Content Marketing Guide: Organic Growth Toolkit
• Publicity & PR

One of the quickest ways to build your audience is to get in front of existing audiences. Writing articles for popular publications in your industry, getting interviewed on podcasts , and getting featured in traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, print magazines, etc.) are all great ways to increase your exposure and build authority in your industry.

• Networking & joint ventures

Build relationships with other experts and influencers in your industry. It doesn’t happen overnight, but building mutually beneficial relationships with others can lead to a number of opportunities including guest blogging, interviews, joint ventures , partnerships, and customer referrals.

• Public speaking

Reach out to event hosts and organizers of conferences and seminars that your target audience attends. Offer to give a presentation on your topic. Some events will even let you sell your course directly to their audience, in exchange for a percentage of your sales. A major advantage of public speaking is you have the undivided attention of everyone in the room during your presentation, and that can be very hard to get online.

• Email marketing

When it comes to marketing your online course (or any product or service online for that matter), email marketing is hands down the most effective way to generate sales. An email list of people that have expressed interest in your course topic and have given you permission to communicate with them will likely be your most valuable asset as an online course creator.

Start building your email list as soon as possible. Stay in touch with your subscribers by sending them helpful emails and links to your content on a regular basis. This is a great way to earn their trust before you ask them to buy from you.

• Paid advertising

Even with a modest budget, paid advertising can be a great way to grow your audience. By utilizing advertising platforms such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can target people based on specific criteria including demographics, interests, search terms, job titles, and more. In fact, many of Thinkific’s most successful customers have been using Facebook ads to grow their audience and generate consistent leads and sales for their online courses.

“Consistency is what did it for us. Doing something every week, at least once a week, helped us get better really, really fast because we were putting in the time and putting in the practice.”

– Jordan Harbinger , Author & Podcast Host

Creating an online course is definitely one of the more exciting steps in this entire process, but it can also be the most time consuming one if you’re not careful.

Most people spend several weeks (or months, depending on the course) creating their online course. Other, more experienced course creators have perfected this process and can create an entire online course in one weekend .

But regardless of how long it takes you to create your course, the process that you go through will most likely look a lot like this:

• Choose your course title and subtitle. 
• Ensure that your topic has high demand in the market
• Ensure that the learning outcomes are stellar
• Gather material for your online course content
• Create a lesson plan (aka course outline) and choose your lesson types (audio, video, text, etc.)
• Identify the best ways to deliver each of your course modules
• Film, record, and edit your online course
• Set up your online course, including a website
• Choose a price for your course
• Create a sales page and focus on marketing your course

Instead of going through each of these steps in more detail right here in this article (which would make it way longer than it already is!), I’m going to share a few of the most important lessons we’ve learned about course creation from the experts we interviewed.

Want to create an online course business, but unsure of where to start? Use Thinkific for free and get free training !

Or sign up for our free mini series that will teach you how to profitably create and sell an online course in just a week.

Launch your online learning product for free

Use Thinkific to create, market, and sell online courses, communities, and memberships — all from a single platform.

Create a “Minimum Viable Course”

A concept that has been popularized by American writer and entrepreneur Eric Ries in his book Lean Startup is the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) .

An MVP is a development technique used by organizations (especially startups) in which a new product is developed with sufficient features to satisfy early adopters. The final, complete set of features is only designed and developed after considering feedback from the product’s initial users.

Applying this concept to creating online courses, that means that you should not try to create the perfect course the first time. Instead, create a Minimum Viable Course (MVC).

Here’s why…

The problem with trying to create the “perfect” course before you show it or sell it to anyone is that “perfect” is a very subjective term. What you think is perfect is probably not the same as what your customers/students think is perfect. Even if it is, your course does not have to be perfect in order to be valuable .

Perfectionism has stopped more people from creating and launching their online courses than anything else. Don’t let this happen to you. If your course (imperfect as it may be) is good enough to help someone, then it is good enough to publish. Done is better than perfect.

Create your MVC as quickly as possible so you can publish it and get real feedback from real students. Based on their feedback and other important data (such as course completion and engagement rates ) you can remove training, add training, and make revisions to your course to make it better.

“Don’t be a perfectionist because the world can’t wait for perfect. Get it done, get it out and get it sold. It’s not a book so you can always revisit it periodically but your number one priority is creating a transformation in your clients, so keep your focus there.” – Shazzie Love , Business Strategist

Course length ≠ course value

Read More: How to decide on the ideal course length ?

Another big mistake to avoid is trying to teach everything that you know about your topic in a single course. Doing this will most likely result in a super long course that your students won’t complete and that takes a ridiculous amount of time to create in the first place. Wrong approach!!

Your online course is the shortcut

The purpose of your course is to teach your student how to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It’s the shortcut.

Your online course is the shortcut. Help your students get from A to B as quickly as possible.

You absolutely should not overwhelm your students by brain-dumping everything that you know about your topic into your course. Your course should be as short as possible without sacrificing the key concepts in your training.

Don’t create 8 hours of training if you can teach your students what they need to know with 3 hours of training. As long as they learn what you promised to teach them, they won’t complain that your course was “too short”. Instead, they’ll probably thank you for not wasting their time with fluff or filler content.

Launch to a small test group first

Another important lesson we learned from the experts we interviewed is not to launch the first version of your course (your MVC!) to your entire audience.

Instead, you should promote your course to a small segment of your audience at a lower price than what you eventually want to charge for your course. If you do promote your course to your entire audience, consider imposing a limit on the number of students that can enroll in it. Once you hit your goal, you temporarily close enrollment for your course.

This strategy is often called a beta launch (similar to pre-selling ). The goal of this type of launch is to get your course into the hands of a small number of students who will “test” your course. In exchange for accessing your course at a reduced price, you ask your students to provide you with feedback to help you improve the course and testimonials to use in your future marketing.

Based on the feedback from your students, you can make changes to improve your course. When you have a revised version of your course that is better than the first and positive student testimonials to use in your marketing, you re-open enrollment for your course and sell it a higher price.

If you’re ready to start marketing your course, check out these 55 online course marketing ideas here .

Okay, let’s pretend that you’ve already completed Steps 1 to 5.

• You’ve decided what topic you’re going to teach. It’s not too broad, and it appeals to a specific target audience.
• You’ve validated market demand for your topic. Thousands of people around the world are interested in it, and they’re already spending money to learn it.
• You’ve crafted a compelling brand. You are known in your industry as an expert on your topic. When your target audience finds you, they trust that you can help them.
• You’ve built an audience. You have followers on social media. You have people on your email list. You have relationships with other experts in your industry. You’ve been featured in other publications, podcasts, and media outlets.
• You’ve created an online course. And after promoting your course to your audience, you are proud to say that you have customers. Your business is generating revenue.

Even though it is a HUGE accomplishment to get this far (and yes, you deserve to celebrate at this point!), there is still work to be done.

Acquiring customers is just the beginning. Now your job is to deliver on the promise you made to your customers.

Think of any local business you are a customer of. A restaurant. A nail salon. A coffee shop. A convenience store.

These businesses don’t stay in business because they are constantly attracting new customers. They stay in business because their existing customers come back more than once, often bringing their friends and family with them. This same rule applies to your online course business.

“We’re not in this business just to get people to buy our stuff. We want them to see the change and the impact and create the success stories.” – Nick Unsworth, CEO of Life on Fire

It’s a lot cheaper to keep a customer than acquire a new one

If you are constantly investing in marketing and promotion to attract new customers, but you’re doing nothing to ensure the success of those customers, it will be very difficult (and expensive!) for you to build a profitable and sustainable business.

When a customer purchases your online course, this should not be the end of your relationship with them. This should be the beginning.

Your customers should be so thrilled with the training and overall experience that you provide to them that they purchase additional courses from you in the future, and they tell others about your courses too.

Related: The Top Customer Success Strategies Used By Successful Companies

Here are a few ways you can increase your student engagement and retention rates:

• Gamify the learning experience

Create incentives and offer rewards to your students for achieving specific milestones in your course.

Related: Gamification in Training: The Complete Guide to E-Learning Gamification [2022]

• Help your students be accountable

Pair them up with an accountability partner, offer 1-on-1 or group coaching calls with your students, or create a private group or discussion board for them to interact with each other.

• Appeal to different learning styles

Don’t create training that appeals to just one learning style. Utilize different media types to deliver your content (text, video, audio, worksheets, quizzes, etc.).

• Create small, bite-sized lessons

Shorter lessons are more likely to be completed by students than longer ones. If it takes you a while to teach a specific concept, try breaking up the concept into several shorter lessons.

• Bite Sized Learning: A New Strategy For Teaching (How It Works & Tips)
• What Is Microlearning? The Case For Shorter, Bite Sized Learning
• Send reminder emails to your students

If you notice that a student isn’t accessing or completing the training in your course, send them a polite reminder email to re-engage them. Show them that you care.

The final step in building a successful online course business is to scale your business by creating systems and/or hiring people to ensure that it continues to grow.

According to Greg Smith, CEO of Thinkific , you should only scale something that works.

The 76 steps that came before this one are your chance to do just that. To prove that your online course business works. Once you have a business that works, it’s time to shift from spending the majority of your time working in your business to working on it.

This is accomplished by creating systems and hiring people to handle the repetitive, day-to-day tasks involved in running your business. The goal is to free yourself up to focus the majority of your time on activities that move your business forward, such as:

• Building your audience
• Building your network
• Creating sales funnels to acquire new customers
• Creating additional courses and/or services to sell to your customers

Here are a few of the key lessons we learned about scaling an online course business from the expert we interviewed:

1. Automate repetitive tasks

Identify the tasks in your business that are highly repetitive and not the best use of your time as an entrepreneur. Document the process for those tasks and delegate them to someone else, or use technology/software to automate that task for you. Every repetitive task that you automate today buys you more time to focus on other activities tomorrow.

“The way you multiply time is by spending time on things today that give you more time tomorrow.” – Rory Vaden, Southwestern Consulting

2. Build a team as early as possible

To grow an online course business to 6 or even 7 figures in annual revenue and beyond, you’re going to need some help. Very few entrepreneurs are able to build successful and sustainable businesses without a team of people to help them make it happen. There is simply too much to learn and do, and not enough hours in the day for one person to do it all.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

Hiring a virtual assistant or a personal assistant is a great starting point. From there, consider hiring help for other areas of your business including content creation and editing, marketing and advertising, branding, accounting, etc. These do not have to be full-time employees. Many course creators have teams that consist of freelancers and independent contractors from around the world.

Related: How to Hire a Virtual Assistant (An Entrepreneur’s Guide To Outsourcing)

3. Tie your business to a greater purpose

Sharing your knowledge by creating online courses is a great way to empower others through education and move humanity forward. But creating online courses is certainly not the only way to make a positive impact in the world.

There are countless organizations that are doing incredible things to make the world a better place. By partnering with other organizations and tying your business to a greater purpose, you ensure that as your business grows, so does the impact you make in the world.

“Whether you’re in the non-profit structure or the for-profit structure, you have a tremendous opportunity to use business as a force for good.” – Adam Braun, Founder of Pencils of Promise

This article was originally published May 2018, and refreshed with new information in February, 2024. 

As the Content Marketing Manager at Thinkific (2016-2019), Tyler Basu helped to create, publish, and promote content to help thousands of entrepreneurs learn how to create and sell online courses . Today, he works directly with entrepreneurs to help them create content that attracts and converts their ideal clients.

• 10 Steps To Creating A Wildly Successful Online Course
• How to Price Your Online Course (Complete Guide to Course Pricing)
• The Ultimate Online Course Launch Checklist (Free Guide + Templates)
• Best Equipment & Software For Creating Online Courses
• The Best Online Course Platforms in 2024

Related Articles

How to become an expert in your field using content.

Want to become and expert in your field but not sure how? Expert Meera Kothand shares tips that have worked for her to become a recognized expert.

The Ultimate List of Coaching Templates

Coaching templates can help you lead your clients through a transformative experience. Check out the ultimate list of free coaching template examples.

How To Build Your Coaching Business Using Online Courses (Ultimate Guide)

Learn everything you need to know about growing your coaching business using online courses. Get strategies to market and scale your business.

Try Thinkific for yourself!

Accomplish your course creation and student success goals faster with thinkific..

Download this guide and start building your online program!

It is on its way to your inbox

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Edexcel A Level Business Studies Case Studies 1.2.1 Demand

Subject: Business and finance

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

8 September 2024

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

A series of 7 case studies covering Edexcel A Level Business 1.2.1 Demand including: Factors leading to a change in demand: o changes in the prices of substitutes and complementary goods o changes in consumer incomes o fashions, tastes and preferences o advertising and branding o demographics o external shocks o seasonality

Each case study contains key points to consider and key discussion points along with a mark scheme and answer structure guidance following the PeCAN-PiE and AJIM models.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: