Disclaimer: The information provided is not financial, investment, tax or other advice. Nothing contained constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement or offer to buy or sell any securities or any other financial instruments. Links may be affiliates. For more information read the disclaimer.

Learn about the latest e-learning platforms used by online courses for training, education, and online course management.

I once had a friend struggling to find the best Learning Management System (LMS) that would suit her needs. She wanted something she could use as an Ecourse. Her priority was training, live events, and workshops. It seemed like every LMS offered one function or the other, which didn't work for what she needed. So I showed her the learning platforms we from Acadle for our various academies ranging from writing to social media. Today, you'll learn about features and platforms to consider for your next online course.

Before we get started, make sure to sign up for my newsletter and get tons of tips and tricks to boost your blogging business. 

If you're on the hunt for a new platform to host your next Ecourse, look no further. We've researched some of the latest software to help you choose one that is right for your business needs. 

With so many different options out there, it can be hard to decide which platform will work best for your company and its goals. Therefore, we have narrowed them down to help you with this process based on three main criteria: pricing, features, and ease of use. 

Benefits of eLearning and Blended Learning 

eLearning has become increasingly popular to train employees and extend job opportunities to people who prioritize flexibility. eLearning has typically been used in different applications, varying from training purposes to organizational development projects. However, there is a growing interest in designing e-learning courses for business use, as eLearning continues to gain popularity and recognition as a means of improving organizational performance and quality. There has been an increase in the adoption of online learning material, primarily through the web, for business training. 

The aim of e-learning is to increase business performance by providing the workforce with new and innovative skills and knowledge applicable to their daily work activities. 

Using e-learning offers an engaging opportunity for learners to benefit from their own experience and knowledge to make an informed choice about various topics. 

E-learning

E-learning has several advantages over traditional training. Learners can learn when it is convenient for them, fit into their schedule, and in an easy and comfortable environment. 

E-learning provides participants with a cost-effective way to get new or updated skills that they may need in their workplace. The recent trend of “blended Learning” involves employing technology together with traditional methods.

Blended learning

Blended Learning is a term that describes the use of more than one form of delivery to achieve better results. This can include instructional and/or coaching methods catering for both the traditional group (group work) and individual work (individual work). It involves blending e-learning with classroom teaching, asynchronous online learning, blended learning lab scenarios and blended learning problem-solving methodology. 

Blended Learning Benefits

There are numerous benefits to the use of blended learning approaches.

Why you need to switch to eLearning

eLearning and blended learning is the future of business learning. Businesses realize they need to prepare their employees for an ever-changing world by providing them with skills and knowledge through innovative means like web-based training. With increased access to information, more interactive activities, and self-paced courses, it’s easier than ever before to train your workforce without leaving the office or spending a fortune on travel costs! 

What is a learning platform, and why does it matter for an Ecourse?

An e-learning platform is a software application that includes a user interface (UI) for interacting with the user of the application to access, display, modify or manipulate communications and other data (intellectual property) provided through technology media. In addition, the user interface also enables the modification and manipulation of data (intellectual property) based on user input. 

The e-learning platform typically comes with connectors that allow users to connect to a system (customer relationship management and other methods) using an API and/or web services. It may also include various other modules such as employee training management, talent management, business process management, etc.

The e-learning platform works on a standard browser. This means that it works on all platforms, including desktops, laptops/notebook computers, tablets, and smartphones. However, to have the best user experience in online learning, the e-learning platform should be integrated with a rich system. The rich design should complement the course content and help in delivering the best training possible within the platform.

Learning Management System (LMS) and Universal Course Platform (UCPS)

The term “learning platform” is often used to refer to the software developers use to build their e-learning offerings. This includes but is not limited to a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Universal Course Platform (UCPS) learning platform.

Learning Management System (LMS)

A Learning Management System (LMS), also known as a Virtual Learning Environment, is an online system that manages student admissions, finances and payments, registration, assessments, reports, and other administrative processes. An LMS typically serves as the interface between a learning management system and the educational content.

In an LMS, learners interact with course instructors through a virtual classroom setting. LMS's allow teachers to interact with the students using web-based tools that provide the basics of the virtual classroom experience, such as e-mail and chat.

Universal Course Platform (UCPS)

A UCPS is a web-based system that provides learning management tools for both the educator and students in the same way an LMS does. UCPSs allow teachers to provide hands-on learning experiences via the web, along with assessment tools that encourage students to check their understanding.

Get an online training system

Learning Management System (LMS) and Universal Course Platform (UCPS) are both types of learning platforms that provide e-learning. LMS's allow teachers to interact with the students using web-based tools such as email and chat, while UCPS offers a more immersive experience, including synchronous video conferencing. If you're looking for an online training solution or simply want to improve your digital marketing skills, check out these two great options!

How do I choose the right Learning Platform for my Ecourse?

Authoring an effective eLearning platform requires a lot of research and due diligence. This is because the learning platform can either make or break your “courseware.” 

Features to consider

The main objective of an online learning platform is to provide a space where learners can interact, collaborate, communicate, and exchange information in preparation for an event or task they will face for their business. 

Bandwidth 

Bandwidth is a crucial factor when choosing your learning platform. Therefore, it is paramount that you choose a platform that has high bandwidth. The point of an eLearning platform is to enable your users to examine and learn the content which will help them perform their job. This will be achieved if the platform has low latency, high bandwidth, and a good range of connectivity.

A lack of high bandwidth will impact your students' experience in your courseware. Their course experience will be hampered if the course-ware is not hosted on a platform with increased bandwidth.

Push-notification

Whether it be by text message, email, or instant message, push notifications are an effective way to gain your learners’ attention at any time. Push notifications are used in many mobile applications. There is plenty of learning applications that now incorporate this feature into their software, such as the Moodle course-ware platform.

Push notifications with SMS texts often come with fees associated and can become costly when used on a large scale. However, push notifications have many positives, including increased engagement and retention allowing for a more effective LMS that improves learning outcomes.

Integrated Payment Methods

Integrated payment methods are processes and agreements the platform has made so that your students buying experience is as frictionless as possible. For the merchants, it means a higher chance of long-term customers and sales. An on-site payment integration makes it easier for your business and customer. 

Content Scheduling

Learning management systems (LMS) are a great tool to organize online courses for your organization. An LMS is used to plan the course content, sequence it into a digital media product, and allow for your learners to mark it as completed. These are time-based products that take users through a planned curriculum for their course-ware. One of the key benefits of an LMS is that they allow you to send emails or push notifications that notify the learner notifying them of the exact time their work will be due.

Built-in discussion forum 

There are many advantages to having discussion forums within your eLearning platform. First, it allows for a place where users can share information and engage with one another. This will enable learners to get better insight into the content they are learning. Second, it helps break down the content into smaller pieces for users who may have difficulty understanding specific concepts or topics.

Manage access and roles

An eLearning platform also allows for a business to grant access over specific course areas. For example, you are likely to collaborate with a team with course administration. The benefit of managing access and roles is that users can be granted access to specific areas of your course-ware based on their position within the organization.

Built-in affiliate marketing

Many e-learning platforms allow for affiliates to benefit from their current skills. This could be for a small percentage of the total courses or specific actions within the platform. In addition, it allows affiliates to market their service, product, or expertise to their potential customers. 

Marketing coupons

Marketing coupons are an effective way for your businesses to generate revenue. There are also many other benefits, such as increasing sales and conversions through the use of marketing campaigns. A company can become more effective if they have an effective marketing coupon.

Real-time sales reporting

Many e-commerce stores use an LMS to manage their sales. This is an excellent way for your organization or business to track the progress of your products which is essential when you are making financial reports. This will allow you to make adjustments or changes on the fly and provide accurate and timely information.

Real-time sales management allows a business to measure its performance, analyze trends, evaluate results and drive business growth through more efficient processes and new strategies.

Integrations for ads

Many e-commerce platforms offer built-in integrations with advertising platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This allows your business or organization to reach more target customers or clients through advertisements that are specifically created for different groups. An LMS streamlines this process and makes it easier for your business to reach your target customer.

Easy website builder

An LMS allows for your business or organization to create a customized website for use on the web. This will enable you to manage all of the elements of your website, such as branding, content, design, and income from third-party advertisements.

Unlimited learners, storage, courses, quizzes

Unlimited learners benefit your organization as it can increase the number of members in your organization. It is important to note that you will customize who has access and what they are allowed to do. By having an unlimited number of users in your system, you will have the ability to create courses for beginners, intermediates, and experts. You will also be able to create quizzes within your course-ware which helps with the retention of users.

Multilingual

Many e-commerce platforms support multiple languages for different target markets. This is an essential feature because you can cater to various audiences and personally target your clients. In addition, it will help with increasing sales and generating revenue.

Integrations

One of the key benefits of using an eLearning platform is having integrations with other platforms. Integrations may include social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc. This is an excellent way for users to interact and build relationships through engaging social media posts or messages. Zapier and Zoom are additional integrations that can be used to further strengthen your sales, marketing, and customer experience.

Custom Domain

Some e-commerce platforms allow users to use their own customized Domain. This is an excellent feature because it will help you create a professional image and brand for your business. It also makes it easier to remember your website address.

Certificates

Many e-learning platforms offer certificates and badges that allow your users to show off their hard work. They are popular with many users and can be used for bragging rights or recognition from others.

Live Courses

Many e-learning platforms allow users to interact with other users. This is an excellent way for professionals and experts to be able to share their knowledge with others. The benefit of live courses is that the user can communicate in real-time and discuss various topics. This allows for more formal education and an effective way to learn from one another.

Private/Public Academies

Academies are an excellent way for your organization or business to provide training and education to other users. By creating academies, you can create custom training or learning programs that cater to the needs of your audience. This is an effective way for you to reach more of your target market and build trust with others.

The benefits of public academies are that it allows for the organization or business to build a name and reputation with their audience. This increases trust and drives more business. Meanwhile, private academies allow for the organization to create new courses or training programs that may be more tailored to their audience.

Drip Courses

A great benefit of using drip courses is that they are self-paced, so the user has total control over what they will be learning and when they will be learning it. This is beneficial because it allows the user to go back over specific topics or skills they need to improve upon.

Private notes and discussions (inside lessons)

Private groups allow users to create a group for themselves or their organization based on specific topic areas. This allows for complete control over who can join and contribute. It is also beneficial because users can create a strong community around their subject, which strengthens their brand, reputation, and engagement.

Clone courses

A clone course is a user-created version of an existing course. This is an effective way to gain access to a course for free but still use the same structure and format of the available method for paying members. 

Gamification

Games are a fun way to interact with others and learn new skills. Many e-learning platforms offer gamification, meaning that users can earn points for taking specific actions or completing certain courses or challenges within the platform. These points can then be redeemed for various prizes, such as gift cards or even charitable donations.

Leaderboard

A leaderboard is a great way to compare students or users and determine who has achieved more success, skill level, knowledge, or expertise. This is beneficial because it allows users to compare their skills or accomplishments with others and see how they measure up in comparison.

Custom badges 

A custom badge is a way to identify users inside of a course or experience by showing them a badge that they earned. This is an effective way to help them stay engaged and track their progress throughout the course.

Own Content Rights

Some e-learning platforms allow users to own their own content and resources. This allows the user to create a product that they can sell or give to others for free. This is a common way that supplementing income is sourced from one's e-learning platform.

Feature of Top LMS & UCPS Solutions

There are a lot of different Learning Management Systems and Universal Course Platforms on the market. The best one for your particular needs can depend on what features matter most to you! 

The Top 6 Learning Platforms to Host your Next Ecourse

Are you looking for a way to host your next course online? Whether you're new to creating content or an experienced expert, these five learning platforms are sure to give you what you need. With their most popular features outlined and reviews from other professionals, it's never been easier to find the perfect platform.

Teachable 

Teachable is an excellent option if you want to build your own course without having any technical know-how. 

They have an easy and intuitive interface that can be used by anyone with basic computer skills, which makes it perfect for novices like myself who are just getting started in the world of online education. The free plan has $1 + $0.10 transaction fees, while their three different plans ranging from only €29/month (€299/year) to €199/. It's probably best not to get one of these until you’ve built some confidence because they charge upfront costs, especially when comparing that will. Still, I recommend opting for their Pro Plan at euro99 per month, including zero transaction fees!

Pros of Teachable

• Unlimited everything
• Complete control of your storefront and sales pages
• Optimized design to increase conversions on your website even more
• Unbelievably easy setup

Pricing

Acadle 

If you want to retain customers and employees, then you’ve got to make sure they have adequate onboarding, that's why I trust Acadle. 

Building White-labelled Academies for Marketing, Onboarding & Training can help your business attract new audience members while providing a unique onboarding experience that will turn them into more effective team players.

Pros of Acadle

• Unlimited Courses
• Unlimited Lessons
• Unlimited Media Files
• Multiple Login Page
• Dashboard & Analytics
• White label
• Social Login
• Multi-language
• Bookmarks in Lesson
• Chat Integration
• Clone Courses / Lessons
• Webhooks & API
• Course Rating
• Bundle Lessons
• Coupons

(Acadle.com)

Pricing

Thinkific 

Thinkific is the best overall platform to sell online courses. The price point also makes Thinkific a great option as well, especially when you compare them with other affordable options on this list! 

Furthermore, if your course includes exclusive content like video tutorials or live webinars then Thinkificant will be perfect; they can deliver an ultimate experience that’s sure to help you generate more sales.

Pro’s of Thinkific

• Save time with automation and email marketing

• Create engaging courses without writing code or hosting your site

• Customize the content of your course certificates to add an extra professional touch

• Never lose traffic coming from affiliate sites again with our built-in traffic reporting tools

Thinkific Pricing

Podia 

Podia is an all-in-one online course platform with over 50,000 members that's great for digital downloads, webinars, and membership. 

They offer a plethora of courses such as standalone classes which contain images, video and audio files in MP3x format along with PDFs quizzes, etc., presell your course before it launches by taking payments to get more subscribers on board beforehand or take part in cohort-based classes where you can start the class later whenever you want if there are openings available! 

You're also able to add coupons into your account. Hence, people know they have extra savings when purchasing from Podia while being allowed to set up memberships too for those who would like access only after paying monthly subscription fees. 

Pros of Podia 

• Grow your membership and be active with your members to engage them

• Connect with Facebook Groups and Slack for a variety of features

• Offer tiered plans to attract clients of all sizes    

• Run your own affiliate program, interact with affiliates in one place, and can make payouts based on customized commission structures

Pricing

Kajabi 

Kajabi is a high-end course builder tailored to the information business, not tiny course creators. Their “Pipelines” feature lets you create fully automated marketing campaigns and funnels with prewritten copy optimized for conversions. 

It also features powerful site themes, the ability to sell digital products (including courses), a customizable checkout process, and blogging functionality so that your audience can contribute content about what they find most valuable from using Kajabi in their own work or life pursuits!

Pro’s of Kajabi

• All-in-one: software for all aspects of an information business

• Wistia video hosting is excellent

• Focus on sales and marketing tools 

• Integrates with Stripe and PayPal to provide monthly subscriptions

Pricing

Udemy

Udemy is one of the best online course platform marketplaces with over 24 million students, 35,000 instructors, and unbelievable 80 thousand+ courses. 

The first step to creating a course on Udemy is signing up as an instructor–once your account has been accepted, you can quickly start designing your class's content by following their guidelines for video length (minimum 30-minute lectures) and material topics. And while there are many benefits to adding your course onto this website, including being featured in marketing campaigns within its site itself, keep in mind that promotion will be more difficult if you are not already established elsewhere!

Pros of Udemy

• Know large user base is on the Udemy platform

• Build a strong marketing and sales strategy to make more sales

• Receive substantial revenue share for tuition fees

• 40 million potential students

• Instructors set their course prices and receive a revenue share for tuition fees

Pricing

Udemy is an excellent site for those who want to learn more about specific topics. It's free, but they charge a 3% rev share if you use an instructor coupon on their platform or 50% of the sale price when students find your course through Google organic search (SEO). And 75% of transactions made by paid marketing efforts are also covered under Udemy (Adamenfroy.com).

Why did we choose Acadle as our favorite Learning Platform

Content creators are always looking for new ways to engage their audience. Acadle is one of those platforms that provides an interactive and engaging way for content creators to create learning tutorials and courses. In addition, the platform allows the user to create unique content and has a community aspect where users can get feedback from other learners in the form of comments, likes, shares, etc. And because it's all online, there's no need for expensive equipment or software!

It was vital for me to have an all-in-one place to serve students. At the top of my list was a community feature within the platform. Not only does Acadle provide a community feature, but it also promotes engagement with badges and certificates. 

We've seen some great success with this type of course, so we think you'll love it too!

Acadle provides an easy-to-navigate interface. Its multiple academies allow me to create different content and manage user access. Even within the same academy, I can choose what courses each user has access to. This means I can choose to have parts of the course be free and others are paid content. This is a huge win because it diminishes the need to update two courses (free and paid) because it is all in one place. 

Cloning is a second big win! Cloning allows me to have a template to build on. After all, saving me time and a place to pour the content in. 

Acadle – The best way to create and share your online course

The choice to go with Acadle as our favorite learning platform was an easy one for us. Not only does it provide a community aspect where users can get feedback from other learners in the form of comments, likes, shares, etc., but because all content is online, there's no need for expensive equipment or software! And let's be honest – who doesn't want to save money? We love that you don't have to worry about buying any extra things to create your own course and share it with others. At the top of my list was a community feel to serve students better, and this has been fulfilled by Acadle. If you are looking for new ways to engage your audience, we highly recommend checking out what they have to offer, especially since you're already a part of the community!

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

The following are tips and frequently asked questions.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Learning Platform for your Ecourse is a critical decision that will significantly impact how you deliver and engage with content. The best way to make sure you choose the right platform is to do research beforehand so you can be confident in your choice once it’s been made. We did all of this hard work for you, which means now when it comes time for choosing a Learning Platform, we just need your input!

Originally posted on December 13, 2021 @ 6:25 pm