Teaching is not for everyone. It’s a difficult process that involves identifying where your students are starting and creating the experience that will get them to their (or your) desired results.
I’ve talked about how to get started creating a course (or program, or service package), but there are a few pieces that many business owners miss when it’s time to put all the pieces together. After all, you’re likely thinking about all the value you can pack into your course, rather than thinking through pieces of the course. But these three course must-haves, if missing, could be the difference between student success and confusion.
Objectives
Put yourself in your students’ shoes: You buy a course because you know what you want to get out of it. You have a specific reason for taking the course because you want to learn XYZ. The same goes for your students—so know in advance what it is you want them to know or be able to do when they’re done.
Your objectives are probably the most important piece of your course, if you want students to make progress and have results (and if you don’t, you have no business even creating a course in the first place).
So not only should you have objectives for the course overall, but each module or section of the course should have its own objectives. And when you’re planning your course, speak directly to those objectives.
Different learning styles
Just like in elementary school, your students each have their own unique learning styles. Some of your audience members prefer reading their materials while others would rather watch videos or listen to audio. Be sure to account for that. Offer worksheets, downloadable audio and hands-on activities that keep all your students involved and engaged. And if you’re not sure how your ideal audience learns best, research some top-performing courses or just ask them!
Feedback—for the student and for you
Think beyond the graded papers you collected in your backpack when you were in school. Your students want (and need) feedback from you, the expert. Find ways to praise and encourage your students through their journey with you, like providing a pop-up Facebook group for the programs, including some 1:1 time in your course, having live Q&A sessions or creating individual videos to review students’ work. People who invest in your course or program need to have that feedback to ensure they’re on the right track.
What are the pieces of your course creation that you struggle with the most? When it’s a challenge, get the help you need so you can keep moving and give your audience exactly what they want and need.
