Just joined the E-Learning World

Jan 06, 2015

Guys i am from Zimbabwe and i am new to e-learning and it has really captured my heart and i found myself doing a whole lot of research about it and came across instructional design, educational technology, etc. and a whole lot of e-learning authoring tools including Articulate Storyline for which i even downloaded a trial.

At university i studied a Bachelors of Business Studies in Banking and Finance, worked two years in finance and joined the education industry teaching accounting and business studies. It is from here that i was hired as an independent contractor for a project working as a content developer in South Africa. From April 2014 i developed print content for Grade 10, 11 & 12 business studies as well as searching for relevant videos on you tube that best explain subject concepts and had to load the content onto a LMS.

I need advice on hhow i can go about it. I want to jump ship and join the world of e learning. In my country Zimbabwe the e-learning industry is still backward. How best can i jump ship? What qualification can i do or should do?

Thank you in advance e-learning professionals

1 Reply
Adele Sommers

Welcome, Gainmore!

Congratulations on making plans to "jump ship" and "climb aboard" the great eLearning vessel! There are various ways to become involved in the eLearning industry, as I'm sure many others will also explain as they reply to your post.

For the purpose of getting started, though, perhaps your first step is to seek more training in this area. I recently discovered an article listing the "Most Popular Free Online Courses For eLearning Professionals." The courses on the linked page are designed by universities and other international online learning venues. Some may offer what you are seeking to help break into the field.

For example, one course by Georgia Tech in the U.S. "includes 6 weeks of instruction, focused on the fundamentals of eLearning. After completing the free online course, you will have an in depth understanding of how to transform traditional courses, specifically those that involve face-to-face instruction, into interactive online courses."

However, developing your skills also requires lots of practice. One way to gain proficiency is to create samples for your own eLearning portfolio. For example, many people submit entries to David Anderson's Weekly eLearning Challenges. 

Another way is to simply create a few eLearning modules or courses using your own ideas and intellectual property. This has worked very well for me, since I'm normally rather restricted by non-disclosure agreements and other constraints associated with using client projects as work samples.

In any case, I wish you the very best of luck with your career transition!

Kindest regards,
Adele

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