e-Learning Blog

Essential Delivery Systems and Teaching Materials for e-Learning Operations

To implement e-learning, you need a "system" for delivery and "materials" that serve as content. Let's first understand these basics.

●What is an e-learning delivery system?

The e-learning delivery system is a tool called LMS (Learning Management System) that is used for designing, implementing, and managing learning programs. It also functions as a platform that provides access to learning content, tracks progress, and conducts evaluations and reporting.

*Currently, the mainstream is shifting towards a "Talent Management System" that is managed in conjunction with HR information, rather than an LMS specifically focused on education.

●What is the content that serves as teaching materials?

In e-learning, various formats can be utilized, including text and illustrations, as well as videos, animations, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). These formats make it easier for learners to understand information visually and auditorily, and it is expected to enhance learning effectiveness.

How to Obtain e-Learning Materials

●How to Obtain.1 Purchase Off-the-Shelf Materials

This is how to purchase and utilize ready-made teaching materials. It is a "ready-made product" with pre-set content. While you cannot add your own original elements, it can be sufficiently utilized for general topics such as business etiquette and compliance knowledge.

When purchasing educational materials, the method of purchase will differ depending on whether your company has an LMS or not.

▶If your company has an LMS
If the standards of your company's LMS and the teaching materials match, it is possible to register and operate those materials on your company's LMS. Check the standards and purchase only the teaching materials.

▶If your company does not have an LMS
It is necessary to contract a delivery service (cloud service).
There may also be vendors (sales companies) that provide educational materials and offer delivery services.
By using a cloud service, there is no need for physical equipment such as servers, making it hassle-free, and the management company will handle security management. Additionally, it is possible to contract with limitations on duration and number of participants, making it excellent in terms of cost performance.

Please note that there may be cases where an LMS is not essential, such as when learning management is not required. You will need to consider this based on the approach to learning and management methods.

●How to Obtain.2 Customize Off-the-Shelf Materials

This is a method to customize part of a ready-made teaching material package for in-house content. While covering some aspects with existing materials, we create teaching materials that align with our company's objectives by adding and modifying information.

●How to Obtain.3　Order Custom Materials

This is how to order custom teaching materials from a vendor. One of the significant advantages is the ability to create unique teaching materials from scratch with professional support. Companies that are unsure about what kind of materials to create or are considering converting their know-how into e-learning may want to consider custom solutions.

●How to Obtain.4 Create Original Teaching Materials In-House

This is how to produce teaching materials in-house. There are two cases: one where all processes are carried out internally, and another where a "teaching material creation tool" is used. The latter is easier and more common. The advantage is that there is no need to outsource, which helps to reduce costs.

Here, we will explain in more detail one of the methods for obtaining teaching materials mentioned in the previous chapter: "Creating original teaching materials in-house." There are mainly three methods for creating teaching materials in-house.

1. Use PowerPoint
By using PowerPoint, a familiar tool, you can easily create teaching materials. Not only can you add text, images, and animations to the slides, but you can also record and add narration, or save it in video format. It is also suitable for creating materials in a short period of time.

【2】 Use e-Learning Material Creation Tools
By using dedicated e-learning material creation tools, you can easily create interactive content such as quizzes. Furthermore, many tools come with a variety of templates and designs, making it easy to create visually appealing materials.

Use Video Editing Software
Video editing software allows you to freely combine images, videos, and audio, making it possible to create visually clear teaching materials. Furthermore, by utilizing animations, captions, and infographics, you can clearly convey complex concepts and procedures.

By utilizing these methods, it is possible to create optimal teaching materials that match your company's needs. Understand the characteristics of each and choose according to your objectives and budget.

The e-learning material creation tool introduced in the previous chapter is a tool that allows you to easily create interactive materials by combining various media such as text, images, audio, and video.
The e-learning material creation tool is equipped with various features to create effective and engaging materials.

Main Features of e-Learning Material Creation Tool
・Create content based on materials such as PowerPoint
・Video recording and editing
・Automatic screen operation capture
・Narration creation
・Creation of tests, quizzes, and surveys
・Multi-device compatible formatting (HTML5 conversion)
・Standardization for LMS (Learning Management System) compatibility (SCORM conversion) and more

e-learning material creation tools allow you to create high-quality materials using these features without any specialized knowledge such as programming. Due to their ease of use and cost performance, they are widely utilized.

What are the specific benefits of using e-learning material creation tools? Here is a summary below.

Merit 1: Utilize Existing Company Materials
You can create e-learning content by leveraging PowerPoint materials that have already been created within your company. By converting them to HTML5 format or video format, they can be viewed and used online. Furthermore, by using tools that support SCORM (the standard for e-learning), you can create materials that can be integrated into an LMS. In this way, the easy sharing of existing materials within the company streamlines the provision and management of learning.

Benefits.2: Easily Create Educational Materials in Video Format
The e-learning material creation tool allows you to easily create educational materials in video format. The materials you use can be data shot with your own smartphone. There are also software options that allow you to create materials by simply uploading the video and making minimal edits. The advantage is that there is no need to prepare special equipment or rent a studio, significantly reducing the workload.

Merit.3: Easily Record Operation Simulations
When creating manuals or educational materials for using PCs or operating software/applications, screen recording and editing are essential. These tasks have generally been cumbersome and time-consuming, which was a drawback, but this issue is resolved by e-learning materials. By capturing the operation screen in video format and utilizing features such as adding supplementary speech bubbles and frames, it is possible to easily create operation simulations.

Merit 4: Easy to Handle Revisions and Updates
Revisions and updates after creating the teaching materials are easy with the e-learning material creation tool. You can update with intuitive steps, allowing for quick changes, additions, and improvements to the content. This is especially useful for materials in fields like law and technology, where information changes regularly.

There are various types of e-learning material creation tools. Be sure to choose the one that best fits the direction of the materials and the needs of the learners. In this chapter, we will introduce eight recommended tools.

1. PowerPoint

PowerPoint is one of the easiest tools for creating e-learning materials. The period from the start of manuscript creation to distribution is relatively short, and by utilizing existing assets (such as materials already prepared for group training), you can create materials more efficiently. It is suitable for materials that need to be updated frequently or for sharing information that needs to be disseminated quickly.

【2】iSpring Suite

iSpring Suite is used as an add-in software for PowerPoint. Based on PowerPoint presentations, it allows you to synchronize narration and animations using a timeline. It is also attractive for its rich templates and materials, which can enhance the design quality of educational materials and improve learning effectiveness. Furthermore, it includes tools for generating quizzes and tests, as well as screen capture (a function that records operations on the screen), allowing for more interactive elements to be incorporated into educational materials.
In iSpring Suite MAX, a voice generation tool is also available.

Vyond

Vyond is a cloud service specialized in animation used worldwide. It comes with a wide variety of pre-prepared characters, backgrounds, and illustrations, allowing you to create professional animation content simply by combining them. No special knowledge or skills are required. The completed animations can be published as is, or imported into PowerPoint or iSpring Suite for use as e-learning materials.

【4】Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editing software equipped with advanced editing features and effects, allowing you to create visually stunning educational materials. With integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, it also enables advanced expressions using Photoshop and After Effects. It is one of the ideal choices for companies looking to visually enhance their e-learning materials.

【5】PowerDirector

PowerDirector is a video editing software characterized by its user-friendly interface that even beginners can easily handle, along with advanced editing features. By utilizing AI-powered editing tools and a wealth of templates, you can easily create high-quality educational materials. A smartphone version of the app is also available, allowing you to edit anytime and anywhere.

iTutor

iTutor is a tool specialized in creating manuals, videos, and e-learning materials. It allows for easy creation of interactive content, such as generating slides from screen captures and converting typed text into automated speech for use in videos. Its compatibility with SCORM also makes it attractive for smooth integration into Learning Management Systems (LMS).

【7】Dojo

Dojo is a tool for efficiently creating manuals and training materials for system operations. It automatically captures operation details and screen images, allowing for intuitive editing. Complex operation procedures can be visually represented in an easy-to-understand manner. It is particularly suitable for educational materials in fields that require system operations, such as IT.

[8] eden LMS

eden LMS is a cloud-based e-learning system that operates in a browser and allows the creation of educational content based on PowerPoint and videos. It is equipped with AI, enabling automatic addition of subtitles and narration. Furthermore, it makes it easy to create high-impact learning content, such as tests with randomly displayed questions.

We have found that there are various types of e-learning material creation tools, but by choosing the right tool, you can maximize its effectiveness. Here, we will introduce important points to consider during selection.

Point 1: Is it suitable for the content and purpose of the teaching materials?
It is important to choose tools that match the content and learning objectives of the teaching materials. For example, if the materials are video-based, check for video editing features; if they are interactive, check for quiz and survey functions to ensure the necessary features are included.

Point 2: Tool Usability
The ability to operate tools intuitively directly impacts the efficiency of creating educational materials. Especially when the person in charge is unfamiliar with the tool, the complexity of operation can become a burden, potentially hindering smooth progress in creation. Therefore, it is important to choose tools with an intuitive UI (User Interface).

Point 3: Supported Devices
Let's consider the devices used by learners. By choosing tools that support multiple devices such as PCs, smartphones, and tablets, we can avoid limiting the learning environment for the learners.

Point 4: Presence of Content Management and Distribution Features
It is also important to check in advance whether the created materials can be efficiently managed and distributed. If it is a tool that can integrate with an LMS, tracking and managing data such as participant progress and grades will be easy. Additionally, if it supports SCORM and has cloud distribution features, implementation will be smooth.

Point 5: Support System
To continuously use the tools, a support system is also important. Check whether the response to operational methods and troubles is prompt, and whether tutorials and help documents are comprehensive. There are services with dedicated support staff, which can be reassuring, especially when implementing for the first time.

There are many options for creating e-learning materials, but among them, e-learning material creation tools are a strong ally for easily producing high-quality materials.
By using these tools, it is not impossible for a single person to handle everything from planning and designing the materials to distribution.

To further enhance the quality of the teaching materials, it is also recommended to partially utilize external resources for certain processes and materials. This can lead to the efficient creation of high-quality teaching materials and allows for content scrutiny through a third-party perspective. Additionally, by receiving advice from specialized companies, or "e-learning professionals," it becomes possible to incorporate strategies into the materials that boost learner motivation and improve learning effectiveness.

One of those vendors, Human Science, has produced approximately 3,000 e-learning materials since the start of services in 2000. We respond flexibly to customer requests, including planning and design, mobile compatibility through videos and HTML5, and content migration related to LMS replacements. For inquiries regarding the introduction of e-learning or consultations about e-learning creation tools, please contact Human Science.

You can check the details of our services on the Human Science e-learning site.
＞ e-learning content production
＞ iSpring sales
＞ Vyond (animation production) sales
＞ animation teaching material production agency