Course Planning Process

[CharlesCorn]

What process and tools do you use to create a new course from scratch? Particularly for courses that are mostly either talking heads or slideshows with a voiceover (rather than courses that are mostly screencasts of software being used).

Do you, for example, sit down and script the entire course before recording your talking heads / slideshows. Rather than using a script, do you use bullet points to cover everything?

Is there a tool that you use to help you with the course planning and scripting process. Does anyone use Scrivener for example, or something similar. The few times I've looked at Scrivener, it looks pretty confusing.

I've been using Microsoft OneNote and I find this has been quite good, but maybe there's something more intuitive. My process varies, dependent of course on the kind of course I'm creating. I generally create slide-based lessons, so the text on the slide determines what I'm going to talk about, so detailed scripts can be unecessary, but when doing talking heads I script every word. I think planning a course has been one of my weaker areas in the past as I tend to start creating content before the planning process has been finished.

[GrahamNicholls]

I don’t script anything, I sit with pad and pen (yes I’m old fashioned), I mindmap the subject and then do a lecture list.

Then, when I’m ready, set up and record.

simple yet effective 

[DeniseFletcher]

Hi @CharlesCorn 

Mostly the courses I create are from things I've delivered in person but none the less in trying to improve content I go through the same process as what I do when I create a course from scratch. 

1. I buy an A4 hard backed book to jot notes in. Each course has it's own book.

2. I create a summary structure of the course on one page as a mind map which then becomes a linear structure which then I set up in Udemy ( I find that seeing the course visually on Udemy helps).

3. Then for each part of the landing page - objectives, ideal student, course description I create a one page minde map

4. I do the same with each section / lecture

5. I research lecture content where I see gaps

6. I go to a coffee shop / pub and sit in a quiet corner to start thinking about visuals and scripts so I have no distractions.

7. I then create each lecture as a powerpoint presentation and use the Trainer Notes view to write bullet points / script

8. I explore / create draft additional resources

9. I record the lectures one by one and add to Udemy

10. I finalise additional resources lecture by lecture and add them to Udemy

11. I then revisit the landing page and tighten up

12. Press the magic button and plan out marketing / promo

So my note books become full of mind maps and drafts and powerpoint helps me to polish it all. 
I should add I am a terrible procrastinator and I faff a lot - one of the reasons for making myself go out to a coffee shop with no laptop and just the notebook. 

I hope that helps

Best Wishes

Denise

[Chris_Haroun]

Charles here are 2 videos on how I create the content for a course from scratch (the first video below shows how I come up with and script/organize the content and the second video below shows how I place the content in my teleprompter set-up...I used 2 videos with lower resolutions as you can't upload more than 500MB per file here); thanks: 

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Chris

[TariqAli728]

What should I write in description section Sir course content aor something else?

[GregReverdiau]

Personally, I use an Excel spreadsheet to create my strawman of all the areas I want to cover, then I divide it into logical categories. Then when I create my slides, they contain the bullet point ideas of what's important and I expand on each of those in front of the camera. Sometimes (most of the time) I show the bullets to the students, but sometimes it's just for me to stay on track. I never script, I tried for my promo videos and I'm horrible at it. I'm much better with just an idea that I can expand on. With that said, everyone is different so whatever works for you and makes you comfortable in front of the camera. 

[Ramesh Fadatare]

I make courses on programming, web frameworks, and building web applications.

Here is my simple course planning process:

1. I choose the topic and then I create a complete project from scratch.

2. I divide a project into small modules (sections)

3. I further divide the module into small lectures.

4. I create a wiki page for each lecture (I use GitHub wiki to create pages) and I use keynote for presentations.

5. I record each lecture and edit the video lecture accordingly

6. Once I complete 80-90% course recording then I start uploading to Udemy

7. I use the bulk upload option to upload videos (the bulk option is very fast)

8.  Once my course is live after review, I will promote it on different social media

9.  I create early bird discount coupons and promote my new course on my blog, YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

10. I use the promotional announcement option to promote my new course to existing students

Thanks,

Ramesh