LearningContent

**When it comes to online content, you have four main options.....**

 * 1) ====Find learning content which already exists====
 * 2) ====Rethink what you already have====
 * 3) ====Create new content====
 * 4) ====Purchase/contract ready-made 'courses'====

Find learning content which already exists
Why start from the beginning when there may be existing content you can simply pick up and use...lots of it for FREE! If it isn't 'quite right', it is often easier to customise an existing learning resource rather than have to create an entirely new one. Below are some suggestions of great places to start exploring......

** TOOLBOXES **
Toolboxes are high quality, cost effective interactive e-learning and assessment resources featuring scenarios, images and activities. They re designed for use by training providers, industry and business and support online delivery of recognised training packages for the vocational education and training sector. The toolboxes are available for purchase (approximately $400 each) and come as a CD, however you can download all the individual learning objects (pieces of content) for FREE (see below).

** REPOSITORY **
The National Learning Object Repository is a gateway to online training resources. Those requiring ready-made e-learning content can access more than 2,500 free, quality, copyright cleared online learning resources. This 'ready-made' e-content can be customised to suit and will upload directly into Moodle or most other Learning Management Systems (LMS).

 Rethink what you already have
You probably already have resources such as PowerPoints, Word documents etc., and you can turn these into e-learning resources very quickly by making them available online. Perhaps it's not exactly e-learning, however it is a good place to begin and still provides flexibility for learners who are able to replace missing resources, or access resources in their own time. As an additional bonus, it can be a way to save printing costs. Tools to assist with this can be found at Creating Content.

 Create new content
You may be wanting to 'start from scratch' and create new content, however this is usually only recommended where there is no suitable pre-existing content as this process can be expensive and time-consuming. In the majority of cases, pre-existing content can be customised to suit by changing text or images, adding or deleting sections and including contextual information which relates directly to the organisation. That said, there are many free tools which can be used to create e-learning activities and resources which, when 'mashed together' with instructions and facilitation, can provide a very engaging online course! The information at Creating Content provides information and examples of some of these tools which include authoring tools, video creation, digital story creation, podcasts and animations.

 Purchase/contract ready-made 'courses'
There are a number of 'e-learning companies' which will offer to sell you a ready-made online course, or will provide access to a ready-made course (for a price). While these 'online courses' can fill a gap where the training required is only transient or perhaps for compliance requirements, it is highly recommended that you enter into these agreements carefully and with full knowledge of the oft-reported issues eg lock-in contracts, long time-frames to make changes, lack of ownership and low-quality, un-engaging content. To assist with considering your alternatives, it is suggested that you contact your local E-learning Coordinator.