As our name suggests, we only focus on the best! We only want to share the best online courses and lessons out there, and to do that, there is one principle we deeply follow: being unbiased. It helps us assess the offerings along with how the entire learning experience may turn out in a practical manner.
Our unbiased approach is followed by a 9 Step Online Course Review Process.
The 9-Step Online Course Review Process
This is a process of checking and listing 9 prerequisites to benchmark when assessing an online course or lesson. The steps shared below have been carefully devised after dedicated research, experiences, and, most importantly, admiration for online learning!
- Lecturer and Teacher Profile
- Course goals and objectives are clearly stated
- Course content covers a wide variety of topics (Course Depth)
- Sufficient learning resource materials are provided
- Availability of a clear and complete course overview
- Overall student reviews
- The total duration of the course
- Number of students who have already completed the course
- The pricing for the course
Let us walk you through how we go through each step.
1. Lecturer and Teacher Profile
This is our first observation of the course review process! Why? Because a great teacher can make the most difficult topics easy to understand and turn a stubborn student into loving the course content. Yes, facts that we have experienced firsthand.
2. Course Goals and Objectives Are Clearly Stated
When a learner is choosing which course to take, they will only select what clicks best for them, and that is exactly what we are looking for.
Course descriptions and objectives are a way to assess how intense the learning material is, the communication style of the course offered and what to expect in a glimpse.
The fewer questions thought out after reading the information provided, the easier to comprehend the online course.
3. Course Content Covers a Wide Variety of Topics (Course Depth)
While some online courses will clearly state beginner, intermediate or advanced learner-level content, some will not. What we are looking at is if the learning level is clearly mentioned, does the course depth match the conveyed level?
If the learning level is not mentioned, we assess the lesson topics to better understand course depth. Course depth matters to match learning expectations with reality.
4. Sufficient Learning Resources Materials Are Provided
Video lessons are just not enough sometimes. Depending on the type of online course or lesson you go for, you will need to practice so you can master your concepts.
To do that additional or supplementary resource materials (e.g, worksheets, quizzes, practice tests, downloadables) are expected to be offered so you can make the most of your learning experience.
5. Availability to Clear and Complete Course Overview
Imagine you are a potential online course enrolled. You are clicked by the course title, description, and rating; next up is the complete course overview. You want to know exactly what you are going to learn, which is important.
The clearer course chapters and topics are shared, the easier it is to know if it falls in the right place for the right type of learners.
6. Overall, student reviews
Reviews, especially honest ones, make life so much easier. You get to know from existing students what it is like to benefit from the respective online course or lesson. This is a virtual form of ‘’word of mouth’’ by eliminating the personal connection attribute but makes decision-making easier.
7. Total Duration of the Course
It is important to strike a balance between efficiency and effectiveness. Nobody wants to enroll in an online course that would take them 6 months to complete and bear no fruit in practical learning. At the same time, nobody wants to pay a heavy investment for a basic 1-hour course that does not meet their learning expectations.
8. The Number Of Students Who Have Already Completed The Course
The more students choose the same course, the more likely it is a preferred choice for a common purpose: to excel in a certain learning domain. Here is an unbiased approach we want to highlight: sometimes, an excellent online course may not have thousands of students, perhaps because the course topic is a rare choice but that does not mean the course content is not on point.
9. Pricing for the Course
Price speaks for itself but should not mislead. Overpricing exists and can be easily avoided, this is where we come from. Course offering + course instructor experience/exposure = determines if course pricing makes sense.
The more famous or valued a course instructor is, the more likely a slight increment is expected and can pay off in the long run.