Global-first eLearning content: Build for every learner, everywhere

Effective eLearning is built on experiences that put the learner – wherever they are in the world – at the heart of training and development initiatives. 

Creating, developing and adapting eLearning materials for international learners, so they can truly connect with the content, is often a time-consuming, costly and laborious task. But it needn’t be. 

When the needs of international learners are built-in from the beginning you can create better, more effective, learning experiences for everyone – wherever they are in the world. 

As we explore the world of eLearning, it's clear that creating effective learning experiences for global audiences requires more than just translation. It demands a deep understanding of how learners connect with content across cultures and languages. 

In the following sections, we'll delve into the challenges of developing eLearning content for international learners and provide insights on how to overcome them. By adopting a global-first approach, you'll learn how to create more engaging, accessible, and culturally relevant eLearning experiences that meet the needs of learners worldwide and enhance your learning and development initiatives.

As global-first content specialists, we go beyond just thinking about language. 

Instead, we look to understand how people connect, consume, learn, and access digital learning content around the globe. We bring this expertise and understanding into our methodologies and processes, ensuring cultural nuance and accessibility are embedded from the start, not an afterthought. 

eLearning content development for global teams is often slow, laborious and costly because organizations rarely look strategically at the bigger picture of how eLearning content is produced. 

In a world where eLearning content development is usually done in one language before any consideration is given to how it reaches colleagues in other languages, it’s no wonder that the eLearning content isn’t as effective for global learners as it should be. And it should come as no surprise that trying to make the already-developed content work in different languages and contexts will inevitably result in delays and escalating costs. Given tight budgets and short turnaround times, it’s a recipe for disaster. 

The solution? Get it right first time – and think global from the get-go.

Strategic eLearning content development

Taking your eLearning global isn’t easy. There are a host of issues to consider and complexities to navigate – not least language and culture. 

But the first step is understanding and establishing your eLearning content development needs and objectives, and identifying the best approach, methodologies, and technology to get you there. 

This strategic approach helps you to create, translate and deliver your global eLearning content quickly and more efficiently, using exactly the right technology and methodology for you. 

Developing effective global eLearning content will never be a simple, straightforward task, but this strategic approach helps reduce complexity and makes the whole process run smoother and more efficiently.

Only 7% of communication is through words – 93% is non-verbal. 

If you want to truly connect with your learners around the world, so they understand and take in your learning content, it takes more than words. 

Simple translation of your original content only gets you so far. For your eLearning content to be effective globally, it needs to feel authentic for your learners, wherever they are in the world – truly speaking their language. And that won’t happen unless your content is adapted to their culture. 

When looking for a partner to adapt your content, make sure that they go beyond language to put human connection at the heart of global content development. This means your content connects and is consumed in a way that works for all your global learners. If you’re working with a localization partner, this is where you lean on their global reach and expertise. They should have a wealth of experts who understand how cultural, technological and accessibility nuances affect how your learners consume and connect with eLearning content, helping you achieve better success rates. 

They should also combine instructional design expertise with localization best practices to ensure your training materials are effective and culturally relevant. 

Any company you partner with should demonstrate a deep commitment to a collaborative approach that ensures they understand your unique business goals and challenges. A company that leverages deep industry expertise, technological innovation, and a vast network of language professionals to deliver solutions that scale. Solutions that resonate with your learners, wherever they are in the world. 

With this shift in mentality, you're ready to prioritize the human element in your eLearning – but where do you begin when building a global eLearning strategy?

End-to-end eLearning services: where to start?

When putting together a global-first content strategy, there are lots of eLearning services that play their part. Which ones are right for you really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. 

For those who need their content to be understood by colleagues wherever they are in the world, you will want to work with a company that has a global network of instructional designers, language experts and in-country consultants, who provide valuable insights into local market trends, cultural nuances, and learner preferences. They can help ensure that your eLearning programmes are engaging, informative, and culturally relevant – empowering your learners to achieve their full potential. 

For more complicated programmes you may also be looking for companies with experienced project managers who oversee every aspect of your eLearning process, ensuring timely delivery, efficient workflows, and rigorous quality assurance. 

For those who already have their eLearning content in their primary language, you may just be looking for translation into another language or a limited number of languages, in which case you should look for companies with experience in delivering high-quality translations quickly and efficiently. 

Consultancy 

Consultants who take a global-first approach have much to offer those with a global workforce. They analyze your learning ecosystem using an extensive knowledge of the latest industry trends and current best practices to identify areas of improvement. They then make recommendations for the best approach to develop your eLearning training for global audiences. 

Course authoring 

Look for companies with expert instructional designers, graphic designers, and multimedia specialists who can help you with your eLearning course development. 

Localization 

There are many companies offering localization services, so make sure the company you choose has the expertise to help you with any translation, video localization, or audio localization needs. 

Testing 

Testing whether your content works as intended and communicates what you want to communicate is a vital stage in eLearning course development. Check your potential supplier offers some or all of the following: linguistic testing, functional testing, multidevice and multibrowser testing, and LMS/SCORM testing services. 

Accessibility and compliance 

Making sure that your eLearning content is compliant with local laws and regulations, including accessibility, is essential. Find companies that have local knowledge, global coverage, and expertise in accessibility issues, so they can help ensure your eLearning content is compliant and meets accessibility standards.

Reporting 

Knowing how effective your eLearning content has been is an important first step in making sure you get the outputs you want from your content. Results can vary between countries and cultures, and some course elements may be working well, while others leave learners none the wiser. Look out for companies whose reporting service helps you identify where your content is working well, and where it isn’t, so you can focus your efforts on the right areas to improve learning outcomes.

How do I localize my eLearning content?

There are three different ways to localize your eLearning content. At RWS, we‘ll find the one that’s right for you. 

Localization 

We localize your existing eLearning content into additional languages, making sure it delivers the best possible experience for all your learners. 

This may be the right approach if your learning content is complete, and your target languages don’t require a high level of linguistic and cultural adaptation. 

Concurrent authoring 

We work closely with you, from the earliest stage, to identify your training needs and objectives. 

Then, our in-market designers and linguists will create learning content for all your audiences, simultaneously – so you can meet your objectives in the most efficient way. 

This approach allows for a high level of linguistic and cultural adaptation, and results in higher engagement and completion rates. It’s ideal if you need to localize very specialized or high-value content, or are translating into highly nuanced languages. 

Hybrid 

If neither of these are suitable for you, a combination of localization and concurrent authoring might be the best approach. If that’s the case, once again we’ll help you find the perfect blend.

Will AI speed up my eLearning content development?

AI, with its enormous potential to improve efficiency, continues to be explored as a game changer in the learning and development sector, where there is a relentless drive to do things quicker and cheaper. 

There is no question that new AI tools can help speed up eLearning content development. However, they are much better suited to some tasks than others. The key to success is knowing where and when to use them. 

AI must be used responsibly. Failure to do so can open your company up to data privacy breaches, bias that offends learners, or soulless content that learners fail to engage with. 

Humans are essential to the eLearning experience – AI can’t do everything. 

With our pioneering involvement in the development of machine learning and language models for translation technology that goes back decades, AI, and the importance of maintaining humans in the process, is something we are perhaps uniquely qualified to comment on. Our experts can draw on this deep experience to advise you on when and how to use AI tools responsibly. 

This is an issue we explored at length in our Genuine Intelligence™ report, which we published last year.

Any L&D team serious about delivering the best possible learning experiences should be serious about accessible eLearning. When online training is designed with accessibility in mind, it becomes more effective for a wide range of learners, many without any defined disability. 

Our eLearning accessibility services will help you transform and adapt your content so that it works for everyone.

Partnering with RWS: who do we work with?

We work with all sorts of companies – from some of the biggest and most well-known companies on the planet, right through to small organizations and enterprises with their niche needs. 

Whether you need a strategic approach to your end-to-end eLearning content production processes, or you just have a simple translation job from already developed content, we can help. 

Our eLearning services cater for the needs of two main groups – L&D professionals working in large enterprises, and L&D specialists who are experts in eLearning but may lack a globalization or localization offer.

L&D professionals 

For L&D professionals we can be a strategic partner, providing end-to-end support, with strategic consultation, content design, development and technical support. 

Our integrated approach means you don’t have to manage multiple vendors or piece together disconnected processes – saving time and reducing complexity. 

And because we embed global and cultural considerations into your eLearning content development right from the start, we help you avoid costly content reworks, missed deadlines, and courses that miss the mark and leave behind disappointed learners.

L&D specialists 

For L&D specialist providers we can be a globalization consultant and partner – sharing our expertise in global content development. You can see us as an extension of your team, powering culturally relevant training that delivers every time for your clients, and expanding your service and global reach. Because we optimize every step of the content development process to prevent delays, reduce complexity, and ensure consistent quality across all languages, we can help you achieve faster and more efficient delivery for your clients.

Your localization partner

For both groups, we can also be your localization partner – using the latest translation technology to help you localize your content more efficiently. We are pioneers in machine learning and AI and with our award-winning technology, 650 language pairs, and global footprint, we can deliver fast, high-quality translations that are adapted to local culture – making a real impact and connection with your learners. 

Our experts work with all major eLearning tools, making content development simple, efficient and successful – no matter your business’ size or market.