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6 Steps to Develop Curriculum-based E-learning Courses for Medical Sales Training

Healthcare sales representatives come from different educational backgrounds. The toughest part in the pharmaceutical industry is promoting products to customers who are more knowledgeable than the sales reps i.e., doctors. To overcome this setback, sales representatives must be provided comprehensive training, not only on the products but also on the diseases, their cures, symptoms, etiology, etc. For example, if the product treats a brain-related disorder, it is essential for the sales representative to know about the anatomy and physiology of the brain, symptoms related to the disorder, how effective the product is in curing this disorder, and so on.

In this case, curriculum-based training proves to be a viable solution. Curriculum-based e-learning courses are a series of modules that provide in-depth knowledge of a particular subject. Each online module discusses one topic, and by the end of the curriculum, the learner can attain comprehensive knowledge on the subject. Continuing with the above example, the anatomy and physiology of brain could be one module, symptoms related to the disorder another, the drug and its effects yet another module, and so on.

So how can we develop such curriculum e-learning courses? Let’s take a look at 6 steps for the successful development of such courses.

1. Analyze the Inputs

The first thing the e-learning team needs to do on receiving the inputs is, analyze them. They need to identify the modules in the course and common screens from the modules.

2. Choose Common Presentation Patterns

After choosing the common screens, the visual design team needs to finalize presentation patterns for them which will be reused throughout the course. This is to reduce development efforts and maintain consistency throughout the course as the modules are related to each other. Some common screens we encounter include the Welcome, Introduction, and Learning Objectives screens. For example, each module can be introduced using the character of a doctor. The doctor remains the same in all the modules, but the introduction content differs.

3. Decide a Design Strategy for the Final Quiz

The Final Quiz is an essential part of a curriculum-based course as it helps check the extent to which learners gained knowledge after taking the course. To make it interesting and engaging, the design team can create-decision making scenarios or include games. For instance, take a look at the screenshot below; this is a scenario between a doctor and a healthcare sales representative. The doctor asks a few questions related to the product and the sales representative must respond appropriately to them.

Decide a Design Strategy for the Final Quiz

4. Get Final Approval on the Prototype

After finalizing the strategy for the course, final quiz, and designing the common screens, the e-learning development team needs to develop a fully functional prototype of the course to be sent to the client. This prototype is reviewed and approved by the client if it is in line with their expectations. Once the prototype is approved, the rest of the modules can be developed.

5. Create a Standard Template Library

Since all modules in a curriculum-based course are related to each other, the look and feel of them must remain consistent. For that, standardization is the key. A standard template library with all approved templates, visual elements (such as icons, animations, images, etc.) must be created and distributed among the development team. The team has to choose among those templates to develop the modules.

6. Keep Adding New Templates to the Existing Library

It is not enough to create a template library once and leave it. It is the responsibility of the designers to keep adding new templates and designs whenever there is a chance to make the course more interesting. For example, if there are 10 modules in the course, along with re-using the existing templates, for every module, either one or two new templates must be designed so that they can be used in the next modules. This provides a fresh look to the course and the learner does not get bored seeing the same templates.

These 6 steps will help you develop curriculum-based e-learning courses effectively. I hope you find this blog useful. Do share your views on this.

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