E-learning and training platforms have made knowledge just a click away possible. The key to success lies in creating captivating content. Imagine opening a book and finding the same story repeated again and again. Pretty boring, right? That's why e-learning companies and L&D Managers must strive to keep their content fresh, appealing and most importantly accurate.
The problem arises when it comes to keeping the content up-to-date and interesting. Learners these days are bombarded with a lot of content because of social media like Instagram, YouTube etc. Imagine having to constantly battle against that tide of information in that massive size. It is a huge hurdle, but not an impossible one to jump over. One major tool that helps us in this goal Is Repurposing old content.
We have heard of the 3 Rs in the world of sustainability. One of the most important “R” is Repurposing. So, what exactly is content repurposing? It's the art of taking existing training materials and giving them a makeover. For both the fight against climate change to build long-lasting development and in creating gripping and educational training content, the Mantra is the same – Learn to repurpose most effectively.
What Does Repurposing Mean in the eLearning World?
Repurposing is taking existing materials, such as videos, presentations, or documents, and giving them a new purpose or format to better serve your learners.
For e-learning companies and organizations, repurposing is crucial when it comes to training material. It is important to keep updating and transforming outdated or underused content into valuable learning assets.
Repurposing compels us to sit down and brainstorm on how to maximize our existing resources and make use of what we already have, Instead of constantly creating new materials from scratch.
Let us look into a few benefits of Repurposing your old content.
It’s cost-effective. We don’t have to pour in more resources into creating content constantly, companies can repurpose existing materials at a fraction of the cost.
The content will stay relevant with time. Having to repurpose forces us to constantly update and learn more about the topic, and compels us to research new advancements in that particular field. This makes the material very crucial and usable even with time.
Improves user engagement. By presenting information in different formats or contexts, learners are more likely to stay interested and retain what they've learned.
Assessing Your Existing Content
A major precursor one has to do before repurposing is knowing and labelling all your previous content. This is a very important step and must not be skipped. It's pretty impossible to repurpose and update pre-existing material if you don’t know what assets you already have in the locker.
Ask several questions and tackle them one by one, does this information align with the learner’s objective? Is it still useful? Is the format engaging? How can this material be further elevated?
One important factor that’s neglected is taking the learners’ advice. Their insights can help pinpoint areas for improvement and identify which materials are ripe for repurposing.
It's truly remarkable to consider the rich history of collective effort poured into the same material over the years. Each year, fresh minds join in bringing their unique perspectives and contributions.
5 Effective Ways to Repurpose Training Content
Without beating around the bush, Let us point by point go through some common tried and tested ways to repurpose old training material.
Transform Text-Based Content into Interactive Modules
People prefer to have bite-sized, concise lessons to lengthy paragraphs. We have to move in the direction that gives us the best outcome, and here it is to make the learners learn as effectively as they can in the limited time they have. By breaking down text-heavy content into smaller chunks, you make it easier for learners to digest and retain information.
2. Convert Live Sessions into On-Demand Webinars
Live training sessions are great, but what about learners who can't attend? Webinars are the easy solution here. Identify key topics from your live sessions and repurpose them into bite-sized webinars that learners can access anytime, anywhere. Add interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions to keep viewers engaged. And don't forget to track webinar analytics to gauge learner engagement and effectiveness. This little information can make a massive difference in future repurposing sessions.
3. Create Microlearning Modules from Lengthy Courses
Long courses can feel like a marathon – daunting and exhausting. Breaking them down into shorter, focused microlearning modules helps to digest the information much more easily. Not only does this increase retention, but it also offers learners the flexibility to learn at their own pace. And when designing microlearning content, remember to cater to various learning styles. We should always keep in mind that different people learn at different paces and it's our responsibility to work according to that.
4. Repackage Content for Different Learning Formats
Content re-packaging is like creating a buffet of the same material and letting the learner decide which format is best suited for them. Some would prefer visual formats like video and pictures to learn, while others would want to listen to it like a podcast when they are multitasking. Giving them the option and making it accessible is our duty as the learners know themselves the best. Adding elements of visual storytelling, graphics and illustrations are different ways to present the same material.
5. Convert to Gamified Learning Experiences
Learning can be fun, and we should make an effort to make it as engaging as we can. Introduce gamification elements to your training content and watch learner motivation soar. From game-based challenges to rewards and leaderboards, gamified learning is like turning education into a personal adventure. There are many theories and research that emphasize the retention ability of gamification in education. Incorporating it is beneficial and exciting. A few gamification methods are:
Maintaining a leadership board
Maintaining streak
Giving rewards after completion
Tools You Can Use To Repurpose eLearning Content
When it comes to repurposing training content, having the right tools can make all the difference. Let's have a look at some popular options:
Articulate Storyline: This tool is a favourite among e-learning professionals for its intuitive interface and robust features. It allows you to easily create interactive courses, making it suitable for transforming text-based content into engaging modules.
Camtasia: Known for its powerful screen recording and video editing capabilities, Camtasia is perfect for incorporating multimedia elements into your content. It's ideal for converting live sessions into on-demand webinars.
Lumen5: This software can turn your blog posts and written texts into videos using AI and machine learning. It summarizes the texts and adds appropriate images and stills from its library. This is super beneficial when one has to repurpose their training material and also can help in giving inspiration on how to create their visual forms.
Canva: An Australia-based easy-to-use graphic design tool that also has become a go-to for video editing, especially suitable for the fast-paced development of L&D content.
When choosing the right tool, look for those that fit within your budget and can grow with your business. Additionally, ensure compatibility with your existing systems and workflows for seamless integration.
Conclusion
Training content has to be accurate and appealing, and the best way to keep it that way is to repurpose it. Constant updating is important to keep your material the best in the market, as we want to help the learners learn skills that are needed in this day and age.
By constantly evaluating and refining their repurposing strategies, companies can ensure their training content remains relevant, engaging, and impactful for learners for a long time
Common ways to repurpose your material are: Turning it into a different format, Gamification the pre-existing content, changing the medium of the material like text to video or audio, making it bite-sized and compact, making webinars from live sessions and many more.
Learning is a continuous process, and that makes it crucial to make the method of learning adaptable and fluid. New to creating eLearning Content? Check out our blog post that walks you through the steps.