We cannot tell you how many times a client has come to us and said, “We licensed a Learning Management System, but it came with no content,” or “It came with hundreds of courses, but much of the content is outdated, generic or simply not something we would put in front of our employees.”
The issue is not necessarily the LMS. It may do exactly what it was designed to do: assign training, track completion and generate reports.
The problem is the content.
A large course library can sound impressive when selecting an LMS. But once you start reviewing those courses, you may discover that quantity does not necessarily mean quality.
Some content may be outdated or may not reflect current Canadian or provincial compliance requirements. Some may be generic, poorly designed or lack meaningful interaction. Increasingly, organizations may also encounter content that appears to have been rapidly AI-generated without the subject-matter review, instructional design or quality control they expect.
So, once you have the LMS, how do you find training content worth putting into it?
Start With the Content, Not the Course Count
A library of 500 courses has little value if only a handful meet your organization’s needs.
Start by identifying the training your workforce requires. Consider:
- What training is mandatory?
- What needs to reflect a particular jurisdiction?
- What topics are important to your organization or industry?
- Which courses are for everyone?
- Which courses are specific to supervisors, managers or particular roles?
Then look at the quality of the individual programs rather than the size of the catalogue.
Look for Qualified Subject-Matter Expertise
Anyone can create a slide that explains a definition.
The more important question is: Who developed the content?
For compliance training, look for programs written or reviewed by qualified subject-matter experts who understand both the requirements and how they apply in the workplace.
Good training does more than provide enough information for someone to answer a quiz question. Learners need to gain knowledge about the topic and understand how to apply that knowledge to their jobs and professional responsibilities.
Look at How the Course Teaches
Professional eLearning is not a PowerPoint presentation with a Next button.
Consider whether the program:
- Uses realistic scenarios
- Asks learners to make decisions
- Includes activities that reinforce key concepts
- Uses clear and accessible language
- Feels current and relevant
Good eLearning moves beyond “Here is what the rule says” and asks learners to consider, “How would you apply it?”
Ensure the Content Can Be Customized
Off-the-shelf training can provide a strong foundation, but organizations often need more.
Look for content that can be customized to incorporate your organization’s:
- Branding
- Policies
- Reporting procedures
- Terminology
- Industry-specific scenarios
Employees should not finish compliance training understanding the general requirements but still wondering, “What do I do here?”
Where appropriate, the training should connect the learning back to the organization’s own policies and procedures.
Look for a Vendor That Listens
This is one that can easily be overlooked.
What happens after you license the course and start receiving feedback from employees, managers or your own subject-matter experts?
A scenario may not resonate. An explanation may need to be clearer. A quiz question may be interpreted differently than intended. Or someone may simply identify an opportunity to make the program better.
That feedback has value.
Not every eLearning provider is willing to go back into production once a course has been developed and added to its catalogue.
Ask how a potential vendor handles client feedback. Are they willing to review it? Will they make changes when the feedback improves the learning experience?
Look for a vendor that sees a course as something that can continue to improve rather than a finished product that never changes.
Ask How the Content Is Kept Current
This is particularly important for compliance training.
Ask who is responsible for monitoring legislative changes and keeping the content current. How frequently are programs reviewed? Are updates included in the licence? What happens when there is a significant legislative change?
Quality content requires ongoing attention.
Having Authoring Tools Does Not Make You an eLearning Developer
Many LMS platforms include authoring tools, and organizations may purchase them with every intention of developing their own courses.
Then they discover how much goes into producing quality eLearning.
Subject-matter expertise is only the beginning. There is instructional design, script writing, scenario development, graphics, narration, accessibility, programming, testing and ongoing maintenance.
Authoring tools have their place, particularly for internal communications, policy updates and organization-specific learning. But developing professional eLearning can quickly become another business operation.
This can apply to professional service firms as well. Lawyers, HR consultants and other subject-matter experts may already provide training to their clients and see an opportunity to extend that expertise to the client’s broader workforce through online learning.
They can remain involved in the substance and development of the training without having to build the entire eLearning production capability themselves.
Sometimes the better question is not “Can we build this ourselves?” but “Is building and maintaining this ourselves the best use of our resources?”
Your LMS Is Only Part of the Learning Experience
An LMS gives you the infrastructure to deliver, assign and track training.
The content determines what employees experience.
Before licensing eLearning content, look beyond the number of courses in the catalogue. Review the quality. Ask who developed it. Confirm that it meets your compliance requirements. Look at how it teaches, whether it can be customized, whether the vendor listens to feedback and how the content will be kept current.
Key Takeaway:
Your LMS manages and tracks the training. The quality of the eLearning content creates the learning experience. A SCORM training file allows that content to work with the LMS.
