How to Create a Course in Litmos

Creating an impactful and efficient online course requires more than just great content; it demands a robust platform to bring it to life. In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through the step-by-step journey of designing, enhancing, and delivering a course on Litmos, one of the leading LMS platforms. From setting up your course and structuring content to refining layouts for an engaging learner experience and ensuring ongoing course relevance, you'll uncover the best practices and strategies to transform your educational vision into reality. Ready to elevate your course creation process? Dive in and discover how to harness the full potential of Litmos to create courses that captivate and educate.

Course Setup in Litmos

To set up a course in Litmos, begin by logging into the platform as an administrator or course author. Navigate to the Courses tab in the top menu to manage all course-related activities.

After accessing the Courses tab, create a new course or select an existing one. Enter a distinct course title to help identify the course easily. Save your new course. Proceed to the course settings to define crucial details like the course description, objectives, and tags. These settings are essential for organizing courses and providing clarity for users navigating the platform.

Understand key terms in the setup process such as "Tags" for categorizing content, "Objectives" for outlining learning goals, and "Description" for giving an overview of the course content. Ensuring these elements are accurately filled out will facilitate a seamless learning experience.

Incorporating and Structuring Course Content

Incorporating various types of content into your course on Litmos is essential for creating an engaging and comprehensive learning experience. When uploading SCORM files, simply drag and drop your prepared files or select them manually. Adherently, ensure that your SCORM packages are polished, consistent, and compliant with SCORM 1.2 for optimal functionality. Beyond SCORM modules, documents of various formats can be included to provide detailed written materials or references. Litmos supports videos (.mp4, .mov), making it easy to upload these files, but remember to keep videos under 100 MB for smooth playback.

Multimedia elements like videos and images can significantly raise the engagement level of your courses. Make videos visually appealing and relevant to the course material, possibly creating custom thumbnails for an inviting first impression. Embedding short, high-quality videos within your course encourages interaction and helps in explaining complex concepts efficiently. Pictures can support visual learning, and embedding diagrams or infographics can break down challenging ideas into digestible segments.

To enhance interactivity, quizzes and interactive elements are imperative. Litmos allows the incorporation of various question types in quizzes to test learners’ understanding and retention. Mix true/false, multiple-choice, and short answer questions to maintain engagement. Interactive elements, such as branched scenarios or drag-and-drop activities, can make the learning experience immersive. Structuring content logically – starting with the basics, progressively moving to complex topics, and regularly interspersing assessments – ensures a smooth and effective learning journey.

Enhancing Course Layout and Delivery

Elevating the course structure and presentation is crucial for creating a cohesive learning environment using Litmos. Leveraging the available themes and templates allows for extensive customization, ensuring that course content aligns with your organization's branding. The Content Author tool offers options to adjust fonts, colors, and logos, providing the flexibility to design courses that are visually appealing and consistent. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also reinforces brand identity, contributing to a more immersive experience.

Incorporating multiple pages or slides and various multimedia components can further enrich the learner's journey. Litmos supports this versatility by allowing content authors to create, delete, and reorder pages, facilitating a logical flow of information and maintaining learner engagement. The unique module creation feature ensures that even complex subjects are broken down into manageable segments, making learning more digestible and impactful.

Additionally, the ability to tailor the look and feel of course materials helps maintain a professional and polished appearance. Thoughtful use of design elements ensures that the content is not only engaging but also retains a high standard of quality. The combination of comprehensive customization options and interactive capabilities makes Litmos a powerful tool for delivering effective and visually compelling online courses.

Publishing, Monitoring, and Updating Your Course

Preview your course to ensure it functions as intended. Open the course module, click on "Preview presentation" on the right pane, and the course will open in a new window. Ensure you check the course on multiple devices, such as desktop, iPad, and mobile, to guarantee compatibility across platforms. Once satisfied with the course content, you can publish it directly into Litmos Training as SCORM 1.2 or download the SCORM 1.2 ZIP file for future use. Set the course completion criteria by selecting one of the available options: reaching the last page, passing a quiz with a minimum percentage, or providing a declaration of completion.

Track your course performance by navigating to the Reports section to access critical data such as employee engagement levels, courses completed, and quiz scores. For instance, low quiz scores might indicate the need for additional materials or clearer instructions. Encourage learners to provide feedback using integrated surveys or feedback forms within the course.

Update your course based on feedback and performance data. Refine content, add new materials, or adjust the course structure as needed. Utilize the Content Author Resource Library to easily access and attach new resources or documents. Regular updates ensure the course remains relevant and effective, continuously meeting your organization’s evolving learning needs.

Summary

In this comprehensive guide, readers will discover how to create a course on Litmos, one of the leading LMS platforms. The article covers key steps, including course setup, content incorporation and structuring, enhancing course layout and delivery, and publishing, monitoring, and updating the course. Key takeaways include the importance of accurately filling out course settings, incorporating various types of content for engagement, customizing course layout for a cohesive and immersive experience, and regularly updating the course based on feedback and performance data.