What learners are looking for in courses

Learners are finding courses via online search

Let’s explore our research on the learner journey — what learners want throughout the process and where the gaps (read: program opportunities) are.

Our journey starts when learners are looking for courses. The top ways learners find courses or certifications to enroll in are online search (44%), word of mouth/referrals (36%), and industry events (34%). With such an array of channels that learners use to find courses, issuers should consider a multichannel approach when marketing their courses.

Additionally, our data reveals that issuers shouldn’t overlook the power of referrals. Even though only a third of learners report finding their course via referrals, referrals happen in less direct ways, such as when people see badges and certificates or share their experiences on social media.

Learners are looking for many things when they enroll in courses

As you build and promote your courses, it’s important to understand what criteria learners prioritize when deciding which course to enroll in. Learners report time commitment (61%), cost (59%), and whether a course is better than others on a similar topic (48%) as some of the most essential factors when considering learning options.

While we recommend the standard practices of conducting surveys, focus groups, or interviews with potential learners to understand their needs and preferences prior to launching a course, issuers should track learner engagement post-launch to optimize their courses.

Unfortunately, most issuers aren’t tracking engagement metrics and don’t have a sense of where learners are finding value and where they’re dropping off. Less than half of issuers track what content or courses learners are most engaged with (34%), which learners are most engaged (25%), course completion time (24%), and where learners drop off (14%) — missing out on critical insights to improve their programs.

Course design and format are also high on learners’ consideration criteria for enrollment, and we find issuers have work to do.

97% of learners report wanting learning pathways of linked modules or courses, but only 29% of issuers offer this. Learning pathways are attractive to learners because they visually communicate what courses a learner needs to take to master a desired skill, eliminating guesswork about what they should take next.

Issuers also have an opportunity to include projects to work on or an assessment so learners can apply and better retain what they are learning. 92% of learners want this but only 34% of issuers offer this.

Educational publisher McGraw Hill incorporates digital badging into comprehensive learning pathways, which can include a project or assessment, to guide students to competency.

“We personalize the learning experience by assessing a student's existing knowledge through a pretest, guiding them through targeted learning lessons based on those results, and then concluding with a post-test that can help track each individual learner's progress,” said Bob Nisbet, Senior Marketing Manager, McGraw Hill. “We’ve found this helps make learning more efficient and effective. Students know exactly what skills they need to acquire, and they can track their progress along the way.”