There are several ways for learners to access eLearning in today’s landscape, but with so many different varieties available…which is best? Well, in this blog we’re pitting the two main players in the business against each other in an epic battle. Who will come out top? Let’s find out!
First things first, what do these terms actually mean? Let’s take a look at off the shelf eLearning and bespoke eLearning in a bit more detail.
What is Bespoke eLearning?
Bespoke eLearning (also known as custom eLearning) is content specifically made for your organization. It can be created in-house, using an authoring tool, or externally, depending on what you need. But, no matter the method of execution, this type of eLearning is always personalized.
In other words, you supply a brief, along with your goals, relevant information, policies, branding, and other documentation. Then some clever little sausage takes it away to work their magic. The result? A learning experience that engages users, embodies your brand and delivers the message you set out to communicate. Magic!
What Is Off The Shelf eLearning?
Off-the-shelf eLearning refers to ready-made courses that can be rolled out quickly, either through an LMS, LXP or another platform. This kind of content usually revolves around compliance procedures or more general subjects where personalization isn’t necessary, such as health and safety, workplace wellbeing, equality and diversity, and customer service training.
A common misconception around off-the-shelf eLearning content is that it’s not as effective as its bespoke counterparts. This isn’t necessarily true. The reason off-the-shelf options are cheaper is that they can be sold in larger quantities to more people, whereas custom eLearning can’t. So, don’t let a lower price convince you that the product itself is cheap.
Off The Shelf Courses Vs Bespoke: Which Is Best?
So, now we know about and understand bespoke and off-the-shelf eLearning – which is best? As you might imagine, there are pros and cons for both depending on your requirements and budget. If you’re still on the fence, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty and look at a few areas you might want to consider before making a decision.
Your Budget
The first factor to consider when you’re looking to invest in great learning experiences is: what’s your budget? As with anything, how much you’re looking to spend will influence the type and quality of eLearning content you get.
This is where off-the-shelf eLearning comes into its own, as these types of courses are much cheaper than bespoke options. But this doesn’t mean they are any less effective. Off-the-shelf eLearning is like a suit you buy off the rack. It looks the part and does the job. But it’s not made to fit your exact measurements like a tailor-made suit.
While bespoke eLearning is likely to be more expensive upfront, it can actually save you money in the future. Often with off-the-shelf eLearning, you pay for a certain number of licences. So, if your business grows, you’ll have to pay more to roll out the training to more users. Or, if processes or procedures change in your business, you won’t have the power to update your training, which can cost more in the long run. Bespoke eLearning gives you more control on who, and how many people, you can reach and how easy and cost-effective it is to update it in the future.
Your Goal
What you are trying to achieve with your eLearning course will also play a big part in the type of content you invest in.
As mentioned, off-the-shelf eLearning is great for compliance-related subjects, like GDPR, health & safety, and food hygiene. This is because these subjects centre on laws or industry standards, which aren’t just specific to your organization but applicable to everyone. For that reason, if you’re looking to train staff on general topics, off-the-shelf eLearning modules are, one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to do it.
But let’s say your organization is looking to launch a new product and you want to deliver training to your sales staff to help them sell it. There is no way you’ll find an off-the-shelf eLearning course out there that will fulfill that brief effectively. After all, it’s your product, no one else’s.
In these situations, custom e-learning is the only way. To see an example of this, take a look at the e-Niro learning experience we developed for Sales Executives at Kia Motors UK ahead of the new vehicle’s launch.
Your Deadline
If you need an eLearning course urgently, off the shelf content is the way to go. As they are ready-made, and usually SCORM compliant, they can be quickly uploaded to your existing LMS or LXP with very little fuss or waiting around.
Because bespoke eLearning is made for your specific needs, it takes a little longer to develop. There’s usually a collaborative period where course designers will work to understand your needs, processes, learners, brand, product, and any other relevant information. This is then followed by time to design, create, develop and test the course.
While this might take longer, it means that the final product is entirely personalized to your business and the people within it. With sufficient future-proofing, too, this kind of learning content can be tweaked as time goes by and still be relevant to your organization’s needs while staying true to your brand.
Our Verdict
Both bespoke and off-the-shelf eLearning have advantages and disadvantages ranging from costs to personalization and time constraints.
There is no one size fits all winner when it comes to off the shelf courses vs bespoke. Rather, the best choice for your organization, employees, and learners depends on your needs and budget.
Our hot take?
Choose bespoke eLearning if:
- You want a course that feels like it’s part of your organization’s DNA
- You need to communicate information or processes that are very specific to your organization
- Your organization is expected to grow or change in the near future
Choose off-the-shelf courses if:
- You need a bank of effective, up-to-date generic compliance-based eLearning modules
- You need to roll out eLearning quickly
The good news is, you can have it all with DBLX. We offer both bespoke and off-the-shelf learning experiences that work for any business or budget. Check out our projects to get a taste, or contact us and let’s see what we can do for you.