How To Start Online College

How To Start An Online School In 202: The Complete Guide

This is a comprehensive guide on how to start an online school successfully in 2023.

Online learning has become a preferred mode of education for every industry. This opens limitless opportunities for educators to share their know-how with online audiences and make money.

And one of the best ways to do that is by starting an online school.

The online academy model is ideal for anyone looking to make profits as well as create an impact by building a long-term eLearning business.

If that sounds like the right business model for you, keep reading as well go over everything you need to know and do to create an online school.

Over the years, Ive helped build and launch dozens of successful online schools, including StationX, where Im currently the Partner Marketing.

Lets dive right in.

Upload Your First Online Course

If you have already prepared training material on the subject video, text documents, or blog posts, you are one step ahead as you can reuse your content into the course. However, if you are creating new content from scratch, our step-by-step guide on creating online courses can give you the best guidelines.

Once you have prepared your learning material, you can upload them on the LearnWorlds platform by following our quick instructions below:

Give a catchy title to the course, select a user-friendly URL for it, select the type of access for the course, and choose an image that goes with it. And thats it.

Then, you are ready to start editing the course layout:

and you can add your content and learning activities section by section:

Depending on the kind of learning, training, or coaching you will be doing, you will probably use various learning activities. The most common learning activities on courses are ebooks, PDFs, video, and audio lessons. You can complement these with educational quizzes, exams, SCORM/HTML5 or certificates.

The Tools You Will Need

Every business has an essential tool-set to help them manage different aspects of it, automate repetitive tasks, or improve productivity.

LearnWorlds comes equipped with many of these tools as built-in functionalities and connects with the top software tools to take care of the rest.

Some of those come as direct integrations or can be connected by using Zapier.

So, what are the essential tools for an e-learning business?

• Email marketing software
• Analytics software
• General Marketing & Sales tools
• Productivity apps, Zapier, and others

You May Like: What Kind Of College Should I Go To Test

Configure Most Important School Settings

Now that you have decided on your online school business model, created some courses, and designed your school website, you can start configuring.

There are many moving parts to configuring your online school platform to run as smoothly as possible, so well go over the most important settings below.

When Does Online School Start

Online classes can start at almost any time of year, and there are many online colleges starting soon. Some online degree programs follow a traditional academic calendar, while others have multiple start dates or are self paced.

Below are some explanations of these different types online learning schedules so that you can decide which one would work best for you.

You May Like: How Do I Find Grants For College

Choose And Connect Your Domain Name

Your domain name plays such a huge role in how users perceive your brand. Its inviting and trustworthy to your customers and helps establish your brand identity.

When it comes to choosing the right domain, it should be short, unique, brandable, easy to remember, and, if possible, incorporate your keyword.

Now, there are different types of domain endings. The most popular ones are .com and .co, but you can also opt for .edu or .net, or a country-specific domain ending .

Once you have bought your domain name, just follow the instructions provided by your course platform to connect it to your website.

Its important to note that all course platforms generally provide a free subdomain that you can use I dont recommend doing that.

This is because free domain names make it more difficult for users to find you. Plus, theyre tied to a specific platform, making it difficult for you to switch platforms in the future.

For example, if you use Thinkific to build your online school, the default Thinkific subdomain will look like yourschool.thinkific.com.

Having a free subdomain like this is acceptable for a hobby or an academic project, but professional online schools should always use a domain they own .

What Is The Cost Of Taking College Courses While In High School

For the summer or fall 2022 term, dual credit or online tuition is $25 per credit hour and most courses for high school students are 3 credit hours. For early admission West Virginia residents, on-campus classes are $145 per credit hour. Tuition can be paid for online and on-campus courses through the Office of the Bursar at Marshall. Information is available at our How to Pay page. Dual credit students make payments directly to their high schools or county school boards.

You May Like: How Much Will Financial Aid Cover For College

Productivity Apps Zapier And Others

Productivity apps are everything that makes your job easier. From a Hubspot CRM to an automation software like Zapier.

Anything that makes tedious tasks not an issue can help you manage your business more efficiently and save you the valuable time you would otherwise spend on activities that needed more attention.

LearnWorlds integrates with most productivity apps through direct integration or Zapier. This way, you can automate many of the tedious tasks, i.e., updating customer information in a CRM.

You can create LearnWorlds Zaps to automate an abundance of repetitive workflows. Learn more about LearnWorlds integrations powered by zapier in this article.

Are Online Universities Expensive

Typically online universities are able to offer less expensive tuition compared to brick and mortar universities. This is often because there are less building maintenance requirements, staffing needs, living expenses for students, etc. At WGU for example, tuition for an undergraduate program is approximately $3,500 for a six-month term. This is much lower than most online and traditional degree programs.

You May Like: How Do College Coaches Recruit Players

Promote Your Online School

Sales and marketing are all about strategies to attract people to your online school and convert them into paying students.

You may have awesome courses and a great-looking website, but youll struggle to get students unless you have a solid marketing plan.

So lets go over some of the popular marketing strategies.

How Many Hours A Week Should I Plan For Studies

The number of hours you need to commit to studying will depend on the type of class, the assignments, and your own study habits.

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

Is this a subject you are naturally good at? Does studying consist primarily of reading, writing papers, or practicing a skill? Do you work best in intensely focused long stretches of time or do you require lots of breaks? Factors like these will influence the amount of time you need to dedicate to studying.

The general rule of thumb is:

• For subjects that are difficult for you: Plan to study 4 hours per week for every credit hour
• For subjects that are easier for you: Plan to study 2-3 hours per week for every credit hour

Keep this in mind as you select your classes each term or semester. You will need not just enough time to take each class, but enough time to study for each class, too.

Read Also: How Do You Transfer Credits From One College To Another

How Is An Online College Different From An On

An accredited online college offers the same valuable and respected degrees that an on-campus college offers. The main difference is that online colleges offer you flexibility in your program. For example, you don’t have to go to campus and sit in a classroom. You can move faster through courses. You are largely independent in your education. These are benefits that help many students pursue degrees who may not be able to attend an on-campus college.

What Technology Is Required To Take An Online Course

A: All you need to complete your degree online is access to a computer with an internet connection.

Its that simple. Courses are designed to be very user-friendly, so if you have general computer literacy and regularly use the internet, you shouldnt have issues completing an online course.

For each course, you will go to your course website to attend lectures, participate in discussions, and complete quizzes and assignments. Some courses will require you to log in at a specific time for a live lecture and discussion, but even these courses are recorded for students who are unable to attend. The goal of online education is to create a flexible learning environment so individuals can more easily balance their professional, personal and education commitments.

Read Also: What’s The Highest Degree You Can Get In Community College

Check The School’s Accreditation Status

Distance learners should always choose a properly accredited school. But what is accreditation, and why does it matter?

Accredited institutions meet high standards for educating learners. Schools receive accreditation by undergoing a rigorous review from an independent accrediting agency. These accrediting agencies evaluate a school’s academic mission, teaching materials, student learning outcomes, and faculty qualifications.

And accreditation matters for students. Accredited schools tend to provide a higher-quality education that meets the requirements for more professional licenses and certifications. In many fields, employers only hire graduates from accredited institutions. And only distance learners at accredited schools can qualify for federal financial aid programs.

Get To Know Your Professors

If you only engage your online education by showing up to giant virtual lectures and sitting for exams, you simply arent taking advantage of the access you have to your professor. Not only that, but your professor probably has no idea who you are, which wont help when you come looking for a letter of recommendation. Send a personal email to each of your professors at the start of a semester. Introduce yourself and let them know how excited you are to be taking their class. Dont have to lay it on too thick. Just be cool, yknow? The important thing is to open lines of communication and keep them open. Dont be afraid to correspond outside of class time to ask questions, seek clarifications, or even just express a greater interest in subject matter that really speaks to you. You never know when you might be initiating correspondence with a future mentor, somebody who can truly deepen your knowledge and appreciation of a subject. Correspond only through the proper channels, of course. Your online engineering professor wont be impressed if you show at her front door on a dark and stormy night with a fruit basket and a profound inquiry about quantum mechanics. Shell just call the police. But a respectfully enthusiastic email now and then could foster a valuable relationship.

Also Check: Can College Students Apply For Food Stamps

The Online Learning Structure

The increasing number of online degree programs means that it’s becoming easier to choose one that fits your specific needs. If you’re worried that distance education might be too isolating, many online programs offer synchronous courses consisting of streaming video lectures and live chat discussions. If you like to make your own schedule, many programs are completely asynchronous that is, you can do your coursework any time you like.

Most online degree programs will use both types of courses. Some courses will have recorded audio or video lectures followed by exercises or quizzes. Others will provide text online and then require the student to complete essays and send them to the instructor.

Many classes will have a discussion component. In asynchronous classes, this discussion will consist of a message board, with students posting their thoughts and responding to others over several days. In synchronous classes, discussions will take place using a designated chat room, video chat, or instant messaging.

Create Your Online School

The next step is to choose a platform to help you take your school online.

You might already be aware of some education platforms where you can host single courses, but Im going to recommend you avoid them and look for a more comprehensive solution.

You need a platform that allows you to:

• Build a standalone and customizable website.
• Offer a wide range of payment options.
• Set up recurring monthly payments.
• Monetize in a way that suits your business.
• Host your core video content.
• Upload a variety of supporting materials.
• Create a community area for your students.
• Access detailed analytics.

You can do all of this and much, much more by using a video monetization platform, like Uscreen. You can find out more about us, and what we offer, or watching the video below:

Also Check: How To Get Off College Mailing Lists

Are Online Degrees Easier Or Faster Than Earning Your Degree In Person

A: It depends on your needs as a student.

Lets set the record straightan online class is just as much work as an in-person class. Youre required to complete the same coursework you would for any other degree. But, there are aspects of online education that can make getting your degree more attainable, especially if youre a working professional.

• Asynchronous courses, which do not have to be attended on a specified day and time, make it easier to complete coursework around your schedule.
• Balanced scheduling, which is practiced by high-quality online colleges, ensures that the amount of work that needs to be completed each week is about the same over the length of the course.
• Flexible scheduling can provide you the opportunity to take courses at your own pace. Whether you only have time to take one course at a time, or can take multiple classes, you can find the right fit for your schedule.

If you have the ability to take multiple courses at a time, many online degrees, especially masters degrees, can be completed on accelerated timelines. The number of course credits required will be equivalent to a degree that would be completed on-campus, but the frequency of courses, flexible academic calendar and transfer-friendly nature of some online colleges can expedite degree completion.

Confirm Student Support Resources

The best online colleges offer ample student support services. For example, most online universities offer admissions and financial aid advising to help incoming students enroll. Once learners join a college, they meet with academic advisors to plan their class schedules. Many colleges offer online tutoring, writing centers, and library access to distance learners.

Look for schools with internship programs, career services, and mentorship opportunities. These support services help learners plan their next step and train for the job market. Research available student services when comparing online colleges. You can also contact schools to ask about their online services.

Don’t Miss: Are College 529 Contributions Tax Deductible

Best Online Classes Start Anytime

Home » 2023 Best Online Classes Start Anytime

Can online classes start anytime? If you are considering enrolling in an online degree program, you may be wondering about how course scheduling and academic calendars work for these types of programs.

There are many online college courses you can start anytime, so you can likely find a degree program that meets your particular scheduling needs.

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

If you have your finances in order and have met any necessary prerequisites, you may even be able to find online schools starting now.

Know The Major Competitors In The Industry

• Penn State World Campus
• University of Florida Distance Learning
• University of MinnesotaTwin Cities
• University of Arizona
• Oregon State UniversityOSU Campus

Economic Analysis

A lot of school districts are now creating their own online services to avoid paying external providers. This means that students can graduate from their home district without ever leaving home. In most of these cases, students are given computers, books, and even internet service to complete coursework from home. Also with the internet as a library, and the ease of getting online study materials, there is usually a comparatively small requirement for textbooks.

A lot of courses will provide electronic materials free of cost, or included in the course payment. Textbooks are most often needed for an exam syllabus course. Note that unlike traditional education delivery methods, students at online schools do not always directly interact with professors, while at other times it is as frequent as in traditional brick and mortar schools and merely takes on a different form. This is why this form of education is considered by many to be equivalent to a directed-learning program.

Also another disadvantage channeled to this form of learning is the added challenge of staying focused while in the home environment, and many students report that staying on task is the most difficult aspect of learning online but it still doesnt affect the fact that a good percentage of people prefer it.

You May Like: What To Get Someone For Graduation College

Choose A Platform To Build Your Online Courses

With the plethora of online learning platforms and learning management systems out there today, its easy to build your online school.

However, each one comes with its features, tools, and capabilities for building and promoting online courses, for learners enrollment and community management, and its essential to choose the LMS customized to your needs.

Using a state-of-the-art online learning management system like LearnWorlds will make your academy the must-go learning destination in your industry.

Get The Necessary Professional Certification

Certifications measure your knowledge and skills against industry- and vendor-specific benchmarks to prove to customers that you have the right mix of knowledge and organisation to impact into them. This educational sector has no pronounced professional certification, but you can make yourself relevant by acquiring general education industry certifications.

Don’t Miss: How To Be Recruited For College Baseball