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well as a reluctance to be inside his cage
Ask the Experts: Creating an Online Course
Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dog*biz sets out the basics to help dog trainers, animal behavior consultants and pet professionals design and create their own online courses
Q: Like a lot of trainers I’m doing more online these days. I’ve been doing my private consults mostly by Zoom, and have ex‐perimented with teaching group classes that way, too. I’m get‐ting more and more comfortable online and it’s got me thinking about all the possibilities. I have an idea for an online course that I can’t get out of my head, but I’m a little (well, a lot) intimidated by the tech side of things. Where do I even start?
A: I love that you’re thinking big and letting your creativity lead you in new directions. If we’ve learned anything from last year, it’s to be flexible, think outside the box, and stare our fears down.
The main thing you’ll need to create an online course is a piece of software called a Learning Management System, or LMS for short. It’s the platform you’ll build your class on, and the platform your students will log into to take your course.
There are tons of LMS options, which can make choosing a bit daunting. But if you Google something along the lines of “top LMS platforms for small businesses” you’ll find helpful review articles to get you started. From there, you’ll want to compare pricing and features, narrow down to a few that look most promising, and then ask for a testdrive. Many will give you a 30day free trial to poke and play around inside, and some will schedule time to get on a oneonone call to walk you through their system and answer your questions.
In terms of features, think a bit about the experience you want your students to have. For example, do you want the option of both live and ondemand learning? Will you use quizzes? Do you want students to be able to access all the material at once, or will you require them to complete one section before moving on to the next (or maybe even pass a quiz to do so)? Will there be handouts or workbooks to download? Etc.
As you play with free trials or sit through exploratory calls, keep your own experience in mind, too. The back end of these systems can vary quite a bit, and you’ll want to choose one that feels instinctual and comfortable to work in.
Technical Requirements
As you move forward there will be a few additional tech requirements— you’ll want to make sure you have a good microphone for recording, for example, and a camera if you’ll be on screen. (You don’t have to go for expensive options for either.) You’ll also need a good way to record lessons you intend to upload to your LMS. (Plenty of options for this, too, when you’re ready.)
Your LMS is your biggest investment, though, and the one that will
A lot of us have found ourselves on the steep end of a learning curve this past year. It can be helpful to remember that we ask our dog training clients to have fun as they learn with their dogs. That’s good advice for any learning curve!
© Can Stock Photo / ValeriyLebedev Dog trainers and pet behavior consultants can reach a wider audience by creating their own online courses
have the largest impact on your experience and your students’, so I recommend starting there.
One final word of encouragement and advice: Have FUN with this. Let your creativity flow as you design your course, and approach learning the tech side of it all as an adventure. A lot of us have found ourselves on the steep end of a learning curve this past year. It can be helpful to remember that we ask our dog training clients to have fun as they learn with their dogs. That’s good advice for any learning curve! n If you missed the open enrollment period for the dogbiz THRIVE! group coaching membership program in January, our friends at dogbiz recom‐mend getting on the wait list now to be the first to hear about the next opportunity to join! ‐ Ed.
Veronica Boutelle MA Ed CTC is founder and co-president of dog*biz, and author of How to Run Your Dog Business and co-author of Minding Your Dog Business. dog*biz offers professionally designed positive reinforcement dog training class curricula, including Open-Enrollment Puppy, Open-Enrollment Basic Manners, and short Topics classes built for retention. Do you have a question for the business experts at dog*biz? Submit your question for consideration to: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com
