What's the difference between an e-learning course and an e-learning module?

An e-learning course is a full training programme designed to develop one or more skills. It usually includes several modules, assessments and learning activities. An e-learning module is a single unit within that programme, focused on a specific topic or learning objective.

What's the difference between digital learning, e-learning and distance learning?

E-learning is a form of learning based on digital content accessed online. Digital learning is a broader concept that covers e-learning as well as mobile learning, social learning and virtual classrooms. Distance learning refers to any training that learners complete without being physically present, whether it's digital or not. It's often used interchangeably with remote learning, but the two can be told apart: remote learning keeps learners in regular contact with a trainer who leads the sessions, for example in a virtual classroom, while distance learning usually means self-paced study with little or no interaction with a trainer.

What is an e-learning platform?

An e-learning platform is a tool used to create, deliver and track online training. In the workplace, it's usually an LMS (learning management system), which centralises learning paths, enrolments, assessments and learner progress tracking. To see how it compares with an LXP, read our guide to LMS vs LXP.

What are the benefits of an e-learning course?

E-learning offers a high degree of flexibility. Learners train at their own pace, wherever they are. For organisations, it makes training scalable across the workforce, reduces some logistical constraints, simplifies learner tracking and makes content quick to update.

What are the drawbacks of an e-learning course?

E-learning can lead to drop-off if learning paths aren't engaging enough, and it's less suited to hands-on skills. Organisations tackle drop-off with gamification, while classroom training or blended learning remain the better options for hands-on skills. Technical issues (an unstable connection, unsuitable equipment) can also hinder learning, as can screen fatigue and cognitive load. Not every employee is equally comfortable with digital tools: the digital divide remains something to watch, as does the risk of piling up content without proper instructional design.

E-Learning Course: The Complete Guide to Creating One

An e-learning course allows your employees to build their skills online, wherever they are and at their own pace. Many organisations still rely on classroom training, with all the logistics that come with it. For every session, you need to find a date that suits everyone, book a room, bring in a trainer, then repeat the whole process for each site.

E-learning complements classroom training and makes training far easier to roll out. Its benefits for businesses are nothing new: as far back as 1999, IBM saved $200 million by moving its training online, according to a study by Judith B. Strother.

In this guide, we explain what an e-learning course involves, which formats are available, how to create your first course without being an expert and how much it costs.

TL;DR

An e-learning course combines learning content, a learning management system (LMS) and a learner experience, all designed to develop skills.
Creating a course involves five key steps: scoping, design, production, rollout and continuous improvement.
Tools (an LMS, authoring tools and artificial intelligence) make it easier to create, deliver and manage your training.
The cost depends on the level of customisation, the content produced, the tools used and whether you create content in-house or outsource it.

What is an e-learning course?

An e-learning course, also known as an online course, is a way of learning that people can access from a computer, tablet or smartphone. Learners build their skills remotely, either independently or with support, while organisations track learners' progress and measure results via a dedicated platform. The course can be asynchronous (self-paced modules that learners complete whenever it suits them) or synchronous (live sessions such as virtual classrooms and webinars that bring learners and trainers together in real time).

An e-learning course is usually built around three complementary components:

Learning content, which passes on knowledge in a range of formats: videos, quizzes, case studies, simulations, documents and interactive activities.
An LMS, which delivers learning paths, manages enrolments, tracks learner progress and measures results.
A learner experience designed to drive engagement, with intuitive navigation, personalised learning paths, interactive features, gamification and mobile access.

E-learning is winning over a growing number of organisations. Trends observed in 2026 show that the e-learning market keeps growing, driven by artificial intelligence, personalised learning paths, mobile learning and more interactive content. The goal is no longer just to digitise training, but to offer learning experiences that are more engaging and more effective.

E-learning course formats

To keep learners engaged and help them build skills, an online course usually combines several learning formats. The right mix depends on your audience, the skills you're targeting and the level of interactivity you want.

Learning format	Main objective	Example use
Written content	Explain a concept	Lesson, practical guide, article
Video	Illustrate or demonstrate	Tutorial, testimonial, demo
Quiz	Test knowledge	Multiple choice, true/false, interactive exercise
Case study	Develop analytical skills	Solving a real business problem
Simulation	Turn learning into practice	Using software, following a business procedure
Branching scenario	Practise decision-making	Customer conversation, team management challenge
Serious game	Learn through play	Immersive learning game
Podcast / audio	Support learning on the go	Interview, first-hand account
Microlearning	Reinforce a concept in a few minutes	3- to 5-minute module, post-training refresher
Infographic	Summarise information	Process, key figures, best practice
Downloadable resource	Help learners apply knowledge on the job	Checklist, guide, quick-reference sheet

For larger-scale programmes, e-learning can also take the form of a MOOC (massive open online course, open to everyone) or a SPOC (small private online course, restricted to a specific group of learners). Both combine video with collaborative peer learning.

Understanding the difference between delivery modes, formats and learning approaches

An e-learning course usually draws on three dimensions to meet its learning objectives:

A delivery mode, which is how learners access the training: in person, e-learning, virtual classroom (synchronous or asynchronous) or blended learning.
A learning format, which is the medium or activity learners use: video, quiz, case study, simulation, serious game.
A learning approach, which covers the methods that support learning and engagement: gamification, social learning, mobile learning, adaptive learning.

How to create an e-learning course in 5 steps

There's no one-size-fits-all method for rolling out online training. Training 300 employees in a single company requires a different setup from one designed for thousands of learners spread across several countries or subsidiaries. Processes and timelines also depend on your internal resources, your governance and the number of subject matter experts involved. Despite these differences, most projects rest on the same fundamentals.

Step 1: Scope your training project

The success of an e-learning course is decided long before the first modules are built. This scoping phase helps you align stakeholder expectations and anticipate project constraints. The more thought you put in upfront, the more time you'll save during design, rollout and follow-up.

To shape a project that fits your organisation, take the time to answer the following questions:

Which training need are you trying to address (onboarding, compliance, changing job roles, upskilling and reskilling, etc.)?
Who is your target audience? What are their profiles, prerequisites, availability constraints and working environment?
Which learning objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) will you set to measure the training's effectiveness (completion rate, engagement, skills acquisition or transfer, etc.)?
Is e-learning the right fit for your learning objectives, or would another delivery mode (classroom training, virtual classroom, blended learning, etc.) be better suited?

Step 2: Structure the learning path and choose your learning formats

Now it's time to design the learning path. The goal is to offer a logical progression that guides learners all the way to the target skills.

Keep the following points in mind:

Structure the learning path into modules: break the training down into short, coherent units to help learners progress and avoid cognitive overload.
Choose the right learning formats: select the formats best suited to your learning objectives (videos, quizzes, simulations, case studies, interactive activities, etc.).
Keep learners engaged: alternate between theory, practice, assessment and revision to boost retention and limit drop-off.
Tailor the learning path to different audiences: plan variations by job role, skill level, language and cultural context. Make sure the content meets accessibility standards too, so that every group gets a relevant experience.

Step 3: Produce the learning content

Once the learning path is defined, turn your instructional design into a learning experience with resources that are engaging and easy to update. Working this way keeps your content consistent, even when several experts or teams contribute to the project.

These best practices can help:

Create diverse content: combine different learning formats to meet the objectives of each module.
Involve subject matter experts: bring in the people best placed to share their knowledge, and back their input with sound instructional design.
Build assessments into the whole learning path: plan them at the start, at key points along the way and at the end to measure learner progress.
Make content easy to maintain: favour a modular structure and reusable content to simplify updates and future changes.

Step 4: Prepare and launch your training

Your training is ready, but its success also depends on learner adoption. Before a large-scale rollout, take the time to check that everything works, plan the launch and secure the support of the stakeholders who will make it a success.

You can maximise the impact of your rollout in several ways:

Test the training before launch: run a pilot with a sample of learners to identify any friction points and fine-tune the learning path if needed.
Prepare the rollout: phase the launch by target audience, subsidiary or country to keep it manageable.
Communicate with learners: support the launch with clear messaging on the objectives, the expected benefits and how to access the training.
Involve managers and stakeholders: get line managers on board to encourage participation, answer questions and drive team engagement.

Step 5: Measure results and keep improving your training

Launching the training isn't the end of the project. To keep the training effective over time, you need to track learning outcomes, analyse learner feedback and update content as your organisation's needs change. This cycle of continuous improvement keeps it relevant and supports long-term skills development.

Here are the levers you can pull to make your training last:

Track performance indicators: analyse the KPIs defined upfront, such as completion rate, learner engagement, assessment results and skills transfer on the job.
Gather learner feedback: supplement quantitative data with satisfaction surveys, first-hand feedback or conversations with managers to identify areas for improvement.
Update content: refresh modules to reflect regulatory changes, evolving job roles and new training needs.
Optimise the learning path over time: fine-tune learning formats, assessments or structure based on the data collected and on how learners actually use the training.

Which tools do you need to create and deliver an e-learning course?

To design, deliver, track and update your online training, you'll need several complementary tools. Depending on the size of your organisation and the maturity of your training setup, some of them can be combined in a single platform.

An LMS to deliver, track and manage your training

A learning management system is the cornerstone of any e-learning setup. It delivers your training, manages enrolments, tracks learner progress and centralises reporting data.

E-learning modules usually comply with technical standards such as SCORM or, more recently, xAPI and cmi5, which allow a module to run on any compatible LMS and send tracking data back to it.

Beyond hosting content, an LMS makes learning paths easier to manage, automates some administrative tasks and provides analytics and key metrics to measure how engaging and effective your training is.

Some platforms also include a learning experience platform (LXP), which focuses more on content recommendations and learner autonomy.

An authoring tool to design interactive content

An authoring tool allows you to create the modules that make up your e-learning course, without needing coding skills. You can produce different learning formats and update them easily. The most advanced solutions also include collaborative features that make it easier for L&D managers, instructional designers and subject matter experts to work together.

Artificial intelligence to speed up course creation

Artificial intelligence is transforming how e-learning courses are designed. It can generate a complete course in minutes, create quizzes, translate modules into several languages and help subject matter experts with their writing. With Rise Up, adaptive learning features also tailor learning paths to each learner's level or progress for a more personalised experience.

Integrations to connect your HR ecosystem

A learning platform works best when it integrates with your HR information system (HRIS), company directory and business tools, so you can automate user management and avoid entering the same data twice. Integrations with HR systems such as SAP make training easier to roll out while improving data quality.

A platform that can grow with you

Your platform needs to support large-scale rollouts, including across multiple subsidiaries, countries and languages. It should also make content localisation easy, so you can tailor training to the languages, regulations and cultural nuances of each market. Course catalogue management, personalised learning paths, content governance and decentralised administration all make it simpler to run an international training setup.

How much does an e-learning course cost?

There's no standard price for an e-learning course: the budget comes down to complexity, how the course is produced and the tools involved. Ready-to-use content remains a quick, cost-effective alternative to bespoke production. It plugs straight into your platform via our content marketplace.

What affects the cost?

The level of customisation is the main driver of your budget. A module featuring videos, animations, simulations or interactive scenarios costs more than simple content. The number of modules, the languages involved, the media to be produced, how often content is updated and whether you produce content in-house or outsource it also affect the final price.

How can you reduce production costs?

SaaS authoring tools allow training teams to create some of the content themselves. AI features also speed up writing, translation, quiz creation and module updates. They cut production time on some tasks, without removing the need for scoping the instructional design, sign-off by subject matter experts or quality control.

What return on investment can you expect?

E-learning requires an upfront investment, but content can then be reused, updated and rolled out at scale. E-learning also cuts some of the costs of travel, room hire and trainers' time. To assess your ROI, weigh these savings against the results achieved: completion rate, skills progression, time saved and improved performance.

FAQ about e-learning courses

What's the difference between an e-learning course and an e-learning module?

An e-learning course is a full training programme designed to develop one or more skills. It usually includes several modules, assessments and learning activities. An e-learning module is a single unit within that programme, focused on a specific topic or learning objective.
What's the difference between digital learning, e-learning and distance learning?

E-learning is a form of learning based on digital content accessed online.
Digital learning is a broader concept that covers e-learning as well as mobile learning, social learning and virtual classrooms.
Distance learning refers to any training that learners complete without being physically present, whether it's digital or not. It's often used interchangeably with remote learning, but the two can be told apart: remote learning keeps learners in regular contact with a trainer who leads the sessions, for example in a virtual classroom, while distance learning usually means self-paced study with little or no interaction with a trainer.
What is an e-learning platform?

An e-learning platform is a tool used to create, deliver and track online training. In the workplace, it's usually an LMS (learning management system), which centralises learning paths, enrolments, assessments and learner progress tracking. To see how it compares with an LXP, read our guide to LMS vs LXP.
What are the benefits of an e-learning course?

E-learning offers a high degree of flexibility. Learners train at their own pace, wherever they are. For organisations, it makes training scalable across the workforce, reduces some logistical constraints, simplifies learner tracking and makes content quick to update.
What are the drawbacks of an e-learning course?

E-learning can lead to drop-off if learning paths aren't engaging enough, and it's less suited to hands-on skills. Organisations tackle drop-off with gamification, while classroom training or blended learning remain the better options for hands-on skills. Technical issues (an unstable connection, unsuitable equipment) can also hinder learning, as can screen fatigue and cognitive load. Not every employee is equally comfortable with digital tools: the digital divide remains something to watch, as does the risk of piling up content without proper instructional design.

E-Learning Course: The Complete Guide to Designing Yours