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How Long or Short Should My Online Courses Be?

People can spend hundreds of hours talking about their favorite subjects. However, this does not mean online courses should be that long. In fact, it has been found that short courses are much more effective for students to learn specific subjects. This means that if you are interested in producing online courses to sell, you may want to consider keeping them as short and concise as possible.

With that being said, how short should your course be? That is the question we are going to answer right now.

How long should your online course be?

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to the length of an online course. Factors like the complexity of the subject matter can affect how long it will end up being. Even factors like the target student’s age can matter, as some demographics have shorter attention spans than others.

With that in mind, research shows that a good online course should be anywhere from 10 to 25 hours long. The shorter, the better, but if it goes over 25 hours, then some effort to divide the subject or shorten the course must be made.

If the course is short, then keeping it short and concise is a must. Ensuring it does not contain unnecessary information to make it longer is something you must also keep in mind.

How can I keep my online course interesting?

No matter how long your course is, you have to do your best to keep things interesting to ensure the students’ attention does not deviate away.

There are many ways you can keep your online course interesting. One of the most effective ways is to add some humor to your lessons. When you slip in a few jokes, your students will laugh. While this might seem like a waste of time, getting them to laugh can restore their attention and keep them engaged. Another thing you can do is to slip in new ways to present information every fifteen minutes or so. When students see something new, it is less likely they will lose attention.

One great way to keep your online course interesting is to keep motivating the students. For instance, show them what they can expect once they learn the subject you are teaching. If you are teaching them economics, show them how such knowledge can help them be more financially smart for their future.

Conclusion

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the ideal length of online courses. There are many factors to consider that will affect the final length of the online courses you produce. Regardless, the most crucial factor to always consider is the needs of your students.

If your courses are geared for those looking to learn something quickly, then keeping things short is a good idea. On the other hand, if your students require a number of hours spent learning for a requirement, that is a good number to think about. Simply put, your student’s needs are what you will base your courses on, and the better you meet those needs, the better your online courses will be.

Miestro is an online platform that allows individuals to create and host courses online. If you are looking for an online class platform, run your online course with us today!