What is online course content?
Online course content is everything that makes up the learning experience in a digital class. It includes the videos, readings, quizzes, assignments, slides, and downloadable resources that guide someone through a topic from start to finish. Good online content is designed to be clear, engaging, and easy to follow, even without a teacher physically present. It often combines different formats: short videos for explanation, visuals for clarity, and interactive tasks for practice, so learners can absorb information in a way that suits them.
At its best, online course content feels structured but flexible. It’s usually broken into bite-sized modules so people can learn at their own pace, revisit tricky sections, and build confidence step by step. Whether it’s a professional certification, a hobby course, or academic material, the goal is the same: to make learning accessible, practical, and motivating, no matter where the learner is in the world.
Where do you begin?
So, it all begins with a great idea for a course. Then you need to choose a platform that suits your individual needs. Then, we have what many view to be the tricky bit: you create the online course content, but how?
This is an area many course creators find really difficult. They have a general idea, but then worry they are not going to have enough content to turn that idea into a course. Or, alternatively, they have so much content, they don't know how to break it down.
How to create online course content the simple way!
Ok, so what you need is a simple way to plan this all out.
1. The Title
First of all grab a piece of paper, turn it landscape and write your course title at the top of the page.
Stuck with a course title?
It doesn't need to be fancy or full of fluff it just needs to do what it says on the tin. So for example, my main course is 60 steps to website success and it includes 60 steps to a successful website! Simple but effective!
There are no awards for names. The more you over think it and try to come up with a clever name, the less time you will actually have to create online course content that is amazing and helpful to students.
It will be your sales page and the actual online course content that will encourage people to part with their hard earned cash! So keep your course title simple.
2. What's The Aim of Your Course?
Underneath your title write the aim of the course. What exactly will the student achieve once they complete the course? Word it as:
'By the end of this course the user will achieve xyz.'
People like results. Therefore, it's the outcome that will help to sell your course (and help you with your course title if you are still stuck on that!).
3. Online Course Content
Now use the rest of the page to brainstorm. Write down any content you already have, topics you would like to cover, and questions potential students may ask about the topic. Additionally, think about the things a student would need to know about the topic, to achieve the outcome. Likewise, consider methods in which this online course content will be taught (text, infographics, PDFs, audio, video or a mixture) and so on.
4. How to Test Their Knowledge
Consider how the student will demonstrate their understanding of the course. Write down everything you can think of. Do they just receive a certificate after finishing the course? Maybe they will need to submit an assessment or complete a quiz to show their newly earned knowledge?
5. Consolidate Everything into Themes
Once you have done this, grab another piece of paper and write, 'Welcome Intro at the top'.
Now look at your first piece of paper and use coloured highlighters to highlight certain themes. So, for example, in my course, we cover WordPress, Planning, Mailerlite, etc. Write down these themes underneath 'welcome intro' and then any further sub-themes underneath those.
Now number the themes in order. Which needs to be taught first, second, third, etc.?
You now have your course plan!
These themes and sub-themes will make up your lessons and topics.
Online Course Content Complete!
OK, so it will need a bit more work to tidy it up, and you may realise there are some holes that you need to fill in that are missing, but literally, this is all I had when I first started my course. A title and 8 themes.
I ran my first course live, so I just picked a topic a week and taught it. But if you are pre-recording your course, this is where you can expand on each theme. Take a word doc for each theme/lesson/topic and give it a title, method of delivery and make notes on what you will cover.
And that's your simple guide on how to create online course content!