E-Learning Content Development Companies & Strategy Partners
Are you interested in custom e-learning development?
At Artisan E-Learning, we love when potential clients contact us looking for custom e-learning development services. Our mantra is that “We develop your perfect solution,” and we stand by that!
As you’ll soon see, that mantra only works if you’re looking for custom e-learning development. It’s not uncommon for people who aren’t looking for content development at all to reach out to us. Generally, they’re looking for assistance with another aspect of e-learning. Whether addressing their LMS needs or purchasing “off-the-shelf” courses, they’re searching for a service that we don’t offer at Artisan E-Learning.
That’s okay because we also believe in being knowledgeable and helpful, and we have built relationships with other experts over the years. In that spirit, we’re going to explore some of our favorite partners in the industry. Here are a few companies we recommend when the need goes beyond custom e-learning content development. Perhaps you’re looking for these services as well:
- Selecting an LMS as part of your learning strategy
- Standing up Virtual Instructor-Led Training
- Deploying “Off-The-Shelf” solutions quickly and effectively
- Additional Providers
With that, let’s begin with a quick exploration of our e-learning content development services before diving into our top recommendations.
For Custom E-Learning Development: Artisan E-Learning
When clients contact us regarding e-learning content development, we’re prepared for the challenge. Custom development is right in our wheelhouse!
Leveraging our expertise in course design and working with rapid authoring tools and your subject matter experts, we create engaging, interactive e-learning experiences. These experiences empower learners to be more effective, and better at their jobs or the task at hand.
When clients call us asking about content development services, we tell them we can:
- Build a custom e-learning course from the ground-up. Whether converting existing in-person training or building a new offering, the Artisan team will work closely with you to develop your ideal e-learning courses.
- Create long-form learning experiences. If you’re looking for long-form, multi-module courses to educate learners on a comprehensive topic, we can create engaging and effective material.
- Construct microlearning courses. There are situations where short (less than 10 minutes) experiences are best for instructing on one concept. We can create bite-sized learning experiences to do so.
- Convert existing courses to HTML5. Browsers are phasing out Adobe Flash by the end of 2020. Flash-based courses will shortly be a thing of the past. The Artisan team can convert your courses to HTML5 to ensure you don’t lose essential content in the transition.
- Translate and localize existing courses. We work with our trusted partner LinguaLinx to translate your courses across languages. At Artisan we assemble the course in the languages of your choice managing all the details along the way.
- Create course templates and prototypes. At Artisan, we’re always thinking about the future of your courses. To that end, we can create custom prototypes and template sets your organization can use to create future e-learning courses.
While we offer a wide range of custom e-learning services, we’re also frequently asked about services that we don’t provide.
When that happens, we turn to our network of trusted e-learning professionals. Let’s break down a few common requests we receive when people are looking beyond e-learning content development companies.
When You Need a Learning Management System for Your E-Learning Development
One of the most common misplaced requests we receive is to advise on a Learning Management System (LMS). This makes sense—after all, the custom e-learning courses we create are typically delivered via an LMS.
While we don’t offer an LMS platform, we recognize the importance of choosing the right solution for your organization. Selecting an LMS represents a strategic business decision, paired with a price tag that ranges from fully free to six figures.
While clients are researching their LMS investment, we often refer them to Articulate Online. For some, this is the perfect solution! However, when it comes to LMS needs, we’d ultimately recommend consulting with the experts—those that understand these platforms, their benefits, their challenges, and the implications of it all through and through.
With that in mind, here are some companies that really “know their stuff” when it comes to LMSs:
Tagoras
Tagoras most often works with companies that sell training, such as associations (which represent a large portion of the firm’s business). Tagoras specializes in the larger strategy surrounding e-learning—something that’s especially crucial for organizations looking for LMS guidance.
Oftentimes, when clients are searching for an LMS solution, they’re at the front end of their journey to provide e-learning content to users. This firm is a great partner for making overall strategic moves from the start.
Tagoras’ E-Learning Development Services to Fortify Your Strategy
Rather than content development, Tagoras’ e-learning development services fall in the realm of strategy creation. However, in addition to building out your organization’s LMS strategy, they offer much more! For example, the team at Tagoras will:
- Formulate a comprehensive e-learning strategy and business plan to back it up, ensuring that the training you’re providing to learners stands out from the crowd.
- Identify and select the needed platforms to support this e-learning strategy, always ensuring you’re making a worthwhile investment into your strategy overall.
- Maintain the ReviewMyLMS review site, through which users provide feedback on the solutions they’re using and you can preview that feedback when making your decisions.
Additionally, the Tagoras team is incredibly accessible. This team’s key consultants provide clients with unlimited access via phone and email, and even offer in-person meetings and phone calls if desired.
InfoMedia Designs
InfoMedia Designs was founded by Steve Foreman, author of the LMS Guidebook. This team has been using technology to improve team member performance since 1995, developing sustainable ecosystems to support organizations’ e-learning objectives.
Essentially, the team at InfoMedia Designs will select (or develop!) learning platforms to host your organization’s custom e-learning coursework. However, beyond that service, the team will also take a deep-dive into your existing learning ecosystem, discover areas for improvement, and create a roadmap for effective e-learning going forward.
InfoMedia Designs’ E-Learning Development Services for Your LMS Strategy
InfoMedia Designs’ offers the following LMS-adjacent services:
- Learning technology platform evaluation, selection, and/or development. The team will evaluate needs, weigh requirements, and present LMS candidates to your organization.
- Implementation and integration management, in which this team will advocate for your team in front of the LMS vendor, ensuring all migration, testing, and integration go smoothly.
- Learning ecosystem maturity evaluation, through which they examine your current tech stack and develop a multi-year plan for success going forward.
If your organization is looking for comprehensive e-learning oversight and assistance toward the start of your journey, InfoMedia designs may be the firm for you.
Torrance Learning
We turn to Megan Torrance and her team at Torrance Learning for all things Experience API (xAPI). This team was one of the early adopters of xAPI, and therefore, they’re experts at helping organizations gather data about the learning experience and its correlation to staff performance.
This team will help your team select, configure, implement, and maintain the perfect LMS system to meet your needs. Beyond that, they’ll create custom xAPI solutions so that you can continue learning about and improving your e-learning training over time.
Torrance Learning’s E-Learning Development Services
When it comes to your organization’s LMS needs, and where they cross with xAPI, the Torrance Learning Team will:
- Provide LMS administration and support services, offering turnkey solutions from selection to post-implementation support.
- Create tailor-made xAPI solutions that empower your team to recognize the connection between e-learning and team member performance.
- Host xAPI Learning Cohorts and xAPI Parties, in which your team can network with other professionals and learn about xAPI as a group.
If your organization is looking for an LMS solution that empowers you to learn as you go, Torrance Learning can help.
E-Learning Content Development Professionals for Virtual Instructor-Led Training
As the remote workforce grows, we’ve received more and more inquiries about virtual instructor-led training. While we can develop great training courses to instruct remote workers, we’ve found that this is rarely what callers are looking for—instead, they’re seeking tips for:
- Converting in-person instructor-led training into meaningful online learning.
- Developing webinar content and facilitating an online audience.
To be frank, we don’t specialize in those services! We would rather refer these callers to trusted colleagues in the field who have deeper expertise with this type of blended training.
With that, here are a few e-learning professionals that we often recommend for virtual instructor-led training:
Karen Hyder
Karen Hyder is a “Trainer of Trainers,” with extensive experience in virtual training experiences. In addition to teaching technical trainers and subject matter experts to improve online delivery, she also works with organizations to successfully use virtual classrooms in their training programs.
Karen Hyder has worked with hundreds of presenters, preparing them to effectively deliver digital content to learners across industries. Further, she has co-authored an eBook (titled The eLearning Guild’s Handbook on Synchronous eLearning) for those who are preparing training experiences through virtual classrooms.
Karen Hyder’s E-Learning Development Consulting Services
Karen Hyder offers a variety of consulting services to bring your organization’s virtual instructor-led training up to speed:
- Technical setup sessions, in which Hyder walks your team through the technical aspects of creating a virtual classroom.
- Preparing-to-present sessions, which are scheduled in a 5-session run that builds upon a trainer’s virtual presenting skills with each meeting.
- Post-event sessions, through which Hyder works with your team to discover what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved for future training.
In addition, she provides a variety of free resources and recorded sessions for review on her website. If your organization is interested in building virtual instructor-led training, this is a great place to start!
Kassy Consulting
Kassy Laborie, the founder of Kassy Consulting, has over 20 years of experience in developing virtual instructor-led trainers and classroom environments.
Kassy Consulting works with trainers to be more effective when delivering instruction over platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and more. However, they can also train producers—who are often those facilitating the training event—and even instructional designers, who may be converting in-person training to virtual classrooms for the first time.
Kassy Consulting’s E-Learning Development Consulting Services
Let’s explore the programming that makes Kassy Consulting stand out from the rest:
- Single-session consulting, covering topics of audience engagement, effective virtual classroom environments, and virtual team collaboration.
- Multi-session certificate programs, such as the 5-session Online Virtual Facilitator Certificate.
- Access to additional session materials, such as a participant manual, virtual platform sessions, and recording of live sessions after the fact.
While this describes the baseline of Kassy Consulting’s services, understand that these programs can be customized to meet your organization’s specific needs.
Lynette Van Steinburg
Lynette Van Steinburg is the principal consultant of Virtual Effectiveness Consulting, a firm specializing in the training and management of virtual teams.
Lynette Van Steinburg understands that managing a virtual team is incredibly different than in-person—but that doesn’t mean it has to be more challenging! While many of the consultants included in this section focus on the development of effective e-learning, Van Steinburg’s services take things a step further. She will help your team not only develop effective learning, but also a more productive and in-sync virtual workplace overall.
Lynette Van Steinburg’s E-Learning Development Consulting Services
Let’s explore a few services that make Lynette Van Steinburg stand out from the crowd:
- Introductory consultation offered at no charge, at which she forms an initial understanding of your team’s goals and needs, and suggests virtual effectiveness solutions to help.
- Classes and workshops contrasting virtual and in-person workplaces, covering topics such as online meetings, team visibility and communication, feedback, and more.
- Learning design and facilitation consulting, offered through workshops, observations of your efforts, and coaching, depending on the way you prefer to learn!
In addition to these consulting services, Lynette Van Steinburg maintains an up-to-date blog. In it, she shares valuable tips and resources for virtual team management—so if your team is looking for some answers prior to contacting her, this is a great place to look.
Pryor Learning Solutions
Pryor Learning Solutions has been in the business of professional development for 40+ years and now hosts a cloud-based environment featuring the content curated over this time. With this library, you can access a host of ready-made e-learning courses, attend live virtual seminars, and even access blended learning options.
Across Pryor’s library, you’ll find corporate training, government training, and industry-specific continuing education opportunities (ex: CEU, CPE, etc.). This coursework spans a variety of topics, including accounting, communications, human resources, project management, and more.
Pryor Learning Solutions’ E-Learning Development Services
Pryor Learning Solutions has a massive cloud-based library of e-learning courses. Here’s why this firm stands out:
- 5,000+ existing e-learning courses, and no extra charge when new courses are added to the mix.
- Access to 12,000+ live seminars presented across North America, and the ability to schedule onsite training sessions for your team.
- Ability to load the content into your existing LMS or access to the firm’s advanced e-learning platform.
And, as a bonus, the team at Artisan E-Learning has created coursework for Pryor’s e-learning library. That means that if you’re looking for an Artisan created course, but may not be ready to invest in custom development, Pryor Learning Solutions is a great place to start.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn is a well-known professional networking site, empowering users to share industry knowledge, achievements, and even job listings. The professional “social network” has created an e-learning library featuring 16,000+ online courses that are available to subscribers.
This library contains courses for businesses, higher education institutions, and government entities alike. The subject matter spans software development and proficiency, leadership and management skills, data science, and more. However, one of the biggest perks of this solution is that it’s connected to yours, or your team’s, LinkedIn accounts.
LinkedIn Learning’s E-Learning Development Services
LinkedIn’s course library spans a variety of industries and subject matter. Let’s explore why it stands out from the rest:
- Connect to LinkedIn account, allowing for personalized course recommendations matching interests, industry, and current certifications.
- Award certificates upon course completion, which can be displayed directly on LinkedIn profiles.
- Subscriptions by the user or by the team, allowing organizations to subscribe en masse.
If your organization uses LinkedIn as a professional resource, this library or e-learning is sure to enhance the experience.
Udemy
Udemy is an online course library featuring 100,000+ online courses across a wide variety of subject matter, from business considerations and academics to physical fitness and the arts.
Udemy’s model is slightly different from the other subscription-based services in this section, as this firm operates on a course-purchasing basis. Additionally, rather than fully interactive e-learning, Udemy focuses on online video courses—meaning no LMS system is required to administer the coursework.
Udemy’s E-Learning Development Services
Let’s explore a few reasons why Udemy’s “Off-the-Shelf” coursework stands out from the crowd:
- Udemy mobile app, empowering your learners to download courses for offline learning, listen to “podcast-style” courses, or even stream courses to their other devices.
- Lifetime access to purchased courses, both on the Udemy website and the mobile app.
- Udemy for Business, which is a subscription-based service available for both teams and enterprise-level organizations.
Additionally, this library isn’t confined to business and professional development courses alone. If your team members want to learn about music, photography, fitness, or something else—there may be a course on Udemy for them.
Additional E-Learning Content Development Companies
While LMS needs, virtual instructor-led training, and “off-the-shelf” solutions represent the majority of requests we get, they’re far from the full gamut.
The following companies represent a wide spectrum of e-learning content development services, and may be great options for your e-learning development needs:
E-Learning Uncovered: For Learning to Build Courses
If your goal is to learn to build courses, our sister company should be your first stop.
E-Learning Uncovered offers a wide variety of resources to help training professionals develop the most effective e-learning courses for their team. They’ve authored a comprehensive e-learning book series covering popular development tools, such as Articulate Storyline, Articulate Studio, Lectora, and Adobe Captivate. Further, they offer e-learning training (both by group and individual), free webinars, and a blog with updates from the field.
Not only does the E-Learning Uncovered team provide a wide range of educational resources, but these resources also span a wide range of budgetary concerns. This means that, regardless of your team’s e-learning budget, you can explore E-Learning Uncovered to receive actionable tips for creating courses.
The Game Agency: For DIY Game Templates
The Game Agency’s specialty is right there in its name—creating custom training games to supplement a company’s e-learning instruction.
When it comes to custom e-learning content development, The Game Agency provides The Training Arcade. This resource contains independent game authoring tools (with no coding required!), 8 ready-to-customize training games, and accessibility from multiple devices.
The Game Agency’s experience in custom e-learning game development is unparalleled. Many of its employees directly transitioned from the video game industry, so they have extensive knowledge in creating experiences that are interesting, motivating, and educational.
Sententia Gamification: For Gamification
If you’re looking for a deep-dive into gamified learning, look no further than Sententia Gamification.
This e-learning content development team believes that gamification in the workplace needs to be backed by an effective strategy. Therefore, they will train your organization’s leaders and strategize with your team to ensure your gamification efforts are successful in engaging and training employees.
In regards to e-learning content development, Sententia Gamification offers three-tier gamification certifications, Train the Trainer programs, and gamification strategy design—each of which strengthens your organization’s gamification training overall.
While some organizations may seek a hands-off approach, Sententia Gamification is perfect for those that are looking to truly understand gamification in the scope of their training overall.
EI Design: For Personalized E-Learning Experiences
EI Design offers a wide variety of e-learning development services, including virtual reality, microlearning, gamification, and more. Where they stand out, however, is in the creation of personalized e-learning experiences.
When it comes to personalized e-learning development services, EI Design will create an e-learning mobile app for your learners, configure the app to provide ongoing personalized recommendations, and create the infrastructure for an ongoing learning community.
Learners desire an educational experience personalized to their own preferences. EI Design has created an infrastructure to help your organization capitalize on customized e-learning and provide the premier experience to your employees.
Designing Digitally: For Accessible Virtual Reality Training
Designing Digitally has been creating e-learning experiences since 2001, working with businesses, government agencies, colleges, and organizations.
They prioritize learner engagement above all, creating virtual reality and simulated learning experiences. Regarding immersive e-learning development, Designing Digitally will build training simulations, virtual reality experiences, and configure all e-learning experiences to work on your organization’s VR platform of choice.
Designing Digitally stands out for the emphasis the firm places on learner experience. Whether e-learning courses, learning games, or VR experiences, each are interactive and engaging for users.
Harbinger Interactive Learning: For AI-Powered E-Learning
Harbinger Interactive Learning prioritizes modernization in the field of e-learning. In particular, they’ve prioritized innovative AI technology to create a more personalized, perfected e-learning experience that draws on existing content within their clients' organizations.
When it comes to custom e-learning development, Harbinger Interactive Learning will develop and train a chatbot off of your organization’s existing content, create AI-powered assessments, and automate AI recaps at the end of sessions.
While many firms have incorporated AI in e-learning, few have done so as comprehensively as Harbinger Interactive Learning. This firm has managed to incorporate it into each step of the educational process, from initial content delivery to follow-up assessments.
eLearning Brothers: For Rapid DIY Solutions
eLearning Brothers has developed a suite of content development tools to empower your organization to create top-tier, gamified learning experiences.
In the realm of course development, eLearning Brothers provides The Training Arcade, which is a library of ready-made e-learning game templates that can be rapidly customized to meet your needs. Additionally, the team provides authoring tools which, when paired with their assets, empowers clients to create their own e-learning experiences.
Truly engaging, interactive e-learning content can be a challenge to develop—that’s why so many organizations turn to professional content development companies to do so! The team at eLearning Brothers has created a host of assets to help your organization do it yourself, including scenario-based and gamified learning experiences.
eLearning Mind: For Organizational Change Content
eLearning Mind (ELM) emphasizes science-backed learning as the solution to stale learning experiences in corporations. They’ll create engaging, motivating content to solve your organization’s biggest human capital challenges, making your team more efficient and effective than before.
Regarding custom e-learning development, ELM will create a change management strategy to help your learners adapt to organization-wide changes. They’ll use neuroscience-backed strategies to create training and leadership development resources, ensuring even the most resistance learners are motivated to embrace change.
One of the biggest challenges of organizational change is motivating the employees across your corporation to embrace it. ELM recognizes this resistance and has created science-backed strategies to motivate learners.
Cinécraft Productions: For Video-Based Content
The team at Cinécraft has been in the business of video production for 75+ years, getting its start with hospital staff health and safety procedures.
Since then, the team has expanded its e-learning to include simulation-based learning, microlearning, and most often, blended learning. Where the team truly stands out is in its video production services, which are built on the need to tell a good story. The team will observe, research, interview, and brainstorm the best way to present your coursework via video, and create a truly engaging and educational visual as a result.
Because they started as visual storytellers—rather than starting as instructional designers—this firm brings a unique perspective to creating e-learning videos.
Learning Ninjas: For Building an E-Learning Ecosystem
Learning Ninjas prioritizes holistic learning solutions, optimizing your organization’s e-learning offerings through and through. They refer to this as learning ecosystem mapping.
Regarding e-learning content development, the Learning Ninjas team will evaluate your current learning platform and courses and develop a comprehensive learning ecosystem that supports your learning initiatives. Further, they’ll teach your organization how to maintain this ecosystem and develop courses independently going forward.
Learning Ninjas empowers clients with the knowledge needed to create effective training programs. From software purchasing decisions to course content development, this firm will build out a learning ecosystem to help you make those decisions going forward.
SAIC: For Large-Scale Virtual Projects
SAIC is a content development firm specializing in large-scale defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence projects.
The firm draws on biometrics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, human performance training, and learning strategies to create effective training solutions. They tackle large virtual and augmented reality projects that many content development firms may not have the bandwidth to handle.
Regarding large-scale e-learning content development, SAIC will build virtual-reality training that immerses the learner in life-like scenarios. They’ll create fully-scalable training solutions, whether short mobile-learning experiences or large-scale, role-based warfare scenarios, to train your learner’s cognitive skills.
Rehearsal: For Self-Guided Learning Tools
Rehearsal specializes in e-learning content in the form of training and coaching tools that users navigate independently. These tools incorporate mentoring, artificial intelligence, and video recording to teach and assess learners.
Rehearsal’s self-guided learning tool is built on video scenarios that empower learners to practice skills in a consequence-free environment. Learners receive immediate feedback in the form of AI assessments, self-evaluation, and responses from mentors, coaches, and peers.
Rehearsal has created e-learning content that empowers learners to control their own experience. Fully simulation-based, it allows learners to practice concepts and be graded in real-time, without adding to their mentor’s workload.
Float: For Mobile App Development
Float specializes in developing e-learning mobile apps to improve workforce productivity.
Float creates apps and responsive websites that your team can access regardless of the device at hand. Their development abilities are extensive, working with cloud-based learning platforms, machine learning platforms, wearable technology (such as for VR or augmented reality), and mobile apps.
Further, the team will work with your organization’s existing infrastructure to ensure that any e-learning additions are contextualized in your overall management ecosystem.
While we strive to develop your perfect solution, we also recognize that there are times where our services are not the best fit!
We trust that these providers can step in and fill your organization’s e-learning development needs, whether LMS development, “off-the-shelf” courses, or something else.
For more information about e-learning course development, check out the following additional resources:
- Custom E-Learning Development. Explore our content development services in depth, including key features, our clients, and a demo course.
- Our Process. Explore the 6-step process the Artisan team follows to create top-tier educational offerings.
- Our Portfolio. To experience successful e-learning for yourself, explore our portfolio.
- Artisan E-Learning Blog. For more e-learning insights, check out the Artisan E-Learning blog.
Are you interested in custom e-learning course development?
The team at Artisan E-Learning can develop a solution
for your needs.
