How to convert your documents into a Coassemble course with ease

Were you previously sharing training via Google Docs, PDFS, Microsoft Word, or any other tool? Fear not, we want you to be able to utilize your existing content! So, we're going to help you transform it into engaging and interactive online training that will drive business impact.

FYI - If you're looking to learn how to convert PowerPoint presentations into a Coassemble course, you can check out our guide for Our Secret Tips To Convert PowerPoint Presentations Into Coassemble Courses.

In this article we're sharing the tips that Miranda shared in her recent webinar which you can watch on demand here: Best Practices For Converting Your Documents Into A Coassemble Course.

5 Tips before you get started

You might want to answer a few questions before you start to convert your documents into an online course.

Are you unsure whether you should turn your content into a course, module, or even a lesson screen? You'll be pleased to hear there's no right answer. But, you'll need to keep in mind the following:

1. How long is your document?

If you've got a large document to convert, you might like to convert it into its own course. If you have just a couple of pages, it might be easier to convert it into a couple of lesson screens. So, it all depends on how big or small your course content currently is.

2. How much of the content do you want your learners to read?

It might sound obvious that you want your learners to read every detail of the course, but you might like them to skim it or even refer to just a small section of it. If you want your learners to skim through the content, it's less likely they'll retain much of the essential sections, which might not be worth creating a course in the first place.

But, if you want your learners to put the information to use, you might like to use interactive screens to make sure they retain the content by dropping in a quiz or assignment tasks throughout the course.

3. How to create interactive content

The beauty of using Coassemble is the endless options for creating interactive content by choosing between our 30+ lesson screens.

4. How much time can you dedicate to making a course?

If you don't have a lot of time to dedicate to making the course, you can use a few options to transform your existing content into a Coassemble course quickly.

We suggest making the course and use it as a work in progress. You can always come back to it and update and improve it. You'll find the analytics are a fantastic insight to see how well your learners are engaged in the course, so you'll know what to improve in time.

If you'd like some information about how long your course should be, check out our article How Long Should My Course Be?

TIP – Check our pricing page to make sure you understand how many courses you can have in your workspace before considering how many you want to make.

5. How to know what existing content you should include in your Coassemble course?

If you're unsure how to know what parts of your current documents you should bring into your Coassemble course, the way to work it out is to cut out any information that doesn't have a purpose.

You'll want to make sure your course content is concise and thorough so your learners will digest the critical information as and when they need to.

Just remember – when you're creating online training, it's best to get straight to the point.

If you're building your first online training course with Coassemble, check out our Building Your First Course guide to help you get to know your way around our platform fast.

7 Types of lesson screens to choose from

Now you've got a good knowledge about how much time you'll want to commit to making your course, we're going to break it down to see the pros and cons of using different types of lesson screens.

1. Using the document screen and upload the entire document

Unsure what is the document screen? When you click on a lesson module and add a screen, this is called the document screen. It allows you to upload the document in its original format so you can just read through it in the same way it was previously presented.

Pros

It takes no time to convert your document into the document screen. So rather than you linking out to the document that sits in Google Docs for example, your learners will view the document inside the Coassemble course. This will help your learners stay engaged to continue the course without getting side-tracked by being in another app. You can also present the document as a download so this is a great option if the learners need a copy of it.

It's also the most accessible screen to use when transferring your documents into a Coassemble course.

Cons

The format will stay the same as you presented your content in your old document. This means you won't be able to transform your documents into a powerful, interactive course by doing it this way.

2. Document inline to hyperlink or embed

Unsure what document inline means? This means you can add a document by using a hyperlink to link it from a file on your computer (or hyperlink via another another platform) or embed it into any of our lesson screens.

Pros

The document inline works really well if you want to include multiple documents onto one screen so learners can download them. It also doesn't take very long to implement either if you're short on time.

Cons

If you use the hyperlink option or add the file name, this will mean your learners will have to leave the course to view it. This could distract your learners from coming back and finishing the course.

You also need to be careful with learner permissions to make sure your learners can view the documents if you're linking out to another app.

3. Text and image screen

The text and image screen is essentially like a basic PowerPoint screen.

Pros

This helps you break up walls of text by including an image or graphic next to it easily by copying your text and pasting it into the screen.

Cons

You might find this format similar to the one you were using before as there's no interactive features on this screen (like options for quizzes, hotspots etc).

4. Using the interactive screens

The interactive screens are a really exciting opportunity to bring your course content to life, including using a quiz to test your learners mid-way through the course, for example.

Pros

Using an interactive screen is much more engaging because you're asking your learners to do something during the online training, which means you'll likely see a higher retention rate. Once you have built out your content, you can switch screens around to see which better interact with your learners.

Cons

Using the interactive screens can take more time to put together as you can't just copy and paste. There is some formatting required to put the content into the interactive elements, but trust us on this one! It's worth the effort!

5. Challenge screens

Challenge screens take the interactive screen elements a little further as you can dive deep and test your learners!

Pros

Using a challenge screen is best used when you want to make sure your learners remember essential parts of your content because it essentially forces them to read it and engage with the content.

Cons

It takes time to build out a challenge screen from scratch because it's such a unique way to teach your learners (this can be regarded as a pro as well!).

6. Video screen

We asked our customers which screen they were most excited about using during the webinar, and it turns out the video screen is their favorite!

You might like to create a custom-built video for this concept, or you can take a screen recording of yourself explaining the concept from the original document.

Pros

Making a video can be a much faster method for your learners to train, rather than reading word-for-word text. It helps you describe the training in more detail and allows you to show your screen to give that personal touch in an almost blended learning option. We use Loom video to create training at Coassemble if you're looking for any suggestions on how to do it.

Cons

It can take time to put together a video as you'll need to think about what you're going to say and edit it if needed.

7. Audio

Audio files are an underrated way to train learners, which can help train learners when convenient for them.

Pros

Rather than making your learners sit down to learn, you can add an audio file via the Instructors Tip to listen to the training when they are on the go, whether they are at the gym or walking their dog.

If you have a graph or flowchart, you might like to talk through and explain the screen rather than ask your learners to read the text and then look at the graph.

You can combine any of the above document screen methods with audio if you feel it is easier to talk through your screens to accompany the visual elements.

Cons

Audio isn't visual, so it might be hard for some learners to concentrate and listen to.

Converting your documents into an interactive or challenge screens

Now we've gone through the pros and cons for using different lesson screens to transfer your documents into a Coassemble course; here's a guide for screen recommendations if you're looking to use the interactive or challenge screens.

Image-based with little text

If you have a little bit of text and you would like to include images on your screen, use the following screens:

• Image click
• Image+
• Text pop
• Side slide
• Icon hover
• Timeline
• Select correct image (challenge screen)
• Drag and drop (challenge screen)

Text-heavy with multiple items

If you're got a lot of text and would like to use multiple items, use the following screens:

• Tabs
• Image click
• Showcase
• Steps
• Flowchart
• Accordion (only if you don't use images)

For steps or processes

If you want to include various steps or processes with images on the screen, use the following:

• Steps
• Flowchart
• Springy List
• Timeline
• Checklist (no images)
• Accordion (no images)
• Match sequence (challenge screen)

If you have a couple of items but don't need an image

We suggest using the following screens if you have a couple of items but don't need to use an image:

• Springy List
• Word Circle
• Accordion
• Wheel
• Checklist
• Match category (challenge screen)
• Form Challenge (challenge screen)

We hope this guide for learning how to transform your documents into a Coassemble course help you navigate the platform with ease.

If you have any questions about using Coassemble, reach out to us via Live Chat on the right hand corner of this screen and our expert team will respond to you as soon as they can.

In the meantime, feel free to watch this Webinar back where Miranda explains all of the above to you. We hold weekly webinars hosting tips for how to use Coassemble, so make sure you check out our Webinars page to book into our next 30 minute webinar.