This is potentially a huge topic, but for now, I’ll boil it down to estimated labor to produce a training deliverable, such as a single lesson, since that is what most people want to know. You can add the cost for each lesson, to estimate the cost to produce a complete course – short of also considering costs to plan a project, host a course, hire live trainers, obtain software licenses, etc.

• For instructor led training, it may take 40 hours to produce an hour of training from scratch, and produce a facilitator and a participant guide.
• It might take 20 hours to produce that same hour of instructor led training, from existing, validated, and approved source material.
•  For e-learning, the estimate process is a bit different, depending on the target level of interactivity: Basic, Moderate, or Complex.
•  A Basic e-learning experience, such as Articulate Presenter 360, might be 30 hours to produce one hour of online, self-paced learning, based on existing, validated, and approved source material.
• A Moderate-level e-learning experience, which might include voiceovers (or computer-generated voiceovers), screen video recordings, canned animations, and basic quizzes or exercises, might take up to 100 hours to produce an hour of learning.
• A Complex-level e-learning experience, which would not only include the features of a Moderate-level experience, but also include complex interactions, simulations, games, scenarios, drag and drops, custom animations, custom videos, and maybe even a blended instruction plan, could be 200 or more hours to produce a one-hour e-learning experience.

So, why pay for a complex learning experience, if it costs more than an instructor led course? Also, why choose remote learning and online learning, when it has proven not to be as successful for all students as in-person learning? Ask any parent.

The answer is that the way to deliver the learning experience depends on who needs the training, who can give the training, and what is being trained. One size does not fit all. But also consider the success of self-directed online video learning through YouTube or Khan Academy, to name but two examples that really help specific needs.

A well-designed e-learning course is condensed and searchable. Once produced, it can be shared with large audiences, but still deliver a personalized experience that delivers what the student needs to learn on the student’s own schedule.

When I can, I would like to write more about this topic, and include some charts, examples, and formulas, but hope this helps cover some basic ideas for you, today.