If your organization invests in any kind of online learning campaign, you likely already know that finding great content can be challenging. Writing your own course content is one idea, but doing so burns valuable resources — perhaps most importantly, the limited time you and your instructors have to create quality content. And depending on the topics you’re covering, you may also end up with courses producing undesirable learning outcomes. For example, DEI training (diverse, equitable, and inclusive) can easily go sideways if your content isn’t pitch-perfect.
Third-party content providers provide an alternative to producing your own material, allowing your faculty to save a lot of time. However, researching the hundreds of content providers out there will cost you a lot of time, especially if you’ve never shopped for courses online before. Worse, the most well-known content vendors are often determined by their marketing skills, not the quality of the course content they design.
There was no good solution to finding the content and courses organizations need to help their people pursue their learning goals… until today. Craig Weiss, an e-learning expert with more than two decades of experience in the learning industry, has leveraged his expertise and relationships with leading third-party content providers to launch FindContent.io: an innovative dual platform designed to help organizations find the content they need free of charge. You can sign up for a free account on FindContent.io right now or continue reading to learn how simple finding the right courses for your organization could be.
How do organizations traditionally find content?
Understanding the power of FindContent.io begins by discussing what the paradigm for finding course content previously looked like. There was never a shortage of course providers, but most of them relied exclusively on advertising skills to get customers into the door. When it came to actual courses, you’d be lucky if you found an accurate course description or a course outline detailing which topics were covered in a course. Organizations had to painstakingly try to sort through the fluff to find content aligned with their learning objectives, often with mixed results at best. The time investment was significant as well.
Many organizations gave up and tried to design courses in-house, but this is only the optimal approach in specific cases. If you need to support customers who purchased a product from you or have a unique company culture employees need to learn about, creating your own content makes sense. If you’re looking for content on something more generic such as sales or compliance training, sourcing your information from experts with pertinent experience makes much more sense than a DIY approach. Ultimately, you’ll save time and money.
How does FindContent make it easier to find external material?
FindContent is two valuable content curation platforms built into a single website. FindContent.io allows you to compare unbiased information from leading third-party content providers (up to four at a time). Course content providers are curated by Weiss himself, so you and your students will be able to trust all of the information you’re seeing. You can go in-depth on each content publisher’s details, course offerings, and content as well.
If you know what information you’re looking for, FindContent.io gives you a variety of filters to work with so you can limit your search to courses meeting your needs. For example, you can limit your search to microlearning modules, video content, and the duration of the course, among many other things. You can also search by topic. When you find content that might fit your needs, you can save it to take a closer look at your convenience.
Once you’ve found promising course content on FindContent.io, it’s time to shift over to the Course Platform for the next stage. For the first time ever in the third-party content industry, the Course Platform allows instructors and other learning stakeholders to sample courses before they buy them. Some content vendors offer limited versions of courses, but most offer unlimited access to each course on the platform. This content is updated regularly by the vendors themselves, so you never need to worry about outdated information. You can tell which course content vendors offer full courses by looking for a “Premium” tab next to their name.
If you want to include your students in these trials, no problem. The FindContent Course Platform is equipped with features such as playlists, course sharing through Microsoft Teams, and the ability to subscribe all within one application. It’s never been easier to find and test the content and information an organization needs to thrive.
If you’re thinking that this sounds like some sort of content reseller or affiliate program, rest assured it isn’t. FindContent.io does not sell information, courses, or content, and Weiss doesn’t own any vendors on the platform. Third-party content vendors pay a fee to be included in the platform, and Premium providers pay a little more for the ability to sync content to the Course Platform. However, Premium course content vendors do not receive any special treatment from the built-in filters and Weiss does not endorse them over vendors lacking a Premium tab. The whole point is to give organizations a bridge between their needs and top-quality content at no charge.
What content providers are currently featured?
FindContent.io launched with a total of nine third-party content providers. That might not sound like a lot (and it isn’t), but remember that this has never been done before. Course content providers want to see how this novel approach shakes out before committing to the program, and Weiss’s refusal to let subpar content vendors in is also a factor. Here is the launch lineup:
- OpenSesame
- MindChannel
- BizLibrary
- Intellezy
- GO1
- Bigger Brains
- Video Arts
- iAM Learning
- The Access Group – Access Learning
PluralSight will become the 10th content provider shortly (if it hasn’t already as you read this). Note that some of these vendors have learning management systems (LMS) and extensive advertising campaigns, but this didn’t influence their inclusion in FindContent.io. Weiss’s assessment of the course content available ultimately determines which vendors to include.
Learn more about FindContent online right now
Whether your organization is searching for a course on skills training or instructional videos on compliance, FindContent.io is a powerful resource that will help you find whatever you might need to make your training the best it can be. Your objectives will always come first in your search, and you’ll be able to do everything from comparing third-party course content providers to taking a full course on the exclusive Course Platform.
You’ll have access to exclusive insight from online learning expert Craig Weiss as well, allowing you to explore course offerings and how they support student learning like a pro. If you’re interested in learning more about why Weiss launched FindContent or how easy it is to join the community, his recent blog post provides more information.
Alternatively, you could start comparing third-party course content providers or take a sample class right now. To do so, all you have to do is register for a free account on FindContent.io today! There is no better way to find the information you need to help your organization pursue its educational objectives.