E-Learning Developer
What is the work like?
E-learning is the name used to describe study over an online computer network. E-learning courses can be done on an organisation's own network, for example at a university; or through a private training provider over the internet.
As an e-learning developer or technologist, you would build online training areas, known as virtual learning environments (VLEs), which normally contain:
- course materials
- email facilities
- learning resources
- interactive discussion and coursework areas.
You may be involved in building a VLE from scratch or customising an off-the-shelf product. Your typical duties could include:
- working with tutors to create and structure online learning materials
- creating interactive multimedia like video clips (webcasts) or audio clips (podcasts)
- modifying content for use on other platforms, such as mobile phones or hand-held computers
- making sure security measures are in place to control access to the VLE
- assessing users' training needs
- writing training support materials for students and staff.
After developing a VLE, you may be employed to administer it, for example, managing user accounts and permissions, updating course content and records, and moderating message boards and forums.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
Employers normally look for a higher education qualification, such as a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree. Relevant subjects include computing, multimedia design, teaching or educational technology.
To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see the at the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Experience of designing online learning materials, web design or web programming would give you a better chance of getting a job, and most employers will expect you to have a working knowledge of professional web authoring software like Dreamweaver. You can find web design courses at most further education colleges, or online.
You might also find it useful to have a look at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards on good practice for website development. Familiarity with the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) may also be helpful. This is a widely used standard for transferring content between different VLEs.
There are many different VLE platforms and you can download some of these for free to see how they work. See the contacts below for more details.
What further training and development can I do?
You would normally receive on-the-job training, covering your organisation's VLE and information management procedures.
If you are working in this field and already have a degree and/or experience, you could take a postgraduate qualification in e-learning technology. These are offered by several universities through distance learning.
The technology changes quickly in this field and you should keep up to date with developments. For example, you should keep track of changes to coding and scripting languages used in VLEs, such as:
- HTML and DHTML
- Flash and SQL
- JavaScript
- XML and PHP.
The Web Developer's Virtual Library and W3C sites have online tutorials on these and other relevant languages.
You may be able to take the Graduate Professional Development Award (GPDA). This has been developed by E-skills, in conjunction with higher education institutions and IT employers. You can study it as part of an undergraduate, postgraduate or work-based training programme. See the e-skills UK website for more details.
Where can I go for more information?
1 Castle LaneLondon
SW1E 6DR
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Starting salaries are between £20,000 and £24,000 a year.
- Experienced developers can earn between £25,000 and £35,000.
- Senior developers with departmental responsibilities can earn up to £40,000 a year.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would normally work 35 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Overtime may be necessary to meet deadlines.
You would usually be office-based, working at a computer. You may have some out-of-office duties, for example to attend meetings with the development team or clients.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- a working knowledge of web authoring and web development software
- confident presentation and communication skills
- creative ability
- an awareness of web development standards and accessibility issues
- good organisational skills
- the ability to manage several projects at the same time and work to deadlines
- the ability to work in a team, including course tutors and programmers
- knowledge of privacy and confidentiality legislation, like the Data Protection Act.
You will also need knowledge of the further and higher education sectors for college jobs.
What opportunities are there?
The use of e-learning in the UK is a rapidly expanding area. Improvements in the speed of internet connections mean that higher quality audio and video is transferable over networks. Therefore, the demand for skills in podcasting, webcasting and videoconferencing facilities is likely to grow.
Your career progression could include moves into:
- senior development positions
- IT project management
- e-learning research, policy and strategy planning
- technical sales and business development.
You could also move into other areas such as educational and training consultancy, educational software development, systems analysis or the computer games industry.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading: (links open in a new window)
ITJobsWatch
Computing Careers
Times Educational Supplement (school, college and university vacancies)
Jobs.ac.uk (college and university vacancies)
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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