As an online instructor you may always be in a dilemma if you should offer eLearning certificates for all your courses or not. To find out the answer, you visit other eLearning websites like Udemy or Coursera and research on the courses published there. And frankly, this research makes you more confused. Because on those platforms you find that some courses offer certificates and some don’t. So how could you understand if you should offer eLearning certificates for your course or not! We have seen instructors fighting with this dilemma a lot. And we have decided to write about it so that our instructors can get a clear concept about online certificates and identify whether it’s necessary for their courses. So let’s start with the basic things first.
What is an eLearning certificate?
An eLearning certificate is a reward you offer to your learners if they complete your course successfully. These certificates can be both digital and physical. Generally it marks the successful completion of an entire course or different stages of a course. eLearning certificates can be either accredited or non-accredited. Accredited certificates have an affiliation with or acknowledgement from an educational institution or an accreditation body. On the other hand, non-accredited certificates have no such affiliations.
Are eLearning certificates necessary for your online courses?
There are several benefits for which you might be interested to offer a certificate. Those benefits can be measured from both your perspective and your students’ perspectives. Here’s why eLearning certificates are beneficial for yourself:
Incentive to engagement
You may get someone to buy your course rather easily but that doesn’t mean that they would be interested in putting their efforts in completing the course. It’s one of the biggest issues for any course creator. The general idea is that when a person is buying your course, (s)he would want to get going with it to get value against their money. But the reality is sometimes quite the opposite. They won’t start your course even after spending a handsome amount to buy it. A certificate can act as an incentive to engage with your course for these types of learners.
Strong social proof
Social proof is a quintessential factor for your marketing and sales. One way to create this social proof is by having students successfully complete the course and offering certificates to prove the fact. Having a certification system in place is a social proof in itself too.
Proves your worth
You have your own techniques, methods, and processes that set you apart. But do your methods and techniques worth investing in you? eLearning certificates deliver a positive reply to this question.
Now let’s have a look at how eLearning certificates are useful for your students:
Proof of accomplishment
Students take your course for a reason. They may choose it to get a new job, a promotion, or starting a career. Offering a certificate gives them the proof that they need to show the others.
Their commitment rewarded
Human nature tells them to yarn for recognition. Your students want to feel that you are recognizing the amount of efforts they are putting into your course. A certificate is a way to show them that you have recognized their commitments. It also breeds a huge amount of trust in them.
Validation of progress
You may offer certificates at different levels of your course. That way you can validate the fact that they are progressing with your course. It also gives them the incentive to finish the course in time.
Breeds confidence and the possibility of further action
More than anything, you want your students to leave your course in a better position. Acknowledging your students’ efforts with a certificate injects confidence in them and helps them to move on to the next phase, whatever that might be.
How Dozent LMS Certificate plugin can help you in the process?
By now you have probably understood that you need to offer eLearning certificates for your courses, especially for those which are based on professional skills. And this is where Dozent LMS Certificate comes in. It is a powerful WordPress plugin that lets you create stunningly designed certificates for all your courses. You can use either of the two pre-designed templates or upload your own design. Select different templates for different courses. And most important of all – IT’S TOTALLY FREE! You don’t need to spend a dime to use it. Just click here to download and install the plugin and enjoy the power of versatility.
Wrapping Up
eLearning certificates, accredited or not, play a huge role in everyone’s professional lives. So you should offer certificates for your courses. If you don’t want to offer it for your free courses – that’s fine. But your paid courses must be accompanied with certificates. Because that’s what will keep you ahead in your business.