1. Mindmap brain-dump
I always start the course creation process by doing a brain-dump. This allows me to get everything out of my head and into a visual format.
I usually do this by creating a mindmap and by using post-it notes. It’s best to find a place where you can keep the post-it notes up for a while so you can continue to review and refine.
2. Cluster and organize
Next, I begin to cluster items into groups. These groups become the modules in the course. The image below is from one of my clients. They kept the post-its on their closet door to ensure they saw it multiple times per day.
Create a 1st draft
From there, I create a 1st draft of the outline in Airtable which consists of the modules and lessons within the course.
Review and refine
This rough draft becomes an ongoing work in progress as I continue to review and refine the outline.
Create your final outline/project plan.
Eventually the rough draft is transformed into the final outline in Airtable. This then becomes my project plan since I know the components that need to be created for each lesson.
Outlining Process in Images
Example from Online Courses Academy
One of the modules is ‘Creating your course content’. From there, I divided the module into smaller chunks, which became my lessons, and for each lesson I outlined 3 main topics I wanted to discuss in that video.
Module: Creating your course content
LESSON 1: The efficient workflow for creating your content
LESSON 2: Creating your worksheets
LESSON 3: Scripting your video lessons
TOPIC 1: Why scripting your videos is important
TOPIC 2: How to structure your video lesson scripts
TOPIC 3: Strategies to script your videos
LESSON 4: Creating your slides for your video lesson
LESSON 5: How to film, edit and host your video lessons
