Many instructors likely have more than one course online, and can often spend months building it before it goes live – only to start the next. So, what do you do when you need to go back and update an old course? There are a few things that you can do to make your job a little easier when it comes to updating or editing those old courses.

1. Speak in the present. If you are creating a course focusing on something that will happen in the future, talk about it as though it has already happened. That way you won’t have audio or text to edit. Your courses should always sound current, not like they are stuck in the past.
2. Be aware of vendors. Was your course developed with the help a vendor? Are you planning to pay for changes or do you have the ability to do it in-house? If you are planning to do the updates yourself, be sure you have the original source files and the correct software used to create the files.
3. Check for errors. Be sure you proofread your course and check for any errors. It is helpful to have a co-worker or friend proofread it as well. There is nothing worse than uploading an edited course, only to find errors that need fixing.
4. Be aware of audio recordings. Audio can be a great addition to your online course. However, sometimes it isn’t the easiest to edit. Be sure to have access to the original files and preferably the “voice” that was used to create the recording. If you don’t have the original “voice”, you may need to re-record the entire course.
5. Save time for re-publishing and uploading. After you make any necessary changes or updates to your course, you will likely have to re-upload it to your LMS platform. Select the correct settings and give yourself enough time to publish it online.

Hopefully with these 5 tips, your course updates will be a little easier (and faster!) now. The trick is to keep all original files and save yourself enough time to make the proper changes needed.