Converting Training into E-Learning (Without Just Uploading the Slides)
At some point, most businesses reach the same conclusion:
“We already have good training, we just need it online.”
And technically, that’s true.
But practically?
This is where a lot of conversions quietly fall apart.
Why converting training isn’t a simple format swap
Taking classroom training and turning it into e-learning isn’t about:
uploading slides
recording a voiceover
breaking a workshop into videos
That approach keeps the content, but loses the learning.
Classroom training relies on:
discussion
facilitation
group energy
real-time clarification
When you remove those elements, you have to design for their absence; otherwise, learners are left scrolling through information with no way to apply it.
The real goal of conversion
The point of converting training isn’t to preserve everything that existed before.
It’s to ask:
What actually matters?
What do people need to do differently?
What can be removed without losing impact?
Good conversions simplify.
Bad ones digitise clutter.
A practical way to approach conversion (without overengineering it)
You don’t need a full redesign to get this right, but you do need to think differently.
Step 1: Check whether this is actually a training problem
Before you convert anything, pause and ask:
Is performance suffering because people lack skill?
Or because expectations, feedback, or processes are unclear?
If it’s not a skills issue, converting training won’t fix it, it just moves the problem online.
Quick option:
If time is tight, even a short survey or a handful of manager conversations can surface whether learning is the real gap.
Step 2: Identify the business problem you’re trying to solve
Don’t start with content.
Start with:
the problem you want to reduce
the behaviour you want to see more of
the risk you want to remove
Ask:
What should people be able to do after this?
What happens if they don’t?
This keeps the conversion focused and prevents “nice to have” content creeping back in.
Step 3: Review what you already have (properly)
Gather everything:
slides
handouts
exercises
activities
assessments
facilitator notes
Then be ruthless.
What:
still adds value?
supports decision-making?
helps people practise?
Quick fix:
If you’re under pressure, focus on the parts that consistently worked well in the classroom, not the parts that just filled time.
Step 4: Decide the right format (not just e-learning vs classroom)
Not everything needs to be a module.
Some content works better as:
short online learning
job aids
checklists
blended learning (online + live)
E-learning often takes less time than classroom delivery but only when it’s designed for action, not consumption.
Step 5: Design for doing, not watching
Online learning needs learners to do something.
That might be:
scenarios
questions
decision points
short practice activities
You don’t need complex interactions.
You do need:
relevance
feedback
consequences
Quick option:
If you’re short on time, even well-designed quizzes or reflection prompts are better than passive slides.
Where conversions usually go wrong
Most problems show up when:
everything is converted “just in case”
content is kept because it exists
no one decides what success looks like
learners are expected to stay motivated on their own
That’s not a tech problem.
It’s a design one.
Doing it yourself doesn’t mean doing it alone
Many businesses can convert their own training successfully.
What they usually need isn’t delivery, it’s:
a sense check
a clearer structure
help cutting content
reassurance they’re on the right track
That’s where a Flexible Support Session fits.
A simple next step if you want expert input (without a big project)
If you’re:
converting training yourself
unsure what to keep, cut, or redesign
stuck deciding the right format
worried you’re overcomplicating it
A Flexible Support Session gives you 60 minutes of focused, practical guidance to:
solve a specific problem
sense-check your approach
get unstuck quickly
No long-term commitment.
No pressure to outsource.
Just clarity, direction, and momentum.
👉 Book a Flexible Support Session
Sometimes, one good conversation saves weeks of rework.