Should You Update Online Course Content? How, Why and When

You know that feeling when you put so much effort into creating your online course, only to wonder a few months later… Is this still good enough?

The truth is, that courses are not “launch it and forget it” products. If you want to keep your students engaged and get them real results, you need to keep the content fresh. But how often should you update? What should you change? And how do you avoid turning this into a never-ending task?

In this article, I will break down exactly when and how to update your course content without losing your sanity. Plus, I included real examples from course creators making multiple figures who made tweaks in their courses to better meet the students’ needs. 

When should I update my online course?

We are used to thinking of online course business as a way to generate passive income, which is only partially true. In fact, we still make consistent efforts to update the course materials, monitor the learner’s progress, keep track of business results, and so much more. 

I assume you monitor your course performance every once in a while. But how do you know it is time to make big changes? Several factors can indicate that. And NO, having to make updates is not necessarily for a bad reason. 

One such reason you may want to update the course materials is when your business grows and you have new strategies and methods to share. Or it might be your course topic is a trending one, so you need to adjust it to meet the student’s needs. 

For example, I first checked Alan Sharpe’s copywriting course long before ChatGPT was introduced. So, initially, the course addressed key copywriting assignments. After text content generation tools became so popular, he updated the course with ChatGPT tips to stay current with what today’s copywriters want and need. 

Another very good reason to update your materials is when you notice students ask the same questions over and over again. And at that moment, you think, “You know what, I need to create a lesson on that.” So you can make small updates every now and then, which is one of the keys to success with your course. 

Tip: If you're finding it challenging to keep up with these updates or need assistance in crafting detailed written content, consider leveraging the expertise of paper writers. These professionals can help you develop comprehensive lessons, guides, or resources that address your students' recurring questions, ensuring your course remains relevant and valuable.

But on the flip side, most course creators struggle with high dropout rates, low scores for assessments, and low engagement. All these numbers give food for thought. You start thinking if your course is engaging, clear, and to the point enough. 

That is when you need to look deeper at the data in your dashboard, like your students’ performance and course performance, to see what big updates you need to introduce. 

“... Patience is the first rule of success.”

 

William Feather

American publisher and writer 

It would be naive to think that course creators who earn a decent income from their business succeeded on their first try. In an interview with me, Angel Rodriguez, who is a creator at Uteach, mentioned it took him 3 times to relaunch before he got where he is today. 

“I relaunched, I did another relaunch, and I got some feedback from that relaunch. And that's another thing you should always do is check in with your students, see how they are enjoying the course”.

 

Angel Rodriguez 

Uteach course creator

Tip: Ideally, it would be best to update your online course at least every 4 months. So you would not have to take time and manage all the updates all at once. 

Key considerations when updating your course content 

A key takeaway from Angel Rodriguez is to consistently check with your students before you schedule your course updates. 

Step 1: Refer to the data and student satisfaction rates

You already have data indicating the dropout rates, completion rates, student performance, and the like. 

But to make sure your updates are efficient, you should also combine them with your student’s satisfaction rates. That is why it is always a good idea to survey your students and collect feedback. For example, you can:

• Use Google Forms for a quick 5-minute survey.
• Use the built-in survey tool of your course platform so you can better manage the responses better
• Let your students leave reviews on your course and ask questions in the comments
• Ask in your course community 

In your survey, you can include questions like

• On a scale from 1-10, how confident do you feel applying what you learned?
• What would have made this course better for you?
• Did you use the extra resources provided? Why or why not?

Download our free course evaluation template and use the exact practical questions, or customize them and create a survey of your own. 

Step 2: Set goals

We also want to make sure you have certain goals with updating your course content. Why? Because goals will help you later prioritize what exactly you need to update. 

Sometimes, you may go through the video content and think you could have added another episode. At this point, you would reflect on your goal and see if that update you want to make serves those goals. If it has no real influence, of course, you would not waste your time.  

For example, if you notice you have very low completion rates (it is usually below 15%), then you want to know for certain how much you set the bar for. So, goals will help you also understand how well your updates worked and if you need to walk that extra mile. 

Step 3: Managing video content 

Now, at this point, you want to assess the updates and changes based on your goal. To do so, here are a few questions for reflection. 

• Are learners achieving the intended learning outcomes for this module? 

The number one question to think about is understanding if your course ACTUALLY delivers. If your students share their feedback, show excitement, have good results in quizzes, and do not kate long before they complete, then you can expect no major changes. 

Yet, if their performance falls short, then we need to change the delivery format and maybe simplify your content. As you survey the students, you can ask them about the challenges they have. These are good hints at what you need to update. 

Pro Tip: To help them achieve the outcomes, Mariana Peña, an instructional designer I interviewed, suggests creating wins for the students early on. 

“In the first week or two, you must prove that your course delivers. So, we create sprints. The sprint is a quick win that reassures the student that the money that they spent on you was well spent. And if we don't do that, we're going to lose the high motivation that they had when they signed up.” 

 

Mariana Pena, Instructional Designer 

For example, if you have a course on social media marketing, you want to make sure they successfully set up their account. That can become a quick win for the first module. 

• Is the information still accurate and up-to-date? 

If you are in a niche like IT or marketing or offer content on industry trends, you are in big trouble. Because what is fresh content today is not relevant tomorrow. So, if there is any data you can easily update, go for it. 

However, this does not mean you start from scratch or need to delete an episode. Let’s say your previous course discussed the integration of generative AI, like ChatGPT, in your writing. And you mentioned you will work with the recent ChatGPT model. But now we have new reasoning models, so it is not the latest anymore.

In this case, we would just add a lesson on how to make best use of that. Also, we would change the course introduction. 

• Are there any gaps in the content? 

Remember I mentioned one of the key reasons for updating the course content is when students ask questions about the same? 

It might be you collect all their questions and dedicate a whole lesson (or module) to that so you fill the content gap there. But what if there is a huge gap? Say you have a new method you want to share now. 

Well, you can always create an updated version of the same course and keep the previous option. This is exactly what Justin Welsh did for his Content Operation Systems course. He renamed the courses for version 1 and version 2. In the second version, he shares the same techniques but with a different approach, which is more detailed and practical. 

And when you finish the two, these versions somehow complement each other as well. 

Tip: If this is your case, do not forget to record an introduction to explain what each version represents or how you recommend the student complete the course with both versions. Because the last thing you want to do is confuse the learners. 

• Is the video too long? 

The question about how long you should make each module is one of the most frequently asked among aspiring course creators. But here, I do not mean the actual length of the lessons the video player shows.

I mean, how long does your video lesson FEEL (if you have pre-recorded videos)? The best way to figure that out is to ask your students when you survey them if they have any challenges proceeding with the recordings. 

Usually, if you have high dropout rates, long and tedious content is one of the key reasons. For example, Angel Rodriguez noticed that early on, and it was one of the reasons for his relaunch. 

“I'm used to teaching in one-hour blocks. In a classroom, that works just fine. When I first launched my online course, I did it the same way: one-hour blocks. And that was a huge mistake. I had big drop-offs. That's one of the biggest things I learned in the very beginning about creating online courses. You have to structure it into little bite-sized nuggets.” 

 

Angel Rodriguez, 

Course Creator at Uteach

Learn more: Course Length Guide: How to Get it Just Right

• Could the content be delivered in a different format? 

If you could cover what you explained for a 3-minute video lesson in 1 simple visual and infographic, go for that. Because it is not only about the length of your course content. It is also about the delivery formats you choose to make the lesson stick and be efficient. 

• Is the audio quality good? 

If audio is not the main part of the content (for example, you are not offering a podcast), it does not mean we should overlook it. So, as you monitor and evaluate your course, make sure you also do not have lessons with background noise, muffled voice, or anything like that. 

Tip: Since we are updating the course, you could add captions to the videos. That makes the learning experience so much better, especially if the language you have the course in is not the one a student is native to.  

How do you roll out course updates on your platform? 

If you are running your courses on Uteach, it is easy to update your course without interrupting the learning experience. Because if you update the content on the platform, you also do not want the students to lose their progress or get confused. Here are a few easy ways you can handle course content updates on Uteach. 

Add a new preview 

When you update the main content of your course, do not forget to change your introduction to the course as well. Mighty be you introduced a technique you want to highlight, a specific path you want the students to take, or you created a new version of the course. Whatever it is, the introduction is there to make sure your students do not get confused. 

You can set the preview to be a free episode so that those who did not officially enroll can get a taste of what the course will be like based on the introduction. 

Schedule new releases with drip content 

Another great way to release new course updates is using the drip-scheduling feature. Especially if you are adding a whole new module to the course that you are excited about, you can plan when it can become available for the students, build anticipation, and create buzz around your course once more. 

Uteach offers different options when it comes to scheduling the release. For example, you can set your new episode to be released on a specific date. 

Set up emails and automated notifications 

The next step is automating the communications so that your students receive the update automatically. Uteach offers ready-made email templates for different cases you can turn on. For example, it can be

• You edited a video course students already are enrolled in
• You edited or changed the timing of the live session
• You scheduled content to become available on a specific date and time
• You deleted something from your courses
• You added a new learning material, resource, or digital product 
• etc

For example, let’s say I want to let students know I added new episodes and lessons to their course. 

I can activate the corresponding email and customize it.

Afterward, the student receives the email, and we do not send anything manually. 

Update your course page 

After you update the course content, also double-check the course page. Perhaps you added a new outcome, changed your positioning, messaging, etc. Especially you can pay attention to 

• New description
• Adding student reviews and testimonials
• Pricing, if it is affected 

You can manage all this using Uteach’s drag-and-drop builder. 

Announce big updates in your community

Before launching your course updates, let your community know something big is happening. It is an excellent opportunity to connect with your students on a deeper level and let them know how you appreciate their feedback. 

With Uteach, you can create free and paid communities for different course groups. Here is an example of how you can do that. 

Are you ready to get started? 

Updating your course does not have to feel like a never-ending to-do list. A few smart tweaks based on student feedback can make a huge difference in engagement and success. And the best part? You do not have to do it all at once! Small updates over time will keep your course feeling fresh without driving you crazy.

Now, if you want a stress-free way to manage, update, and grow your online course, Uteach has your back. From easy content management to analytics, Uteach helps you create a seamless learning experience for your students. 

Book your free demo and let our expert help you manage your courses and business.