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Many educators frequently ask themselves, “What is the ideal duration for my online course?” This comprehensive guide explores this crucial question by investigating course durations across various educational platforms.
Our thorough research uncovered remarkable differences ranging from concise single-hour lessons to extensive programs exceeding 25 hours in length. However, based on student engagement metrics and revenue generation patterns, we suggest that courses typically perform best when they contain between five and ten hours of content.
That said, this five to ten hour recommendation isn’t set in stone. Multiple elements can influence your course duration, allowing for flexibility beyond the average timeframe. Throughout this guide, we’ll explore these various factors and provide practical strategies to help determine the perfect length for your specific educational offering.
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of Udemy instructor earnings examining 200K courses as part of our research. We additionally investigated course durations across the platform. Here’s what our data revealed:
Nevertheless, Udemy’s statistics represent only a portion of the available course length spectrum, so we examined additional research studies as well.
Data collected by Teachable indicated that most (44.7%) of their highest-performing online instructors incorporated between one and five hours of video instruction in their courses.
A separate investigation by Thinkific analyzed 40K courses hosted on their platform. Their goal was to determine whether course length correlates with revenue generation. Their findings revealed:
Relationship between course duration and financial performance (Source: Thinkific)
Drawing from these findings and our extensive industry expertise, we’ve determined that five to ten hours represents an optimal duration range for most digital learning programs.
Nevertheless, it’s crucial to understand that no universal perfect course length exists. The ideal duration varies significantly based on numerous elements, including your subject matter complexity and intended learner demographics, which explains why successful courses demonstrate such wide-ranging time investments.
We don’t recommend using course length as a strategy to increase course revenue. Rather, focus on creating a quality course that helps your audience achieve the intended outcome and treat course length as a byproduct.
A frequently associated inquiry concerns the ideal duration for individual course videos. Briefer video segments have undeniably gained popularity in recent years. Diminishing attention capacities are commonly criticized, suggesting that current generations lack the focus exhibited by their predecessors.
While our cognitive abilities to concentrate remain unchanged from previous eras, our surrounding environment has dramatically evolved. From the industrial revolution to digital transformation, we’ve become accustomed to receiving products and knowledge with increasing rapidity. Consequently, viewers now anticipate that educational videos will convey information more efficiently.
Research conducted by Teachable across their network of over 100,000 educational portals revealed numerous valuable insights regarding optimal video duration:
Teachable’s highest-performing schools preferred compact videos (Source: Teachable)
What does this insight mean for your approach? Is brevity always better?
The answer isn’t black and white.
Every video lesson should target one specific outcome. Today’s learners crave direct, focused information. However, the ideal duration varies based on your teaching goals and target audience:
Don’t stress if your lesson demands more time. While brief videos require less preparation, longer content can build essential momentum toward comprehensive understanding.
Remember that motivated students willingly engage with substantial content. Consider that TED Talks consistently run 18 minutes, the typical movie spans 131 minutes, and viewers regularly consume entire series within days—attention capacity isn’t the limiting factor.
When crafting your course videos, determine the appropriate duration for each lesson’s objective and implement techniques that capture and sustain your audience’s engagement.
Why do course durations vary so dramatically? Why can’t we simply calculate that the perfect course equals exactly 6 hours and 27 minutes? Naturally, courses differ significantly because learners themselves are uniquely different.
Let’s explore the key elements that determine appropriate online course duration.
The single most crucial factor in determining optimal length is establishing crystal-clear course objectives.
We’ve observed countless new course creators struggling with content selection. There’s a natural tendency to include every bit of knowledge to maximize perceived value. This approach actually backfires by creating unfocused, meandering material that strays from your core promise.
The most effective way to resist this impulse is by precisely defining your desired student outcome. This clarity helps you distinguish essential content from interesting but unnecessary additions.
Achieve this clarity by asking yourself these guiding questions:
Answering these questions provides the focus needed to create outcome-centered learning experiences.
Once you’ve established this vision of ideal outcomes, implement these strategies to maintain focus:
A results-oriented course outline focuses your material effectively
Many course creators cite complexity as justification for extended course duration. While occasionally valid, this reasoning often serves as a convenient justification.
Nearly all complex concepts can be presented through streamlined explanations.
This simplification differs fundamentally from diluting content or underestimating your audience’s intelligence. We’re not reducing the substance of the concepts or assuming limited understanding. Rather, we’re refining our delivery method and removing unnecessary complications.
You’ve likely noticed, as a learner yourself, the stark contrast between explanations from genuine experts versus those with surface-level knowledge. True masters can distill even the most intricate concepts into brief, accessible explanations.
Consider this example involving something genuinely challenging: Einstein’s theory of relativity of simultaneity. This concept sounds intimidating because it genuinely is. Yet Einstein himself created an elegant thought experiment that explains this sophisticated principle in under two minutes.
The deeper our understanding of complex material, the more effectively we can communicate it using straightforward language.
Another effective strategy for reducing unnecessary complexity in your lessons involves leveraging practical tools and resources, such as digital workbooks.
One particular business consultant, whom we’ll refer to as Susan, originally delivered a 50-minute lesson on annual income planning that incorporated more than 10 different calculations. When she introduced a pre-configured spreadsheet with embedded formulas, the same comprehensive lesson required only 10 minutes.
By letting her tool handle the mathematical operations, she could concentrate entirely on her lesson’s primary objective: teaching activities that enable clients to forecast and positively influence their income.
Many educators assume their material must maintain complexity, perhaps reflecting their own learning experiences. However, challenging this assumption often proves worthwhile.
If simplifying your material interests you, consider these reflection questions:
While simplification offers tremendous benefits, substantial demand remains for sophisticated, mastery-oriented instruction. You’ll encounter learners committed to developing skills requiring months or years to perfect, including performing arts, programming languages, and advanced culinary techniques.
When determining appropriate course duration, we frequently overlook our audience’s starting position. If you envision your desired outcome as the “destination” on an educational journey, you might instinctively calculate based on your personal travel time.
Consider this parallel: flying to San Francisco takes approximately 5 hours from my location. However, this duration applies only when beginning where I start. Travel time varies dramatically when departing from Paris versus New York City.
This principle applies identically to your audience. Many instructors concentrate on subject matter rather than student experience. By focusing precisely on specific topics and your ideal participant profile, you can craft truly tailored learning experiences.
For instance, if you’re developing a course on “Discovering Your Unique Selling Proposition,” how would length requirements change when shifting your target audience from first-year entrepreneurs to business owners with two years of operational experience?
When teaching knowledgeable participants, consider these strategic questions:
By researching your ideal participant’s existing knowledge base, you’ll avoid unintentionally patronizing them while creating streamlined, relevant content.
Various course scopes attract different buyers based on their underlying motivations, with course duration often signaling how comprehensive or targeted your offering is.
If your ideal participant is motivated by conceptual mastery, consider developing a more comprehensive curriculum. This audience genuinely enjoys exploring subtle distinctions, particularly within topics they value. They typically welcome or actively prefer extended video content.
If your ideal participant is motivated by efficient problem-solving, consider crafting a more concise program. This audience gravitates toward direct instruction and may place less value on theoretical foundations, underlying principles, or explanations of why methodologies function.
Let’s examine how this works through practical examples.
Our first illustration is Stu McLaren’s Membership Experience. His program teaches foundational principles for establishing thriving membership communities. Learners seeking deep understanding and application of these principles often prefer his comprehensive nine-week curriculum, which incorporates coaching sessions and interactive Q&A opportunities.
At the opposite end of this spectrum, we find learners who simply want to build a lucrative audience on a particular platform and seek precise, actionable instructions. A perfect illustration addressing this need is Justin Welsh’s compact 90-minute LinkedIn OS program.
Most target audiences exist somewhere between these two distinct approaches. By identifying what truly drives your ideal participant profile, you’ll more accurately determine the optimal duration.
Consider these revealing questions:
Examining competitor offerings provides valuable context. You’ll discover diverse approaches, helping you better assess which duration aligns with your specific goals.
Identifying the optimal online course duration demands deep insight into your audience combined with crystal-clear objectives regarding your intended outcomes. There’s no universal formula; success emerges from finding the perfect balance tailored to your unique circumstances.
Explore our definitive resource guide to discover more about crafting compelling online learning experiences. This comprehensive toolkit contains practical insights and proven strategies designed to guide you through each development phase.
What length have you chosen for your course? Do you have personal preferences regarding course or video duration? Which factors most significantly influence your decisions about content length?
Share your thoughts in the comments section. We’re genuinely interested in your perspective.
Courses vary in length from about one hour to more than twenty-five hours. On average, most courses are between three to ten hours.
A good rule of thumb is between five to ten hours, but it can fluctuate based on your audience, your platform, and the size of the problem your course helps solve.
Free online courses should be under an hour. This is almost without exception. A free live workshop may be longer.
Determining the right video length depends heavily on each lesson’s purpose and your intended audience. Most lessons should be under 10 minutes, but there are many exceptions. Ten minutes may be far too long or far too short.
Absolutely! Short lessons focused on helping your audience take action are incredibly successful. Longer lessons offer different advantages but also come with the challenge of maintaining attention and engagement.
Use the tips in this article: stay focused, use an outline, use feedback, get to the point, and pair your lessons with helpful tools like digital workbooks. With experimentation and practice, you’ll know what length works best for you.
Zara Moreen contributes her talents as a content writer at sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, where she creates engaging and informative content that guides course creators through the intricacies of online education. Her writing helps demystify the process of creating and selling online courses while providing practical value to the platform's readers.
Selling Online Courses Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. However, this doesn’t influence our reviews or product listings. All opinions are based on our tests and personal experience with a product/service.
Copyright © 2024 by SellCoursesOnline
Zara Moreen contributes her talents as a content writer at sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, where she creates engaging and informative content that guides course creators through the intricacies of online education. Her writing helps demystify the process of creating and selling online courses while providing practical value to the platform’s readers.
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