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E-learning developer
Hours
35-40 per week
Starting salary
£20,000 + per year
If you can use internet technologies and you would enjoy building learning programmes, this job could suit you.
E-learning is the name used to describe study over an online computer network. E-learning courses can be completed on an organisation's own network, for example at a university; or through a private training provider over the internet.
In this job you would need to be able to use web authoring and web development software. You would need to communicate well and give presentations. You would also need creativity to design interesting learning programmes.
Employers usually look for a higher education qualification, such as a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree. Relevant subjects include computing, multimedia design, teaching or educational technology.
WorkDesc
The work
As an e-learning developer or technologist, you would build online training areas, known as virtual learning environments (VLEs), which would contain:
- course materials
- email facilities
- learning activities and resources
- interactive discussion and coursework areas.
You may be involved in building a VLE from scratch or customising an off-the-shelf product. Your duties would include:
- working with tutors to create and structure online learning materials
- creating interactive multimedia like video clips (webcasts) or audio clips (podcasts)
- modifying content for use on other platforms, such as mobile phones or hand-held computers
- making sure security measures are in place to control access to the VLE
- assessing users' training needs
- writing training support materials for students and staff.
After developing a VLE, you may be employed to maintain it. Tasks could include, managing user accounts and access permissions, updating course content and student records, and overseeing message boards and forums.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would normally work 35 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Overtime may be necessary to meet deadlines.
You would usually be office-based, working at a computer. You may have some out-of-office duties, for example to attend meetings with the development team or clients.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries can be between £20,000 and £30,000 a year. Experienced developers can earn between £25,000 and £35,000. Senior developers with departmental responsibilities can earn more than £40,000 a year.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Employers usually look for a higher education qualification, such as a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree. Relevant subjects include computing, multimedia design, teaching or educational technology.
To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees, see the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website.
Experience of designing online learning materials, web design or programming would give you a better chance of finding a job, and most employers will expect you to have a working knowledge of professional web authoring software. You can find web design courses at most local colleges, online, or by distance learning.
You might also find it useful to have a look at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards on good practice for website development. See the W3C website for more details.
Familiarity with the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) may also be helpful. This is a widely used standard for transferring content between different VLEs. Visit the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) website for more details.
There are many different VLE platforms and you can download some of these for free to see how they work. See the contacts in the further information section below for more details.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
You would normally receive on-the-job training, covering your employer's VLE and information management procedures.
If you already have a degree and/or relevant work experience, you could improve your career prospects by taking a postgraduate qualification in e-learning technology. Courses are offered by several universities through distance learning. You can search for courses on the UKPASS website.
You would be expected to keep up to date with changes to coding and scripting languages used to create VLEs, such as:
- HTML and DHTML
- Flash and SQL
- JavaScript
- XML and PHP.
You can find online tutorials on various scripting languages on The Web Developer's Virtual Library and W3C websites.
You may be able to take the e-Skills UK Professional Programme, developed along with universities and IT employers. You can study it as part of an undergraduate, postgraduate or work-based training programme. See the e-skills website for more details.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be an e-learning developer you should have:
- a working knowledge of web authoring and web development software
- confident presentation and communication skills
- creative flair
- an awareness of web development standards and accessibility issues
- good organisational skills
- the ability to multitask and work to deadlines
- the ability to work in a team, including course tutors and programmers
- knowledge of privacy and confidentiality legislation, like the Data Protection Act.
You may also need some knowledge of the further and higher education sectors.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Moodle 
http://moodle.org
Sakai
www.sakaiproject.org
Blackboard
www.blackboard.com
e-skills UK
1 Castle Lane
London
SW1E 6DR
0207 963 8920
www.e-skills.com
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
The use of e-learning in the UK is growing. Improvements in the speed of internet connections mean that higher quality audio and video can be transferred over networks. Therefore, the demand for skills in podcasting, webcasting and videoconferencing is likely to increase.
Your promotion options include senior development roles, IT project management, e-learning research, strategy planning, technical sales and business development. You could also move into related areas like educational consultancy, educational software development, systems analysis or the computer games industry.
You may find the following websites useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The IT industry includes people in IT companies, such as those offering IT services, technology‐orientated consulting, technology development, systems analysis, programming, systems testing and technology sales. It also includes IT professionals working in other sectors, such as people whose primary job role is IT orientated, which includes IT departments and IT support staff in companies. The IT industry together with Telecoms is represented by e‐skills UK Sector Skills Council.
A sector trend is the convergence of telecommunications, computing and networking and the move from hardware intensive to software intensive platforms. Embedded voice communications capability is already part of the internet, which also has to manage voice, data and video and location information.
The social, economic and market forces shaping UK IT skills are evolving as technology continues to progress from the back office to the board room. This is changing the market for IT skills, creating demand for both technology‐oriented business people and business‐oriented technologists – and blurring the lines between traditional business and IT disciplines.
Key facts:
- There is a total IT and Telecoms workforce of 1.5 million of which:
- 890,000 people are in IT and Telecoms products and services
- 600,000 IT and Telecoms professionals are working in organisations outside of the IT and Telecoms industries
- There are around 105,000 businesses in the UK offering IT and Telecoms products and services.
- IT‐intensive sectors represent 55% of the UK's total Gross Value Added.
- Less than 1% of those employed in IT and Telecoms occupations are under 18.
- 22% of companies who are trying to recruit IT and Telecoms professionals report difficulties in attracting applicants with the right skills.
- 58% of the workforce has a degree or higher education qualification.
- The IT industry is predicted to grow at a rate of 2.5% per year for the next ten years.
- There are 100,930 IT manufacturing and services establishments in the UK employing 600,000 people.
- The IT workforce accounts for 4% of the UK workforce.
Jobs in the IT industry include: Business analyst; Games developer; CAD/CAM Programmer/Trainer; IT trainer; Service technician; Software engineer/architect; Technology consultant; Web designer; Systems architect; Technical author.
National and regional data
Across the UK, there is an estimated IT and Telecoms workforce of 1.5 million who are predominately located in London and the South East. The IT workforce can be classified in IT manufacturing and IT services. The largest number of companies is located in:
- IT manufacturing
- South East
- London
- East of England
- IT services
- South East
- London
- East of England
Key regional facts:
- 39% of IT and Telecoms professionals are located in London and the South East
- the East of England has the third highest number of IT and Telecoms employees
- Northern Ireland, Wales and the North East combined comprise just 6% of the IT and Telecoms professionals
- 44% of all types of IT and Telecoms companies are located in London and the South East
- the highest median gross weekly earnings for IT and Telecoms staff are in London, the South East and the East of England, which are all above the UK median
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey (April‐June), 2009.]
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