How Long Does Developing Asynchronous E-Learning Take?

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Like soft drinks at McDonald’s, asynchronous e-learning comes in a variety of “sizes,” from simple conversion of classroom materials to an e-learning format to creating complex simulated learning sequences. The amount of time needed to create an asynchronous e-learning course in these formats varies accordingly.

(Asynchronous courses are ones in which instructors and learners are not online at the same time; online tutorials are the most common example of asynchronous e-learning. This contrasts with synchronous e-learning, in which instructors and learners are online at the same time. The most common example of this is online webinars. The next section suggests estimates for developing these types of courses.)


The simplest is rapid e-learning, which involves converting existing Powerpoint slides (usually developed for a classroom course), recording a sound track, and adding some simple interactive exercises—ones that usually involve multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions.

The organizations that have shared this information indicate that the average is approximately 75 hours of development for 1 finished hour of instruction. Actuals could easily range 50 and 150 hours of development for each finished hour of instruction. Reduce time if the content is exceptionally stable, and graphics need little or no rework to convert to e-learning. Add time if the content is not stable, if graphics need rework for conversion to e-learning, and to create interactive activities.

Learning Content Management Systems were developed to speed development of rapid e-learning by helping organizations use templates for most types of slides. But these systems only simplify production (which is no more than 30 or 40 percent of the total content process); systems have limited effect on creating and validating the actual learning material.

Next is basic e-learning—the most common types of online tutorials, which feature screens specifically created for the computer screen either in Flash or HTML (rather than converted Powerpoint slides). Basic e-learning courses also include limited audio, animation, and simple video, as well as moderately interactive exercises, quizzes and tests, mostly created from multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions.

The most authoritative number for estimating these types of projects is 223 hours of effort for each finished hour of instruction, reported several years ago by Bryan Chapman at the Online Learning Asia conference in Singapore.

Actual effort could vary between 150 and 350 hours of development for each finished hour of instruction, depending on complexity of production. If the program primarily consists of text and simple interactive exercises, subtract hours from the 223. If, however, the program includes modestly complex video, graphics or animation, or requires a level of expertise in subject matter beyond the basic (such as medical training), add hours. In fact, the hours could easily exceed 350.

Similarly, unstable technical content and a poorly defined production process add hours to the average.

The third and most complex type of e-learning, is appropriately known as complex e-learning, and includes complex video, animation, simulation, graphics, and subject matter. What makes the subject matter complex varies among programs; that extensive time is needed to produce it is common to all.

Some gray market studies estimate development of such courses at 450 hours per finished hour of instruction, but most cases actually exceed that. One that exceptionally complex subject matter and required additional technical reviews took 525 hours, even though the content was somewhat stable as was the production process, and design involved following a well-defined template.

A highly original and complex simulation activity that involved extensive interaction and high quality graphics exceeded 1000 hours.