Introduction
No matter how professionally a course is structured, if it fails to meet the needs of the target group, its impact will be lost. That’s why every successful e-learning course begins with one question: Who is this course designed for? In this article, we’ll show you how to conduct a practical target group analysis and how to use it to develop a coherent course.
Why target group analysis is so important
- It determines the language, tone, and depth of the course
- It helps to make content relevant and motivating
- It avoids misconceptions about prior knowledge or expectations
- It influences the choice of methods and media
It is not the content that determines learning success, but its suitability for the target group.
– Dr. Miriam Berger, education communications consultant
What you should know about your target group
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Who are the participants? | Age, occupation, industry, background |
| What do they already know? | Pre-knowledge, experience, education history |
| What do they really need? | Goals, challenges, context of use |
| What motivates them? | Career, duty, interest, fun |
| Which language does the target group speak? | Technical language, everyday language, English, etc. |
How Lessonator supports you
Lessonator helps you target your audience by offering:
- Flexible page types for different learning levels
- Language selection and localization
- Quiz and feedback functions customized for participants
- Easy adaptation for different target groups (e.g., via course duplicates)
Tips for implementation
- Hold mini-interviews with typical representatives of your target group
- Create a personas table: e.g., “Sabine, 42, HR, little e-learning experience.”
- Use examples and terms that come from your target group’s everyday work life.
- Ensure accessibility and mobile capability if you have heterogeneous groups.
- Adapt your tone and form of address (formal, casual, direct, narrative, etc.).
Conclusion
A course without target group analysis is like a lecture without an audience. Only when you know