Expanding to new markets is a logical step for a successful online course. After developing e-learning content that users loved, it only made sense to translate the course and offer the knowledge to students from other regions.
At the same time, poor localization of learning materials can be an obstacle to effective studying. That’s why professional localization that considers industry terminology in a target language, user demographics, and cultural peculiarities is a must for a translated course that will be useful to new students without barriers.
This article will share the top tips for the e-learning localization process based on our first-hand experience translating online courses at Blue Carrot. 🤩
Summary
- Engage subject matter experts in reviewing translation
- Don’t skip the quality control stage
- Keep communication flowing
- Maintain consistency with the previous versions of your course materials
Understanding e-learning content localization
The accuracy of translating e-learning materials is of utmost priority for any localization team. Achieving the highest level of linguistic, cultural, and technical alignment between the original course and its translation can significantly enhance learning outcomes for foreign students. Inaccuracies and mismatches in terminology, for instance, can hinder students’ full comprehension of the material and ultimately diminish the quality of education.
👉 Here are some e-learning content localization tips Blue Carrot uses to achieve the highest level of translation accuracy when working on e-learning localization projects.
☑️ Engage subject matter experts in reviewing translation
The perspective of someone with in-depth knowledge of the course’s technical content and the target audience’s culture and language nuances is beneficial. One of Blue Carrot’s best practices for e-learning content localization is for SMEs to review the translation for accuracy, terminology, and compliance with industry standards.
Implementing the SME’s suggestions is not just about making direct changes. It involves thoughtfully analyzing the feedback, considering the context, and applying the best solution. The ultimate goal of this collaborative process is to make the learning material understandable for the learners and up-to-date with industry standards, so considering the course user’s needs is a priority. For example, an SME may suggest clarification of complex terminology that entry-level learners might not grasp.
The services of the subject matter expert and a linguist are among the best practices for e-learning localization. This can be managed through direct communication channels, like Slack, or through a collaborative platform, like the CAT tool, where both parties can discuss the suggested changes. The project manager should promote constructive interaction between the SME and linguist, focused on achieving the best possible outcome for the e-learning course localization.
The feedback from the SME’s review improves the project and is a valuable tool for assessing a linguist’s or translator’s performance. Each piece of feedback is recorded and contributes to an overall quality score for the linguist. At Blue Carrot, we set a fixed 99.8% quality rating expectation, focusing on critical areas such as typos, grammar, omissions, additions, and meaning changes. Preferential edits, which may not directly impact the factual accuracy but could affect user engagement and comprehension, are also considered.
☑️ Don’t skip the quality control stage
Based on our experience with e-learning material translation clients, we noticed a tendency to undermine or be willing to skip the quality assurance step altogether. That’s a big no-no for us. A thorough quality assurance stage is among the best tips for e-learning content localization.
After incorporating the SME’s feedback and finalizing the translation, we move the project into the quality control (QC) and deliverables phase. This final check is crucial to ensure learners receive the highest-quality translation.
In this stage, the completed translation undergoes a comprehensive quality check to verify that all project instructions have been adhered to, all comments from the previous stages have been reviewed and reconciled, and the glossary and style guide have been consistently followed. Usually, we choose to perform a final review by an independent quality assurance team or a senior linguist not involved in the initial translation.
👉 The QC process should cover every aspect of the translation to guarantee the final product is free from errors and misinterpretations and aligned with the learning objectives and cultural context of the target audience. This includes a final review of such aspects as:
- technical terminology
- language fluency
- formatting
- coherence of the translated e-learning materials.
Among our e-learning localization tips, we would like to introduce a set standard for translation quality. At Blue Carrot, we rely on the ISO 17100:2015 translation services quality standard to guarantee that the final deliverables are based on the company’s inner guidelines and translation industry requirements.
Once the quality control checks are completed, it’s usually time to prepare the final deliverables. At Blue Carrot, these are all translated materials the client will receive, correctly formatted and packaged in the required formats. The final deliverables should be ready for deployment in the designated LMS or other platforms.
☑️ Keep communication flowing
Regular communication is another pillar of accurate e-learning content translation. It’s one of the tips for e-learning translation and localization we always share with our clients. As mentioned earlier, the translator, manager, or SME may have a different translation suggestion for the same term. To avoid variation in translated terms, rely on CAT tools and one simple thing — communication.
Consistent scheduling meetings to review progress, address challenges, and exchange feedback is another e-learning content localization best practice at Blue Carrot. Establish a transparent and constructive feedback loop, managed through the same tool, like Jira so that all team members can contribute to continuous improvement.
Flexibility is key — the team should be prepared to make necessary adjustments based on feedback and the evolving needs of the project. This may involve reassigning tasks, adjusting timelines, or updating the reference materials. That’s why it’s best if all team members have access to project management and CAT tools.
☑️ Maintain consistency with the previous versions of your course materials
Continuously updating the glossary and style guide to reflect any new understandings or changes made during the project is one more of the tips on e-learning content localization. This is done for future translation or localization updates for similar courses from the same clients so that all materials will be consistent and adhere to the same high standards to maintain a cohesive learning experience.
Regular glossary and style guide reviews and strict version control are among the first tips for e-learning localization we implement at Blue Carrot and recommend to our clients. They help to keep your localized content consistent. Any new term, notion, or specific phrasing that has the potential to reappear in future materials should be added to the glossary. For example, a translator can perform a translation review after each segment to decide which words and phrases to add to the glossary for current and future use.
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How Blue Carrot Can help your business
Introducing an online course for a new market isn’t an easy job. We at Blue Carrot know it like no one else: we localized content for courses from many spheres, including the energy sector and logistics. A well-localized online course comprises many parameters, like full terminology alignment, technical accuracy, cultural appropriateness, fitting visuals, and more.
To achieve this result, a team of professional translators, editors, and SMEs must collaborate effectively with proper project management and communication. That is why only an experienced, professional localization team can guarantee the desirable outcome.
👉 Looking for reliable e-learning content localization services? Blue Carrot is your best bet! We have experience with e-learning projects of all scales, including localization of e-learning materials.
📌 Take our recent project of a White Glove course localization into Spanish. A team of professional translators, proofreaders, voice-over actors, and a video editor manager worked on e-learning video localization to change the video text and add a Spanish voice-over for the course. The result is a visually appealing, clear online course with fun animations, well-fitting on-screen text, and naturally sounding voice-over.
Want to achieve the same results? Let’s introduce your e-learning content to new audiences together. 👇
