DigitalChalk, an online training software system that offers training delivery for small business and independent training professionals, announced today the availability of free instructor accounts. These accounts can be created online and allow a trainer or instructor who wants to experiment with elearning, a full-featured option to get started quickly with no up-front costs.
Launched in 2007, DigitalChalk was the first system of its kind to offer on-demand training delivery with a strong emphasis on streaming video courses. Unlike traditional hosted services that focus on charging the content author for hosting and bandwidth, Infinity Learning Solutions took a cooperative approach with the instructors. DigitalChalk charges a course delivery fee at the time of student registration. For instructors who sell training online through DigitalChalk, the fees are collected as a portion of the student registration cost and the instructor has no out-of-pocket expenses. Small businesses that wish to train staff simply pay course delivery fees for what their users consume.
"With the economic downturn, we have seen a rapid uptick in businesses who are turning to online learning delivery options to reduce expenses. Many small businesses have sophisticated training requirements but lack the budget or staff to implement an in-house solution," said Tony McCune, VP of sales at ILS. "The increase in available broadband Internet is making on-demand video training a viable alternative to instructor lead training. Unlike synchronous systems for Web meetings that require everyone to join at the same time, on-demand training courses can be accessed 24-7 and can include lessons recorded by the best resources available on any given topic."
The free account on DigitalChalk includes all of the basic features for course authoring and delivery. Each account can be privately branded and includes a unique URL. Instructors can deliver courses for as little as $8.00 per student. Businesses and instructors who have larger volume requirements can upgrade to professional or business accounts that include discounted fees, high-resolution video, more lesson templates and live technical support.
"Our product development team has done a wonderful job of expanding the options available for new accounts in response to our growing demand. We are committed to making high quality online training available to any size organization," said McCune. "Signup takes less than five minutes and we don't require any contract commitment".
