There is something I see quite a bit online, and honestly, I am a bit perturbed by it. As an instructor, who will soon have some courses online, I don’t ask my students what I should study next to be able to teach them in the future. I believe as a teacher, or instructor, you should be the thought leader.
Now, in marketplaces such as Udemy and Skillshare, getting a feel for demand for a course is a wise idea. However, as someone who is a thought leader you should be able to anticipate the needs of your students beforehand. I can understand the reasons why some instructors do this as they don’t want to waste their time on creating a course that potentially will have no buyers.
Surveying your students about what they would like to learn next shouldn’t be your primary concern. Surveys’ amount to very little in the real world. Surveys don’t actually translate into sellable courses. What matters, and what should be the ultimate determinate of demand for your courses is how well they sell!
The old expression about “money talks” means quite a lot online.
Besides, if you are a true thought leader, you should be more concerned with creating an online curriculum that enhances every other course you make. By creating a curriculum, or a series of courses that can be tied together, you can in effect create more sales.
Anyways, this is something that has been bugging me for quite a while, and I had to get this off my chest and articulate my argument as best as I could! If you disagree with me, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments below!