From Learning Solutions Magazine: Beta Testing is a key step in creating insanely great e-Learning applications. Often overlooked or omitted out of concern for budget and schedule, it is actually simple and cheap to do, and when planned with care, it takes little time to execute. Done before development is 100% complete, it ensures faultless releases. Here’s a step-by-step guide from an experienced developer.
Check it out: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/299/beta-testing-an-online-course