As the demands of moving to online learning (or e-learning) increase for training companies they are faced with a delimma of having to recreate their content, once just powerpoint or paper book form now being moved to interactive software that engage a learner allowing them to do their study when they want. Face to face training will never disappear however there is a growing market to cater for the quick aquisition of knowledge that organisations require in an increasingly regulated and risk adverse business environment.
Level 1 online learning: Use existing content
The simplest way to deliver e-learning is to put existing learning materials, eg slides, course notes or books in a downloadable format along side an online quiz that can measures competency.
The draw back to this is that the downloaded files are easily distributed, therefore ownership and copyright is difficult to control. For should courses this can be sufficient to enable learning to an adequate level. CourseSales.com supports this method, including using quiz forms and form content. This has the added benefit of being part of the registration process.
Level 2 online learning: Use cloud based services
The next level is to use online cloud services to deliver audio, video or animated content. You can use existing or create new content. Using Youtube or other services means that you utilize cloud based services to handle the load costing you little. This is supported by CourseSales.com in the student portal - you can add specific content to areas of knowledge, this is suitable for those organisations delivering multi-unit courses and can be as content rich as the next level, a learning management system.
Level 3 online learning: Learning management system (LMS)
The ultimate and definitely most expensive (in money and time) is to use a specially designed system to deliver sophisticated e-learning content in an specialized environment where trainers can provide one-on-one feedback and have a more secure and controlled environment. CourseSales.com supports this by having Moodle plugins that enable enrolment, authentication and completion to be controlled and monitored by CourseSales.com although all the delivery is in the LMS.
Creating e-learning content
No matter which level you plan on implementing you will no doubt need to create content or convert existing content into a format that can be delivered. The usual roles that are apointed for such a project are:
Project Manager
Ensures that the work delivers to budget, manages risk, plans the work, and coordinates quality.
Subject Matter expert(s)
Ideally a trainer who has classroom experience with students, and is able to guide the development using real-world experience to confirm the learning outcomes are achieved. This role is also responsible for the testing of the products and acceptance of them.
Technical expert(s)
This could be one or more persons experienced in developing technical solutions, they may have graphic design skills and writing skills. They should have a working knowledge of learning modes used in e-learning solutions. Should there be a short fall in any of these skills additional technical experts may be required.
Executive
Ideally an additional role would be an Executive of the project who makes decisions related to the budget and options to ensure the project delivers on time and to budget. Quality checks of the work conducted by the technical experts should be performed by the subject matter experts.