A Team of One: Rapid E-Learning Environment at Break-Neck Speed

WHETHER IT’S SNAFU OR SNIFU

There are always bugs and glitches, whether it’s the software, the hardware, or you just trying to get there. The SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fouled Up) is a given. Don’t panic, these things happen. The main thing is that once you realize there is a problem, whether it’s the software, the hardware, or your ware address it right away. Inform all concerned, because you do not want to miss a deadline that still may be attainable (in which case the situation becomes SNIFU: Situation Normal I Fouled Up). And, if it isn’t attainable, make sure you covered everything you needed to cover and presented this information to whomever it is you report to. If you have to take one on the chin so be it. Rub it and move on.

To Beta Or Not To Beta

Okay, we have the site up and running and a few courses under our wings. Now, take it to the beta testers. Yes, you need to let someone go in there and find everything that needs fixin’, and believe me when I tell you there will be some fixin’ going on — more than you care to imagine. And this does not just cover what you as the writer or project manager overlooked, but there will also be glitches in how your software flows from one tool to the next. It’s best that you encounter and address these issues with a select few rather than with 10 or 20 people coming at you with the same problem. It would be most helpful to beta test to a diverse group with various modes of learning ability.

Also, include your SMEs in the beta testing. Make sure they like the way you’ve presented their material because it flows differently than on paper. They may have additional changes based on the format of the online course. The transition from page to page within a course gives them a different perspective, and changes will be forthcoming. Your relationship with your SMEs is crucial. They know what they want to say and how they want to say it. There’s no need to go edit crazy. Those of us with technical writing experience were trained to do things by the book, but sometimes you just have to close the book and have an open mind. Remember, customer satisfaction may often take precedence.

There was one course that we used from the LMS that I thought was great. The graphics and sound were far superior to what I was able to present. However, one of the users found it too overwhelming. She said it was just too busy for her taste.

Mind you, there is no pleasing everyone. But you need to consider a core group of users with different learning styles. This may not be easy to achieve if you are part of a small group with only limited access to your users. I have been there and know what that’s like. Remember the famous line, “You guys start coding and I’ll go and find out what the customer wants.” If at all possible try to poll the users in advance to see what would best fit their needs. Sometimes they may not always know, but at least find out what they do know.

The key is to have another set of eyes look at what you produced to minimize any problems that you can correct up front. They can be anything from typos, misconceptions, or links not working properly to text not flowing — and the list may be endless. You want to tweak it before the masses get hold of it.

When you come up with your core group of testers, supply them with the means to test. Don’t let them comment willy-nilly. Well, you won’t be able to stop that, but provide them with focus points as well as access, navigation, and any general tips that will be helpful. At least include the following:

• How to access the courses
• How to navigate through the courses
• What to look for in the courses:
  • Typos/Usage — Misspelled words, words used incorrectly, sentence structure, and so on.
  • Content — The subject matter and how it is conveyed
  • Flow — How the course flows from the beginning through the course summary.
  • Graphics — Do the graphics reflect the content? Are there enough graphics? Too many?
  • Tests — Do they cover the content? Should they be easier or more difficult?
  • Homework assignments (if applicable) — Does the course provide the appropriate amount of material to complete the assignment?

Do not dismiss any of your beta tester’s suggestions. There were some suggestions that did not immediately strike my fancy. However, after some thought, and a great deal of persistence on their part, I succumbed and could see the benefit.

That was in September of 2004. One year later, with the site up and running, there were 26 courses available, 22 additional courses available through a link to another site, and more on the burners. With awesome help from some very determined users, I was able to create three levels of courses that garner certification. The first level of courses is the prerequisite for the second level, and of course, the second level is the prerequisite for the third level. At this point, you are at the master level, which will become visible to the industry through additional efforts by way of certificates and awards.

THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET

So, I’m feeling kind of proud of myself, thinking I was able to pretty much meet my deadlines, having learned three new types of software, and having quite a few courses completed. But as I take a sigh of relief, counting my blessings, my manager says, “How do you plan to market ACORN (America’s Second Harvest Online Resource for the Network)?”

And there was this low echo that said, “How do I plan to market ACORN?” Now there’s a goal I had not considered. After all, I deal with the written word. I am a writer. I produce courses. I work with software. I do tech support. I don’t do marketing. There’s no marketing in e-Learning, or so I thought. “Waaaaaah!!!!!” Another new hat for my head. BAM! Congratulations! You are now at the next level.

Just because you build it, does not mean they will come. After getting the site up and running I am in the process of trying to get the users to beat a path to the Web site to take those courses. So now I am a salesperson. I created flyers; I hawked my product at conferences and workshops. I baked ACORN cookies. Yes, I kid you not. I bought ACORN cookie cutters to make cookies with. They were a hit, but baking is not my forte. And America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network has over 200 food banks and many, many agencies and programs included in that network. Now, that’s a whole lot of cookies!

It’s time to broaden the plan. Talk to the folks who’ve been where you’ve been and who have excelled. That was the message from my manager — and it was very sound indeed. I talked to one of our resident sales people whose program is doing quite well. Some basic rules to assist you in your course development, delivery, and marketing strategy are:

1. You must make your product visible.
2. Make plenty of calls and then follow up with more calls.
3. Know who your target audience is (those who stand to benefit the most from your courses) and market, market, market.
4. Market your product in every feasible way that you can. (Be tasteful because it can be overdone. You don’t want them to hate to see you coming.)
5.  Find ways to drive people to your site (for example,, put a link wherever possible in such places as newsletters, intranet sites, and return e-mail closings).
6. I haven’t tried this one yet, but I plan to do Webinars on navigating to the site and addressing any concerns and/or difficulties users may have.
7. Add other viable resources to the site so users will get in the habit of going there (such as, documents and templates users may need, which will always be the most current).
8. Contact Human Resources and other departments within your organization to see how your site can benefit them.
9. I’m adding this one even though it may seem like common sense. Broaden your shoulders. You may not appreciate all of the criticisms and questions as you provide support and market your product. However, you must deal with it. This is where you truly learn. You want to hear everything that people are saying because that will only help you to make your courses better.

SUMMARY

Having said all that, I will endeavor to turn ACORN into a mighty OAAK (Optimum Access to A2H Knowledge). Sometimes, as we set out to accomplish a task, we forget where we are because we are too caught up in what we are doing. Therefore, you need to plant some little seeds so you not only know where you’ve been, but so you can see where you need to grow.

REFERENCES

DeVries, Jennifer. 2004. Rapid e-Learning: Groundbreaking New Research. Chicago: LTI Magazine. Available at:   http://www.ltimagazine.com/ltimagazine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=102399  (Editor's Note: As of November 1, 2009, this article appears to have been removed from the Web.)

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