A stumbling block
The biggest challenge we faced came just before the last major release. We were told that our Training Environment would not be available for us to deliver the classroom events for Super Users and HR Specialist Staff. The infrastructure was needed elsewhere on the project, and tight project timescales dictated that the developers and database administrators would not be able to maintain an extra environment. We were also told that we would be losing two of our four classrooms, as they were also needed for other purposes.
We quickly went to work, creating a Software Simulator. Software Simulators aren’t very different from a set of e-Learning lessons, except that they typically contain many more “branches” (to make the experience more realistic), so no matter which screen you’re on, you can select multiple options and it will take you to the next logical step, rather than being forced down a prescribed pathway.
Quite by accident we were able to test this solution. We were in the process of delivering the final round of training in the live Training Environment, when the servers went down for two days for Disaster Recovery testing. We quickly stripped out the “screen helpers” (the on-screen instructions) from our existing e-Learning lessons, and the instructor used these to allow the users to complete their classroom exercises. It meant that she needed to keep a tight rein on the students, to keep them from trying to click “anywhere,” as only certain features were working at that point, but the students didn’t notice a discernable difference.
We delivered the final round of training, using the System Simulator, and it was only when one of the students noticed that their network cable was unplugged and they asked why their training was still able to work, that anyone had an indication that they weren't using a live system.
And finally – the E-Learning lessons
We gathered hundreds of real-world scenarios, and got to work on the e-Learning.
We created over 350 short, 3-5 minute modules based on each process, tailored to each job role, and based on the real-world scenarios. (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2: The modules were tailored to each job role and included on-screen help.
The on-screen help included background information about the particular task at hand, as well as instructions on where to “click” or type.
We used three levels of remediation. After approximately 15 seconds, large red arrows would fade in, showing the user where to click in case they were unsure.
If users clicked in the wrong place, a green box would appear, and if they continued to struggle, a hint box appeared. Finally, a dialogue box would appear, asking the user if they wanted the system to perform the step on their behalf. Users loved it, as they felt they were in a secure, safe environment, and we provided lots of help and guidance along the way.
We also supplied One-Page Process Maps and a comprehensive set of Quick Reference Guides and brief Desk-Aids.
To accommodate those with visual impairments, we also provided a complete set of Step-by-Step Guides (which was an alternative to the e-Learning), which included screen shots from all of the lessons, as well as instructions on each step in the task. (See Figure 3.)
Figure 3: The Step-by-Step Guides
These were highly rated by all users, as they could keep the document open while in the real system, using it as a detailed desk-aid.
So how did we create “engaging, interactive” e-Learning without bells and whistles?
There are only a few products on the market that would meet ALL of our criteria. We needed a Rapid Development Tool to create system-based e-Learning, as well as a realistic Software Simulator. It needed to create SCORM-compliant lessons that would run from a browser, didn’t require any software to be installed on local machines, and worked offline. File sizes and bandwidth were serious considerations as well.
Because this project involved the Oracle e-Business Suite application, we first looked at the most obvious choice, Oracle’s UPK (Universal Productivity Kit).
Unfortunately, the customer decided against it, as they felt that the ongoing licensing costs for 28,000 staff would be too high. In our own view, although it has some unsurpassed features when integrated with the Oracle e-Business Suite application, when the lessons are taken offline and burned onto a CD, UPK didn’t perform quite as well as some of the other products we researched.
In the end, we used a Rapid Development Tool called KSTutor (from EnlightKS, a U.K. and Swedish-based company). It captures the screens and interactions intelligently, and allowed us to create both a Software Simulator to deliver realistic classroom training, as well as over 350 e-Learning lessons that mimicked the live system.
The customer especially loved the fact that drop-down menus (although captured from screen shots) behaved like the “real thing.” As you move your mouse over each selection, it turns blue just as it does in the live system. When you select an option, the menu disappears and the correct value is presented.
One of Enlight’s related products enabled us to automatically format and produce Step-by-Step Guides to accommodate users with visual impairments. (These can be published with or without screen shots). This saved us thousands of hours of development time.
We didn’t need to buy licenses for any of the users, but only for the number of e-Learning developers, and that set it apart from many of its rivals.
Perhaps the best feature is that it works exceptionally well offline.
Some system-based e-Learning loses functionality and features the minute you try to take it out of a server-based environment. KSTutor performs exactly the same (or even better, in some cases, where users are on very slow dial-up connections!) The file sizes are incredibly small (it’s easy to e-mail a lesson to someone if needed), and you only need a Web browser to run it.
It was a simple, elegant solution that earned us high praise and continues to generate consistently positive feedback.
The most positive result is that the Northern Ireland Civil Service and NIO now see e-Learning as a viable training option, whereas before, it was only considered to be a last resort.
