(1) Rapid E-Learning

Rapid E-learning is delivering training (learning) by electronic means and utilizing quick design and development methodologies, along with available resources, to bring a final solution to your target audience in the most efficient manner.  However it is defined, the result is still the same – creating an engaging learning experience quickly and inexpensively.

“Rapid”, in my opinion, shouldn’t be taken too literally.  The successful development of e-learning modules from start to finish shouldn’t be rushed – and for good reason.  Planning in distinct stages works toward producing a quality learning experience.

1. Planning – analyzing the content, creating a look & feel and proof of concept
2. Design and development – produce the e-learning based on the instructional design concept formed during the planning stage
3. Testing – using a sample of actual participants from the target audience pool, test the e-learning module(s) functionality and effectiveness of knowledge transfer
4. Delivery – after final fixes to any technical bugs or errors and content edits (if necessary), deliver the project to the client

Two things come to mind when reviewing these steps. First, in order to produce a quality learning experience you really can’t rush the process, even though you are developing under the banner of “Rapid” E-Learning.  Second, quality is controlled by following a defined process or model like the traditional ADDIE model of instructional design.

(2) Learning from Self-Paced Courseware

About half-way through the course the question was posed, “Is it possible to learn from self-paced courseware”.  My answer is, “Yes, but it depends.”.

Two things need to be present in order for learning to be effective:

1. Context / relevance
2. High fidelity multimedia

A PowerPoint presentation on its own (converted to e-learning) has little or no value unless it has context and is relevant to the learner’s needs.  Keeping things simple is effective, but unless there is context to the courseware it leaves a less than desired learning experience. 

Another aspect that makes self-paced courseware effective is multimedia, using all or a combination of audio, images, video, animation and text.  To demonstrate the effectiveness of multimedia in self-paced courseware take a look at Dale’s Cone of Experience.  The more interactive you can make your training, and the higher fidelity of the multimedia (the more real it is), the more effective it will be.

(3) Interactivity

Interactivity is more than just delivering content in an online format.  Just because you use multimedia, doesn’t make it interactive.  You have to have things such as challenges, decision making and problem solving on the part of the learner integrated in the content.

Elements such as the following help make e-learning interactive:

• Activity (task)
• Case study (to provide context)
• Discussion Activity (with other learners)
• Quiz (with feedback from a moderator or automated by the learning module)

In the past, I’ve taken issue with e-learning that are "page-turners" and sit-and-view modules. By adding these elements you can support learning and provide rich – interactive experience.

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So there you have it, my recap of the class and what I took away from it.  Of course, this post is repurposed from previous posts, but the three main points discussed here are what I feel are the highlights of IPT 523.

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Elements such as the following help make e-learning interactive:

• Activity (task)
• Case study (to provide context)
• Discussion Activity (with other learners)
• Quiz (with feedback from a moderator or automated by the learning module)

In the past, I’ve taken issue with e-learning that are "page-turners" and sit-and-view modules. By adding these elements you can support learning and provide an interactive experience.

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I believe it is possible for students to learn from self-paced courseware, but I feel two things need to be present in order for it to be effective:

1. Context / relevance
2. High fidelity multimedia

I can tell you from personal experience that a PowerPoint presentation (by itself or converted to E-learning) has little to no value if it is not in context or relevant to the learner’s needs.  In my current work as a consultant, I use PowerPoint as support material to the live training I conduct.  After the training session, I deliver the PowerPoint slides I create as job aids to reference as learners begin to work on their own.  Had they not gone through the training I provide and were simply given the PowerPoint slide to use as their initial training, I highly doubt it would produce positive results.

Note: I try to follow the “simple is better” rule with the PowerPoint slides I create and deliver. With that said, my slide decks aren’t very meaningful without the actual training session to support it.

The other aspect that makes self-paced courseware effective is multimedia, using all or a combination of audio, images, video, animation and text.  One way to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of multimedia in self-paced courseware is looking at it through Dale’s Cone of Experience.  The more interactive you can make it, and the higher fidelity of the multimedia (the more real it is), the more effective it will be.

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As I understand it, Rapid E-learning is delivering training (learning) by electronic means, utilizing quick design and development methodologies along with available resources to bring a final solution to your target audience in the most efficient manner.  If you have conducted your own research on the subject, you may have found different definitions.  Nevertheless, the result is still the same – creating an engaging learning experience quickly and inexpensively.

In addition to this course I’m taking, I also operate a small consulting company called PinPoint Performance Solutions.  A recent project with a client happened to coincide with this course and had me thinking about the process behind developing e-learning. Although it was successful, the development of the e-learning modules from start to finish was a little rushed, but for good reason.  Under normal circumstances I would have a planned out development methodology into distinct stages to produce a quality learning experience.

1. Planning – analyzing the content, creating a look & feel and proof of concept
2. Design and development – produce the e-learning based on the instructional design concept formed during the planning stage
3. Testing – using a sample of actual participants from the target audience pool, test the e-learning module(s) functionality and effectiveness of knowledge transfer
4. Delivery – after final fixes to any technical bugs or errors and content edits (if necessary), deliver the project to the client

These stages were discussed to some degree in our textbook.  As I reviewed those stages, two things came to mind.  First, in order to produce a quality learning experience you really can’t rush the process, even though you are developing under the banner of “Rapid” E-Learning.  Second, quality is controlled by following a defined process or model.

The e-learning development model in our text, to me, resembled the traditional ADDIE model of instructional design.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  In fact, it just goes to show that proper planning leads to better results as I learned when building traditional training programs. 

By applying these steps or phases to your e-learning development, and using basic project planning methodology, a quality learning experience can still be produced at a cost and within a timeframe acceptable to everyone involved.

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Within the last 3 months I have been using Adobe Captivate as part of my consulting business.  It may seem ironic that I’m taking a class on a software tool that I’ve been using and mostly learned on my own, but by taking a formalized class I think it will result in me producing better training.

Wish me luck!

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So, what did I learn? It’s difficult to express exactly what I learned, but here’s a listing of the items that caught my attention:

• Reusable Learning Objects (RLO)
• Cisco’s RLO Strategy
• SCORM, AICC
• Metadata
• Functions of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)
• Accessibility of e-learning to people with disabilities

The bottom line to this course was that learning, delivered by electronic means (e-learning defined), can be flexible, reusable and accessible if a strategy is carefully planned out and applied.

It’s on now to the next course, IPT 523 – Authoring Skills for Instructional Multimedia.  It’s a hard-skills course where we’ll be using Adobe Captivate and applying it to e-learning.  It should be fun and I’m currently using it for other projects.  It’s a powerful tool and capable of doing many things and I’m looking forward to learning more about it and applying it back to the work I’m doing.

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