Structuring E-Learning Development 

By George Nikanorov

Following an e-learning roadmap will help streamline development process and address issues that organizations face in their quest to deliver e-learning projects on-time and under-budget.

As the landscape of e-learning continues to change, organizations are faced with the challenge of balancing the chaos of creativity with the power of analytics to develop quality solutions on-time and under budget. Addressing these issues as well as others within the e-learning industry has spurred numerous innovative solutions that have become the foundation of most development methodologies.

A methodology that developers can scale to deal with single or multiple processes will enable an organization to quickly solve critical issues that might arise. Organizations that understand the fundamentals of methodology development have implemented an e-learning roadmap that allows for streamlined and speedy development to meet continuously evolving client goals. 

To be sure, following a structured roadmap has advantages. However, depending on how you assemble the roadmap, such as its overall scalability, fundamental issues could arise, such as the difference between the development of a proactively thinking corporate culture, reactively thinking corporate culture, or a balance of both. An e-learning roadmap that offers few details on tasks will leave developers scrambling to interpret what they need to be complete in each phase, ultimately increasing development time. Conversely, including too much detail also can cause confusion, requiring project managers to confirm items, again increasing development time.

To help facilitate a streamlined development lifecycle for all e-learning projects, any roadmap must be scalable and based on general project management processes that are adapted to e-learning best practices. Combining the best methods from basic project management and e-learning ensures that an organization can collect the requirements, convert them to tasks, allocate the right resources, and develop and execute the program. 

DATA Inc.’s e-learning roadmap employs a phased approach to content development. It has been adapted for the development and deployment of various e-learning modules, including dashboards and campus gateways, as well as learning management systems.

Phase 1: Scoping/Requirements Analysis

The first phase of the roadmap involves requirements analysis. In this phase, project managers work with an organization to determine the scope of their learning needs.  This assessment includes the analysis of all existing training programs, determining whether there is any need for new training and curriculum business cases and detailing target audience and alignment to course objectives.

As one of the most important phases in the roadmap, this is where developers need to ask all the right questions:

• Is existing training working?
• What is working within the current training?
• What needs to be changed from the current method?

Understanding what programs are already in place can help establish a foundation for developing the right requirements for future endeavors. Keep in mind that too much or too little information can lead to confusion. The developer must achieve the right balance between the questions asked and the answers provided.

Phase 2: Task Analysis and Mapping

Upon completion of the first phase, project managers will have enough information to develop overall requirements and course structure.  Information ranging from course duration and instructional design to resource requirements and media strategies are typically identified in this step. In addition, managers should generate a detailed project plan that outlines the development timetable.

With this phase, the combined use of applications, including an information repository and project management tool, can be instrumental for quickly disseminating tasks and information to multiple groups. A prime example is the integration of Microsoft SharePoint Services with Microsoft Project Server and Microsoft Dynamics SL (formerly Solomon accounting software).  Combining these applications effectively provides the project manager with an information repository, project management, and task allocation tool, as well as the means for tracking the financial aspect of a project.

Phase 3: Design

Once a plan is set, it’s time to construct a prototype, which should consist of a template and design with some sample lessons. This phase can help determine the feasibility of the outlined requirements, allowing for adjustments along the way to ensure that the user experience is perfected. Through this phase, developers will be able to identify potential design and media elements necessary to deliver the required user experience. Instructors and content developers will be able to work together with other resources to define the best instructional theory to coincide with delivery—or vice versa.

The prototype developed in this phase will set the stage for moving forward. Logic generally dictates that engaging and “flashy” e-learning courses are more pleasing to the learner. However, there is a point where the purpose of a course can be drowned out by the overuse or misuse of media. Once again, the resources involved need to determine the best balance between use of media and content presentation. 

Phase 4: Development

Upon approval, development around the modified requirements from the Phase 3 (if any modifications were made) can move forward. Within this phase, designers will present the course storyboard for approval. From there, designers can further develop media elements. In addition, developers will expand the course functionality, look and feel, and subsequent materials based on feedback to the original prototype.  Quality assurance, integration, client review, and feedback from is key.

Phase 5: Deployment and Implementation

Once the prototype is approved and changes and additions are completed, it’s time to deploy and implement the program throughout the organization. In this phase, resources and experts are called in to facilitate the rollout of the e-learning project.  Experts run one final quality assurance test before final rollout, ensuring that the client gets a bug-free piece developed specifically for their needs. In addition, they provide ways to integrate the learning piece into the learning management system.

As previously stated, the roadmap is intended to be generic so it can be easily adapted to an e-learning project. For example, in the case of dashboard applications, developers need to understand the necessary metrics particular to the learning objectives, but other aspects of each phase of the roadmap could apply to any project.

Bottom line: Following an e-learning roadmap will help streamline development process and address issues that organizations face in their quest to deliver e-learning projects on time and under budget.