The IDMM Approach for Developing Online Courses

With the advancement of technology and the requirement to be online, the IDMM helps better define the process an instructional designer would follow when developing an online course.

The Instructional Design Maturity Model (IDMM) illustrates the connection between the instructional design process, the instructional design systems, and the instructional design capabilities - following the discipline of project management as seen by the outer rings.

Figure 1. The Instructional Design Maturity Model

To be sure, have been numerous changes in the way we learn since Blooms' Taxonomy was developed in the early 1950s. Many approaches have been based on Blooms' methodology, and have incorporated new levels of learning techniques to ensure that the learning meets the requirements of the time. With advances in technology - and the subsequent move toward more online education - the way workplace learning and performance professionals construct courses must adapt. The IDMM provides an approach to support the move to more effective online experiences.

Levels of instructional design

There are three levels of instructional design (ID) that support the creation of online courses with the underlying management principles of project management:

1. Instructional Design Process (IDP)
2. Instructional Design Systems (IDS)
3. Instructional Design Capabilities (IDC).

Figure 2 illustrates the development lifecycle and quality control practices for these three levels, as well as project management (PM) principals.

Figure 2. Connection Between Levels of Instructional Design

Each one of these elements contributes to the development of a mature level of online design. The better defined the process and deployment of the system components, the greater the likelihood that the desired ID capabilities will be achieved.

The ID process is a long-standing process that has been used by organizations involved in the development of traditional or instructor-led courseware. When developing an online course, however, there are several items that need to be included that are not typically addresses in the traditional approach.

Level 1: Instructional design process (IDP)

Figure 3. PM-Integrated Instructional Design Process Model

Typically, there are five phases required in the development of any course: analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate. These also are the first series of steps for developing an online course. As with any type of development, you must first develop the foundation on which (in this case) the online course should be built.

Analyze Checklist

• Determine if the client's materials for the course have already been created into a printable and useable program (such as Workbook, PowerPoint presentation).
• If the course already exists, determine if the course was built following an instructional design process. If so, then the course already has the foundation for conversion into an online format. If not, a subject matter expert is required.
• Determine course and lesson outcomes and linkage back to organizational goals.
• Analyze organization environment (department, position, culture, and so forth) to gain an understanding of the course requirements and desired outcomes.
• Compile all development tasks associated with each lesson.
• Develop a course work plan that details each lesson, each activity and the result you want the learner to achieve. Select tasks that people need to learn to become performers (needs analysis from course materials to online materials).
• Review performance measures of a SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) compliant program for the tasks to be learned and how the information will be captured and delivered in the Learning Management System.
• Choose instructional setting for the tasks to be learned, such as classroom, e-learning, on-the-job, online self-led, online instructor-led, blended, and so on.
• Estimate cost and compare to benefits gained.

Design Checklist

• Develop the learning objectives for the course.
• If the course is part of a series of courses, ensure that the objectives align with the other modules.
• Develop the learning outcomes per lesson.
• Identify and list the learning steps that are required for each lesson and how they link back to the learning objectives of the course.
• Structure lessons to support learning, but that are also focused on increasing retention rate.
• Outline the domains of learning for the various lessons and activities, than show how they tie to your learning outcomes per lesson.
• Develop performance activities and a main test to track a learner's understanding and successes and failures.
• List the entry behaviours (prerequisites) that the learner must demonstrate prior to entering the learning program.
• Sequence and structure the learning objectives.

Develop Checklist

• List activities that will help the students learn the task. This could be pulled from the SMEs of the course if the course has been built.
• Select the learning activities (result desired).
• Review existing material so that you do not reinvent the wheel.
• Develop the instructional courseware into authoring tool.
• Synthesize the courseware into a viable learning program, made up of learning lessons and tied to other learning modules if the course is part of a larger program.
• Validate the instruction to ensure it accomplishes all goals and objectives as previously defined.
• Enter in all descriptions, keys words, lesson headers and other details that will be required to be registered within the Manifest of the authoring tool.
• Export course materials as a package into a SCROM compliant format to ensure reportable functions work properly;
• Import 'Package' into a learning management system (LMS)[1] and test functionality.

Implement Checklist

• Create a management plan for conducting the training.
• Assign learners with access user names and password for the LMS
• Conduct the training.

Evaluate Checklist

• Review and evaluate each process phases (analyze, design, develop, implement) to ensure it is accomplishing its goals and objectives.
• Perform external evaluations; observe that the tasks that were taught can actually be performed by the learners in their working environment.
• Revise training system to include improvements and better meet future challenges.

Level 2: Instructional design systems

As we walk through the instructional design process, we notice that there are areas of development that require the entering of data into a system or multiple systems. These systems are referred to by most practitioners as "the instructional design systems," and developers require some or all of these tools in order to successfully build an online course.

It is critical that developers consider that "inputs" and "outputs" of each technology when incorporating the systems and tools into the development process. What this means is that not all systems will work well together and thus potentially create technical issues.

The model in Figure 3 illustrates the order in which the technologies are generally used through the lifecycle of course development. Each technology plays its part not only along the cycle, but across the layers of instructional design.

Figure 4. PM-Integrated Instruction Design System Model

Without the proper tools, the instructional design process (IDP) and your instruction design capability (IDC) are greatly compromised in supporting the online world. Because traditional IDP was created for the development of classroom-based materials, the systems and tools required were usually mass-marketed, document-processing tools such as MS Word.

When you move to developing materials for distribution in the virtual world, the level of required technology increases immensely. If you want to create dynamic and interactive online learning, it's even more so. This is due to the fact that traditional IDP enables instructor-led courses with the capability to make best use of the various pedagogy approaches without the need for technology because facilitators are present with the learner and through simple observations such as body language, gesturing, as well as direct communication and other forms of interaction, she is able to gauge the learner`s understanding and adapt their learning approaches.

In an online environment, these approaches need to capture what is done within a classroom setting to the best of its ability. In order to do this, systems and tools are required that surpass what is readily available to the common person. Once someone has access to these technologies, there is still the need to understand how to incorporate the content, instructional design, and technologies together to produce the desired result. The understanding of these processes and the ability to integrate them is key to being successful - but the work is just beginning.

The third level of development taps into the capabilities of the online instructional designer. The difference between a traditional ID and online ID is the level of capabilities as it pertains to transforming content into online content using the technologies available.

Level 3: Instructional design capabilities

IDC is the main infrastructure of tangible development. "Capability" is defined as a person able to do the work required to create an on-line course. This is where all the systems and tools are used to start building the framework, the elements, the activities and the outcomes that make up a good online course. When developing an online course, it is important to also understand all levels of instructional design, but being successful is the ability to move those theories into results.

Figure 5. PM-Integrated Instructional Design Capabilities Model

Course developers can achieve better capabilities in this area through first defining and understanding the entire IDMM process. Some instructional designers consider that by using authoring tools and incorporating graphics, they would automatically create a great online course. This is obviously not the case. The best results are achieved using the capability to successfully move materials into an end product by following the processes defined by the IDMM: helping capture the essence of the content, enhancing the ability of a learner to retain the information through proper learning techniques, and how to best make use of the knowledge.

All of this requires using the right technologies - by developers who understand the products' inputs and outputs and who have the capabilities in all levels of ID to move the product through the process. A typical ID methodology still focuses mainly on a single dimensional process, but in the virtual world we need to be thinking more three-dimensional, at multiple levels and integrating the learning approaches.

The IDMM aims to illustrate the various elements required in order to move your concepts, content, and ideas through to a tangible product by leveraging state-of-the-art learning elements. These elements, with use of the many technologies, include such things as enhanced animations, rich graphics, videos, and virtual characters. In essence, these equate to interactions with content that are sequenced across timelines and then combined with professionally scripted narrations that are reinforced through visual and audio stimulations.

The capabilities of a developer at this stage should be focused around the use of technologies and the know-how to move through each step in a logical and sequential format, capturing all the learning outcomes, and transforming them into lessons that provide an engaging and rich learning environment. There are a lot of elements required to create an online course and here are some examples of these elements as illustrated in Table 1.

Table1. Elements Required to Create an Online Course

Element	Descriptive	Process Step
	Determine size and length of course Define the course users Develop budget and timelines Outline limitations and constraints Identify available resources Describe the type of output required or desired Verify use of technical vs. soft skills training Establish use of internal or external SMEs Determine server and technical capabilities	Initiate
	Develop agreements outlining scope of work and continuation of work; this will help ensure the client understands the level of efforts required in the development and support of an online course	Initiate
	Request to see course content Establish access to systems and software Determine images or design elements that the client would like to add in the course It is important to understand the scope of what the customer has as well as what they want you to develop. This could have an impact on the scope of the development	Initiate
	When creating an online course it is important to understand how to deliver it as though it was being taught by an instructor. Most materials are written in third-person, and we need to rewrite it in first-person viewpoint - as though you are talking to the learner directly. This will increase the connectivity you would have with you audience. You also need to remove and add elements into the script that makes sense.	Plan
	Once the script is defined, it is important to break them down into management sections. These sections are then storyboarded with learning outcomes, common look and feel, potential activity ideas and other elements that begin to form the framework for the lessons.	Plan
	During the storyboarding process, images start to take shape and are outlined for each section. These images will be used to tie into the script and help emphasis key points and the message the lesson is trying to get across. These images can either be created or purchased from an art source bank.	Plan
	The narration of the script is developed so that it can be added in a timeline for the development of the animations, graphics and other illustrations. In order for everything to be sequenced together, the narration needs to be used as the benchmark.	Plan
	Virtual instructors (via avatars) may need to be added into the storyboarding processes so that placement can be incorporated into the design of each lesson. The placement of these characters will help better ensure that the run time of the narrated content is easily visible behind the avatar. Avatars are used as a means of helping connect with an instructor; they are not always required, but do add a level of interactivity.	Plan
	There is content that is sometimes more technical or requires a little more explanation and animations are a great way to accomplish this.	Plan
	With online development, the activities need to be housed in a design that represents the CLF of the lessons. In order to do this a template will need to be created. This template would include supporting links, content and a tie into the authoring tool.	Plan
	For each lesson, the ID should outline the type of activities and the results the activities are meant to accomplish. These activities are then needed to be developed and incorporated into the authoring tool. In order to have a successful online course, it is critical that the activities incorporate the testing elements and are recorded properly.	Plan
	As with activity templates, the lessons need to have a template created as well. This template would need to incorporate a Table of Contents, links to supporting documents and glossary, navigation through the lessons, activities and tests, as well as a CLF.	Plan
	After the development of the graphics, animations and other elements particular to the course design, they need to be compiled together into one file so that they would run seamlessly together as well as tie into the authoring tool. This should also include such things as activities.	Plan
	It is important to ensure that the learner is being assessed on progress, understanding and retention. To do this, assessments need to be developed and incorporated throughout the lessons and at the end of the course. There are a variety of pre- and post-assessments that can also be incorporated in the development of your course, so ensure that you determine what these assessments are designed to accomplished	Plan
	After all the sections, activities, tests, templates, graphics, animations and other learning elements are compiled together, then need to be exported using a SCORM compliant tool in order to be successfully recorded within a learning management system.	Execute
	Throughout the entire process, testing needs to be performed to ensure that the elements work seamlessly together. Once complied and ready for LMS use, the testing will need to be performed on each lesson, on links, from results of activities, retesting on loading, reloading, capacity usage and other elements as defined by the customer.	Execute
	Once the product has been completed, the files are compiled, zipped, and provided to the customer in the required format to be used with any LMS.	Close

Bottom line

Developing online courses are a great way to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and boost market range, but there is a lot of work involved in the development of a course that is to be considered successful. An online learning program needs to capture the learners' attention, hold it for the duration of the course, ensure that the learner understands the lessons, and is able to retain the information and put good use of it.

Online learning differs from instructor led in-class lessons because the learner is dependent solely on the course materials, the animations, illustrations, graphics, voice instructions, specifications, models and processes, quizzes, tests, and other elements that tries to emulate what is taught in the classroom. If these elements are not developed and delivered properly, the overall course might not accomplish the objectives of what is to be considered a success. The IDMM differs from other instructional design models because it incorporates multiple levels of development that are required to meet today's technological advancements and user expectations.

Brad Loiselle, PMP, is president of iPal Interactive Learning Inc.; bloiselle@i-pal.ca.