Pre-Screening Tool Helps With E-Learning Courseware Certification (ECC)

It requires an investment for companies to submit e-learning courses for review and certification under the E-Learning Courseware Certification (ECC). To speed the process and provide more certainty for courseware publishers, the ASTD Certification Institute has created a new tool, called the ECC Self-Assessor Tool, which allows the end-user to pre-screen an asynchronous learning course against the 19 standards that are in place. The browser-based tool allows the end-user to open a course in one window and the tool in another so that the course can be reviewed. The tool keeps score based on input from the end-user.

Other features of the tool include the ability to print each page and to print the score sheets for records. This is useful for determining where to make improvements on the e-learning courseware. The tool also includes a list of resources associated with the ECC Program, and is best used when connected to the Internet to give access to the additional resources.

The ECC Self-Assessor Tool is useful for pre-screening courseware before submitting it to ECC. However, an organization cannot claim that it is ECC-certified or compliant with ECC guidelines, unless its courseware is actually submitted and certified by ECC evaluators. And, a successful screening with the tool, doesn't automatically guarantee ECC certification. There is no commercial use of the tool allowed without prior consent of the ASTD Certification Institute. For more information:

Contact Pat Byrd, at 703.683.8100 or pbyrd@astd.org for a copy of the self-assessor tool.