At Your ELearning World, we are always looking for great solutions and easy to use eLearning authoring tools. When I learned about iSpring Suite Max, I knew I had to give it a try. Here’s an account of what I learned. Hopefully, some of you who are looking for an eLearning course authoring and publishing solution will find this information insightful. What’s It About? iSpring Suite Max is a collection of eLearning course authoring tools that allows you to design content through collaborative teamwork. With the Suite of tools available to them, design teams create e-courses that include videos, dialogue simulations, interactive quizzes and assessments, and a whole lot more. One distinctive feature of the product suite is a remarkably short learning curve. Thanks to the intuitive navigation and well-laid-out design, I was able to get productive, using my demo/trial subscription, within a short period of time. What’s Included? iSpring Suite Max is a 3-in-one solution … [Read more...] about iSpring Suite Max Review
SMEs
Working with SMEs for Better Instructional Design Outcomes: How to produce win-win relationships and reduce stress on a project
Let’s face it – we, as Instructional Designers, aren’t masters of all aspects of course design and development. It takes a team to put together a successful course, and it takes aligning ourselves with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to make success happen. However, because of the differing perspectives they bring to the instructional design team, working with SMEs can sometimes be challenging. But it needn’t be. In this article, I'll tell you how you can forge win-win relationships with your SME partners, and explain some tips and tools to use in order to make success happen. What SMEs Bring to the Team Before understanding how to build exceptionally productive relationships with SMEs, it may be prudent to take a step back to understand who SMEs are, and how they add value to a course design and development project. It may sound redundant, but it’s worth repeating: SMEs are not instructional design specialists – that’s the role of IDs. However, subject matter expertise – be it in … [Read more...] about Working with SMEs for Better Instructional Design Outcomes: How to produce win-win relationships and reduce stress on a project
3 Ways To Obtain Information From Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) That Never Fail
Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is a challenging yet important part of successful course design. Instructional designers often have to find creative ways to obtain all the required information from their SME. Here are some suggestions that you may find helpful when dealing with Subject Matter Experts. Involve SMEs from the beginning – When SMEs are involved in a project from the very beginning, they feel needed and are more willing to share their knowledge with you. Whenever possible, ask the SME why the course is needed and what should happen as a result of the course. You should also ask your SMEs to help you brainstorm the information required for the training. Then, create a prototype and ask the SME to follow and correct it, if necessary. Always ask the SME why they feel the information is important and whether or not this information is required to achieve the objective. Ask the SME to categorize information – When your SME presents you with the content, ask … [Read more...] about 3 Ways To Obtain Information From Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) That Never Fail
Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Part II
In this post, we will continue talking about Subject Matter Experts. Effective communication plays a crucial role when dealing with SMEs. Just like everyone else, Subject Matter Experts have busy schedules. Sometimes, they are not even part of the team and have many other on-the-job responsibilities. Instructional Designers should ensure the SME’s time is not wasted with multiple meetings and meaningless questions. Prior to the meeting with the SME, some preparation work must be done. The goal is to get quality content, not to waste the SME’s time by asking rudimentary questions. Researching the topic before the meeting to become acquainted with basic concepts and terminology can help instructional designers achieve that goal. Meetings with SMEs will be much more productive if instructional designers inform them of the goals and objectives ahead of time. It is also helpful to prepare questions and send them electronically to the SME. Then, if there are additional questions or … [Read more...] about Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Part II
Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Part I
Sooner or later all instructional designers end up working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Since most instructional designers are not familiar with the subject area for the eLearning course they are creating, the client is typically responsible for selecting the SMEs. During the project-planning phase, project managers should provide a description of what is expected from the SME in terms of expertise and experience. The project manager should also describe in detail the SME’s responsibilities, including expected meetings and document reviews. In the project plan, the project manager should document the risks associated with having an SME that does not meet the described requirements. Subject Matter Experts should be aware of all the expectations. The role of an instructional designer is to design courses while the role of an SME is to provide expertise in a subject area. SMEs should not be expected to arrange content in order. Often, SMEs provide either too much or too little … [Read more...] about Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Part I
4 Elements That Should Be Included In Every ELearning Storyboard
Storyboards are visual organizers that illustrate and communicate ideas to other professionals on the team. ELearning professionals use storyboarding as an aid to develop instructionally sound courses and learning materials. Instructional designers often use multiple storyboards and choose the appropriate one based on their need. For instance, the template used to design a game or simulation would be different from a template for video development. Most storyboarding templates are created either in Word or PowerPoint. Even though there is no single unique way to storyboard eLearning courses, there are certain elements common to most storyboards. These elements include the following: Content – This section contains the on-screen text as well as the instructions for learners such as Click Next for more information. Audio – This section contains the narrator’s script for each screen including the pronunciation of terms and acronyms that might be unfamiliar to the narrator. … [Read more...] about 4 Elements That Should Be Included In Every ELearning Storyboard
