Podcast 23 is the first of a series of three tutorials exploring social media platforms for formal and informal social learning in organisations. This podcast covers things to think about when choosing a social media platform.

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Or watch the entire free e-learning tutorial series on our YouTube Channel (podcast 23 is embedded below)

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve written about processes around engaging and working with e-learning providers. Refer to:

What to include in an e-learning Request for Quotation

Milestones of a typical e-learning project

Today I thought I’d share my observations about why some e-learning projects fail. I’ll use the themes of cost, quality and time.

E-Learning cost ‘blows out’ because…

• Requirements have been poorly scoped in the first place
• Stakeholders have been consulted late in the project, resulting in scope creep

Solution: Develop a scoping document for different kinds of e-learning that will guide requirements gathering before engaging an e-learning provider. Make sure this document is signed off by all project stakeholders.

E-Learning quality disappoints because…

• The wrong e-learning provider was chosen in the first place
• Stakeholder expectations are unrealistic for the budget allocated
• End user requirements and expectations were not properly investigated
• User acceptance testing was poorly conducted prior to ‘go-live’

Solution: Ensure you evaluate examples of comparable e-learning topics from potential e-learning providers, and contact their references. Examine the learning and accessibility needs of your end users carefully so as to not disappoint and frustrate. Formalise your UAT process to ensure its rigour.

E-Learning project timeline ‘blows out’ because…

• The internal project team (including SMEs) underestimated the time required of them to review each stage of the developing project (see Milestones of a typical e-learning project)
• Unforeseen IT internal operating environment issues (e.g. issues with SCORM standards between the developed course and LMS)
• Internal project team and/or e-learning provider project team flutuations

Solution: Ensure the project timeline is realistic in the first place. Raise the issue of timeline slippage early and rectify quickly to avoid a domino effect. Make sure e-learning providers outline how they will manage staff changes.

Of course there is a lot that happens within each of these listed causes. The more experienced we become in managing e-learning projects, the better we become at implementing strategies to mitigate project risk. Be sure to conclude each project with a closure report to record lessons learned for those who will follow your footsteps.

For information and tools, contact us to learn how the E-Learning Academy can support you during your e-learning project.

Last week I blogged about what to include in an e-learning request for quotation (RFQ). A RFQ helps make clear the requirements of an e-learning course for development.

Meeting requirements and expectations during an e-learning courseware development project is a 2-way street. The role of the client is to keep objectives clear, manage the internal stakeholders and project processes. The role of the e-learning provider is to listen to the client, meet their needs, and add value to the project experience and outcomes along the way.

Creating an e-learning course is a multidisciplinary, multimedia production. Like any production, it is dependent upon the quality of the outcome that came before it. From start to finish, there are clear milestones where the e-learning provider must seek sign-off from the client to help ensure all is correct before the next part of the process proceeds. The client has responsibility to complete a through check before signing-off the milestone.

E-Learning courseware milestone sign-offs

Let’s take up the project assuming a RFQ proponent has been chosen. There are typically six milestones that require the client to review carefully and sign off.

A. Design brief: This high level brief should reflect both the RFQ inclusions and details discussed at the kick-off meeting. It should outline the design approach for what s being taught, the assessment approach, graphic style, interactivity and animation to be used, video and/or narration, navigation inclusions, authoring tool and understanding of the client’s technology environment (standard operating environment – SOE). It should also include a few template mock-ups called GUI (graphic user interface). These are visual treatments that should reflect a little of your corporate look/feel, but should also be mindful of the learner experience. Get GUI sign-off from Corporate Comms before signing off the Design brief.

B. Test course: From the design brief the e-learning provider should create a small test course reflecting all of the agreed navigation, interactivity and assessment type. Test the course in your LMS and check all the functionality works. Test the assessment tracks correctly and the course completes. Then sign-off.

C: Storyboard: This is perhaps the most complex milestones, as it requires the client and e-learning provider to come to consensus about how the course content will be conveyed to the learner. Clients new to developing e-learning will often concentrate on the source content, whereas a good e-learning provider will be designing for learning experience and engagement. It requires give and take. Where possible, go through the first draft in person so that each party can better convey their perspective. Several iterations of the storyboard may be required before the document is ready for sign-off. Remember, this storyboard is in document form, the next step is production using multimedia. so, any alteration to the storyboard once production is underway is usually considered a project variation. It may cost you.

D. Narration script: If the narration is not verbatim to the text on screen, or it may be a video script, then these also need to be sgned off prior to studio or video production. You are looking for a script that is concise, compelling and reflects your culture.

E. Alpha course: This is the first draft of the produced e-learn. You will need to run a user acceptance test (UAT) internally to check both the technical aspects of the course, and the course content. Expect to find some minor issues, which will need to be documented as a change request. if you receive an alpha course with lots of issues, send it back to the e-learning provider for another quality assurance review – it will take too much of our UAT team time to notate the issues. Where possible, run your alpha test in your LMS so that tracking is also being tested. Sign off the change request before returning it to the e-learning provider.

F. Beta course: This course should be almost perfect. Use your change request data to check that all items have been actioned. Check your LMS tracking once more. You may find one or 2 issues. If they are minor (e.g. punctuation issue), you may decide it is not worth asking the provider to publish yet again (which means more testing for you). It is very difficult o get everything 100%. perfect. If it does need updates, document them in a change request and repeat the beta testing process.

Your course should now be live on the system…don’t forget your comms plan…

These milestone sign-offs are just one component of successful e-learning project management. For information and support, including a course and tools, why not join the E-Learning Academy. I also run E-Learning Project Management workshops.

Question from  client:

We need to engage an external e-learning provider to develop a course. What should we include in a Request for Quotation (RFQ)?

An RFQ is used to provide e-learning providers with enough project detail to enable them to give you an accurate quotation. It is an important document for several reasons:

1. It begins the internal process of making the parameters of the e-learning project clear
2. It can form part of the overall agreement with the successful provider
3. It gives the provider an insight into the maturity of your e-learning project knowledge

The e-learning provider will quote on the design and production of the course, and consulting time associated with the project itself. Generally speaking, the more certain you are of your project inclusions, and the more mature you are in your internal project methodology, the less consulting hours are required for the quote. So, be sure to reflect these elements in your RFQ.

Contact your procurement office before you begin to write the RFQ. They may have a RFQ template with legal clauses that will need to be included in your document.

Contact your LMS administrator for technical specifications and overall project assistance. They will be pivotal in testing your course in the LMS, and providing guidance about your overall e-learning strategy and business adoption.

Your RFQ should generally cover the following topics:

• Introduction: Company brief, audience, current and desired course delivery
• Project inclusions: Content topics, interactivity requirements, design & editorial requirements, project tasks, project timelines, progress tracking
• Output requirements: Quality control, course format, optional hosting
• RFQ submission inclusions: Cost, timeline, RFQ assessment criteria, budget
• Contract requirements: RFQ evaluation, payment terms, copyright etc (speak with your procurement department)
• Project team contact details: It is a good idea to accept questions only via email, and BCC your response to all RFQ proponents

How many e-learning providers should I send the RFQ to? Well, many organisations will require a minimum of 3 responses  for comparison. I generally advise 4 to insure against 1 proponent dropping out. Be sure to contact the providers first to ensure they have capacity for your project, otherwise you have wasted the opportunity to send your RFQ to someone else. Choose your providers wisely.

Should I include a budget? I think you should provide a budget range, to help guide proponents in their response.

Should I include the content? Providing proponents with the content enables them to get a sense of the work involved to interpret the content for e-learning design. This helps proponents to give an accurate quotation. However, your content may be sensitive. If you would like to supply proponents with content to aid in the quotation process, you should request the proponent sign a confidentiality agreement first.

An RFQ is not a tender. Tenders usually involve larger budgets and are therefore open to more proponents. Procurement is generally much more involved in a tender process.

The botom line: Be clear about your requirements, and you will receive quality RFQ responses.

If you would like support about this and other e-learning project management needs, why not consider joining the E-Learning Academy?

Over the next few weeks I will continue with this blog theme. E-Learning providers – please feel free to comment & add to this topic.