buyer beware ebook comp

What you don’tknow about custome-learning can hurt you

The de�nitive guide

to becoming a

savvy purchaser of

custom e-learning

By Diane Valenti


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Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Challenges of E-learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Steps to Get a Quality Course Developed and Delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Researching Programming Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Identifying Technical Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Approval Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviewing the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Designing the Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviewing the Storyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Testing the Prototype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviewing the Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviewing the Alpha Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Steps to Ensure You Can Update the Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Standard Programming Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Self-Commenting Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Software Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Source Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Knowledge Is Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

About Diane Valenti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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IntroductionI wrote this Ebook because I’ve seen far too many of my clients taken to the cleaners when they’ve hired an e-learning developer to create a custom course .

In fact, just a few months ago, one of my clients handed me a DVD that needed updating . She had inherited this Articulate presentation when she moved into her current position . To scope the project properly, I took a look at the presentation .

I’m not typically one to speak ill of others’ work, but it was ghastly . There was no user interface design to speak of . The instructional design of the content didn’t play to the strengths of Articulate . And, worse yet, the client didn’t have the source files we needed to make the updates .

All of this would have been forgivable if the presentation had been developed by some poor subject matter expert under the gun to create a quick and dirty training course while still completing all of his or her “normal” work . But, my client’s organization had hired a professional to produce it .

The problem was whoever worked with the e-learning developer most likely didn’t know what a quality e-learning course should look like; hence, the lack of design—both instructional and graphic . I’m also betting this person had never heard of source files, let alone knew why it was important to get them at the end of the project . Unfortunately, this client is not alone .

According to one report, US companies spent $16 .7 billion in 2009 on self-paced e-learning . This is too big of an investment to rely on a wing and a prayer to get it right . In other words, it’s too much money to trust that your developer knows what they’re doing and has integrity . Talk about the fox guarding the hen house!

This is too big of an investment to rely on a wingand a prayer to get it right.


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Challenges of E-learningThe problem is that the e-learning developer space is inhabited by everyone from high quality production houses to snake oil salesmen and, if you’re not a savvy buyer, it can be very difficult to tell them apart .

Compounding the problem is the fact that e-learning has gotten to the point where it involves enough moving parts—instructional design, graphic design, sound design, and programming—that it can be very difficult to know what you need to know to ensure that your developer delivers a quality product .

If you’ve ever done a home remodel, you may recognize thefeeling . At some point, you just end up going on faith that the electrician, the plumber, the carpenter and the mason all know what they’re doing—until the roof starts leak-ing . But, often by then it’s too late . You end up spending a bundle to fix a problem that should never have happened in the first place .

It doesn’t have to be this way . You don’t need to become an e-learningexpert yourself to ensure that you’re not taken advantage of . In fact, just a little bit of knowledge can keep you out of the deep end of the pool .

Ultimately, to make sure the roof doesn’t leak on your next e-learningproject, you have two goals .

• The first is to make sure you get a quality course developed and delivered .

• The second is to make sure you have what you need to update the course later .

You don’t need to becomean e-learning expert to ensureyou’re not taken advantage of.


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Steps to Get a Quality Course Developed and DeliveredFirst of all, what is a quality e-learning course? A quality e-learning course:

• Uses a programming tool that is suitable for the content .

• Is designed instructionally and graphically to facilitate, rather than frustrate, learning .

• Doesn’t have programming bugs, audio or image quality issues or typographical errors .

• Costs exactly what is necessary, and no more .

To make sure you get a quality course, you need to:

• Research programming tools so you can choose the right one for your content .

• Identify any technical constraints that should be included in the developer’s bid .

• Identify the components of the course you should thoroughly review during the development process .

• Make sure the user interface design facilitates learning .

• Validate that the instructional design is effective .


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Researching Programming ToolsYour first step is to figure out which e-learning development tool is the most suitable for your content . There are a plethora of development tools available . Although they all claim to be one size fits all, not all will be equally suitable for your content . The good news is that you can see for yourself which tool might best serve your purposes .

As of the date of publicationof this Ebook, with the exception of Flash, the website for each tool has a demo that shows that tool’s particular strengths . You can and should review demos to see which tool might be the best fit for your content . Demos show what type of content each tool is best suited for .

For example, I love Captivate for software training . Articulate is perfect if I want to give a presentation with limited interactivity, and lots of audio supported by bulleted text . Flash provides high end production values and is perfect if the course has a lot of interactivity . You can also combine tools . We frequently combine Flash and Captivate .

I can’t urge you strongly enough to check out the demos available for each tool you’re considering . We’ve provided links here for your convenience .

• Articulate

• Camtasia

• Captivate

• Lectora

Not all developmenttools will be equally suited

for your content.

http://www.articulate.com/blog/the-science-of-effective-presentations-customer-demo/

http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/uses/train.asp

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/productinfo/product-demos/simulation-software

http://www.trivantis.com/


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Compare the type of content shown in the demos with the type of content your course will teach todetermine which tool or tools might be the best fit .

Why not rely on the developer to choose the tool for you? Ideally, your developer would be familiar enough with each tool to be able to recommend one that is appropriate for your content and the type of e-learning experience you want to create .

The problem is many developers specialize in one or two tools . This means that they’ll gladly recommend the tools they’re most familiar with . So, you could end up paying too much money for a high-end Flash course when it’s not necessary, or like my client, you could end up with a course built in a tool that doesn’t work for your content .

In fact, I’d recommend deciding which tool you want to use before you select a developer for two reasons . First, you can choose a developer who’s familiar with the tool . This means they’ll be able to work efficiently because they know the ins and outs of the tool . As a result, they will use fewer billable hours than someone unfamiliar with the tool . Plus, the programming will be more streamlined making the course easier to update in the future and reducing the chance of programming bugs .

Second, the tool affects the developer’s proposal . The developer needs to know which tool you want to use in order to put together a team experienced in designing for and programming with that tool . The cost of the project, which is based in part on team members’ hourly rates, depends on who is on the team . And, the developer needs to be able to accurately estimate the work . For example, building a Flash-based course is more work and takes more time than building one in Articulate . So, it will be more expensive .

Decide which tool youwant to use before you

select a developer.


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Identifying Technical ConstraintsOnce you’ve settled on the tool and selected a developer, you’ll want to identify any technical constraints or issues that could impact the work . This way the developer can bid the project properly . It also saves you the headache down the line of dealing with technical issues that interfere with the delivery of your course . Let me tell you a story .

A few years ago, we developed a course for a client that was specified to be delivered via the corporateintranet . During the alpha review, though, the client decided that she also wanted the option of delivering the course via CD . This caused a myriad of problems with the security settings on her company’s computer when the e-learning course attempted to run an executable file . This file ran fine when the course was run from the company’s intranet . But, to run it from a CD was impossible without a workaround .

There are things programmers can do upfront to avoid this sort of problem if they know how you plan to deliver the course . If you wait till the eleventh hour to communicate this information, or worse yet, change your mind, you jeopardize your schedule, your budget, and the program-mer’s sanity .

In addition, you should let the developer know which version of Flash you’re running . This ensures that the programmer publishes the compiled files created in software like Captivate to the correct version of Flash .

You should also specify if the course needs to be SCORM-compliant . Meeting this requirement is extra work for the programmer . So, it needs to be included in the bid .

Don’t wait until theeleventh hour to communicate

vital information.


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Another thing to let the developer know is if you have accessibility requirements . These requirements could include closed captioning of text or the ability of a text reader to read the text on the screen . If the on screen text is in Flash, for example, text readers won’t be able to read it because it’s presented as a graphic . Building in accessibility is also more work for the programmer so it needs to be reflected in the bid .

Finally, tell the developer if you plan to publish the course in other languages . There are ways to design the user interface and program the course so that translating it into other languages is faster and easier . If you fail to specify this requirement up front, you may end up spending a bundle of money on retrofitting the course for localization .

I can’t stress enough how important it is to be completely forthcoming with the developer during theproject scoping process . If you hold back information in the hopes of getting a cheaper price, you may end up getting a cheaper bid but a more expensive project as the developer writes addendum after addendum to cover additional work that was not identified up front .


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The Approval PipelineAccording to famed quality guru, Dr . W . Edwards Deming, you shouldn’t depend on inspection of thefinal product, but rather build quality into the product and process . How do you do this with an e-learning course? First, you need to know what right looks like, which is exactly what you’re learning now .

Second, you need to know your content . Only you can tell if the content is accurate and complete . Only you can tell if the instructional designer has sequenced and chunked it in a way that makes sense .

Third, you need to work with the project manager assigned to your project to identify check points through-out the design and development process . Specifically, the developer should require your sign off on the user interface (UI) design, the storyboard, the prototype, the images, and the alpha version .

Again, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking these reviews seriously . The sooner you catch any issues, the cheaper it will be to fix them . If you don’t catch a problem with the storyboard until you’re reviewing the alpha, it will cost a lot more to make the change than if you had caught the same problem when you looked at the storyboard earlier . If you don’t catch a technical issue when you test the prototype, you risk not only your budget, but your deadline as the programmer frantically tries to resolve the technical issue .

The sooner you catchany issues, the cheaper it

will be to fix them.


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Reviewing the User InterfaceOne of the first deliverables you’ll review and approve is the user interface (UI) design . The graphic designer does the heavy lifting in terms of the design . But, you need to know what you’re both trying to achieve .

Specifically, the UI design should be more than just icing on the cake . A good UI design facilitates learning and later reference as well as enhances the course’s credibility . The latter is more important than you may think .

Quite honestly, the information your course conveys will carry more weight if the course has high-end production values . If it looks like it was thrown together with little thought, that’s exactly what learners may come to believe . Little thought was put into the information and thus it’s not all that important to complete the course or to apply what they learn .

Even if you have the artistic sensibility of a door knob, much like me, you can still weigh in on the UI design by asking the following questions .

1 . Does the UI design adhere to your organization’s branding standards? At a minimum, it should use colors, fonts and logos as specified in the branding standards .

2 . Is the text readable? For example, sans serif fonts are considered more legible on computer screens . This is because of the basic constraint of screen resolution—typically 100 pixels per inch or less—make serif fonts more difficult to read . In addition, text displayed in columns is easier to read than text that stretches across the full width of the screen . Finally, there should be sufficient space be-tween headings and text and between paragraphs to facilitate scanning .

Good UI facilitateslearning and enhances the

course’s credibilty.


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3 . Does the UI design make sense? I once received a mock up of a main menu screen from a graphic designer that showed previous and next buttons in addition to the menu choices . For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out where either the previous or next button would take me . This UI design did not make sense .

4 . Does the UI design help learners understand where they are? Like that sign in the mall that shows “You are here,” a good UI design should help orient learners to where they are in the overall course and in a particular lesson . There are several methods to accomplish this goal . A progress bar shows how much of the course has been completed . A breadcrumb link shows where I am both within a lesson and within the course . Different size fonts to denote titles versus subtitles orient learners as to where they are within a topic . The UI design should have enough of these sign-posts that learners don’t feel lost .

5 . Is the UI design consistent? The same buttons should always appear in the same place . This is not a game of “hide and seek .” Clickable elements and clicked links should always be color-coded consis-tently . Activities should work the same way . For example, if learners will be answering questions, they should always click the same button to advance in every activity . I’ve seen courses where they click Submit during one activity and Continue during another . This is not a consistent UI design .

6 . Does the UI design make it easy for learners to tell where they left off or to reference specific information once the course is done? Bookmarking, check marks next to completed lessons, and a menu structure that reflects the actual job can be invaluable if learners will access the course more than once or for reference .

7 . Does the UI design include appropriate user control? For example, I get annoyed if I have to sit through the same opening sequence every time I access the course . Where is that “skip intro” link?

8 . Is the UI design built for efficient navigation? Remember in the Wizard of Oz Dorothy clicked her heels three times to go home? Well, that’s my rule of thumb for e-learning, too . Learners should be able to get virtually anywhere in the course by clicking three times, including home to the Main Menu . If more clicks are required, my graphic designer better be able to explain why this is unavoidable .


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9 . Does the UI design include all elements? A graphic designer once sent me a UI design that didn’t include how images would be treated . In other words, the UI design was incomplete . Of course, this was over a weekend, on a project with an extremely tight timeline . Needless to say, I wasn’t a happy camper .

10 . Is the UI design visually appealing? You should just like looking at it . If not, discuss this issue with your graphic designer until he or she is able to come up with something that is visually pleasing and still meets all of the criteria .


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Designing the InstructionAt the same time the graphic designer is working on the UI design, the instructional designer will beworking on the instructional design .

Like it or not, many developers are production houses .This may mean that instructional design is not their forte . So, even if you’re not an instructional designer yourself,you should have a mental model of what good instructional design looks like or you risk ending up with a poorquality course .

A course that is well designed:

• Is organized to help learners apply what they are learning to improve their job performance .

• Presents information in digestible chunks .

• Is not condescending or annoying . This is especially important if the course is not mandatory .

• Includes meaningful activities that give learners a chance to apply the information the course is delivering .

• Plays to the strength of whatever programming tool you and the developer have selected .

To make sure that you end up with an effective instructional design, you’ll do well to make sure theinstructional designer avoids making the mistakes on the following pages .

You should have a mentalmodel of what good instructional

design looks like.


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Mistake 1: Using a lesson structure that doesn’t reflect the jobI have to admit that this is one of my biggest pet peeves . In corporate training, we’re teaching people how to do a specific aspect of their job . So, why not organize content to reflect job tasks and situations? Using the job as the basis for organization not only facilitates training transfer, but also makes it easier for learners to reference specific information later .

Mistake 2: Creating overly long lessonsOnce a lesson goes beyond about five screens of content, I believe we’re treading in dangerous territory . Overly long lessons can be tedious to wade through, which increases the chance that learners’ minds have begun to wander from the topic at hand . Plus, if learners will be squeezing training into their work, it makes it harder to find a stopping point that makes sense . Finally, finding specific information once the course is done can be harder than finding a needle in a haystack . To avoid overly long lessons, break the content into shorter lessons . If this will leave you with an over abundance of lessons, divide the lessons into units .

Mistake 3: RedundancyThis mistake usually involves the narration of on screen text . Think about it . As we read, we say the words in our heads . If I’m hearing the same words narrated, albeit at a slower pace, I find this redundancy distracting . Narration should be saved to explain diagrams or used to present content in more interesting ways . For exam-ple, learners can click on photos of various people to hear how they’re using the best practice being taught .

Mistake 4: Spicing things up with gratuitous fun activities that don’t add to the learning.I have to thank Ruth Colvin Clark for this point . In her book, Learning Effectiveness, she cites a study in which learners were provided with two versions of a lesson . The first included what instructional scientists call seductive details . Examples of typical seductive details include interesting vignettes, and themes or games that are related to the content, but not necessary to achieve the instructional goal . The theory is that adding humor or interest to spice up the materials increases learner engagement and leads to greater learning .

Once a lesson goes beyondfive screens, you’re treading

in dangerous territory.


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However, in the study Ruth describes in her book, learners who studied the lesson version that included seductive details, in this case video clips, learned significantly less . Ruth’s recommendation—“Regardless of the delivery method, avoid adding related but extraneous information to spice up technical materials .” I am in complete agreement with Ruth .

Mistake 5: A mismatch between the instructional design and the tool.This was the biggest problem I saw with the DVD my client asked me to update . The way the content was presented was not a good fit for the tool . Again, the training demos are terrific examples of what right looks like instructional design-wise . You can and should use the demos to vet your instructional design approach .

This is also why you need to pick your tool up front and stick with it . For example, we developed a story-board for a client after we had agreed to program in Flash . The client’s supervisor then decided to switch to Articulate . We needed to retrofit the storyboard for Articulate before we could do any programming . Of course, we didn’t work for free . And, when all was said and done, it still wasn’t a great fit .


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Reviewing the StoryboardNow, that you know what effective instructional design looks like, you can see how well the instructional designer applied these principles in the details documented in the storyboard .

I won’t lie . Storyboards can be intimidating to read . They contain information that every member of thedeveloper’s team needs . This means that you’ll see not only on screen text, but audio scripts, imagedescriptions and programming instructions, as well . It can be overwhelming .

The best way that I’ve found to review the storyboard is to start with the course structure . I actually create a high level outline in a separate document so I can see each lesson with topics and subtopics . Then, I look to see if this structure reflects the job and makes sense .

Next, I look at the on screen text . I read through it to determine as best I can if the content is accurate and complete . I leave the grammar up to our editor who will take a final pass at the storyboard before it goes to the programmer .

I then check the length of each lesson to see if any lesson seems overly long . I don’t have to fix this problem and neither do you . You just need to alert the instructional designer to it .

Once I’m happy with the content, I check the audio scripts . They should not be an exact duplicate of the text on the screen . Remember, that redundancy mistake we just discussed? They should add something to the on screen text or briefly summarize it .

I also look to see where the instructional designer chose to use voice over . Is there some kind of consistent pattern? If not, this is something else I’ll discuss with the instructional designer .

I then look at the image descriptions to see if they clearly support the on screen text . I ask myself, “Does this image go with this text?”


— 18 —

Next I review the interactivity . I‘m looking to make sure the learning activities are meaningful and not overly repetitive . There should be enough activities to engage learners throughout the course . I’m also checking to make sure that seductive details haven’t crept into the design .

Lastly, once I’ve reviewed all of the components, I think about the overall design to make sure that it plays to the strengths of the tool we’ll use to program . If I’m not sure, I view the tool demo again to see how it com-pares to the design .

What don’t you need to review on the storyboard? You don’t need to look at the page numbering scheme .

If the storyboard is in Word, I use tracked changes to note my comments and questions . If it’s in PowerPoint, I use highlighted or colored text instead .

I try to make my comments and questions as specific as possible so the instructional designer doesn’t have to guess at what I mean . I often will schedule a meeting with the instructional designer so I can answer any questions and talk through the changes .

At the end of the review process, I request an updated version of the storyboard so I can be sure that the instructional designer implemented my changes in the way I intended .

Speaking of which, it’s best to catch any changes to the instructional design at the storyboard stage . One of our clients requested changes to the lesson structure of her course during the alpha review . This change involved the instructional designer, the editor, the graphic designer, the programmer and the QA tester .

Had she requested this same change when she was reviewing the storyboard, only the instructionaldesigner and editor would have been involved . This would have been a much cheaper proposition .

A general guideline is that the longer you wait in the design and development process to request a change, the more expensive it becomes . This is because the fix involves more people on the team, and usually more expensive people on the team, the further along you are in the development pipeline .


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Testing the PrototypeOnce the UI design and the instructional design are complete, the developer will put together a prototype of the course .

A prototype is a small part of the course . It usually consists of one lesson plus the menu screens . It may also include critical functionality, such as a quiz that reports through your LMS . The purpose of the prototype is to make sure the course functions properly before the program-mers commit to the full development process .

Regardless of how careful you’ve been to ensuretechnical constraints are noted in the proposal, though, you should still thoroughly test the prototype so you can be certain it runs properly . In fact, I’d recommendtesting the prototype on every type of computer with every configuration and version of software you’ll use to deliver the course . Also, if you plan to deliver the course in different ways, for example through your LMS and on a CD, test the prototype with each delivery method . This way you leave nothing to chance and any troubleshooting can be done before theprogrammer commits to a specific approach .

Test your prototype on everytype of computer and every

version of software.


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Reviewing the ImagesWhile you are testing the prototype, the graphic designer will be creating or finding the images specified in the storyboard . As a part of the review process, you need to approve all of the final images before theprogrammer incorporates them in the course .

Do not take this process lightly . The graphic designer needs to spend time preparing each image you select for use . So, if you change your mind after approval, it’s not as simple or as cheap as you might think to make the switch .

In some cases, the graphic designer may even have purchased the image from a source such as the Getty Images or iStockPhoto websites . Some images are fairly cheap; others can be more than $100 . If you change your mind, this is money wasted because the graphic designer will need to purchase a replacement image . In other words, this all hits your budget . So, review the images carefully .

Questions you should ask yourself include:

• Is there anything about a single image, or the group of images selected, that would be objectionable to people within my organization? For example, a common inadvertent error is a lack of diversity across the image selections .

• Is there anything about the image that might convey the wrong message?

• Does the image do a good job of illustrating or highlighting the content talked about on the screen? If you aren’t sure, go back and check the image against the text in the storyboard .

To avoid hits to your budget,do not take the process ofreviewing images lightly.


— 21 —

• If the image is a screenshot, is it the correct screenshot and is the information displayed in the various fields correct? Also, is any sensitive information displayed that will need to be removed from the screenshot . You may need to have your legal department weigh in on this even if the training is for an in-house audience .

• If the image is a chart or diagram, is the content accurate?

I know that by the time you get to this stage of the approval process, you’re likely to feel a little tired . This is one of the last steps in a somewhat lengthy or short intense development process . However, get yourself that extra cup of coffee if you need it, close the door to your office, and take the time to do the review right . It will be worth it, I promise .


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Reviewing the Alpha VersionThe final step in the approval process is to review the alpha . In some ways, this is the most exciting stepbecause you get to see everything come together to form a complete course .

Even though the developer should have reviewed the course six ways to Sunday, put together a team of reviewers and go through it carefully yourself . No matter how careful the developer was, you will always find something they missed .

By this stage of the game, if you’ve been attentive in previous reviews, the only thing you should find is the occasional typo . However, you should also look for audio and image quality issues and programming bugs . This means you’ll need to click on every link and try every possible path through the course . If the course will be running in a browser window, you may want to test it with different browsers, as well .

Yes, it’s tedious . But, you’d rather find any problems during the quality assurance (QA) process than have your learners emailing or calling you about them once you’ve released the course, right?

The developer should provide you with a QA sheet where you can write comments on a screen-by-screen basis . If there are multiple reviewers, make sure to consolidate all comments on a single QA sheet . This will save the programmer time, and as a result, you money .

Also, make sure that the comments are clear . Remember, the programmer will not be familiar with thecontent . Think of them as production workers . They will do what you tell them to do, often without asking if it makes sense . So, make sure that it does make sense .

Once you’ve approved the course, the programmer will send you the final files . But, you’re not finished yet .

Click on every link andtry every possible path

through the course.


— 23 —

Steps to Ensure You Can Update the CourseRecently one of our clients asked us to make some updates to a course developed a few years ago . The problem—the client didn’t have the source files . Fortunately, the developer responded right away and sent the files to us . Without the source files, we would have had to re-create the entire course to change less than 20% of its content .

That’s the problem with e-learning—having the finished course running smoothly on your LMS doesn’t guarantee that you can update it . This isn’t a problem assuming you have a good relationship with theoriginal developer and they’re still around . But twice in the last two years, clients asked us to update courses when the originaldeveloper closed their doors . As a result, they were faced with the costly prospect of paying for the same work again even though only minor revisions were required .

What can you do to protect yourself? You should:

• Make sure the developer uses standard programming tools .

• Insist that the developer use self commenting code .

• Find out if the developer plans to use software components .

• Get the source files .

You should take the first three steps during the proposal-writing stage and the last step when you wrap the project .

Having the finished courseon your LMS doesn’t guarantee

that you can update it.


— 24 —

Standard Programming ToolsIf you’ve followed this process, you and the developer agreed on a programming tool in the proposal . However, you need to be aware that some developers use proprietary software to speed the programming process . For example, the tool may output to Flash, but the programming is not done in Flash . The benefit to you is a less expensive course . The drawback is that if the developer goes bankrupt, you’re left with a course you can’t update .

This is exactly what happened on a project we were asked to complete a few years ago . The developer went bankrupt after delivering the alpha version of a course that was programmed using a proprietary software tool . The client ended up paying for the reprogramming of the alpha to make the few changes required to take the course to beta .

Not only should developers avoid using proprietary tools, but they should stick with standard tools familiar to many developers . If they use a less popular tool, you may have a hard time finding someone to make the revisions . In fact, if you can’t find a developer, you may be faced with the cost of reprogramming the entire course with a standard tool just so you can update it .

Some developers useproprietary software to speed

the programming process.


— 25 —

Self-Commenting CodeAs Wikipedia defines it: “Obfuscated code is source or machine code that has been deliberately madedifficult to understand .”

We ran across this situation when a client contacted us to update a two-hour new employee orientation course . In order to bid the project, our programming team needed to take a look at the source code . This would enable them to more accurately estimate the amount of time needed to make the anticipated changes . What they found were deliberately confusing naming conventions .

Thankfully, we caught up with the original developer before they closed their doors . In a conference call with the client on the line, the developer admitted to creating this deliberately confusing code to ensure the client would be forced to hire them for any updates . Then, they coughed up the cheat sheet that unlocked the mystery of the source code . Had we contacted them a week later, the company would have vanished right along with the client’s initial investment .

To avoid this problem, you should request that the programmer use self-commenting code . In self-commenting code, for example, the programmer uses variable names that indicate what each variable does . In addition, the programmer may include comments about issues and decisions to help future programmers figure out why the coding works the way it does . This approach to programming will reduce the time it takes for a different programmer to determine how to modify the existing code .

If you really want to be proactive, get the contact information for the programmer who is writing the original code . A different programmer charged with making revisions can easily save a whole day’s worth of work if he or she can contact the original programmer to ask questions and clarify issues .

Get the contact informationfor the programmer who iswriting the original code.


— 26 —

Finally, consider hiring a programmer who is not affiliated with the developer to poke around the code when the developer delivers the prototype . This is like asking your mechanic to inspect a used car you’re thinking about buying . If the investment is small, it’s probably not necessary . But, if the investment is large, this very small additional cost can save you potential headaches in the future .


— 27 —

Software ComponentsAnother issue we’ve encountered is the inclusion of software components as part of the source code . These components are built to take care of different types of functionality such as menu or scrollbar behavior .

In and of themselves, software components are not bad . They allow e-learning developers to reuse code for standard types of functionality such as menus . The use of components also allows these developers toassign lesser skilled (read less costly) programmers to assemble e-learning programs . If the developers pass on these savings to their clients, you benefit, too .

But, beware if you decide after the course has been delivered you want to change functionality . In this case, you must go back to the original developer .

We ran into trouble when at the client’s request we tried to change the way the menu worked in a course in which the original developer had used built-in components . We could make changes to text, images, and audio, but the course’s functionality was set in stone .

Most of the time, using software components won’t cause problems . But, you should be aware when the developer is doing this so you understand the limitations on future revisions . And, you should be 100% sold on all functionality before you accept the final product . You may need to live with this functionality for a very long time .

Understand the advantagesand limitations of built-in

software components.


— 28 —

Source FilesLastly, having the source files is absolutely critical if you’re going to update a course .

Source files are the actual programming files . They’re coded using a program such as Flash or Java and then compiled to produce the final course . You receive the compiled files to install on your LMS .

The problem with only having access to the compiled files isthat you can’t change the underlying code . This is why it’s important to make sure you ask for and get all source files associated with an e-learning project as a final deliverable . Then, store them on your server where they won’t bedeleted and can be easily located . Without them, updating the course may prove more costly than expected .

Knowledge Is PowerNow you know how to get the most value from and protect your e-learning investment . You might want to keep these tips handy for your next e-learning project to prompt you through the discussion with theprospective developer . Here’s to your success!

Make sure you ask for andget all source files associated

with an e-learning project.


— 29 —

About Diane ValentiDiane Valenti, President and Founder of Applied Performance Solutions, Inc ., has over twenty yearsexperience in performance consulting . She has extensive project management experience and expertise,as well . She has been a certified project manager (PMP) and has managed virtual teams of up to thirtymembers working on projects of close to $1,000,000 budget .

Diane has taught instructional design in the extension program at UC Berkeley . She has also written and been featured in articles in the Training & Development Journal, Training Magazine, E-Learning!, the ASTDe-zine, Learning Circuits, and the ASTD blog . In addition, Diane is the author of Training Budgets Step-by-Step, a book on how to develop a training plan and budget linked to strategic objectives .

She holds a Masters degree in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University in Washington, DC .

Contact Diane and her team to help you design and develop your next e-learning course at:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (415) 701-7600

Website: www.apsiconsult.com

Copyright © 2010 by Diane Valenti, Applied Performance Solutions, Inc . All rights reserved .

Buyer Beware! What you don’t know about custom e-learning can hurt you is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial- No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.apsiconsult.com

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

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