Development of eLearning is clearly a collaborative process between instructional designers, subject matter experts, graphic developers, and others. Let’s take a look at how we can manage the efforts of this diverse group of people.
For the vast majority of organizations, this collaborative process is often inefficient. The process usually involves many emails, chat sessions and conference calls, and eventually results in one person, often the instructional designer, left to manage the production task.
Unfortunately, many tools on the market focus solely on the production task or the creation of the final product and are not built around the true development process. Installing authoring software on desktops is certainly not a scaleable solution. The act of turning the content into a course is a small percentage of the overall cost of development. The real cost involves the upfront work of uniting the input from the different parties into something that can be produced.
To manage these efforts efficiently, one needs a true collaborative, or shared environment that everyone involved in the development process can partake. This collaborative environment can take different forms but is certainly more formal than the desktop-based, email, and chat anarchy that have been around for a long time. An ideal environment would allow each of the parties involved to directly contribute to the development process. For example, a subject matter expert could directly add their know-how into the course structure as defined by the instructional designer. As opposed to forcing a subject matter expert into becoming an author, he or she should be able to contribute to the process by adding content directly into the shared course development environment using basic computer skills.
Management is only possible when there is control over the process. Given the multitude of people involved in the courseware creation process, a collaborative environment is required to establish such control before true management can take place. The ability to assign permissions in the online environment provides this management capability.
Take a look at how CourseAvenue’s clients work together in a collaborative authoring environment at http://www.courseavenue.com/studio.aspx.
Recently we conducted a series of webinars on the challenges of developing accessible eLearning and how our Accessibility Player can help you bypass many of the technical issues involved. We discussed how PowerPoint presentations can be imported into the CourseAvenue development platform, and easily published as Section 508 compliant courses.
We heard from webinar participants how previous attempts at compliance had failed and how they need a solution, fast. One request we heard numerous times was the need to understand, and to actually see, how this works with their specific content. To view the demonstration and see our team go through the process is one thing, but seeing it work with their content is what is really important. They want to make sure they’re not heading down just another dead end road. It’s just too costly to take chances.
In response, CourseAvenue assembled a series of Virtual Training Workshops where you learn firsthand how simple the PPT to Section 508 compliant eLearning conversion process can be. The result of the workshop is that you own a Section 508 compliant eLearning course based on your training content.
Do you need to develop accessible eLearning? We’ll give you a jumpstart on the process.
http://www.courseavenue.com/pptconversionworkshop.aspx
Is your eLearning Section 508 compliant? Unfortunately, many eLearning authoring tools support some accessibility standards, but they do so largely by relying on individual developers to interpret and apply the complexities of compliance requirements. From what we’ve seen the likelihood and cost of producing non-compliant eLearning is very high when inexperienced developers make their first attempts at accessibility. Attempting to meld instructional design, accessibility standards, and screen reader functionality with a wide array of content and assessment elements has resulted in a number of costly mistakes. We have discussed Why Technology Makes 508 eLearning so Challenging and some Tips for Organizations Starting eLearning Development. Today we discuss four steps that’ll help get you on the path to Section 508 compliant eLearning for your organization.
- Scope– identify and define which eLearning courses should be made accessible. Really, shouldn’t this be all your eLearning courses? Well, those that are discontinued or no longer in use certainly won’t be on the list. And some eLearning courses may already be accessible. Again, focus on the ones that need to be accessible.
- Assess– determine where the eLearning courses are not meeting the requirements of the code.
- Remediate– fix the eLearning courses not meeting Section 508 requirements.
- Maintain– now that you’ve come this far, keep the eLearning courses current both in terms of content and for accessibility.
Starting from scratch, ensuring Section 508 compliance for a typical Flash-based eLearning course can add over $25,000 to the development costs and extend the development cycle at least 6 months. Our clients can expect to cut this additional time and costs between 70%-80% by using the CourseAvenue platform.
Utilizing CourseAvenue Studio, our collaborative web-based and team-based authoring environment, and the Accessibility Player, the technology that “plays” the course in a Section 508 compliant manner, course developers can rapidly create accessible eLearning. Moreover, using the CourseAvenue platform allows you to cost effectively maintain your eLearning program. CourseAvenue will take care of incorporating the latest changes in adaptive technologies as they evolve, and ensures that even when changes are made to your eLearning courses, they will continue to be Section 508 compliant.
- Mike
What is Section 508 compliant eLearning?
We believe that Section 508 compliant eLearning is simply about providing people with disabilities equivalent access to electronic training material used by their peers!
Criterion 508 Solutions provides a more formal summary, briefly:
Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act (of 1973) in 1998, requiring federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that help achieve these goals. While the law applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, many state agencies and corporations are also implementing internal accessibility requirements.
Though Section 508 does not include language specific to eLearning, it is still an important part of planning for accessibility for online courses. Yet, we’ve seen that eLearning development can be challenged by the complex interactions between web browsers, the eLearning content itself, and an LMS (Learning Management System). An adaptive technology layer (screen readers, for example) adds an entirely new dimension to an already complex landscape. That said, Section 508 compliant eLearning must be offered because it’s the law, the right thing to do, helps expand the knowledge base, etc. Now what?!
And is there a cost effective solution?
Yes! For arguably a small percentage of your overall eLearning course production cost, the CourseAvenue Accessibility Player is a new technology that builds Section 508 compliance into the core of eLearning content. By embedding Section 508 requirements directly into our course player, CourseAvenue provides a shorter and easier path for organizations to provide Section 508 compliant accessible training content to learners with disabilities in a very cost effective manner. Furthermore, combining the use of our Accessibility Player with CourseAvenue Studio the collaborative web-based and team based authoring environment, Course Designers can rapidly create Section 508 compliant eLearning.
Both CourseAvenue Studio and Accessibility Player are Flash-based. With a web-based access to CourseAvenue Studio there is no software to download allowing course designers, reviewers, SMEs, and a distributed team to collectively and simultaneously develop Section 508 compliant eLearning courses. In addition, CourseAvenue offers professional eLearning services that include:
- Remediation Services: Converting and/or repairing legacy content
- Development & Validation Services: Complete eLearning creation and 508 Validation
- Technology & Training: Leverage the CourseAvenue Accessibility Player and learn how to create and maintain your own Section 508 Compliant eLearning
One thing is certain: creating accessible eLearning is challenging. There are issues with all the interactions between the navigational features of a course, the content, the learning management system communications, as well as the additional issue of making all this work well with adaptive technology.
Many organizations are starting to feel the heat as far as Section 508 compliance for the eLearning they provide to their employees, especially government agencies. We’ve put together a webinar to discuss these issues with you and provide pointers that will help make the process more efficient.
Here’s some info on the webinar:
Section 508 Compliant eLearning: Meeting the Challenge Head on
By participating in this free webinar, you’ll learn the answers to these and other questions:
- Why is creating “accessible” eLearning so challenging?
- What approaches have been taken and why are they inefficient?
- How do today’s tools and processes help or hurt compliance and accessibility efforts?
- How can CourseAvenue technology and processes help my organization meet the challenge of Section 508 compliance head on?
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Time: 11:00 – 11:45 am central time (CDT)
Sign up now for the August 27 webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/464216771.
Charting Your Course – Ten Tips for Organizations Just Getting Started With eLearning Development
We sometimes forget that what might be obvious to those of us involved with eLearning development from day to day, is not so obvious to those who are new to the field. Here are some tips we like to share with new clients. Have some of your own? We’d love to hear from you!
1. Define a Road Map for eLearning development efforts. A road map is necessary to ensure that team roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Also, a defined plan is much easier to manager. When a road map is not clearly defined, miscommunication between team members and a misunderstanding regarding what needs to be done is more likely to take place.
2. Provide an eLearning development platform/toolset as a baseline for content creation and management. A common development platform allows all involved to adhere to a framework of standards that is easily repeatable and produces consistent output. Failure to provide a starting point or default platform for development leads to a potpourri of challenges when upgrading, managing skill sets, etc.
3. Provide a collaborative environment where teams of people work together. eLearning development requires input from multiple people (instructional designers, graphics, subject matter experts, reviewers, etc.) and providing a place for teams of people to work together is necessary. Too often, a common “workspace” results in disjointed pockets of development with organizational content buried in email inboxes and “My documents” directories. As a result, many companies evolve into either a “funnel” or “mass author” approach to creation – both of which lead to inefficiencies.
4. Provide a means of sharing assets across an enterprise. However, one should focus on “use” before looking for “re-use”. Efficient storage and tracking of learning assets across the organization leverages the investment in content creation. Lost or misplaced learning assets are a waste of time and money, and many times cause undue rework by team members.
5. Understand there are categories of eLearning. These are termed Level 1 (simple informational courseware) through Levels 2 and 3 (basic instructional courses) to Level 4 (immersed simulation courseware). It is important to remember that different tools, techniques, and budgets apply across this range. It is critical to understand the complexity of the learning required so that the appropriate tool(s) can be utilized effectively. Using the wrong development tool can seriously handicap the type of learning that needs to be created, often crippling the learning experience based on an incompatibility between form and function.
6. Provide instructional design templates and examples for each category of eLearning. To enable the development of rapid eLearning, a repeatable framework allows resources to focus on content, not structure. Without templates and examples, time is wasted as non-developers struggle to create course structures that are consistent.
7. Understand that eLearning components have source code. If you lose the source code, you cannot update the course. Adequate source code control protects the programming investment in your course and helps future resources more easily maintain it. Failure to version and archive source code can create maintenance problems when the courses need to be updated.
8. Consider the branding of the courseware during the design phase. It is advantageous to separate content from presentation in order to provide the ability to customize the appearance of courseware for different audiences. If this is not followed, either stale player skins or the necessity to update multiples copies of the courseware player can result.
9. Understand all current and potential future requirements of the eLearning courses being designed and developed. Do the courses need to be SCORM compliant? Is Section 508 compliance required or desired? Will the courses be updated on a regular basis? Will there be multiple audiences for the same base content? How about support for additional languages?
10. If you’re using an LMS for providing courses to your learners, be prepared to support AICC and multiple versions of SCORM. Learning management systems differ in their support of industry standards. If multiple standards are not considered, the courses develop may have communication issues with the LMS, or may encounter problems in the future when systems are upgraded.
Consider the numerous interactions between the technologies involved in an eLearning course including: adaptive technology, web browsers, the eLearning content, and an LMS (Learning Management System. The sheer number of technology layers that must work together is significant. Consider the following software that must work in concert for every learner:
- Operating System. Type, version, and options used in the operating system and support components (e.g. Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS)
- Browser. Type and version of the browser
- Multimedia Player. Type and version of multimedia player (e.g. Adobe Flash player, RealPlayer, QuickTime)
Simply navigating and coordinating this matrix and combinations of technologies is challenging. The addition of an adaptive technology layer adds an entirely new dimension to an already complex landscape.
- Adaptive Technology. Make and version of accessibility tools (e.g. WindowEyes, JAWS)
CourseAvenue’s Accessibility Player breaks through much of the complexity of building accessible (and usable) eLearning content by building accessibility standards, as well as LMS communications and adaptive technology methods, into the courseware technology itself.
We’d be glad to help you decrease the complexity involved in creating Section 508 compliant eLearning courses. Lear more at http://www.courseavenue.com/accessibleelearning.aspx.
