Learning Management vs. Course
Development
March 2012
The
implementation of a Learning Management System (
What content already exists and how
can I use it? Take
inventory of existing materials and resources. You may already have
web-deliverable components and need only an authoring tool to create your
learning screens. Or, you may need to convert text from Word to HTML.
Conversion to streaming video or Flash can prepare multimedia (MM) materials
for use in a network-based learning environment. Identify colleagues with
expertise and materials pertaining to the course, even if delivered in other
formats.
How and when do I use MM? Video and other MM such as
Flash can be valuable and entertaining when demonstrating a procedure or
concept. To hold learner interest, and save bandwidth, MM should be brief
and targeted. Consider whether the MM object can stand alone as an entire
course section or should be embedded into a learning screen to enhance, add
variation and complete the learning concept.
How do I utilize the authoring
options? Identify
the authoring options in the
What technology best communicates
the content?
Subject matter will normally dictate the choice of design and media. If you are
trying to teach software procedures, a screen capture or recording of your
mouse movements might be the most effective way to communicate the
concept. Or, you can use static images but incorporate “hot points” that
open MM objects in a pop up window. Simple images and text utilizing
variation in backgrounds, color choices and arrangement can be very effective.
What materials are online content or
support documents? Instructional
material is needed to teach the concepts and knowledge you want to
disseminate. Material that covers special cases, alternative methods or
additional examples can be organized as support documentation.
When do I need an introductory
course to lead to more advanced courses? Most experts agree that the cardinal rule of
authoring is to make sure courses are not overwhelming in size. Make
sections manageable and possibly divide the course into multiple courses. Grouped courses effectively to cover a specific competency or
certification. Job requirements, experience levels and learner diversity
will also help you determine how to structure course offerings.
Your
Training Tips
Use Student Enrollment Options to Your Advantage
The enrollment process is one of the most important
components of your online training program. For administrators, enrollment can
be time consuming and require the input of large chunks of learner information.
For students, the login is the first thing they see when they enter the
learning environment. Neither wants to get bogged down.
Keeping it simple, your enrollment process can be
unattended and automated, with activation occurring when the student
self-enrolls. You can augment this option by adding an approval step by the administrator
or training manager. Passwords can be pre-selected by the administrator or
created by the learner.
The administrator can define sign-up periods for
students by generating start and end dates for enrollment by course, with
auto-generated email notification to students and reminders to managers.
Instructors can impose class size limits, if desired, and then create a waiting
list when the maximum enrollment is met. As student openings occur, the system
will automatically enroll the next in line.
Bulk enrollment of student information is an ideal
solution and time-saver, and you can import data from a spreadsheet or database
at any time. If you want to generate a payment option, the e-commerce function
can be set system-wide or class-by-class to accept credit card or PayPal payments upon enrollment.
These are just a few of the enrollment options that
you can implement for your online training program. Whichever you
use, make sure the options work for you.