The Art of e-Learning Collaboration

The Art of e-Learning Collaboration
Summary: Collaborating on an e-Learning course is an art. These 6 tips on the art of e-learning collaboration from leading experts will help you produce a fantastic e-learning course.

The Art of e-Learning Collaboration

Collaborating on an e-Learning course is an art. Like interior design, city murals or the theater, you have a team of people working together to create a finished product. And when done correctly, collaboration can produce a fantastic result: an engaging and effective e-Learning course.

Here are 6 tips on the art of e-Learning collaboration from some leading experts on the topic:

  1. Understand the role of each team member.
    Working together starts with understanding each other’s roles so that you know exactly why you respect your teammates. According to the eLearning Coach, Connie Malamed, “It may not be as easy as pressing a button, but any organization can start its own learning team with proper support. You’ll need to understand the roles that are required for building a team and the skills needed to fulfill each role.
  2. Stay organized.
    When multiple people are involved in a project, it’s easier on everyone to stay organized. Here’s a tip from Brother Shawn on the eLearning Brothers Blog: “Especially if you work on projects with a team, being organized with your files can save a lot of time and headache. Come up with logical naming conventions and folder structures. Make sure there is a ‘home’ for all of the files for a project.
  3. Create custom templates.
    Save time, keep consistency and work efficiently as a team with templates. Lectora® expert Laura Silver writes, “You can create your own custom templates to reuse and share among colleagues and team members. Templates prevent you from having to start from scratch every time you create a new title.” To learn how to do this in Lectora or Lectora® Online, read this blog post: Creating Custom Templates in Lectora.
  4. Value your SME.
    Your subject matter experts (SMEs) have valuable knowledge for your e-Learning, so recognize that and use their knowledge wisely. Content strategist Amanda Costello says, “SMEs, as stated in their very name, have specialized knowledge that I don’t. However, the flip side is also true: my specialized knowledge is something they need so their content can be useful and usable on the web… you’ve got to work together to advance the project.
  5. Use an online collaboration tool.
    You can’t go wrong with a tool that’s designed specifically for collaboration. One example is ReviewLink™, which is “an online collaboration tool that allows you to share titles for review with external reviewers, subject matter experts and other stakeholders.” To see exactly what this looks like for your e-Learning team, read Laura Silver’s entire blog post: Streamline Your Online Review Cycle with ReviewLink.

Use these tips to improve collaboration with your e-Learning team today!

For more e-Learning tips like these plus the occasional freebie, subscribe to the Lectora e-Learning Blog.