Custom eLearning content development, as the name suggests, should be about creating the right learning experience for the client and their learners. I believe a full tailored design and development process can lead to quality training and better performance outcomes, but it is far from easy. Here are some principles to keep in mind when approaching this task.
Content-Related Principles
1. Respect The Learner’s Previous Experience
The big advantage of custom eLearning is that it is tailored to the client’s specific needs and audience. So, don’t disregard the audience and what they already know. Unlike creating an off-the-shelf course, here you can adjust the starting point and pace to the learner profile as identified by the client; yes, even for onboarding. Training that lets the learner draw on previous experience and feel that they bring something to the table, will be much more motivating and appealing.
Another aspect of this is to allow more experienced learners to skip over some content if they can demonstrate mastery of it. Focus on ensuring that the learner has achieved the learning objectives by the end of the training, rather than policing their advancement through it. Learners who are in control of their progress and pace are likely to be more engaged and proactive.
2. Tell A Realistic Story
Incorporating examples and scenarios in your training is always useful and has plenty of benefits. However, keep in mind that your audience knows their work and will be expecting realistic stories. What does that mean? Ill-defined problems where the solution isn’t always obvious, time pressure, working with and depending on input from colleagues, genuine success rate, and realistic feedback. Remember people learn from mistakes as well, and eLearning is a great format for learners to experiment with making decisions without real consequences. Give your learners scenarios that are challenging, thought-provoking and an honest portrayal of what they can expect on the job.
3. Be Social
In many cases, custom eLearning content is developed for a group audience who knows each other, such as employees of a company, or professionals in the same field. Complementing the training with social features such as discussion forums, surveys or group activities can enhance the learners’ experience, as well as foster a long-lasting community of practice. Allowing for peer discussion and learning is also a great way to deal with case studies and scenarios that do not have one clear answer, but can be approached in multiple ways. eLearning does not have to be a solitary activity. We all already communicate online on multiple platforms, so why not for learning purposes as well?
Process-Related Principles
1. Ask Questions, Early And Often
We all know these clients who want to hand over a deck of slides and receive an eLearning module with no questions asked. While they might get exactly what they asked for, the resulting training would most likely not have the desired effect on performance, just because it has not been designed to do so. This is similar to asking a web developer to build a website which features text only, which is possible and quite easy to do, but is it the right solution? Many times the client isn’t even aware of the variety of activities and interactions eLearning technologies today afford, so, of course, they don’t know how to ask for it. Use your own expertise and experience to gently question their assumptions, and, in the long term, they’ll appreciate it.
2. Start With Needs Analysis
If your client is spending all this money and time on creating a custom eLearning course, they must have some expectations of what the impact of this training will be. It is important to understand what drove them to decide on this particular training, and which performance gaps they believe it will solve. Once the business and learning objectives have been identified, you can put your design skills to work in the right direction. Also, keep in mind that sometimes the right solution is not training, and a Knowledge Management tool or a job aid may accomplish better results.
3. Be Agile
Yes, "agile eLearning development" is a buzz word currently, and you’re probably tired of hearing it, but there’s a reason why it is. You don’t have to follow a specific methodology or system to be agile; just remember to be flexible and responsive. Sticking to an original idea when the wind is shifting is never a good idea. Brainstorm with your client, doodle on paper, send them rough mock ups for comments and early functional beta version for testing, and be open to making changes after every round. The earlier you find the areas of discontent, the better you can respond to them.