Greetings,

Our HR Training & Development group is considering moving some of our prerequisite and/or supplemental training online (we do mostly instructor led training). Within the group, we offer leadership training, project management skills training, presentation skills, diversity training, conflict management, stress, etc. I have been tasked with researching some available tools, and have found a number of helpful resources within this ASTD forum.

Many recommend Captivate 3, but I wonder if this is the tool for us since we rarely do "systems" training and really don't need to capture keystrokes, etc. Another group recommended Lectora and yet another indicated Articulate is the way to go.

Having no background in instructional design (I'm a psychologist who moved into corporate America 4 years ago to do leadership training/consulting, etc), some of the information I'm getting is foreign to me. So, I thought I'd turn to my ASTD colleagues who are real experts in this area for input and suggestions.

So, the lowly "Grasshopper" turns to the "Masters" of e-learning for guideance. While authoring tools like so much is a matter of preference, if want to create online material to teach business (aka soft) skills, want to occasionally embed videos (mpg, avi, etc), would like to have recorded video of us talking rather than just boring page turners, use PowerPoint a great deal and would want to incorporate some of the PPT material, AND we "may" at some point be switching to Plateau for our LMS (currently we use an internally designed system), what suggestions do you have?

Thanks so much and really appreciate any suggestions and input.

Ed Nottingham

Hi Ed,

Glad to hear that you are looking at moving some of your instructor led training online!

You are taking the right step by asking your fellow ASTD eLearning experts for advice!

To help you get started I'd recommend the following...

1. Analyze your current content and determine which courses/workshops you believe would be best suited for online delivery. Recommend reading books on designing for WBT to give you a better idea of what is best suited for online delivery. From my experience, software, product, and sales training are the more common subjects developed for online delivery.

2. Storyboard (design) your online program using Word, PPT, etc.
3. Develop your online program based off your design document. You are correct, don't use Captivate unless you are developing software simulations.
4. Pilot test your online program with a select number of users and obtain constructive feedback.
5. Implement in your online environment and conduct final testing
6. Market/communicate your new online program(s)
7. Evaluate - Kirkpatrick's 5 Levels of Evaluation

If you would like more advice, tips, etc. then please feel free to send me a PM.

Thanks!
Jason

Thanks Jason, great suggestions.

I'm passing these excellent ideas on to those who will actually engaged in the process.

Still would love to hear from people who have first-hand exerience with authoring tools such as Articulate, Captivate 3, Lectora, etc.

Thanks again,

Ed

Hi Ed -- In addition to the excellent insights provided by stets, some additional food for thought...

Does a carpenter work with only a hammer and nails?

Are the instructional designs you currently have working well? Accomplishing goals? Enabling participants to perform better? (etc.)

Will your current infrastructure allow for robust multimedia interactive online learning?

Who will be able to administer the systems end? Do you have the personnel to support that?

etc....

Ed:

I'd have to echo what a great many have said here- form of training will follow function. Your assessment of Captivate illustrates the issue- great tool for it's purpose. We use it, Lectora, Articulate, Flash, etc... all for different reasons. I think the carpenter analogy is good- plan out what you need to build, buys tools and supplies.

I did want to offer a few other insights:

First, I have had a TON of success in working with clients that are primarily ILT to online learning pre-work. This optimizes ROI for the classroom event- don't spend class time introducing and reviewing concepts that can be understoond by online activities (reading, exercises, assessments). I recommend using the classroom to review, but not to introduce. This way, you spend class time on what online cannot do as well (true knowledge application with experts and peers that can adjust, adapt, and review in real-time).

Second, regarding LMS systems- I have been through four enterprise-level implementations (several thousand employees). I am not sure what due-dilligence you have done regarding the selection of an LMS, but I strongly recommend test driving a few systems (toe-in method) and having an iron-clad "parachute clause" with any vendor you select (if not fully implemented and getting expected value, contract pulled from vendor, no fault). Companies who did this in my experience fared well compared to those that did not.

Finally, please don't ignore FF's comments regarding staff to support. I would add to this the overall culture shock of changing over (again, in my experience, carefully considered, I've seen companies fare well, others not so much).

Any questions, don't hesitate to reach out, but I will say from other chats I have been on, you came to the right place with a lot of good people with great insights.