As Instructional Designers move away from purely being creators of content, to developers of tools and applications that assist learning and support performance, understanding the processes used by the software development industry becomes rather important. The quality of an application doesn’t depend on the content it contains, but rather its functional design, technology architecture, implementation and optimization. In other words, it is about the end-user experience. The design of ‘good’ software applications is a very different ballgame from developing courseware.

Perhaps the first major aspect of software development process to filter into eLearning development is the use of iterative development. The movement away from a linear development process can only be good for eLearning. Endless rounds of alphas and betas, and a go-live date were stressful for all project stakeholders. As we become used to software (especially web-services) being in perpetual beta, it is now possible to release often, sometimes just enough to provide the learning, before adding significant graphic design and interaction effort. Having a fixed iteration schedule also helps get feedback faster, and that can be leveraged in the next iteration. This method leads to better quality courseware that focuses on the essentials first, and gradually improves the graphics and interaction. Rather than attempting to get it all right at the first go, which rarely works because it is difficult to do when attempting to satisfy multiple stakeholders with diverging perspectives on ‘good’ eLearning. Iterative development clearly offers many advantages the conventional linear development process doesn’t, however we are yet to see significant adoption of this model in our industry.

The second element percolating into eLearning is the use of prototypes. I feel this practice from software design and development has penetrated eLearning far more than the use of iterative development and is fairly well established. A prototype accomplishes a lot of things for the developers and designers – it simulates the final design, features, aesthetics and functionality, this in turn allows for stakeholders to get a ‘feel’ for the product being developed, as also provide feedback that is realistic and not based purely on documented designs or storyboards. The ability to allow learners (users) to interact with the prototype results in better and more constructive feedback for designers. Reduced time and costs for development are one obvious advantage of prototyping, but I see the increased involvement of users in the design process as a significant advantage as well. This involvement has a direct impact on the tangible and intangible quality of the product to be developed. Having said that, there are two common traps I’ve seen eLearning projects using prototyping falling into. First, spending way too much time on developing the prototype. Users and developers often get stuck in debating the details of the prototype, resulting in delays on actual development. Second, feature creep is a big deal with prototypes. While they start out to model a few basic features, users start to expect more and more as they see and use the prototype. Without clear requirement and design management, this will eventually bring the development to a halt. Its far easier and better to draw a line and coach users on what they can expect and demand from the development team.

There is much learning to garner from software development models and processes. What techniques from other industries do you use in eLearning development?

So without much ado, here are Top 50 eLearning Posts of 2011 from our blog as determined by you, our readers. Read them. Reflect on them. Debate them. Enjoy them!

January

1. Game Based Learning Isn’t Always Electronic
2. This LMS Has No Traps!
3. LMS Wikis: Unharnessed Potential
4. Instructional Design And The Six Thinking Hats
5. Microlearning – A Paradigm Shift In The Way We Learn
6. 9 Essential Elements for Fun in Games

February

7. What Is Mobile Learning?
8. Instructional Design for Beginners – What Motivates People To Learn?
9. Getting The Most Out Of Your LMS
10. Mobile Learning – What It Can Do For A Global Workforce
11. What I Learnt About Mobile Learning Design

March

12. Upside’s Learning Design Philosophy
13. Hassenzahl’s Model and eLearning
14. Is Mobile Learning A Reality Now?
15. Getting Started With Mobile Learning?

April

16. ELearning Project Managers – Misunderstood Heroes
17. 5 Myths About Digital Natives
18. Mobile Learning: A Quick SWOT Analysis
19. Developing Mobile Learning: Which Device Are You Targeting?
20. Learning & Skills Survey: 87% More eLearning & Mobile Learning; 73% Less 2-3 Day Classroom Training

May

21. Open Source is Not Cheap, Leave Alone Free
22. Mobile Learning Has A Promising Future In India
23. A Challenge For Designers Of Game Based Learning
24. LMS – All You Ever Wanted To Know

June

25. Learning In The Future – Exploring Five Themes
26. Want ‘Facebook’ In Your LMS?
27. What Is Game Based Learning?

July

28. 3 Essential Themes for Mobile Learning Systems
29. Learning And Social Networks
30. 5 Practical Mobile Learning Tips
31. India And The Mobile Internet Revolution

August

32. JIT Performance Support Mobile App Development
33. The Promise Of 3D Learning
34. iPad Applications In Bloom’s Taxonomy

September

35. How Long Does It Take To Develop An Hour Of Elearning?
36. The Gamification Of SAP
37. Mobile Learning In The Workplace – Survey
38. Worldwide Mobile Learning Market To Reach $9.1 Billion By 2015

October

39. An Augmented Reality Future
40. The Complexity Of Learning
41. Is the iPad Driving eLearning Towards HTML5?

November

42. LMS: Build Vs Buy – A Decision Paradigm
43. Flash For Mobile Is Dead
44. eLearning Development: Haste Makes Waste
45. How Suitable Is HTML5 For Mobile Learning?
46. Tablet Learning – Neither Mobile Learning Nor eLearning

December

47. Measuring And Evaluating Learning – The Top Skill For L&D Teams
48. LMS – Before the Launch
49. A Refreshing Take on User Experience Design
50. What eLearning Should Learn From Games

Before I close this post, I would like to say a quick thank you to all our readers for stopping by and taking the time to read our views. If you like reading our blog, we urge you to recommend it to all your friends and colleagues.

On behalf of the entire Upside Learning team, I wish you a joyous and prosperous 2012. Cheers!

It’s always interesting to hear gamers talk about why they play certain genres of games and what aspects of those games they love.

What is even more impressive is the passion and motivation that gets individuals to play these games.

Recently I have been playing Little Big Planet on the PSP, something I bought on whim for my seven-year old. Watching him learn to play and master the game has been quite a revelation. Mainly that learning is such an organic activity that trying to define it in any way will be inadequate. While elearning has a long way to go in matching physical world experiential learning, there are definitely some aspects of the game world we want to emulate.

Little Big Planet; several quick realizations:

1. Easy, simple to difficult, complex – Every platform scroller game does this, but LBP excels because it creates the right difficulty curve, not too much, not too little. Just enough challenge to keep you wanting to try; if it weren’t difficult enough, it becomes boring, too hard and you give up. This sort of difficulty curve is never, (I take that back) perhaps rarely seen in elearning courses. Courses are just that, they run the course. We should learn how to offer experiences and not just display after display of information that could be effective as a booklet or document.

2. Contributory nature is very important, the ‘ability to create and share’. Ask yourself about the last elearning course you took – did you create something in it? If you did, could you share it with the rest of the world? LBP differs from other games by being as much a tool as a game. By offering an entire authoring environment, you can custom design levels and share them with the world. It also offers a unique insight into how game levels are created. While the levels that came with the game are nice; the levels that users all over the world have created are simply astounding. Amazingly, it is not just any other level you are sharing, it is the experience on a standardized platform.

I’d really like to see courses that allow individuals to create ‘things’, artifacts that indicate their level of competence. Also, the ability to share those with others, and if possible experience them (as in LBP).

3. Embedded in activities – While learning to play LBP it is nice how the learning is embedded into the environment and the game play activity. You effectively use the environment and controls to learn how to manipulate the environment and control the game avatar. Contrast this with typical elearning, where there is a huge separation between display and content. They are rarely one and the same thing.

A closer look at much touted simulations reveal nothing more than linear task based exercise with limited feedback or a series of shallow scenarios with questions to follow, of which the user must select options and receive feedback accordingly. (especially in workplace elearning) Perhaps this works, but it is very boring. In eLearning we need to rethink simulations, first with better depth of content and decision making required and second, with better fidelity representations of the real workplace. Including realistic goals that can be accomplished as learners make their way through activities in the environment may prove a sound learning design choice.

So many interesting ideas are touched on, many with implications for ‘learning’ as we know it.

‘You are a mash-up of what you let into your life’

From our discussion and previous experience with the sector, we already know that technology adoption had been strong amongst most of the larger auto players. Interestingly just last month we were discussing a potential blended solution around our mobile learning platform Upside2Go for delivering a focused year long program for the heads of extended enterprise of a large European automaker.

The report is available for a free download here. Some of the points highlighted in the report’s executive summary are:

1. Drivers for the sector to invest in learning technologies are efficiency improvement in L&D, Improved quality of learning and learning outcomes, and improved business agility (response time, product roll outs, etc)

2. Technologies used are more likely for bespoke self paced content, administration and delivery, and targeting learning interventions. The sector has shown less inclination towards virtual classrooms, mobile learning, off-the-shelf e-learning programs, social media, and podcasting.

3. Content strategies reveal 50% of organizations produce 50% of their bespoke elearning using rapid tools, 50% of them having to make training in multiple languages, and the sector e-nabling twice the amount of formal training than average

4. Benefits when compared with benchmark averages show that the sector involves a higher proportion of their staff in elearning initiatives (69% vs. 57%), achieves greater saving in study time (27% vs. 22%), and achieves fewer costs savings (10% vs. 18%)

5. Barriers to learning technologies adoption in the sector is still the ICT infrastructure and access

6. Budgets for training have increased over last 2 years despite a recessionary trend and are likely to continue to increase. Proportion allocated to learning technologies is also expected to increase.

I’m very pleased to see the sector’s uptake of learning technologies and hope it continues to be strong in future. I think the higher focus on formal learning has got something to with a:

–  Higher proportion of blue collar workforce

–  Higher proportion of training involves engineering and technology related concepts

–  High reliance on following processes for manufacturing and Quality Control

Also with their products becoming very similar to one another’s, sales & customer care training is an area where this sector invests a lot. After all brand building is a very important area when products reach a commodity stage. We recently created an iPad app to showcase the new Toyota Yaris for its launch event in the UK earlier this year.

He makes some interesting points; and I find these are especially relevant to the Indian education system, which in my opinion is a complete mess. After putting our kids through 16 years of formal education, what we end up with are un-employable adults.

Some points he makes ring true:

1. Collaboration inside and outside schools are key to success.
2. Schools run on a production line approach, that was appropriate for the industrial age and doesn’t work in the information age.
3. We need to change the education system so it focuses on the natural creative abilities of children.
4. How can education enhance the aesthetic experience of the learner?
5. Why do we still categorize students based on their age and not their abilities?

In India, we’d do very well to evaluate our education system and fix the glaring gaps. If our demographic dividend is to pay off, we really need to get down and do this soon.

Take a look:

There are quite a few interesting bits in the presentation. Slide 29 puts it all in perspective, Elearning development costs per hour range between 10,000 USD at the lower end for basic courseware, and up to 50,000 USD at the high end. These seem spot on as ‘actual development’ costs and can serve as a good metric when budgeting for your next Elearning project.

We did a similar sort of exercise to attempt to classify ‘levels’ of Elearning development and posted about it here.

What are you typically spending on creating an hour of Elearning courseware?

During the visit I had an opportunity to discuss our solutions and services with some leading elearning companies, a few TAFE/VET institutes, and a few corporate clients there. Some thoughts I had about the Australian market:

- Over the last few years several new elearning development companies have sprung up in the region which is in line with the growth of elearning market. Sydney, Melbourne, & Brisbane happen to boast a high number of elearning and related companies. Adelaide and Perth too have a few.

- There’s a noticeably growing inclination towards outsourcing especially custom elearning development services. As competition increases we should find this trend gain further momentum as bigger companies try to outsource larger portions of their projects to offshore destinations like India in order to stay competitive against the smaller players.

- On the LMS front there seems to be preference for local providers but that should change too as content outsourcing increases

- Moodle is quite popular here, after all Australia is its birthplace and one will find that developers support the product quite strongly. However not all is great with corporate implementations of Moodle – it’s not free for certain and does hit sort of a ceiling when corporate wish to expand its use. A couple of providers we met are contemplating adding a commercial LMS to their offerings for those who wish to go beyond Moodle.

- Mobile learning is being talked about a lot but not delivered that much. That’s quite similar to the rest of the world actually. Interesting to note however is interest in create learning solutions and custom apps for tablets – especially the iPad.

As I’ve mentioned before , storytelling is integral to human culture and part of the human experience. Storytelling and making are engaging, interactive and social behaviors, we can participate in such by elaborating and refining the characters, narrative, and event time-line as we go along. While we do this, we make sense out of the social, cultural and interpersonal contexts that make up the story. Truly engaging and illustrative storytelling requires the use of metaphor – a form of thinking and the use of language that allows us to experience one thing in terms of the other. Metaphor isn’t just descriptive or flowery use of language, its more than that – it actually allows the generation of new ways to understand things.

The use of stories and metaphor definitely play an active role in human cognition and learning. What’d make a really cool learning tool is a collaborative story-making and telling tool that works in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. What do you think?

If you’re a K12 educator, you’ve probably heard about this one by now. IDEO has broken design thinking down into five elegant steps and describe them as:

1. Discovery – I have a challenge. How do I approach it?
2. Interpretation – I learned something. How do I interpret it?
3. Ideation – I see an opportunity. What do I create?
4. Experimentation – I have an idea. How do I build it?
5. Evolution – I tried something new. How do I evolve it?

If you haven’t already, head on over there , register and download the PDF. Valuable and practical ideas on design await.

Multitasking or excessive task switching may not be the best for our memory skills. We’d written about this on our blog sometime ago, including a small experiment here and referencing some other articles here .

“You say, I’ve got to go to the market to get eggs, but then you get home and you’ve got 20 other things and you forgot the eggs,” Hasn’t this happened to every one of us? Perhaps the age of digital technology will only reduce our attention spans and make it worse.