Planning for eLearning Development

Planning for eLearning Development

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There are many ways to approach eLearning development. In this article,we introduce the common phases of traditional eLearning development. As we look at each phase, we will also provide some general scoping recommendations as you consider the eLearning course budget. After we walk through the traditional approach, we will briefly highlight some alternative approaches to both eLearning and eLearning development.

Traditional eLearning Phases of Development

Traditional eLearning projects have at least four phases of development.

1) Design / Style Guide Phase

Successful projects have a design phase where instructional design rules are set and graphic design and style for the programs are established. Usually this is a one-time event for a series of programs. Often the team creates a template during this phase so all contributors can get a visual idea of what the training will eventually look like.

This initial, one-time design phase may take 16 to 60 hours of effort, depending on what the team has to start with.

2) Research / Instructional Design / Writing Phase

In this phase, instructional designers work with subject matter experts to create an outline, learning objectives, and then a storyboard. This document includes explanations of all interactions, voice over, sound effects, music, videos, and other visual assets needed. Often sketches, photos, and other artwork add visual impact to the storyboard.

Depending on the complexity of the project and the existing documented content, allocate from one third to one half of the eLearning course budget for this phase.

3) Asset Creation Phase

During this critical phase, the team creates and organizes all the assets needed for the final course. This can include finalizing voice over, music, video, sound effects, illustrations, animations, stock art, custom photos, and more. If needed, the client may participate in multiple review cycles.

Depending on the complexity of the project, this phase often requires one fourth to one third of the eLearning course budget. This phase will be more expensive if the program requires significant custom-created video, music, animation, or photography.

4) Programming / Production Phase

This is the technical phase of the project involving tools or templates specifically designed for eLearning development. During this phase, all interactions are programmed and the assets are assembled into a product matching the approved storyboard. The final program also goes through quality assurance testing and approvals. It is important to note that most eLearning development tools address only this phase of development.

Depending on the complexity of the project, allocate one fourth to one third of the eLearning course budget for this phase.

For a more detailed look at the traditional eLearning development process, take a look at these two articles.

Other Types of eLearning and eLearning Development

The traditional approach above has both pros and cons. Today there are competing development processes (Agile, Spiral, etc.), but these approaches often focus on eLearning development like it is software development. Sometimes these methodologies fit great for a given project and lead to new discoveries. But sometimes they actually waste time and money rehashing things that really have been solved multiple times in previous eLearning evolution.

Beyond the methodologies used, there are different KINDS of eLearning. Each of these kinds of eLearning usually fit better into one development approach or another.  There is exploratory and scenario based eLearning, there is adaptive eLearning that adjust content to the users previous knowledge, there is game based eLearning utilizing competition and fun to communicate important learning objectives. These are just a few examples.

But now that we have covered the traditional approach at a high level, lets dive into a few other types of development processes, which are modifications of the traditional approach above.

Conversion Instead of Development

There are some cases where the second and third phases listed above can be greatly minimized. If the training already exists in another format, then the focus can sometimes be on purely converting the existing training to an online format. This greatly reduces the cost of creating the eLearning material and can yield very nice results.

One very common example of this is Live Event Conversion. It is a specific type of conversion project where the creative team simply captures a live event, edits that event to remove any non-relevant material, and adds logical organized navigation and some interaction. If done with skill, the final result is a solid eLearning experience for a drastically reduced cost. This is a great format to use when the content is subject to change or the delivery timeline is short. The weaknesses of this approach is that if the presenters fail to cover important content, the eLearning also fails to cover this content.

But if you aggressively edit a live event, you will find you can compress the time needed to communicate the material down to about half of the time required by the live event. Live events are social in nature. Much of the time is spent covering logistics, introductions, and off-topic material. All of these are benefits for a live event, but they can usually be skipped when converting the training to an online format.

Documentary-Style eLearning

This type of eLearning development merges phases two and three of a traditional approach together. You both gather assets and do research at the same time. Instructional designers and some subject matter experts come together to draft an outline of the topics to cover and the questions they would like the training to answer. They also define the intended audience and the level of depth for the training. But they do not get into scripting content yet.

Instead, a team is put together to capture documentary-style footage. They may conduct interviews with experts and leaders, follow a person around to document experiences, etc.  The team will usually shoot and transcribe many hours of footage.

The instructional designers then build a eLearning storyboard around this footage, filling in narration when needed and adding interactions when appropriate.  So in this type of development, much of the asset creation (video footage) is already completed by the time the storyboard is finalized.

This style of eLearning is a great approach when the real content expertise rests with many people, possibly with views that challenge each other. Instead of scripting a lot of narration, content experts speak to the content directly. This usually creates very compelling material for the intended audience. They enjoy hearing from people they respect instead of scripted narration.

This type of project lends itself well to the Agile approach. Rough edits and portions can be created and reviewed by teams, and dramatic changes can be made without really greatly impacting the cost of the project. But this type of project can also be developed with a more traditional approach also.

Teaching Through Gaming

This type of eLearning is very unique. Language training programs like Duolingo utilize this technique greatly. Instead of the users ever just sitting back and listening to any instructions, they learn the material by trial and error in some sort of game format. But this gaming type of eLearning works for other topics besides languages. We have successfully covered a wide variety of topics with this approach. It has some real strengths with regards to learners retaining the knowledge. Through the gaming experience, learners respond to similar questions multiple ways. The gaming aspect keeps the repetition from being boring.

The development process for this type of training is very different from other forms of eLearning. The instructional design team and the subject matter experts write learning objectives. Next, they write a series of factual statements that make up the knowledge for each learning objective. Then the team reviews the factual statements and writes a variety of different questions. There might be five different types of questions or more created all about the same factual statement. Organized logically in a database, they are prepared to be used in a series of different game-type interactions.

The eLearning engine tracks a user’s interactions with the various eLearning objects. Then as concepts are mastered, the gaming gradually introduces new concepts.

It is a real challenge and pleasure to create this type eLearning. This type of eLearning is also growing in popularity, and it is great with an Agile approach. Game prototypes can be made without the final content, and the gaming experience can be evaluated and tweaked. In fact, without this type of cycle to evaluate the gaming experience, the project will usually fall flat.

Some audiences work better with a game environment than others. Some enjoy the free form atmosphere of getting a higher and higher score as they learn more of the content, but others tend do want a more structured approach and a test.

Other Types

This only scratches the surface of the various types of eLearning possible.  But hopefully you have found it helpful as you think about your next eLearning project.  If you want to look into greater detail into a traditional approach, see this post.

Continue Reading

We cover related topics in these articles:

What Approach Best Suits Your Needs?

Whether undertaking an eLearning project seems overwhelming, you need “fresh eyes” to make sure you’re using the right type of eLearning for your subject matter and audience, you could benefit from la carte resources to help get you through a bottleneck in development, or you are looking for professionals who can develop engaging and effective training your audience can take on their computer or mobile phone, Branch Media is here to help. Our team of professionals has the expertise to carry you through every phase of eLearning development and get your message across effectively.

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eLearning

eLearning: A Look Back and a Look Forward >

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20 Years of eLearning

I recently had a conversation with someone who, like our team, started creating eLearning back in the late 90’s. He brought up tools and common issues I had forgotten about. Back then, eLearning was more often referred to as CBT, short for Computer-Based Training. Rather than being delivered online, it came via CDs. None of the tools used then made it to today: Authorware, Director, Toolbook, HyperCard, and a few others I no longer remember.

The Internet came along with a whole new set of rules and tools. Adobe Flash quickly became the rage, only to die out quickly when mobile browsing came around. Steve Jobs correctly recognized that it was definitely the wrong technology for the future.

This whole conversation got me thinking philosophically about eLearning as a whole, corporate eLearning, and eLearning as it applies to general education. Over the years, Left Brain Media (LBM) has been involved in such a wide variety of eLearning solutions and topics that it is impossible to summarize.

How is the world doing with eLearning? Is it making progress the way it should?

I often tell people that we are content agnostic. We take the subject at hand and teach it to the intended audience in the most effective way possible. We focus on a specific problem and solve it.

But let’s step back for a bit and think of eLearning as a whole.  How is the world doing with eLearning? Is it making progress the way it should? Is it helping humankind or torturing it?

Tools, Systems, and Technologies

First, let’s think about eLearning tools from a philosophical level. eLearning is a good example of an industry where millions, if not billions, have been spent on technologies that ended up being throw-aways. There are almost as many eLearning tools and systems that have been abandoned as there are bits of plastic in the ocean. Today, I see a lot of tools destined for the same fate because they are not the right technologies for the future. 

It is 2019. Where are our flying cars, and where are our eLearning tools that match today’s technologies and needs? Some get close, only to fail at common barriers like: multi-lingual capabilities, portability, flexibility, accessibility, integration, etc.  Don’t think I am am just being negative. There are some nice tools today. We like and use several off-the-shelf eLearning tools when they meet the requirements of the project. But it is amazing to me how often these tools are not really the best fit. The client wants to add an interactive game, or nine languages, or secure video from a different server, or fully responsive design that matches its corporate branding, or report back to more than one system, or have a leaderboard, etc.  Each one of these requirements knocks a different, popular eLearning tool out of consideration.

Over the years, we have found we need to take the current technologies available and craft a custom solution. When we do this, we create projects that make companies rethink all of their other eLearning efforts. They see success and adaption like they have not seen before. They see true knowledge transfer and change. If it is a commercial project, we see the sales and shelf-life go far past their other products. So given the limitations of today’s tools, how many of them are the future plastic in the ocean?

Informal eLearning

Second, let’s forget about the tools altogether. What if the tools have nothing to do with the future of eLearning? The maturation of the internet has also created the greatest eLearning site in the world, which is not tied to any special content creation tool: YouTube.  If you don’t know how to do something, you can often “YouTube it” and someone will show you how it is done. Have a yellowing piece of plastic on your bathroom hot tub? YouTube can show you a $10 quick fix that will make the plastic as white as new. Don’t know how to solve that geometry homework problem? YouTube has six math teachers who have made amateur videos to show you how it is done.  Want to learn French in one word, YouTube has the answer.

All that being true, the professionalism on YouTube is a mixed bag. You may need to sort through five or six misses before you have the content you need. But the search almost always pays off, as long as you don’t get distracted by the less educational but more entertaining videos thrown at you while you are trying to learn. It’s not a place for the easily distracted… or maybe it’s the perfect place.  After all, “Baby Monkey (Going Backwards On A Pig)” does have over 27 million views. If only that monkey was teaching us advanced logic and reasoning.

Despite this, YouTube proves a point. It is not about the tool or technology. It is about the content (at least when you have an audience that is specifically interested in the content you are presenting). For informal training that people seek out on their own, content is what it is all about. If you build it, they will come. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case for corporate learning. Corporate learning is a unique case.

Corporate eLearning

Third, let’s look at the special needs of corporate eLearning philosophically from a high level. When you are making any sort of corporate training, your audience most often cares much less about the content than you are hoping they will. This is true even when that content is vitally important for the company — like cyber security. Throwing together a YouTube-level performance will fall flat if the audience does not have a felt need that you are meeting.

Good eLearning is much more about understanding your audience than it has to do with the technology or the critical importance of your content.

 So if you get nothing else from this article, remember this: Good eLearning is much more about understanding your audience than it has to do with the technology or the critical importance of your content. The less your audience already has a felt need to learn your content, the greater the effort you need to make to create content that is relevant and engaging. If your content is not meeting a direct felt need, then your goal should be to somehow connect it to a felt need. Even making it fun and engaging only goes so far. People have a million ways to have fun today, and at work they are often much more interested in getting stuff done than they are spending time in your incredibly fun eLearning game.

Don’t think I am against trying to make eLearning fun and engaging. Fun eLeaning games can be very effective. We have had thousands of people play our corporate eLearning games, sometimes hundreds of times in a row, to try to beat others on leaderboards.  We have also created videos in our corporate eLearning with the main goal to make the users laugh through clever use of comedy.  But the reason these solutions worked is because we connected the fun to the audience’s felt needs. If you skip this step, you could build the next Angry Birds, World of Warcraft, or Halo, and your corporate learners will skip it if they have the option. They will see it as a waste of time. For some audiences, comedy or gaming don’t mix well at all with learning. So again, knowing your audience is more important than anything else.

Corporate eLearning has an additional vital element of branding. Big companies who spend tons of money on corporate branding often skimp on making sure their eLearning is also supporting their brand. When that disconnect happens, it communicates that the content being discussed is not really that important. After all, if it was important, there would be money spent to keep it on brand. So the most effective corporate training feels like it is on brand and relevant to the audience to which it is talking.

Let me summarize what I have presented so far before moving to the next point. The world has built and thrown away a ton of eLearning-related tools, systems, and technologies. Informal, loosely organized training has exploded on sites like YouTube. There is a high interest for on-demand eLearning when users are interested in the content. And corporate training has run up against challenges of trying to be both relevant and on brand so that it is not just skipped. But what about eLearning in formal education?

eLearning in Formal Education

Fourth, what about eLearning in formal education? eLearning in formal public and private education is in a sad state.  

You may be thinking, “A sad state!?!  How could you call what is going on a disappointment? There are apps, there are websites, free podcasts, and there are online courses at all major universities. There are blah blah blah.”

Let me interrupt those thoughts. Everything that is happening today was happening in 2009 or much earlier in one form or another. Today we should be far beyond all of this.

Virtual classrooms are great, but they are just virtual classrooms. They are only a slight advancement over traditional classrooms. You don’t have to put on clothes and drive to the building, but that is about it. All the other advancements have been around a long time.

The formal education realm is at least a decade behind where it should be as it relates to eLearning.

This lag is possibly because the people making decisions are motivated by the wrong things. Universities are making and spending billions, but they are not revolutionizing the use of eLearning. The Department of Education in the United States is spending billions, but it is not bringing about any revolutions either. Some argue that it is like it is fighting hard to keep things status quo, which just drives up the cost of education for everyone.

If you look at public and private education in the United States, the under-utilization of self-paced eLearning is astounding. Sure, you can get a million YouTube videos on algebra. But where is the free online algebra class that teaches you, tests you, and adapts its instructions to the mistakes it sees you making? There are some adaptive SAT-focused training programs, but nothing on pace with what is possible today. It is not a technology or money problem. An amazing course like this could be built for less than 6 million dollars, and it could change the world when it comes to students learning algebra. In fact, the entire math curriculum through calculus could be covered like this, allowing teachers to spend time working with students that need special help.

This could just be the beginning. These same teachers could be helping create add-on modules for these special cases they encounter.  Alternative math teaching methods could be developed as modules to compete with the original ones, and real data and analysis could be done on how students learn all over the globe. As Artificial Intelligence matures, it could learn in real time from this data and predictively teach based on how that student is interacting with the current material. It would select the teaching modules and approaches that had worked for students with similar issues. Students who need a human teacher’s help could be connected virtually to teachers in real time to best match that particular student’s needs.

Technology could be designed so it would not be threatening or replace teachers’ jobs. It could be elevating their job to best utilize their skills and human interactions where they are needed instead of having them repeat the same demos over and over again, year after year.

This is the road the United States should be on in 2019 —leading and helping the world. So far, as a society, we are not even looking for the access ramp to get on this road.

What Can be Done Today?

Fifth, what can any of us without millions in our back pocket do to change the current state right now? The short answer is to create the best possible eLearning for projects we get to be involved in and to keep talking about new possibilities with anyone interested in listening.

My hope is that I will live to see a future where even the poorest of students can be educated and not left behind, and that technology will help match students with the special gifts and abilities of human teachers, as well. Maybe articles like this one will help spark discussions in the right direction. The world has many other problems it is dealing with besides education. But it is frustrating to watch this one continue when I know it is something that could be helped tremendously by the aggressive use of high quality self-paced eLearning. Once there are some very visible examples, I think it will create an avalanche of effort and money in this direction.

For now, I also hope that Left Brain Media (and like-minded companies) can spark ideas about what is possible with eLearning. Whatever budget we are working with and whatever educational goals, we can strive to make eLearning effective and relative. Doing this takes building a team with a variety of strengths and abilities, and then helping them communicate and respect the abilities of other team members. When you achieve this balance, you get things that are not possible otherwise. We can keep pointing to what eLearning could be by making our efforts the best possible.

Put an End to Mindless Media

If you are looking for a forward-thinking, solution-focused eLearning development team, reach out to Branch Media. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your goals and challenges.

At Branch, our slogan has always been, “We’re putting an end to mindless media.” After almost 20 years, it looks like the slogan is just as relevant today as it has ever been.

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List of Learning Management Systems (LMS)

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Understanding LMS Capabilities

A Learning Management System (LMS) is software that automates the administrative tasks of training. Such tasks include registering users, tracking courses in a catalog, recording data, charting a user’s progress toward certification, and providing reports to managers. The LMS also serves as a platform to deliver eLearning to students. There are many Learning Management Systems on the market, and their prices and functionality vary greatly. The courses Left Brain Media develops work with any modern LMS. If you are exploring your options, the list of Learning Management Systems we compiled below will be especially helpful.

Choosing the right LMS can seem daunting. Sometimes off-the-shelf solutions are overkill and over budget to meet the business need. (Learn more in our article “Limitations of Off-the-Shelf LMS Software.”)

Branch Media can help you:

  • Maximize the use of your existing Learning Management System;
  • Choose the right off-the-shelf solution for your specific training needs; and even
  • Create a custom solution that allows you to track and analyze learners’ progress at a fraction of the cost of off-the-shelf solutions.

Popular Learning Management Systems

The two systems on this list that Left Brain Media has the most experience with are the Ziiva Prosperity LMS and the Knowledge Anywhere LMS. Our experience is that both companies have great teams that can help you with your implementation.

All the marketing messages below are from the various vendors and are not an endorsement from Left Brain Media. This list of Learning Management Systems was last updated on 4/27/2021.  

Absorb LMS

Powerful and flexible learning management system. Designed for every device and screen size with HTML5.
www.absorblms.com

Acorn LMS

Acorn is an intuitive Australian cloud-based LMS software that makes creating eLearning fast and easy. Produce personalised learning paths, easily design and tailor workflows, and quickly populate SCORM or TinCan content. Acorn is mobile-ready and integrates with all HR systems to automate administration tasks. It can also track your teams progress with sophisticated reporting. Acorn aims to make the management of staff training and compliance easy. https://acornlms.com/

Atrixware’s Learning Management System

Provides online learning management system (LMS) that can be used for creating, integrating, tracking, and managing courses, quizzes, and presentations.
www.atrixware.com

Auzmor Learn

Auzmor Learn is a learning management solution (LMS) that is very easy to use and makes learning fun and engaging. It is a scalable cloud-based LMS platform for mid-sized and large enterprises.

It helps build highly interactive courses and pull in ready made courses. It supports both on-demand and instructor-led training that provide blended learning experience. Integrates with HRIS and performance management tools to keep user data in sync. Social learning and gamification along with the mobile app for learnings give an engaged learning experience

Moreover it has highly customizable reports and insights that help admins and managers stay informed and drive success.
www.auzmor.com

BlueVolt

Aligning your channel partners with your go-to-market strategy is no light lift—as is building a culture of learning inside your company so that everyone is rowing in the same direction. We get that, and we’ve changed the equation in your favor. The BlueVolt LMS is not just technology; it’s a flexible solution for channel-oriented companies, especially those in skilled trades.
www.bluevolt.com

Coggno.com

Provides publishers the opportunity to sale online training courses through their user-friendly online training marketplace.
www.coggno.com

Conductor

Sage Corporation’s employee training tracking administration software.
www.Conductit.com

Cornerstone OnDemand Enterprise

Cornerstone provides an extensible platform to build completely integrated Learning Management, Performance Management, Content Management, and Compliance Management systems.
www.cornerstoneondemand.com

dita Solutions

dita Solutions offers a comprehensive LMS to suit any business training model, consisting of the dita Creator, dita Player, dita Manager and dita Dashboard. dita’s platform is completely cloud based, allowing the administrator to create and manage training resources from a central location. Content is responsive to the device it is being displayed through via the online Player, while results are automatically processed through the background and consolidated within the dita Manager.
www.ditasolutions.com.au

Docebo

An easy-to-use LMS to manage, deliver, and track ILT and WBT activities. Available for global clients in more than 30 languages, Docebo is a robust and extendable LMS that brings to the market a pure SaaS solution including the option to activate an Enterprise Cloud Solution (ECS) App which allows the LMS to run on a dedicated Cloud instance. Docebo delivers a mobile-ready, off-the-shelf, and fully integrated solution that is scalable.
www.docebo.com

DuPont

This eLearning platform allows you to set up, administer and track individualized, interactive training programs for literally thousands of employees from a single web interface.
www.training.dupont.com

Education Director

The web-based LMS from Results Direct that was developed specifically for organizations to deliver and administer eLearning.
www.resultsdirect.com

EduWave

EduWave is a Common Core compliant solution that integrates a Learning Management System (LMS), Student Information System (SIS), and Communication and Collaboration Tools (CC) into one, easy-to-use solution that is hosted in the “Cloud.”

EduWave adapts and grows schools in order to ensure they are running as efficiently and effectively as possible with its multiple tools. It links innovative Learning Standards, assessment questions, images, multi-media and more to specific learning standards that align with the Common Core Standards as well as the specific state standards. This along with the Smart Teacher™ technology, Adaptive Assessment, and BookZero™ tools that will empower schools to offer individualized instruction specifically for any area.
www.itgsolutions.com

EthosCE Learning Management System

EthosCE is a web-based content and learning management system that allows for the creation of courses, quizzes, exams and tests as well as manage users, collect feedback, and track outcomes.
www.ethosce.com

eTrainCenter

eTrainCenter is an LMS and LCMS that combine rich and flexible tools with content management capabilities, customization of the learning experience, and integration with an institution’s existing infrastructure.
www.etraincenter.com

FlexTraining Total eLearning Solution

This software package includes a web-based configuration wizard, course authoring, enrollment, reporting, testing, virtual lockers, and libraries.
www.FlexTraining.com

Gyrus

Gyrus Systems is a US-based training solutions software company founded in 1987 that provides Learning Management Systems (LMS) to leaders in banking, finance, government, healthcare, manufacturing, non-profit, technology, utilities, law enforcement, and public safety. These companies choose Gyrus Systems’ GyrusAim Product Suite because it’s skill-centric for total management of learner competencies. It is capable of handling all instructor-led training, eLearning, virtual classrooms, social learning, training documentation, and more. Included in the Product Suite are the GyrusAim LMS, MobileAim for on-the-go training, and ImportAim for connecting to other enterprise applications. GyrusAim is offered in a cloud or installed solution and integrates with customer CRM, HR, and other systems for consistent data integrity. Please visit the Gyrus Systems website below for complete GyrusAim details.
www.gyrus.com

IBM Learning Solutions (SABA)

IBM offers learning strategy, delivery, infrastructure, outsourcing, and content services.
www.ibm.com

iLearning

Oracle offers an enterprise LMS that allows organizations to manage, deliver, and track participation of employees, customers, and partners in both eLearning and classrooms environments.
www.oracle.com

Informetica

This company provides an LMS that allows instructors with limited technical knowledge to create, manage, and deliver courses and exams online.
www.informetica.com

Inquisiq LMS

Inquisiq LMS, an award-winning learning management system (LMS), is a straightforward, robust solution with an intuitive user interface. It is ideal for training managers, HR directors, courseware sellers, SME’s, and corporate trainers of all sizes in a variety of industries. Inquisiq is a SCORM-compliant (1.2 and 2004) LMS and has proven compatibility with many popular authoring tools. It is a low-cost, flexible LMS with high levels of automation and advanced feature sets, rivaling the more costly systems.
www.inquisiq.com

Intuo

Intuo is a straightforward learning management system that enables you to improve performance through training and reporting tools. It is lightweight and thus very suitable for Saas company academies or for trade associations that need to train a group of diverse stakeholders. Because it trains diverse crowds, it really focuses on offering a user-friendly, sexy system that works engaging

Some of the features:

  • Organized libraries that store multiple file types
  • A complete breakdown of key data
  • Engaging course builder that supports SCORM
  • Create one course or many as tracks
  • Intuo provides eCommerce tools for eLearning
  • And many more

www.intuo.io

IntraLearn

IntraLearn’s Learning Management System provides configurable, feature-rich, enterprise-class solutions across various vertical markets.
www.intralearn.com

iSpring Learn

iSpring Learn is an easy-to-use LMS that has all the functionality that small and medium businesses could need. It has powerful capabilities both for user management and content creation and delivery. The platform is integrated with the robust iSpring Suite authoring toolkit that allows you to produce professional courses with quizzes and role-play simulations. You can also deliver blended learning programs by enrolling employees in self-paced courses, online training sessions, and offline events – and track their results and attendance.

Besides, iSpring Learn comes with a set of unique features that can be extremely helpful for SMBs. They include an organization chart, a supervisor’s dashboard, and an employee evaluation module.
ispringsolutions.com

Joomla LMS

This company offers hosting for eLearning courses and an LMS.
www.joomlalms.com

Knowledge Anywhere

Knowledge Anywhere is an eLearning industry veteran specializing in the development of results-oriented, need-specific training programs for the corporate business world. Knowledge Anywhere’s all-in-one product suite—consisting of an enterprise-ready Learning Management System, a robust Course Builder, and custom Course Development service—helps organizations provide just-in-time performance support to improve training consistency, accessibility, and effectiveness.
www.knowledgeanywhere.com

LatitudeLearning

Latitude CG, home of LatitudeLearning, is an industry leader in technology that helps companies drive performance through training, communication, measurement, incentives and consumer engagement. Channel Executives and Training Managers look to Latitude when they struggle to manage training across hundreds of locations or want to include performance metrics in their certification programs.

LatitudeLearning is the award-winning LMS that addresses the challenges faced when training in a partner or channel environment (i.e. franchise, agent, broker, reseller). Cloud-based, flexible and configurable, LatitudeLearning can be customized to your exact specifications to meet your unique training processes and workflows.

End your frustration with using multiple LMS’s to manage training. Latitude’s feature rich, enterprise LMS is offered at a budget-friendly price and can be tailored to your unique training needs. Train using the best. Train with LatitudeLearning.
www.latitudelearning.com/Partner-Training-LMS

Litmos LMS

Litmos offers easy to use online training software and Learning Management System.
www.litmos.com

Mentorware eLearning Platform

This system from Mentorware combines learning management and learning content management into one package.
www.mentorware.com

Meridian Knowledge Solutions LMS

Meridian LMS meets the needs of commercial, public sector, and member organizations with demanding learning requirements.
www.meridian.ks.com

Moodle

Easy to install, but sometimes challenging to configure, Moodle is a free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites. We recommend any group with a limited budget but plenty of manpower check this solution out. We also recently ran across this list of 10 alternatives to Moodle.
www.moodle.org

NEO LMS

NEO is the best learning management system (LMS) for managing all classroom activities. We focus on delivering a great learning experience, while incorporating all the essential tools schools need to support efficient teaching and learning.
www.neolms.com

ProProfs LMS

ProProfs Online Learning Management System is a simple, affordable and integrated SaaS learning management system for online training and education. It is an all-in-one software which includes online course & assessments creator, feedback tools such as online survey & poll software and even learning aids such as a flashcards maker. ProProfs LMS software provides a complete elearning and online training solution for educators, trainers, educational institutions and enterprises as well.
www.proprofs.com/training/lms-software/

Rustici Software

Rustic Software has several SCORM-related services including the Tin Can API and their SCORM Cloud LMS.
www.scorm.com

Saba Meeting

Saba offers hosting for eLearning courses and an LMS.
www.saba.com/products/learning

SimplyDigi

This company provides both LMS and LCMS systems.
www.simplydigi.com

Simplify LMS

Simplify LMS is a powerful but easy-to-use learning management system (LMS) which includes premium local service based out of Sydney, Australia. Easily create courses such as onboarding, compliance, product information, etc. using the in-built course builder, complete with assessments, assignments and surveys, or import your SCORM content. Powerful reporting functionality and automated notifications means you save a lot of administrative time. Also includes gamification, ecommerce, custom domain for a professional user experience, and more. Comes with a free trial and a 30 day money-back guarantee, and there’s no lock-in contract.

https://www.simplifylms.com.au

Skill Lake

Skill Lake is an LMS with capabilities like personalized learning paths, mentoring, gamification, dual learning options, and more.

Skill Lake is a unique LMS platform built to foster people’s development. Promoting personalization, micro-learning, gamification. Skill Lake streamlines training for improved knowledge retention and growth!

https://www.skilllake.com/

Skyprep

Skyprep online training software is simple and intuitive. Upload existing content, create quizzes, and track employee progress with easy-to-use reporting tools. Don’t let building courses intimidate you. Create online courses and tests with ease.
www.skyprep.com

SmarterU

FACT: 98% of SmarterU clients would happily refer us to a colleague – and they DO! Why? We’ve got ALL the LMS features they need in a beautiful interface backed by amazing training and support. Our clients say they have never worked with a more responsive vendor – Affordable and scalable LMS serving hundreds of clients over multiple industry sectors – Dynamic learning plans – Groups and sub-accounts – Role automation and training checklists – Knowledge base – Instructor-led training and venue management – Custom and scheduled report builder – Built-in course creation and SCORM compliant. Admins get certified through the SmarterU Academy. Online help system at help.smarteru.com. Eight major software updates annually deliver continuous improvement.
Email sales@smarteru.com for more info.
www.Smarteru.com/lmscapterra

SumTotal

Docent and Click2Learn combined into a new company. Since there was a lot of overlap in their product lines, it will be interesting to see what their “new” products look like.
www.sumtotalsystems.com

Syberworks

This company offers a web-based Learning Management System (LMS) ⁄ Learning Content Management Suite (LCMS) designed to facilitate the development, dissemination, measurement, and management of corporate knowledge to improve productivity and performance.
www.syberworks.com

Thinking Cap

We created the Thinking Cap Learning Management System (LMS) to make cloud-based online learning and training better for everyone. It’s easy to set up, completely customizable, and totally secure. It’s flexible enough to handle as many learners as you need it to – and robust enough to deliver detailed tracking and reporting on each and every one of them.
www.thinkingcap.com

TOPYX Social LMS

TOPYX is an easy-to-use, hosted learning management system (LMS) with award-winning social learning tools integrated into the eLearning software to provide an engaging and collaborative online learning experience for organizations of any size.
www.topyx.com

Xyleme LCMS

Xyleme offers hosting for eLearning courses and an LCMS.
www.xyleme.com

Ziiva Prosperity™ Learning Management System

Ziiva offers this LMS as a totally customizable solution. Both the LMS and the company are extremely flexible and fun to work with. Prosperity is a scalable, comprehensive platform. You can host it in-house or have Ziiva provide hosting. Left Brain Media™ has worked with many different LMS systems, and, over the years, we grew very impressed with the Ziiva Prosperity system.
www.ziiva.com

Similar Lists of Learning Management Systems:

Get Your LMS on This List of Learning Management Systems!

If your LMS is not listed, send us a note and we would be happy to add it.

Avoiding Common eLearning Development Mistakes

Avoiding Common eLearning Development Mistakes

with No Comment ElearningLMS

Almost 20 years ago, it was not a given that corporations would use on-demand, web-based, eLearning courses extensively. Almost all are today because the effectiveness has been proven. In addition, the cost savings over traditional training is obvious. However, poorly produced, ineffective eLearning is a money drain. So what are some of the common mistakes eLearning development mistakes that kill the potential positive impact? They all can be summarized in a single statement: “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

Top 5 eLearning Development Mistakes

  1. Spending the development budget incorrectly

    You can have a big budget or a small budget. But if you spend it on the wrong things, your final courses (and your audience) will suffer. Every dollar spent should enhance the eLearning, but companies often spend their money in a lopsided fashion. When a majority of resources are allocated strictly for content development, the content can fall flat in an uninspiring or dull delivery. Another mistake is spending too much on creative media development, only to end up with a slick package that lacks quality content.

    The key to avoiding this problem is having the right people involved throughout the process — people, who understand the requirements of each phase and can plan for all the necessary components.

  2. Using the wrong people for the task

    Subject matter experts (SME) are rarely the right ones to craft the most effective instructional design for eLearning content. Their closeness to the material often makes it hard for them to put themselves in the shoes of the audience.

    Classroom instructional designers often struggle defining computer-based activities. They are more accustomed to discussion-based activities, which are usually the most effective in live training. Other times, they do come up with great ideas… if you have a completely unlimited budget for programming and development.

    A programmer or designer that knows how to use an eLearning development tool may lack the background to script the appropriate interactions for the right type of learning.

    Crafting effective eLearning that can be produced on a specific budget requires using a team of people with specialized skills and experience. We get amused by job ads for companies looking to hire one person to take care of all their eLearning production needs. The list of required skills reads like the resumé of someone who would have to be the fusion of five people. It is better to use an hour of an expert’s time than five hours of someone outside of their best skill set.

  3. Not realizing there are better alternatives to your approach

    eLearning can take all shapes, sizes, and approaches. Some of the best choices may be:

    • A fully scripted eLearning with professional narration
    • A documentary style eLearning including interviews with experts
    • A melding of portions of live meetings combined with interactions and follow-up content
    • A game with leaderboards where, as you play the game, you learn the content and increase your score
    • A quiz with custom video instruction based on the specific mistakes the user makes
    • An animated motion graphic that visualizes complex relationships
    • A video scenario where the user is placed in the role of the coach
    • A comedic video where users remember the content because of the humor

    The approach you choose will depend upon your audience, the content, the importance of the message, your production timeline, and more. Some very dynamic approaches actually take less time and money than some more traditional approaches. Plus, they are often more effective.

  4. Underestimating communication and coordination issues

    Just as a movie needs a director to coordinate the project, eLearning production needs a creative director who can efficiently translate ideas into reality. Our experienced creative directors know what to ask you and how to help your team work together to generate great ideas throughout the process.

  5. Underestimating a realistic timeline for development

    There is an old saying that applies very often to eLearning projects: “Fast, cheap, and good? Pick two.” You need to allow time to brainstorm creatively and to carefully review each stage of development. Try to  properly scope the calendar time so your team can review projects thoroughly during each stage of development. When you do, you will almost always have a better result that is less expensive to produce.

Pitfall Prevention

Let Branch Media help you avoid these and other common eLearning development mistakes. Our collective experience spans a variety of industries and a wide breadth of skills.

Similar Articles About eLearning Scope

Below are links to similar articles from others on this topic.

terminal

Creating Symbolic Links to Directories >

with No Comment ElearningLMS

Symbolic links to directories are handy tools to have on your Linux server. One thing you can do with them is share a folder of resources with many different sites on your server. Unfortunately, they are a little tricky to create or move around. Most tools like CPanel or FTP choke a little on symbolic links. So this means you have to use command line. I am writing this post for three primary reasons:

  • I found a bit of misinformation online.
  • This is a reminder to myself of what I learned in case I forget four years from now.
  • Hopefully, someone else will find this information useful, too.

As we used to joke in the days of DOS, who needs fancy operating systems? What could be simpler than telling your computer what you want it to do one line at a time. On Mac, you can pretend your a Linux geek and SSH right into your Linux server and command-line away.

Let’s look at how you can create symbolic links to directories in just five steps.

Step 1: Open Terminal

If you don’t know where it is, do a search. The terminal application on OS X is a fun little tool with preferences that allow you to customize the look and feel and even add a background image. 

Step 2: Get Logged into Your Server

ssh -p 2222 YOUR-USER-NAME@YOUR-IP-ADDRESS

(Replace the command above with your user name and your actual IP address.)

You will be prompted for a password. You may be able to paste it in, but you may have to type it. On my server, it did not show me any feedback as I typed.

Step 3: Be Careful

Terminal is one of those unforgiving computer interfaces where typing the wrong thing can wipe out an entire directory or drive in a few seconds.

Step 4: Create Your Symbolic Link

ln -s ~/path/your/linking/to ~/path/where/you/want/the/link/file

In my case I was using this:

ln -s ~/samples ~/site

This created a symbolic link called “samples” inside of my “site” folder.

If I had done this instead:

ln -s ~/samples ~/site/elearningsamples

If there was not a directory called “elearningsamples” it would create a link called “elearningsamples” inside of my site folder that pointed to the “samples” folder.

If there was a folder named “learningsamples” it would create the “samples” symbolic link inside of that folder.

Step 5: Enjoy Not Having to Maintain Duplicate Folders

You are now a symbolic link master. You can also create symbolic links to individual files, but I have never found much use for that. Why link to a file when you can link to a whole folder of files?

More About Symbolic Links

If you have thoughts to add on this topic, contact us.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs and User Interface (UI) Design

with No Comment DesignUI

After reading the article linked below, I am impressed at how much Steve Jobs was involved in UI design. It makes sense that Apple initially had some big application development problems after he passed away. I was glad to see when they regained their footing, at least most of the time. But the attention to detail he gave from his position was impressive. Looking at the software from a user’s perspective is the most vital thing in any development project. Who are you making the software for, if it is not the user?

Apple still had some user interface problems when Steve was around. But I think you could tell when his attention was on a product. He let things go that did not work, and then created something new. After Steve left us, Apple fell on its face a few times, and continues to do so with extremely buggy products like iCloud drive. When they switched up the iOS interface away from real world design, they lost a lot of older users at first, who had originally been so drawn to the iOS platform. But where where they going to go? iOS was still easier for the non-techy than the competition.   Apple today is hit and miss with its UI design. They still have not regained elegance of of ’09 version of pages and keynote. But the new programs are at least useable, you just have to click about 5 times as much as you used to.

Don Melton’s UI Story About Steve Jobs

Don Melton has a long history with Steve Jobs and Apple, working at NeXT and then moving to Apple where he is known for his work on Safari and WebKit. Melton recounted his memorable encounters with Jobs in a post he published on his blog, which was originally written in the summer of 2013.
(MacRumors 4.11.14)

Related Links

The Business Case for eLearning

The Business Case for eLearningDes

with No Comment ElearningLMS

No matter how qualified and competent employees are, there will always be a need for training.

Efficient, Cost-Effective Training

Whenever a company introduces a new product or service, implements a new business process or software application, modifies its structure or goals, or seeks to make improvements in overall operations, training is critical. The question is, “Which method of training yields the best results?”

For years, traditional classroom training was the only practical option. But scheduling this type of training has become more and more difficult as the pace of business increases. And it’s even more so when an organization has a staff that is geographically dispersed.

Done correctly, eLearning is the perfect complement to a traditional training program. While a company will still have need for personal interaction and mentoring, a large amount of the instruction can be effectively put online. eLearning is an ideal means to communicate information, simulate processes, and test knowledge.

Key Advantages of eLearning

  1. Eliminate wasted time and money.

    With traditional training, the more people being trained and the more geographically dispersed they are, the greater the training costs. Often, the money isn’t even spent on the actual training; it goes toward airfare, lodging, the salaries of everyone being trained, meals, refreshments, and often conference room rental. With eLearning, the cost stays the similar whether you’re training 100 people or 1,000 people, and 100% of your training dollar goes toward training.

  2. Condense training.

    eLearning allows participants to focus on the information they really need. A traditional class that lasts two days and has an attendance of 25 people per class can be often converted to six to eight hours of eLearning, saving the company 200 hours per training session.

  3. Improve productivity.

    With eLearning, employees can receive training anytime and anywhere—at work, home, or flying cross country. Your sales team can train during down-time so it doesn’t interfere with business. Many modern eLearning approaches break down training into five- to 10-minute sessions.

  4. Improve consistency and effectiveness.

    eLearning makes sure that all of your trainees are getting consistent instruction that is easy to document.

  5. Evaluate learning retention.

    eLearning provides built-in measurement of employee knowledge. Both pre- and post-assessments can be incorporated into any program.

  6. Provide risk-free simulations.

    eLearning can simulate real-life situations so you can train your employees how to use complex software or handle touchy situations in a risk-free environment.

Budgeting for eLearning

eLearning programs are not one-size-fits-all. It’s important to weigh the purpose, audience, and the complexity of the topic before determining what kind of eLearning program to adopt. Branch Media can provide valuable insights into the cost of eLearning development and maintenance, as well as the money you will save in the process.

Contact us today and let our knowledgeable consultants help you plan your next eLearning initiative.