Rapid Network

Rapid elearning had been hurriedly defined as tools plus templates plus subject-matter-experts(SMEs); and guess what? The training industry has rapidly figured out that without instructional design, rapid elearning performs much below expectations. But, wait! Don't throw the baby out with the water. The good old instructional design as a component of training design is the least talked about ingredient of creating rapid elearning. And why not? After all, the techies literally bought the argument that medium is the message. Did the techies sell you the same argument? If they did and you fell for it, don't curse them-just hire an Instructional Designer.

Tools are means, not the end themselves

Often the mythical trap of "tool maketh training" leads training departments to remould learner needs to available tools. If your course developer would design the same course differently using different tools, something is wrong either with the tools or your production strategy. Yes, every tool has limitations but designing for effective elearning requires you to perform a minimum "presentation, activity, and feedback routine" for each learning object. Irrespective of the tool you use, good instructional design prescriptions cannot be forgotten and don't change with tools.

Templates are for design consistency, not content design

The misconception that SMEs would populate templates and viola, rapid elearning would be ready has been bellied enough times to not try it again. If the SMEs could structure curriculums, lesson content, and activities on their own, instructional designers wouldn't exist. Without a symbiotic collaboration between the SME and ID fraternity, rapid elearning will have the same shortcomings as any other training created without the collaboration. Templates play a huge role in maintaining design consistency on the look and feel front; but for design of content, you will still need good instructional designers. Tools have changed, media manifestations have changed, but the design of instructional message still revolves around intelligently applying text, images(static and moving), and audio to appropriately express content.

SMEs are experts on their subjects, not on what's best for the learners

Often, learner needs do not squarely correspond with subject-matter expert's world view and therefore an instructional designer can do more justice to the performance goals than a subject matter expert. Carry out a rapid ADDIE process and try not doing away with time-tested processes. Not every learning objective is equally critical, difficult or frequently applied. The SMEs need to communicate this to the IDs and the IDs need to elicit this information from the SMEs.

More instructional design , not less means better rapid elearning

Traditionally, elearning budgets have been eaten into by specialist Flash graphic designers and Flash programmers. Today, design tools allow you to eliminate both to a significant extent. Contrary to the ill-advised dump-the-instructional-designer strategy, institutions would benefit by enhancing the role of instructional designer in rapid elearning. This requires adding to the media design skills of instructional designers. If you are not allocating 70-75 per cent of project budgets to your instructional design team, I would say you need to rework your rapid elearning production strategy. So if you have been bitten by the rapid elearning bug and now twice shy, it's time to restore faith in good old instructional design once again. It's time to reclaim what was always ours: the right to design effective training.