I need to turn 170 sets of instruction notes (process narratives for a finance department) into an online formatt, so that they are easy to access and work through (and a little sexier than pages in a folder).
We also need to develop some sort of assessment tool so that we can check knowledge and understanding is in place.
I am looking for a 'trouble-free/tried and tested' solution (aren't we all?!), as I have a short timeframe in which to deliver the resources - I need to initate training in September, so everything needs to be in place (and tested) before then.
The software needs to be really easy to use (so we can EASILY import the documents currently been worked on). Or ideally have someone who can do this part for us without charging the earth.
Hope you can help!
Michelle Webb
7 Responses
does it have to be onLINE?
Hi Michelle
Does it have to be onLINE or are you JUST looking for something sexier (and less heavy, more environmentally freindly, easier to update)that leafing through as folder?
You can save your Word document as a PDF and use “notes” and hypertext links to other pages to make an interactive e-book which people can download and use onSCREEN.
I have done this with quite some success to date.
This does overcome some of the disadvantages of online learning resources, though it doesn’t have the full gamut of features. It is also quicker to produce and update and can all be done by a person competent in Word/PDF converter. As regards the assessment bit you can have that as a stand alone Excel document or you can send out a test in Word…it isn’t “leading edge”* but it works!
(note that the term “leading edge” comes from the aircraft industry; the “leading edge” is the first bit that hits the mountain when you crash and burn!)
I hope this helps
Rus
http://www.coach-and-courses.com
Makes sense
Thanks Rus
I think you might be right – the clock is ticking on this one, so there’s no room for slip ups (tried and tested essential!)
Michelle
eLearning software that’s easy to use
Hi Michelle
You could try using Adobe Captivate – although it is designed primarily to capture software for tutorials it does have an easy to set up questions/assessment section and you can import powerpoint and word documents. It doesn’t cost the earth to buy and it is quite quick to learn.
Rapid E-learning Tool and Content Treatment
Hi Michelle!
Just a couple of thoughts I’ve had:
My own favourite – and easy-to-use – rapid e-learning development tool is Articulate (www.articulate.com), which comes with a testing package too, plus some great templates for communicating processes, etc.
The one thing about this and other similar tools, is they tend to favour PowerPoint as the source for the on-screen content. BUT…one of the features of Articulate is the ability to offer a library of downloads of other documents, that run alongside the PowerPoint content.
This leads me onto my second thought. One of the advantages of e-learning is how it can convey the learning in a different (hopefully better) way than reading the source document. I’d use Articulate to capture the key messages and steps, etc., via the PowerPoint-based screens, alongside easy access to the detailed process documentation.
I also remember a project where I was asked to use a client’s e-learning tool to present some chemical engineering content for new apprentices. It would have been easy to have just imported the source manuals into the tool, but instead, we broke down the content into more manageable chunks and created summaries in the e-learning tool. This process, completed with the support of the internal subject matter experts, actually helped to streamline the content and learning.
Hope these thoughts help.
Tim
Thanks!
Thanks Tim. Sounds helpful!
Michelle
Captivate
I’d also endorse using Captivate. We’ve recently used for a number of products, mainly on-line tutorials…but it’s very easy to use and import slides etc. Plus
If you are on a budget..
Try CourseLab (www.courselab.com).
Its free, and just as easy to use as most other rapid development tools.
It has fewer ‘sexy’ graphics built in that either articulate or captivate, but it includes a couple of free animated avatars, and also has good built in testing capabilities. It will output in either a SCORM LMS format – or stand alone, but without the ability to save test scores.
If you are looking for an external provider to help you try here: http://www.elearninglist.co.uk