How Merit Medical Uses Mobile Learning from eLeaP & Single Sign-On from Symplified to Increase Sales Productivity For their Global Workforce. See video http://www.eleapsoftware.com/singlesignon-merit-medical.html

Do you what is involved in implementing an e-learning system? Do you have questions on the right steps to take in order to avoid mistakes when implementing your own e-learning project. See a short video which answers your e-learning questions and gives you step by step guide to going about elearning the right way.

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What Executives and HR Professionals Need to Know About Developing Online Training

Here’s what you’ll find covered:

* What it takes to make online training effective
* 10 key methods to optimize online training for maximum impact
* Working with technical material
* Engaging learners and measuring impact
* Key elements in selecting a Learning Management System

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7 Critical Questions about e-Learning: What Executives and HR Professionals Need to Know About e-Learning

* The key challenges preventing e-learning success
* How e-learning benefits organizations (hint: your compensation might depend on it)
* What not to do when it comes to choosing a vendor – cost does not equal quality.
* Simple strategies for implementing eLearning in your organization

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As often happens, you are asked to develop an e-Learning course for a subject in which you are totally clueless.

For an example, let’s say your Marketing Department wants you to produce a promotional lesson on performing a radiological analysis of decreased peritoneal opacity and how to distinguish between intraluminal and extraluminal gas accumulation. You are given an article from a veterinary medical journal that purports to describe the process, however it’s filled with medical terms you can’t even decipher, let alone pronounce. They need it in two weeks for a trade show.
No problem! Your organization specializes in manufacturing veterinary radiological equipment so you should be able to find a subject matter expert that can help with this assignment. After all, a couple of animated slides, some background music and a short script ought to do it. Surprise! None of the design engineers in your group has even heard of the process. They suggest you contact a member of the company’s Board of Directors, Dr. Roberta Thornton, who is a leading expert on radiological analysis in dogs and cats.

Your subject matter expert, Dr. Thornton is, in fact, a renowned university professor and a pioneer in the radiographic profession. You know she’s going to be quite busy but there is that deadline, so you’re determined to complete your assignment on time. How do you approach her to enlist her assistance with your project? What do you need to know about working with an SME?

Here are some points to consider:

1. “What’s in it for me?”
As you’ve already recognized, SMEs are very busy folks. How else would they get to become an SME? Since Dr. Thornton’s time is very limited, you first need to sell her on why she should assist in creating this course. So outline a proposal; tell her why you picked her as an SME, what’s in it for her and, importantly, exactly how much of her time you will need. Be prepared to completely open your schedule so that you can be available on her first pick of a time.

2. Prepare a storyboard.
Even if there is a lot of blank space, an outline of the standard format of your presentation will be indispensible so that when you meet there is already a template that you both can work with. You might show a title slide, an objectives slide, a content slide….seven or eight topic slides a summary slide and, perhaps, a bibliography (all blank of course).

3. Give credit and focus to the SME, not yourself.
Be sure to include her name right up front, on the title slide. You’ll want to do this not as a suck up but to ensure that she doesn’t downgrade the importance of the presentation. Everyone will recognize her name and she will want to work to her highest standards. It will also demonstrate her commitment to the company to other board members.

4. Work collaboratively.
Don’t be intimidated or sell yourself short. You are the expert in course development. Work with your SME on an equal level. Be prepared to provide a very brief explanation of how your process works, including the precise timetable and your expectations for review. This helps to avoid friction…each of you should know your respective roles in the process. The focus must always be on teamwork and your reliance on one another to make the program successful.

5. Communicate.
Ask questions and request explanations for material you don’t understand fully. The old carpenter’s adage holds true: Measure twice, cut once. Better to rely on getting it right the first time than having to redo a poorly constructed slide after a review. While you are likely not expected to produce a perfect program on the first try, it certainly helps your relationship with the SME to get as close as could be expected from a person not working in that particular field. Remember, too, how busy the SME is and how frequent interruptions for questions and explanations can sour an otherwise good relationship. Also, so far as you can, consolidate questions and put them in an email with a stated date by which you need answers. Allow at least a couple of days for response.

6. Final Review.
When you have incorporated the answers to your questions into the course, send the final version to the SME for review. If you were diligent in your initial conversation, the SME will be expecting both the questions noted above and the need for a final review. By now, you may be down to the wire as far as time goes, but never skip this process…it’s asking for disaster. If necessary, go over again the timetable and the need to be ready on time. The event you are working for is going to occur at a specific date so there should be no surprises regarding the deadline.

7. Publish and Distribute.
The most effective way to work collaboratively with your SME throughout the development process is by leveraging the capabilities of an online Learning Management System. The eLeaP Learning Management System (www.eleapsoftware.com), for example, enables the developer to create the training course in real time, publish it and then immediately share it with anyone. This dynamic process allows the SME to view the course as it will actually be seen by students, then approve it or suggest changes. Using the eLeaP system can significantly reduce the time and expense of developing technical courseware since it eliminates sending drafts back and forth. And, perhaps even more importantly, it involves your expert in the development process, shares ownership and creates immediate buy-in.

These are the keys to successfully working with a subject matter expert. Remember to sell the need for assistance and its benefits, set expectations, stay organized by using a storyboard, give the credit for success to the SME, work collaboratively, and be sure to communicate when there are questions. If these steps are followed, the final review will go smoothly and you will have produced an outstanding program on a difficult and highly technical product.

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Using eLeaP: Creating a course is just one of several essential first steps that we address in our Show Me interactive video demonstration.
Join our next live session, and watch our Education Team as they walk you through setting up your account, creating courses, setting up quizzes, accessing reports and managing your e-learning training program.

Sign up at http://www.eleapsoftware.com/getonlinedemo.html

The Defender Leadership Advantage training is not based on technical or job-based training .. says “Marcia Raab, chief marketing officer”.

So you are asking why invest over $16,000 per employee to train these people when the training is not even job related? What gives?

Well, Defender Leadership Advantage training is instead based on helping employees manage and improve their personal finances, set and achieve goals and develop overall healthy habits. Wow! Talk about upsetting the proverbial training industry cart. However upon closer inspection, what makes A++ employees? Well do you really want employees to rush from one financial catastrophe to the next? Do you want employees who are so unorganized that they require constant supervision and help? Do you want employees who are unable to take on projects and deliver clear objectives an meet milestones.

I think that is what we can learn from the innovative folks at the Defender Direct.

Perhaps you too want to start a “non traditional” training program? Learn how you can get started at www.eleapsoftware.com.

Sorry we did not include the link to this article in our earlier post.

It will be interesting to see if this election season changes anything in this regard.

According to Diversity news:

Beware of “vaporware.” You will recognize this because these guys over indulge in the “gee whiz” of their technology, often promising everything under the sun. You need to be able to walk away from vendors who just enjoy hearing the sound of their own voices. The learning management system or the training software should serve your business and educational needs. If it does not, you are probably headed for disaster and frustration not to mention lost of time and money.

If then the goal of the LMS or training software system, is to serve your business and education needs, does the vendor you are dealing with understand this basic requirement in a fundamental way? Yes the LMS system or training software should be the best in terms of the technology – after all you don’t want a crappy system which breaks down every other day. Having said this, you and your vendor should display an alignment of vision in terms of understanding the business needs, the teaching and learning objectives and methodologies and the design or content creation and management interface that is needed to accomplish your needs.

I can’t tell you how many times I have had to caution potential customers about this one. KNOW THY COSTS — ALL OF THY COSTS. Many organizations have plunged into e-learning and web-based training with a zest not seen since the tech bubble of the 90’s. Don’t get me wrong. This is all so exciting. However, one needs to pause and ask all the right questions. Ask about the costs for setup. How about maintenance and support? Inquire about costs to upgrade or have special features implemented. If the vendor’s pricing is based on usage license, you need to ask about overage charges. Are you charged extra if you decide to create extra classes? These are critical questions you need to ask and get answers before you plow into vendor selection. Trust me, you don’t want any surprises.

Do me a favor and ask your vendor if the system is designed to be run or operated by regular folks…erm I mean educators or only the IT department has the resources and skills to manage your learning management system or training software program? Why you might ask? Because this is a big deal. IT departments are becoming woefully understaffed or even worse outsourced. Do you really want to depend on IT for every single thing you need done in your e-learning software? Another way of looking at this question is. How simple is your training software to operate? If you a PhD in computer science, you are probably not talking with the right vendor.

The last question you might want to consider is support and reliability. Many simply assume this or worse get the standard vendor spin. You need to take the free e-learning software trials some vendors offer and test drive the whole system including the support and technical help functions. If you can’t get support before they have had a chance to take your money, believe me, its going to be a whole lot more difficult after you have paid them. So, do your home work and take the system for a spin. Utilize the phone, fax, email, online support system etc and make sure your vendor has passed the test.

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