By Mike Alcock

Introduction

When writing for journals as little as two years ago I would have first had to introduce the idea of "rapid e-learning". I would have explained how it was "delivering e-learning back to the trainers" and how in-house training teams were using the technology to liberate themselves from outsourcing constraints as it was simple, required no programming skills and delivered high quality e-learning. I would also talk about the savings that could be made compared with bespoke development. I no longer need to make this case, the industry has quickly embraced the merits of the technology.

 Lead times for e-learning development are being cut shorter all the time. E-learning consultancy Kineo have identified 21 days as being the expectation for the development of new e-learning from conception through design, development, testing and deployment 1. Lean structures and rapid development are required to deliver in these time scales so it is imperative that the software used delivers on expectations, allowing rapid development (say 50 screens per day for an inexperienced user and over 100 for the experienced) and includes the capabilities which allow professional content, effective collaboration and rapid deployment.

 Core Requirements

 Such is the popularity of rapid e-learning that some rather ancient e-learning authoring tools are now being redressed in "rapid" clothes. Let the buyer beware! First and foremost a rapid authoring tool should do what is says on the tin. You should be able to produce a simple course within minutes of launching the software. If there are hours of setup and configuration required, then you are not in the rapid space. Having crossed this hurdle what are the key features you should be looking for?

 Ease of Use

 Rapid E-learning authoring software should be intuitive to use. The user interface should be as simple to use as Microsoft PowerPoint is for producing presentations. The user should be guided through the various stages of authoring. If the software falls down on the effectiveness of its user interface then rapid authoring will be much harder to achieve.

 The software must also have first rate interactivity with other applications. As a minimum it must be able to import seamlessly from Microsoft Office applications and be able to incorporate sound, video, flash, pdf and other commonly utilised formats for active and static items within the learning. Screen capture must also be simple and faultless; for systems training in particular the software must be able to produce simulations that are indistinguishable from the real thing.

 Collaboration

 It is most unusual for any significant piece of e-learning to be produced by an individual in isolation. Normally input will be required from a wide range of colleagues, who are often widely spread geographically. Learning will be often be produced by a number of colleagues working collaboratively. None of this can be easily achieved with desktop based applications. Collaborative development is greatly assisted by "server side" development, where the work in progress sits on a central server and can be viewed and changed from anywhere in the world. Server side development also allows instantaneous course testing and rapid deployment of the final training.

Companies that are serious about producing e-learning, developed by a team and contributed to by a wide variety of interested parties will find that server side authoring is a requirement.

 Accessibility

 Around 18% of the UK adult population are disabled; some 10 million people whose spending power is estimated at £80 billion. The figures elsewhere will be equally large. The disabled are therefore a significant part of the community and wise businesses will engage with them, both as customers and as employees. More than this, businesses have legal obligations not to exclude the disabled in any way, an obligation that also extends to e-learning.

 All e-learning produced should comply with W3C AA standards to avoid the risk of claims of discrimination. Rapid e-learning authoring software should be able to routinely produce courses to this standard. The software should enable full logical TAB control as well as complete integration with the major screen readers. Accessibility should be controllable at element level, allowing authors to control courses fully and page by page. Good software will provide numerous accessibility templates to allow variety in the look and feel of accessible courses.

 If you are looking to purchase rapid e-learning software, also look at the extras that are available with the product in terms of the tools to help you build professional looking courses. A wide range of page templates, button designs and interactive feature templates is a must if you are to be able to have maximum flexibility in producing the kind of professional e-learning that will engage users. The amount of development that has been undertaken in this area will demonstrate just how much the software provider wants to delight its customers

 Product support

 No matter how easy to use a product is, users will normally need some induction training to get up to speed on all the product features available. Similarly, support should always be on hand to help users find the most elegant solution to their development needs. Look for those organisations that have gone to the trouble to achieve accreditation of their services by a standards body.

 Useful to have

 Course Design

 Rapid e-learning software also has the capability to lead users through the elements that should be included in good e-learning. Bodies such as the Institute for IT Training, which normally accredit training organisations and materials, are now accrediting rapid e-learning software providers, including the extent to which the software leads the user to produce good quality courses, not just in terms of technology but also in terms of content. It is worth looking out software providers who hold such accreditation

 Multiple platforms

While most e-learning will be run on desktop computers attached to the internet it is worth investigating the extent that rapid e-learning courses can be authored for other types of device, notably PDAs or mobile phones. With the development of personalised learning, utilisation of such devices for learning will become more common and it is important that courses can be rapidly authored especially for the small screen.

 Conclusions

 The benefits of being able to self author, amend and extend e-learning are too numerous to ignore. Every month the bar is being raised in terms of the features that are available in rapid e-learning software. It is well worth investing time and effort in the careful selection of software which not only does the basics, but also adds value every step of the way.

Notes

1. http://www.kineo.co.uk/e-learning-market/market-update-july-06-122.html