How is the "community" learning experience changing association eLearning?
by Robert Burroughs
To answer that, let me tell you about the concept behind Learner Community, LearnSomething’s latest learning management system.
Learner Community is the culmination of a decade of eLearning systems development. The goal is to help associations capitalize on eLearning to create non-dues revenue, but of course it’s more than that. Learner Community is a thoroughly modern LMS that looks and operates like today’s Internet.
User experience online has evolved in quantum leaps, so any learning system hoping to keep up must match the Internet user’s expectations. Learner Community does just that – it’s social, interactive, flexible, does all the things users expect in a modern Web environment.
We expect a personalized experience on the Web. On Amazon, for example, we get suggestions, search the site fully, and can see what others think our interests.
Now, we can do all those things inside Learner Community. Learners can use powerful search features, tags, recommendations from other learners, and self-assessments all to find the most relevant learning experience for them.
On the flip-side, administrators can leverage all of these tools, along with powerful search engine optimization and social media features, to ensure learners are presented with the best mix of learning opportunities. It’s a win-win.
Benefits of the “learning experience”
Let’s get away from talking in terms of “course.” Instead, we need to start thinking about “learning experiences.”
A learning experience includes the website, other learners, instructors and subject matter experts, the community that develops around a shared experience, and the course itself.
Going further, an intuitive interface that looks, feels, and interacts exactly like the association’s website creates continuity. It’s a seamless experience that lets learners focus on content rather than navigation or management of the delivery system – there’s no application learning curve.
Learning administrators benefit, too
The benefits of a thoroughly modern LCMS are just as broad for the application administrator.
In the WYSIWYG development environment it’s very easy to change, add, delete, and refresh content on the fly using “widgets,” which are displayed right on the page. For those who prefer to work in HTML, that option is available, too. Built-in features make it easy for the administrator to build out a dynamic experience.
One of the biggest challenges for associations is search engine optimization. Search engines really like fresh, current content. That’s why creating a static catalog page is a bad idea. Learner Community makes it easy for administrators to quickly update all their content on the spot.
Pushing the eLearning boundaries
With Learning Community, we’ve pushed the learning experience out of the static tutorial model into new territory where interactivity plus connectivity is the name of the game.
With Learning Community, any piece of content is potentially a learning “object,” that is, a PDF, an HTML file, an audio/visual clip, or any other type of experience.
The ability to generate learning experiences from existing content is maximized because content can be reused, repurposed, revised – the possibilities are virtually endless. It’s also very easy for the manager to create and generate high-volume learning certificates appropriate to many different roles.
Learner Community is a dynamic new tool that’s modernizing the traditional LMS. The buzz is building!
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Is your instructional design approach correct?
One of the things we've observed observe in supporting associations who develop and sell e-learning courses is a lack of alignment between the e-learning strategy business model and the instructional design goals. There are a number of things to consider when arriving at an instructional approach for the development of a course. For folks who are not selling courses the two main points to consider are time (how long do you have to create the course?) and budget (how much money has been set aside for development of the course?). Time and money constraints really dictate the instructional design approach that can be used.
For example, it would be difficult to support an instructional design approach to incorporate a simulated learning environment if you only had $5,000 and three weeks to get it done. It could easily take 6 to 8 weeks to simply write the scenarios you plan on simulating. Now, if you had 6 months and $50,000 you probably could create an awesome simulation-centered course.
A secondary consideration, when developing a course that has a 6 to 8 weeks development timeline, is the relevance of the content. If it is content that is valid today, but will not be valid in 6 to 8 months, you probably should not spend $50,000 to build the course. These are all standard considerations companies wrestle with when they determine if they should build an online course for their employees.
Let’s look at the same set of assumptions for a course that was part of an association’s e-learning initiative. Let’s agree that the content will be relevant for at least 3 years and that the Board has approved a $50,000 budget. The estimated six month development timeline needed to produce the course will work because the next national conference is seven months away and the Board initiative is to debut the course then. It clearly looks like all the major considerations are in alignment for a “let’s build the course” decision.
We contend that a very important consideration has been omitted: How much money does the association need to make to break even on the $50,000 expense?
It’s no surprise that not-for-profit and for-profit associations must pay close attention to the bottom line and, with conference attendance shrinking over the last five years, a major source of revenue for most associations isn’t what it used to be. If we look at the total development cost the association would spend to develop this course it is most likely more than the $50,000 budget approved by the Board. There is association staff time, and marketing dollars. Let’s agree that the total cost is actually $65,000. Let’s also agree that the course is one hour and will be accredited for one hour of CE. Fair market value for one CE in the industry this association supports is $100. If we do the math, 650 members must purchase this course to break even, and if we want to make 2 dollars for every dollar spent, we would need to sell nearly 2,000 licenses. The association has a membership base of 10,000 so a 20% market share is required to justify the money being spent to build the course. Grabbing 10% market share when selling an online course is excellent, but typically anything more than 10% is being bullish unless the topic is a regulatory compliance requirement.
Ask yourself: Should this course be built?
If you consider the realistic market share opportunity for this course or learning product, anticipated revenues do not justify the expense. This course should probably not be built as designed, even though there is ample time and budget to do so. It is a risky proposition that the course will generate enough non-dues revenue.
We think for an association the typical three-legged stool of time, budget and instructional design approach is actually a four-legged chair that includes a thorough business case analysis.
Tell uswhat you think. Do you include a business case analysis when you determine the instructional strategy to be used in developing a course?
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5 Questions to Ask about an Association LMS…
1. Is it easy to set up and quick to deploy?
An LMS should be designed to be easily configured and rapidly implemented. The LMS community is filled with software that requires complicated configuration.
2. Can it support all eLearning strategies?
A cost-effective LMS manages all types of eLearning, from multimedia online courses to blended learning strategies. The alternative is spending money on features you may never use.
3. Can members use a single sign-on for easy access?
An LMS worth its salt provides seamless communication with your system, so one sign-on opens authorized access. Otherwise it could undermine your eLearning strategy, not support it.
4. Are reports available in many formats?
A robust LMS can export data in multiple formats and communicate with AMSs. Flexible, seamless functions are essential, not optional.
5. Can it provide full continuing education certificate management?
Associations need an LMS that efficiently delivers and tracks CEUs. Otherwise this job will remain another item on your task list.
Find out more by contacting your LearnSomething representative.
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How did the LMS become a key component of a growing association?
When LearnSomething first began developing eLearning for associations some 12 years ago, the conference was king.
Conference registration drives were often like Sunday drives: smooth and scenic. Members and non-members quickly filled available slots. Conferences were hubs of essential resources that offered timely information and training. They provided great opportunities for networking. They were downright memorable events, and one fueled anticipation for the next.
But now those Sunday drives are happening less often and becoming shorter.
Registration rolls are shrinking. In turn, the traditional opportunity to offer workshops for CPE credit and sell books, videos, surveys, and other materials is thinning. In short, many associations who rely on the conference for revenue are struggling.
So innovators applied technology to this business problem and engineered some relief by enabling associations to add live Webinars and self-study materials with CPE credits that could be earned via the Internet.
But building a portal that offered the e-learning experience members wanted could become a nightmare. It typically required a number of applications that didn’t recognize one another and forced site administrators into a juggling act where crashes were painfully frequent
Association Management Systems (AMSs) provided a membership platform but did not provide adequate tools to manage an eLearning initiative. That’s where LearnSomething comes in.
LearnSomething’s association expertise and technology savvy positioned us to see the need…and the solution.
We began developing a learning management system (LMS) that could be seamlessly integrated with an AMS. Both of our feature-rich platforms — LearnPro+ and Isoph Blue — provide the tools and services that drive an e-learning initiative, from tracking CPE units to offering transcripts and on-demand access to credit certificates, from support for authoring eLearning courses to providing access to third-party catalogs.
Along the way we’ve applied our technology expertise to solve other confounding problems. Our dynamic CPE event management tool is just one solution. It incorporates a voucher system to auto-enroll the learner in exams and evaluations online. Results are captured for reporting purposes, and statements of credit are issued automatically upon completion.
Another example of LearnSomething’s innovative approach is our “eLearning assigned administrator.” In plain terms, we provide an assigned administrator to every client. It’s like having a genie who answers your wishes — building courses to your exact requirements or importing blended learning events, assessments, evaluations, or certificates.
What else can an LMS do for your association? We’ve made it as easy for your members to navigate your education site. Our intuitive interface means your members experience no learning curve in using the site. And, of course, we brand and customize your portal to fit your needs.
We’re continuing to add the kind of value to our platforms that enhances the membership experience. Discussion threads and other features supporting Web 2.0 generate greater online member participation and turn your site into an online destination.
Innovation for associations is nothing new for LearnSomething. We developed one of the first online programs for issuing and tracking CPE certificates in 1998, before many companies now offering LMSs even existed.
Our success in solving this association business problem continues to attract new clients. Our dedication to support both for-profit and not-for-profit associations in maturing their eLearning initiatives is unsurpassed. It’s this level of quality that had led associations to recognize LearnSomething as the #1 provider of eLearning technology and services.
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So what exactly is “eLearning”?
Though not a perfect source, let's start with Wikipedia: "eLearning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process."
Let's apply this definition to a critical and growing medium for many associations, the webinar.
On first review, webinars seem to easily make the cut.
But maybe not all webinars do, especially when we circumscribe "learning" using formal criteria.
Traditionally, learning is governed by an approved syllabus with specific learning objectives tied to each item in that syllabus. Learning is not simply showing up to class (or an online session) and listening to a teacher (or speaker or moderator) without a defined outcome for that particular conversation (or presentation).
Learning also requires some vehicle to measure if the objectives were indeed learned by the student (or participant) —traditionally in the form of an exam.
Once we add some meaningful and restrictive criteria, many typical webinar don't make the eLearning cut. Yes, they're all electronically supported, but many don't have specific objectives defined or a process for measuring whether participants have learned those objectives.
What about a podcast...a PDF...a Word file? Are these eLearning? Some are and some aren't. But many would simply fall into a broader category that might be called "eLearning lite," where informal learning takes place.
If you simplify it, eLearning is really a combination of 3 elements, and all three of these elements must be delivered electronically. They include:
· Clearly defined learning objectives
· Content to support those learning objectives
· An exam or evaluation
The issue isn't value. Most of us have participated in webinars that were well worth our time. But we may want to resist letting the "e" in "eLearning" become the dominant term and "learning" simply come along for the ride.
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