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Creating Online Training: DOs and DONT'S
Creating Online Training: DOs and DONT'S (Karen Massetti Miller, January 2002)
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<h1><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="4" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Creating
Online Training: DOs and DONT'S</font></font></h1>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><i>by Karen
Massetti Miller </i></font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">As a technical communicator,
you may be asked to create online training for your organization. Your
first attempt at online courseware development may seem a bit daunting,
but take heart. Here are a few online training DOs and DON'Ts that can
help you avoid some common development pitfalls.</font></p>
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<td width="5%" align="left" valign="top" height="282"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">1.</font></td>
<td width="95%" valign="top" align="left" height="282"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Don't</b>
assume clients know what they want. We all work for clients. Some
are external (customers) and some are internal (members of your organization).
Whether external or internal, clients may request specific things—large
graphics, streaming video, animations of dancing clowns, etc.—when
they ask you to develop online training. But they may not be familiar
enough with online development to understand the implications of their
decisions: </font>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Clients
may ask for things that are technically unfeasible. </font></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Clients
may ask for things that are instructionally unsound. </font></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Clients
may ask for unrealistic deadlines. </font> </p>
</li>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Do </b>assume
that you are the expert—and if you aren't, find one! It's up
to you to inform clients when something they ask for can't—or
shouldn't—be done. If you don't know whether something is doable,
find a team member who does, and involve that person in the conversation.</font></p>
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<td width="5%" align="left" valign="top" height="237"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">2.</font></td>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Don't</b>
assume that creating online training is a one-person show.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Creating online
training involves a variety of skills, including instructional design,
graphic design, script writing, programming, and project management.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Though some
remarkable people may be able to do all of these things well, you
may not be one of them.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Do</b> assume
that creating online courses is a team effort.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">When you begin
developing an online course, assemble a team of people whose skills
complement each other. </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Don't
be afraid to call on other team members when you don't know how
to do something.</font></p>
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<td width="5%" align="left" valign="top" height="201"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">3.</font></td>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Don't</b>
assume that the production process will run smoothly. People get
sick, have family emergencies, smash up their cars, and have their
houses blown away by tornadoes—and that's the minor stuff.
You may also encounter technology problems. Remember, <i>no technology
is foolproof; fools are too ingenious.</i> </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Do </b>assume
that Murphy's Law is a Universal Truth. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">When you negotiate
deadlines, try to project a best-case scenario and a worst-case
scenario. Shoot for a deadline somewhere in the middle. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Let your client
know as soon as you realize you won't be able to meet a deadline.</font></p>
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<td width="5%" align="left" valign="top" height="120"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">4.</font></td>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Do</b> BE
CREATIVE and HAVE FUN! </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Yes, there are
many things in the development of online training that can go wrong,
fall apart, and make you miserable, but that's because no one has
ever done these things before. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Remember, you
are part of a technological revolution!</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><i>Karen is the Instructional
Design/Information Design Director at GeoLearning, Inc., in West Des Moines.
</i> </font> </p>
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