Fundamentals of modern curriculum design

A good e-curriculum is much more than just dumping people with text and nice pictures. It provides highly efficient and customized grabs of instruction. An excellent e-curriculum is rich in learner-focused material and, irrespective of whether the instruction is delivered by high bandwidth or a telephone line, the learner should receive relevant and attention- grabbing content which helps take them on a knowledge enhancing journey.

To understand how this is done it is important to grasp how digital training design has fundamentally changed into a learning object proach. Using advances in XML authoring language and agreed industry standards, modern digital training is designed around small pieces of two- to fifteen-minute instruction. Each piece of instruction is independent, reusable and linked to carefully designed searching and find capacities . This learning object strategy helps move the e-design from large inflexible masses of information and instruction to one that is easily revised, searched for and modified. In addition, the learning objects will easily integrate into most forms of digital technology delivery, whether it is a web page, an instant message on a mobile phone or a CD-ROM.

Training is no longer created just as courses. As Elliott Massie, a leading authority in e-learning says that technology-delivered training is now assembled , not authored from large reservoirs of content presented to the learner. More emphasis will be placed on building knowledge bases that can be published quickly.

The consequences of this learning object approach to winning the knowledge game is profound. For the learner this approach helps consistency and personalization. The business will be able to develop a structured approach that can easily be adapted to different needs, media and learners. Smartforce, a leading worldwide training provider, claims to have over 20 000 learning objects on a cavalcade of topics for business.

Driving much of the industry reform in learning objects is SCORM. SCORM is an initiative of the Advanced Distributed Learning Network, and stands for Shareable Content Objects Reference Model. Simply put, SCORM is a collection of standards and specifications that sets the foundation for better unity in design, assessment and profiling of digital learning. For more information about SCORM visit http:// www.scorm.tamucc.edu/ and www.adlnet.org

When you think of digital learning, think of small chunks of information or instruction. The emergence of learning objects not only impacts digital learning, it will also in the future shape how face-to-face training or on-the-job coaching might occur as managers search out and include learning objects in their lesson plans. So start, if you have not done so already, to look at your current archives of resources and learning to see how you can stockpile a collection of your knowledge for future use. In this regard one of my clients in local government is currently creating an archive of over 1200 learning objects to assist a service initiative. The goal is to create a web presence that will provide twenty-four hour seven days a week service, help and training.

In the area of designing learning objects it would normally entail various elements. These include a short overview, a series of instructional pieces, assessment and summary. The design should encompass a series of interconnected training and assessment processes. The type of learner assessment will depend on how the learner is progressing and the type of material. For example, dealing with concrete facts and procedures or developing capabilities in concepts and processes will require different design elements.

One field of knowledge that will help the growth of learning objects is competency-based training. During the past two decades many industry and government bodies have thousands of skills standards, ranging from pastry cooking for chefs to risk management for managers. So do not reinvent the wheel. See what public information you can acquire or purchase. However, be wary of thinking that e-learning is all about buying content. You need to back it up with the right business case, design and system.

With regard to authoring or designing, it is also important to recognize that not everyone will have the skills and motivation you need. For example, a content expert may be well versed on what needs to be taught but may not have either the time or motivation to do the design. Normally an experienced e-learning designer best performs e-curriculum. This will release the subject-matter expert to be more directly involved in other roles such as sponsorship, mentoring and collaboration.

Here again you will need a team effort to succeed. The final design can only be decided upon after holding conversations with business managers, customers, decision- makers and vendors . Only then will you have a clearer picture of the content and system design you require. Such conversations do not end at the design phase but continue well into the implementation and beyond. Who does all this work will depend on your capability, time and desire , meaning it could be a combination of an external vendor, responsible course provider or your business web designer.

Having some grasp of how modern curriculum design applies to your business, your attention needs to shift to how a digital training system is co-ordinated. Normally all of the learning objects you have created are placed in a manifest computer file which is then managed by an LMS. Depending on your budget your business could build your own LMS or have it provided by a third party. For most small to medium- sized businesses, the third party option is the only realistic one. Before jumping in and acquiring or building an LMS, be careful to ensure common mistakes are not made. First, the LMS must fit your business culture, IT set-up and technology. Make sure you clarify your intentions and expectations. Ensure there is a plan including clear links to your business plan. Second, do not go for the cheapest but for the one that offers the most value, as there is often a huge difference. Make sure that the LMS is SCORM compliant and scalable. Ask for demonstrations on how vendors and providers are meeting this standard. Finally, do some reference checks with past clients to ensure your vendor is a proven performer. The best way to do this is to find a similar style or sized business to benchmark potential suitability with your operation.