Online course design specification...
In this module, you have been introduced to the benefits of creating a Course Design Specification. Assume that you are outsourcing course development to a company that develops online courses. In what ways would a Course Design Specification benefit you as well as the person the vendor has assigned to manage the development of your courses?
Ramondo,
Oh those darn deadlines!! I have to agree though. There have been times when I have had to create a class at the last minute and didn't feel I had the time to get everything in. I then had to add after the fact.
Shelly Crider
Agreed it is essentially the blueprint of the coarse for the vendor to build upon. What is need of them and if they can provide the services needed will be determined because of it...also how much time it is going take and will they make the deadlines for the project.
Interesting. Will you help with the content of the course?
I think that I will leave it up to the developers to design the course and I will evaluate the trial version and add my individual needs and suggestions before the final version is submitted. This will take away the individual instruction component of the course and will adhere to all types of learners.
If given the opportunity to develop a course will you design it on your own or will you outsource the project to a developer?
Jane,
The course design specification for the vendor would give a clear cut specification so that the vendor can "custom" design the course exclusively to my needs.
Satrohan,
I can't find the response but someone mentioned the timeframe and the budget in developing courses which are also important. The ideal scenario is having very specific criteria defined as to what the end product will be. True - the SOW (I know it as Scope of Work) would identify everyone's responsibilities, the deliverable, timeframe and cost of the project.
Charlotte:
Outsourcing hss several levels. Sending out a Request for Information (RFI), Request for Quote (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP). In all of this, what you mention as "defined criteria" must be specified. Part of this document is another piece usually referred to as a Statement of Work (SOW). as a minimum, a SOW defines the deliverable, criteria for acceptance, name of Acceptor, delivery dates, and any assumptions made.
Satrohan.
Satrohan,
I can also see it the other way around - the content is on the company's side and the instructional/ media treatment expertise exists on the contractor's side.
Overall, it's important to have clearly defined criteria when outsourcing the development and deliver of training material.
For myself, I hope to be able to see how different courses have been put together to determine how best to develop each module of the course.
Charlotte:
This will be a practical solution to the degree that th contractor has someone qualified on their side to interface with the vendor. My experience has been that in the majority of instances, the content expertise exists on the contractor's side; the instructional and media treatment expertise do not.
Satrohan
In researching a company to outsource course development, both need to have similar ideas about the course design. Discussions would need to continue throughout the entire process to ensure the company's needs are being met.
Essentially, the process becomes a team effort with the company providing feedback along the way to the vendor. Mock training modules and a completed mock training session are important to implement when designing a program to ensure that all needs are met.
Marie:
Usually, the Course Design Specifications is the end-product of discussions between the Instructional Designer and a Subject-Matter-Expert assigned to develop the course. I agree that the Subject-Matter Expert should remain open-minded to recommendations the Instructional designer makes because very little progress is usually made when we have more than one dsign authority on a course.
Satrohan
By providing the vendor's person a road map of what exactly you are looking for in the design. Of course, I believe you must keep an open mind to the recommendation of the designer and work together to produce the best possible online course presentation.
Agreed Fernando. I believe it will be unrealistic for anyone to expect that they would capture all of the course elements the first time around. More elements are likely to evolve as the proceed with content development. The Course Design Specifications must be modified to reflect this. New elements that cannot be completed the first time around because of time or budgetary constraints are thus recorded, and can be attended to before the course is offered another session.
Satrohan
As any communication tool, a Design Specification Document should be as clear as possible. I don't have experience with vendors of this type, however I believe that, this Design Specification Document should have a way to be reviewed periodically, in order to maintain its relevance and importance.
Belinda:
The most effecient way to produce a quality online course is through team effort; especially when there are time constraints. I also am not a technology expert; so I serve the role of an Instructional Designer, and I enlist the help ofGraphics Designers, Flash Amimation Specialists, Multimedia Developers and HTML Programmers.
Satrohan
Creating a Course Design Specification is a fantastic idea & should be done, especially when an on-the-ground Instructor is attempting to create its online equivalent. As an Instructor, I understand the skill set and competencies required of the courses but am not as computer/technology savvy as I would like to be. I will have to work closely with our IT Department in order to upload and implement the most effective & efficient media. The substantive part of the course is what we need to get out there but the WAY we present it will determine the success of the course.
Debra:
Definitely theCourse Design Specifications would minimize the revisions to the "final" version of the course. It would also serve as a means to guide the vendor to develop the course to fulfill your stated expectations as well as the standard by which you judge whether the course was designed to your specifications.
Satrohan
I would benefit from the least amount of time needing to be spent on revisions. The more specific I can be with my vendor will create more of what I need for my course. So hopefully with clear consise information we both can spend less time developing and revising the course design.
Cheryl:
Unfortunately, I do not have any information on vendors. I defer this to other students in this foum for any supportthey can provide.
Satrohan
