home > thought leadership > brochures Brochures   Content Development Approach           Content Development Process At LearningMate we follow a well-defined content development process. The model below shows the broad classification and the micro-processes within each of the three phases. Analyze The content development process begins with an analysis of the problem statement or the requirement. In this phase the audience and content analysis defines “who requires what”, and the program goals and evaluation criteria define the “how” of the e-learning program. During this phase, the problem is defined, the source of the problem is identified, and possible solutions are worked out. Target Audience The analysis of the target audience determines the requirements of the e-learning program based on the audience profile. The audience profile considers factors that will affect and effect learning. The three factors of a target user that can influence a content development process are: The environment in which the user will study: The environment considers issues like – the setting in which the user learns (assisted by teacher or instructor, at home – unassisted, in a company, etc), the hardware and software configuration of the user’s machine and bandwidth considerations. The profile: The profile of the user considers the literacy levels, pre-requisites, age, cultural issues, and the objectives for joining the e-learning program. The need of the user: The final factor that influences a content strategy is the need of the user. This need may be in terms of the content design (highly interactive or text-based) or in terms of the objective for joining the program (certification, skill enhancement or mandatory training). The target audience analysis process lists these factors as an input to the content development process. These inputs are then used during the Design phase while creating the Instructional Plan and the Macro Strategy. Content Structure The content structure analysis determines what content is available and how it exists. For example, content for an e-learning program may come from paper manuals, CD-ROM CBT, or a host of mixed legacy media. Content can also come from SMEs in certain cases, where published content is not available. This process identifies all sources of content and the gaps, if any. This process gives the inputs to the Content Breakdown and the Instructional Plan processes in the Design Phase. Program Goals This analysis determines the objective of the e-learning program. Top-level objectives are used to arrive at low-level objectives to determine performance parameters. The program objective states what the program is to achieve, for whom, under what environmental conditions, and to what level of satisfaction. This program goal is then further divided into terminal objectives (smaller – more achievable goals) and further broken down into enabling objectives. Such a breakdown structure automatically creates a content hierarchy that instantly contributes to the engaging learning experience. Evaluation Criteria The concluding activity is related to evaluation design. The basis for determining evaluation type is based on the program goal, audience analysis, and content types. Evaluation may be CRT (Criterion-referenced tests) or NRT (Norm-referenced tests) if the program goal is that of performance benchmarking. The evaluation criterion is then integrated with the content model and the process moves to design of the components. The evaluation criteria also determine if the user is allowed to have a customized instructional path based on a pre-assessment.   Design The design activity involves developing the specifications and working models based on data collected and collated in the Analyze Phase. Within this activity the instructional plan, the overall program design strategy (covering interface and interaction design), the specifications and the standards are set for implementation and development, and the macro instructional strategy is defined. Instructional Plan The instructional plan (IP) defines the entire structure of the content and the content implementation pattern. For example, the IP defines the number of lessons and topics, ensures that there are AUs in each sub-topic, lists the practice and assessment questions, identifies content gaps that need to be filled in before the Develop phase, and lists the references to be used while creating the core content. The IP is created for each course that has a specific program objective. Such an IP allows a clear definition of content in the Develop phase. The IP also identifies the following: Different levels at which learning will happen and the domain of the learning level, based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and Dr. Merril’s taxonomy. Within these, LearningMate has identified the system shown below for interactivity and Assessments Content types, based on facts, procedures, concepts, processes, and principles Instructional Modes Design Strategy and Specifications The Design Strategy is one of the most comprehensive processes during content development. The design strategy identifies the interface and interaction design, the GUI specifications, and standards for implementation of visual assets. At a macro level the design strategy activities involve the following: Instructional Strategy and Design Interface design Navigation design At a micro level the following are defined in the Design strategy process: Description of Design Need Description of the User's Need Feature Design Design for Accessibility Graphic and Animation Design Typography Design Activities & Process Design & Component Evaluation Graphic Production Guidelines Layout, Balance, & Grid Macro Strategy The macro instructional strategy defines the overall approach for the course and the program. Some of the components that the macro strategy defines are: Pre-Instructional Activities: Gain attention, inform students of lesson objectives and structure Presentation: Layering of information into important points and elaboration and implemented in a hypertext environment, employ techniques to enhance interactivity, questions before answers, simple case studies, searching and assimilating information by the students themselves or consolidating information Learning Guidance: Provision of instructional guidance and prompts for each unit of lesson, where relevant, focusing techniques (such as focusing questions) will be used to direct learning Cognitive Strategies: Schema and concept maps to facilitate the acquisition of concepts, related facts, and procedures, advance organizers to enhance retention in long term memory Eliciting Performance: Provision of embedded, end-of-chapter and end-of-lesson quizzes for students to monitor their learning Providing Feedback: Corrective and remedial feedback for all interactive objects Enhance Retention & Transfer: Highlighting and summarizing important points during closure, linking facts to case studies to aid transfer of learning ARCS Model for Motivation: Case studies to concretize learning, relate facts to the case studies to promote relevance, involve students in the case study, incorporate multiple micro-instructional tactics to create variation in cognition, chunking of contents into self-contained chapters to facilitate flexible self-paced study Develop After the Design phase is complete, the project enters the Develop phase where the project blueprint is created on the basis of the storyboard, the visual assets are created as per pre-defined standards and guidelines, and the product is tested and deployed.