Trainers Talk Tech

Let me just start by saying that I am a bit fearful for the next phase of eLearning. I'm fearful because I think we are facing what I will call a "design regression". I've been excited about integrating Web 2.0 technologies into my eLearning, and am excited that the tech bar is lower and more people can take advantage of it, however, I don't think that we are going to see the explosion of Web 2.0 in eLearning in 2009 or even 2010. In fact, I think that "page turners" may return with a passion.

Here is my logic...let me know if my thinking is sound.

Follow up:

1) More and more trainers and instructional designers are being asked to develop eLearning.
This is a direct result of the economy. "Lets fire everyone buy you three people and then lets have you three people take all those programs and turn them into eLearning. Figure it out."

It takes time and energy to re-boot training programs and turn them into eLearning. It takes more time and energy to learn how to make the tech end work. Michael Allen tells designers to forget about the tech and design what you want to design. The problem with that is the frustration level because people design and envision the Sears Tower but don't know how to pour concrete.

2) People have no money to outsource
With no money to outsource, people will be building in-house. If they are building in house, they need good tools. There are some good eLearning development tools out there, but none of them will be as good as building from solid web design tools.

3) People will push out eLearning projects using these "out of the box" tools.
No budget means no big box development suites or the training on how to use them. These "home grown" developers will be forced to create simple interactions and limited simulations because the applications they are using can rapidly develop simple projects, not Sears Towers. They will rely on the interactions, templates and graphic files that come "out of the box" of whatever rapid eLearning software they choose to invest in.

4) The simplicity of the tool will regress the technological advancement of their eLearning projects
Return of the Page Turners!!!!!! I can feel it and it scares me. The simple tools design simple eLearning. You can rapidly develop with PowerPoint and then spend $2000 on Articulate and produce what...a PowerPoint with voice over and maybe a question or two. Can you build a multi-threaded interactive simulation using PowerPoint? No! But, you can create a simple project, and for some corporations, that may be enough to check the box. But what about the poor learner?

This is a regression. Developers like me will be put on-site to work with the "off the shelf" tools and not be able to get paid for building the high-end, high impact learning - companies don't have the money to spend on high-end custom delivery. Great eLearning companies like Rapid Intake and Allen Interactions are no longer competing with other high end development houses, but are competing with the off the shelf products and "do it yourselfers." Its like HGTV...you don't hire the expensive interior designer if you can get the good tips off of basic cable.

Is the off the shelf stuff bad? Nope. I love them. But I love them because they have a place as a gateway into the more advanced design. All of them have templates, interaction samples and drag and drop bits and libraries and all this cool stuff to get people started. None of the vendors mention what will happen when the Logo Nazis in the organization complain that the red in the standard template doesn't match the red in the logo. How can we fix the templates? How do I make my own templates? How do I make a graphic? A button? How and how and how...Pandora's box is opened and these home-grown developers are dropped into a huge, unfamiliar.

If you spend money on one of these eLearning applications, its been my experience that within the first 12-18 months, you are going to be frustrated at all the things it cannot do. At first, its awesome! Then, over time, as you become more advanced as an eLearning designer, you'll get frustrated because your tool can't develop your vision. to go to the next level, it's another investment in software, time and training that companies won't budget for, especially in 2009.

I'm not going to be chicken little and say that good eLearning is going away. In fact, I think we are going to see a resurgence of eLearning on scales we haven't seen since 9/11. However, because we are saddled with a crummy economy, everyone is being asked to do more with less. Instructional designers are being pressured into taking their programs online. They are going to be asked to quickly ramp up and push eLearning out into their companies and they are going to look for a quick solution.

The "off the shelf" folks are going to make a killing in 09. Huge money.

But, is that going to stop the integration of Web 2.0 into their projects. Yes.

Is it going to provide them with a quick and easy fix. Yes.

Are developers going to be frustrated when they cannot build the Sears Tower and settle? Yes.

Is it going to cause the emergence of a new rash of zombie page turners? Unfortunately, I think that one's a yes too.