To date, systems have focused mainly on the solitary task of authoring content in much the same way word processors facilitate document creation. Improvements in traditional authoring technology are usually not felt beyond the digital artist and programmer communities.

Acknowledging the e-learning project team as a collective in need of tools to support how work flows among them has gone unaddressed - until now. When e-learning project teams transition away from the traditional approach to development and take up a collaborative solution built around their unique way of working together, all stakeholders benefit.

Key to the success of most projects is the storyboarding process. Storyboards are to e-learning content what blueprints are to a building. Clients, subject matter experts and team members use storyboards to reach consensus on what form the final product will take. This includes specifying the breadth and depth of the content, how it will be conveyed to learners, and what learning outcomes can be expected.

We take an up close and personal look at storyboarding mainly from an Instructional Designer’s perspective. Comparing traditional and collaborative storyboarding side-by-side, we see how collaborative storyboarding relieves project teams of tedious value-draining activities while freeing them to tackle learning challenges with inspiration and creativity.

To continue reading, please fill out the form to the right. »

Cortex:Campus and QMIND - Working Together to Give Organizations an Economical Tool for Creating, Delivering and Managing Proprietary E-learning
By Rob Porter (2006)

Every organization has unique and proprietary aspects to its operations; whether it's in-house billing software or strict internal processes and procedures, organizations have the need to create content that trains employees on specific aspects of their business.

The need for this proprietary training has been around since the beginning of "the corporation" and through this need the development of in-house course authoring tools has emerged. It's no longer acceptable for a company to pay over $200,000 for the creation of specialized e-learning - in fast changing working environments, the need for content to be updated and flexible can cause the price to shoot up even further. As a result of these costs, less than 1% of companies can afford this training method. In the last 5 years more affordable solutions have begun to surface and in recent years many products have become readily available.

Economical and Easy-to-Use Collaboration Platform

Enter QMIND Design Collaboration Platform, created and made available by a unique group of people in Portland, Oregon. QMIND is a web-based multimedia-authoring platform that streamlines the design and production of e-learning content. The platform provides a shared workspace and automates many authoring and project management processes. Highlights of this application's core platform are: online storyboarding, media file management, QA issue tracking, PowerPoint importing, quiz and assessment management and most importantly, a shared workspace for all project members. All of this is offered on a monthly per user, subscription basis.

Imagine that your subject matter expert is in London, the Flash designer is in Japan and the project manager is in Dallas. QMIND enables geographically distributed teams to collaboratively author and produce rich, interactive multimedia. Because the platform is web-based and hosted by QMIND, there is no software to install and it's perfect for distributed project teams.

Cortex:Campus - E-learning Delivery, Tracking and Management

Training Objectives, a Portland based company, realized the market need for a truly integrated content creation tool with a learning management system (LMS) and brokered a strategic partnership between QMIND and Serebra Learning Corporation, the creators of Cortex:Campus Learning Management System.

Cortex:Campus is a full featured LMS that enables organizations to leverage the internet to deliver, track and manage training. Cortex:Campus has a long list of capabilities that meet the mainstream need of any e-learning solution: comprehensive tracking & reporting of learner progress, centralized administration, manager approval loops and an easy-to-use web portal which can be fully customized to match any branding. Cortex:Campus also boasts an extensive set of optional capabilities like e-commerce functionality and instructor led training registration and scheduling.

In addition to its wide range of features, another benefit of Cortex:Campus is its scalable platform that can be completely customized not only in look and feel but also in functionality. The system allows administrators to easily modify many aspects of the learner experience and workflow based on an organization's existing set of policies. A prime example of its versatility can be seen when you look at the variety of customers Serebra serves from a wide range of industries such as healthcare, financial, education, government, manufacturing, retail and computer services. All of these industries have unique perspectives on their internal education programs and Cortex:Campus adapts to each one.

Cortex:Campus and QMIND vs. the Traditional LCMS

A learning content management system (LCMS) is defined as a multi-user environment where subject matter experts (SME) can create, deliver and manage e-learning from a single source. Because the LCMS is the corporation's version of the traditional course management systems initially developed for higher education, many LCMS lack a truly collaborative course creation environment. Often the storyboards are created in PowerPoint with scripts and images edited in Word documents. Animations are bundled into emails that are sent to the various SME, Flash developers, instructional designers, graphic designers and audio talent. Communications about the project are handled via e-mail or telephone leading to gaps in information for many project members.

The joining of Cortex:Campus and QMIND solved these logistical and management problems by creating a truly integrated and seamless content creation environment that can be accessed by many project members, from any location. Some of the biggest advantages this solution has over traditional LCMS are the collaboration and project management tools available within the platform. Take the content review process; with the QMIND platform all parties can access the content, review it and, within the system, make notes, comments and schedule corrections to the content. Additional advantages include the ability to import data from various programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and Macromedia Captivate and export the training in XML format that can then be converted to an applet and run independent of an LCMS. The content becomes portable and easy to deploy and manage with Cortex:Campus.

Integration of QMIND E-learning and Cortex:Campus LMS with One Touch Updating

The synergy between these two platforms becomes apparent with the introduction of One Touch Updating. The only thing constant about a business, especially a growing business, is that it is changing. Sales procedures change, products are updated, services are expanded. businesses constantly evolve. So too should the training. The developers at QMIND and Serebra coupled their systems to constantly synchronize updates on demand. Since the QMIND system is directly linked to the Cortex:Campus LMS updates are seamless and instant with the click of the "publish" button. The modification process consists of three straightforward steps:

1. Through the internal communication system in QMIND, the project manager notifies the persons involved in the content change, such as the SME, graphic designer and instructional designer, and all tasks are assigned and scheduled.
   
2. The SME updates the storyboards, the graphic designer adds new images and the instructional designer reviews the updated content for consistency, relevance and effectiveness.
   
3. Once the tasks are completed and all parties have signed off on the updates, the project manager accepts the changes and clicks the publish button. The content is immediately updated.

Once content is added to the Cortex: Campus LMS it can be added to a variety of curriculum that may include off the shelf courses as well. The content can also be included in learning paths that complement classroom training, presentations and seminars within and outside of the organization

The Application of the QMIND/Cortex:Campus Solution

We have established that the QMIND and Cortex:Campus solution streamlines the development process, but by how much? One company found that this development solution saved them 50% of the time it took to create their professional grade content. The content created is quality courseware that includes Flash animation, high-end graphics and an occasional video simulation. Prior to streamlining the process, it took them up to 8 weeks to create each complete course. Using 5 people to complete the course, the project totaled approximately $24,000 in payroll. By using this solution they increased efficiency and were able to save up to $12,000 per course! With the creation of their third course, the company's ROI for the solution had been realized.

Another attractive and cost saving feature is the fact that this is a completely hosted solution. Customers save not only time and payroll but also hardware and internal bandwidth. Many systems require that they be installed locally at the customer's site causing a resource burden and extra equipment costs. By utilizing Cortex:Campus, companies are saving money and anywhere between a month to a year of implementation time, leaving the project teams open to focusing on what matters most. training!

Combined Feature Set for Cortex:Campus & QMIND

• General Features
• Multi-user, Web Based
• Project Management
• Workflow Automation
• Document Management
• Live Collaboration and Messaging

Content Creation Features

• Instructional Design Tools
• Storyboarding
• Content Review Management
• QA Issue and Bug Tracking
• Content Sharing w/3rd Party tools
• Media Asset Management
• Rapid Multimedia Development
• Courseware Publishing
• Live Updates of Publsihed Content
  

Deliver, Track and Manage

• Online Course Delivery and Tracking
• Departmental Management
• Webinar Event Management
• Classroom Registration
• Classroom Waitlisting Capabilities
• Testing Creation
• Curriculum and Skill-Path Management
• Synchronization with 3rd party vendors
• Manager Approval Loop
• Learner Discussion Boards
• Upload Off the shelf content
• Blended Learning Paths
  

The combination of QMIND Design Collaboration Platform and Serebra's Cortex:Campus LMS not only provides a huge value for any organization that wants to create and deliver their own training, but it also enables organizations to efficiently utilize their budgets and payroll. This 100% fully hosted solution can be up and running within a day. There is no need for additional IT staff or servers. In short, the combination of these tools offers a streamlined, efficient and powerful content creation and delivery solution.

Rob Porter is the president of Training Objectives, an e-learning resource company that assists their clients in increasing revenues and reducing operating costs through the use of e-learning content, tools and techniques. To contact Rob, e-mail him at rob.porter@trainingobjectives.com.