Module: Introduction to Single Sourcing

Single Sourcing

ADDIE

Single Sourcing

• Smaller Modules• Separating Content from Presentation• Working as a Team

Newspapers Do It

Course Goal

“teach you how to apply similar techniques when creating multiple courses in your environment.”

Develop Once, Use Many

Tip: For a single topic (or learning object) you may want to write verbose text for inclusion in an instructor guide, and an equivalent, streamlined version for use on classroom visuals or in the eLearning. Basically it is the same content.

Learning Deliverables

Separation of Content from DeliveryCourse Source Material

Difficulty Reusing

eLearning (authoring file)

Content is often on the same page as navigation controls, such as the next button, back button, course map, background, etc.Very difficult to capture the content for reuse.

Instructor Guide (Word document)

Content is often heavily formatted, using Word document styles, in tables, written in lengthier (verbose) format.Difficult to repurpose.

PowerPoint Slides (native .ppt)

Content is often simplified and enlarged for visual display.Insufficient source material.

Working with Different Media Types

Business Benefits

Separating content from delivery format provides many business benefits, including:

• Future Proofing Content• Scalability• Decrease Redundancy• Shorten Time To Market• Rapid Updates and Modifications

Course Objectives

In this course, you will learn how to: create learning content as small, easy-to-use modules think outside the box and apply single sourcing to

innovative, large-scale projects define and communicate your single source vision to your

team, business unit, and company/organization deal with change management issues structure your team for best results deploy a successful single sourcing practice

Module: Learning Object Methodology

What is a Learning Object?

What is a Learning Object?• Self-Contained• Connectable to Other

Learning Objects• Reusable• Individual Item or an Entire

Activity• Metadata Tagged for

Searchability • Building Block for a Topic or

Lesson

Examples of Learning ObjectsExamples of Learning Objects:

Screen Title Animation

Sentence Test Question

Paragraph Quiz

Caption Interactive Exercise

Steps in a Procedure Simulation

Table Instructional Game

Graphic List of Course Objectives

Video

Topics, or Lessons

Module, or Units

Aggregated Course

Designing for Reuse

Here are some simple tips to share with instructional designers and writers to make content as reusable as possible.

1. Don’t reference previous LO’s or topics within any reusable content.

2. Cover examples completely within the learning object (or at least the topic).

3. Write verbose and streamlined text if you want classroom visuals and eLearning to be less “text heavy”.

4. Consider adding interactivity exercises as equivalent to static graphics or text narratives describing classroom activities, for use in non-print-based learning.

5. For transitional items and contextual examples, create them as non-reusable objects or “glue”.

Glue

Non-Linear Development

Module: Large-Scale Project Examples

Thinking Outside the Box

If you think that using single sourcing is just a different development methodology for creating eLearning or Instructor-Led Training, you are missing the big picture. Although single sourcing can help shorten overall development, the more significant benefits include:

• Setting up content for creative remixing• Moving modular training closer to the point of

performance• Sharing and reusing content with other parts of the

business• Creating new derivative versions of courses for

different target audiences

Demo Wiley Custom Select

Summary

Wiley Custom Select is an excellent example of single sourcing in action because it:

• Uses the concept of Learning Objects – defined as “Chapters” in a book in this example

• Learning Objects are short and granular• Chapters are self-contained• Keeps content separate from delivery - you can add

your own cover and the table of contents is automatically generated

• Content can ultimately be repurposed for multiple uses

Discussion Questions

Which issue do you think was more difficult in this scenario:1. applying learning content management technologies

and techniques?2. working with content owners and authors to see the

vision of allowing users to consume their intellectual property at the chapter level?

How could you apply this example to learning content that you develop?

Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions: • How can you apply single sourcing to similarly

disseminate learning in your organization? (Think outside the box).

• When would it be advantageous to move training closer to the point of performance as illustrated with this example?

Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand

Company XYZ owns a large chain of retail stores, located in three different countries with the following characteristics:

• They sell 56,000 different brand-name items• Sales staff is assigned by department (electronics,

medical supplies, gardening, sports, etc.)• The company considers “product knowledge” as a key

to successful selling• Turnover of staff is high at 34% turnover per year• There is a need to keep the sales staff up on all the

latest information on products

Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand

Summary and Discussion

Discussion Questions: • How can you apply single sourcing to similarly

disseminate learning in your organization? (Think outside the box).

• When would it be advantageous to move training closer to the point of performance as illustrated with this example?

Computer Software Training

Computer Software Training1 Create a Common Outline

2 Organize Repository Topics

3 Compare and Consolidate Data Collection Worksheets

4 Collect Data from SME(s)

5 Create Derivative Versions (in same repository)

6 Tag content for output to different formats

Computer Software Training

In this example, many different outputs are supported including:

• Instructor Guides• Student Guides• PowerPoint (visuals for instructor-led training)• eLearning• Mobile Learning• Job Aide• Online Help Files• Publishing Software (for manuals)• Etc.

Summary and Group Discussion

• Does your organization provide limited access to Subject Matter Experts (SME’s)? What can be learned from this case study on how to more efficiently use SME time?

• Reusability doesn’t always mean using content created by someone else for another use. In fact, one of the most effective cost saving measures of single sourcing is repurposing content for different audience. How much content can be reused (or repurposed) in your department/organization when creating derivative versions of courses for different audiences?

Module: Creating a Long-Term Vision

North Star

Fact: The North Star never changes its place in the sky. When you face it, you are always facing North.

North Star

Begin by writing goals for your project. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• “Our vision of single sourcing is to create new learning products and develop additional streams of revenue.”

• “By introducing this program, our goal is to be able to offer our customers (both internal and external) customized learning experiences without starting each new project from scratch.”

• “To us, single sourcing holds the keys of creating consistent learning products and deliverables. Our learners don’t want every learning experience to be a new exercise in how to use the manual or navigate an eLearning course.”

Group Activity

Divide into groups. Write and share a one-line, North Star vision with your group. Discuss.

3 Year Strategy

Play Strategy Discussion Video

Prototype ALL Outputs

Company XYZ inconsistencies

When preparing to move to a content-managed approach, they collected samples of instructor guides from each department, and they noticed that elements of the template had changed over time, including:

• Variations in the document footer: changes in font, styles, and spacing.

• Instruction Notes: Some added them in italics directly under the content. Another group had decided to show them in the margins.

• Use of Icons: the original template used visual icons to represent discussions vs. activities vs. quizzes, etc. Over time some of these icons had been abandoned and new ones added. One group stopped using the icons altogether.

Activity: Assess output formats

Assess output formats using the following steps:1. Collect samples from different groups and divisions

(instructor guides, student guides, PowerPoint used in ILT, eLearning, etc.)

2. Collect any feedback given by learners and instructors3. With a group of key stakeholders, make a prioritized list

of what works best across all the samples4. Create a list of what common elements exist across all

samples vs. what is unique5. Create a specification showing what variability is

needed to meet all needs6. Finally, create a prototype that everyone can live with.

Mapping Out Content

Calculating Conversion Costs

Conversion Ratios

Materials to Convert Development Time Ratio

Instructor guides, Student guides and PowerPoint used in a classroom

20 hours of development per finished hour (“seat time”) of the course

20:1

eLearning (average, medium level of interactivity)

49 hours of development per finished hour

49:1

Creating a Strategy and Development Plan