It’s Development Time (8 of 9)
Now you have done all of the design, it’s time to put a project plan together and develop. But how do you do this? Remember, all of those post it notes from your LX map - they are resources that need to be curated or created. There are many ways you can go from LX map to online course, and I am just showing you one way; so, be sure to find what works for you and your context.
Image: A worked example of an LX Mapping process completed in Mural
By this stage, you would have identified the different modes of delivery, but before you start on your project plan, I recommend reviewing the mode of delivery and whether you can curate or create the resource. Let’s look at this further.
Review the mode of delivery
It is good to review your LX map holistically, so you can review the different modes of delivery you have chosen. You may have identified 20 videos/animations that need to be created across the course, however, after reviewing it holistically, may not be the most suitable mode of delivery. Perhaps a podcast would be a better learner experience, or a reading for certain concepts. Remember, not everything needs high production value. Consider the resource, your cohort, your time and budget constraints, and ensure the best mode of delivery across the course. By doing this holistically, you can create efficiencies and identify where you can embed the resources at multiple points in time.
Create or curate?
If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it. Just because you are developing a new course, it doesn’t mean everything has to be developed from scratch. It is important to consider any constrains that include but are not limited to time, budget, and resources. Remember, design is an iterative process so if you can’t do everything, identify which resources have the biggest impact and refine the resources in future iterations. Note: If you are curating, remember to consider the ‘look and feel’ of your course and make sure the resources you are sharing are consistent with your course.
What HUMAN resources do you have available?
It can be daunting to see HOW much you have to DO when you are creating your project plan so be mindful of the human resources you have available to yourself. Don’t overcommit as you need to get your course up and running. Again, design is an iterative process so prioritise the resources that will have the biggest impact on the learner experience.
Create a project plan
What project management software do you already have access to? If you have something available to you, use it. If not, there is different software you can use to help you; from an Excel spreadsheet or you may prefer to invest in project management software such as TeamGantt or Monday; it is totally up to you. Regardless of how you are project managing your development, be realistic with your project plan and be sure you are able to track the progress of resources and its development.
Timelines
If you have been part of a course that has been released week by week, I want you to consider how this has felt from a learner perspective. I certainly have, and I know it isn’t a great experience as it feels rushed and lacks cohesion. From an educator perspective, it is stressful, challenging and causes undue pressure. So, when working out your timelines, be realistic and work toward giving yourself enough time to test and review it prior to going live. Don’t be fooled; if you are developing as you go, learners will know.
Stick to the project plan
As you start developing resources, avoid making changes to resources or adding more concepts/activities. Don’t forget, you have designed your course holistically, and each of your decisions has been made based upon many considerations including:
Learner journey map;
SWOT analysis;
Learner personas;
Learning outcomes; and
Use cases specific to your cohort.
It is important to remember, you have incorporated many checkpoints along the design process so there is a reason why/why not all of the resources are there. If you start making changes at the development stage; you will find it may not be aligned to learning outcomes, or worse, negatively impact the learner experience.
Summary
Project management is a critical step to realising any online course; so if you are the project manager, there are some key things to do. These include:
Review the mode of delivery;
Decide whether you will create or curate resources;
Determine what human resources you have available;
Create a project plan;
Be realistic with timelines. and
Stick to the project plan.
Once you have created the resources, they are ready to be uploaded to your chosen platform for delivery.
Next steps
Decide on how you are going to manage your resource development, what software you are going to use, create your project plan and get started developing!
