eLearning projects are like any solid relationship: Communication is key. Without the right channels of information at the right time, your relationship with your eLearning company or designer could be more frustrating than fruitful. By making sure you’re constantly in the know and collaborating together, you’re better able to manage your eLearning project based on accurate scheduling, content sharing and a harmonious interpretation of what you need. Here are three must-have conversations to create the right foundation for your eLearning project.
Talk #1: Initial Input
You and your instructional designer are not on separate teams. Instead, you’re working together to achieve your eLearning development goals. That’s why there should be open lines of communication surrounding your vision for the project, along with existing materials and media to be included in the project. Offering your initial input should help you better define your eLearning goals and brainstorm delivery methods that best suit your needs.
A good instructional design team wants your input as the manager who will ultimately sign off on the final draft of the module. The initial conversation sets the tone for the rest of your experience working together, so it should be collaborative and open. Set a timeline and work together to come up with a rough sketch of what your module will entail.
Talk #2: Regular Check-In
You shouldn’t have to beg for your instructional design team to keep you in the know: The best designers know that keeping a project manager in the loop means clear expectations. Frequent check-ins ensure that your eLearning project is on the right path, has the materials you want, and will be delivered in the best way possible. You should also be able to compare the design timeline to the one created during the initial input phase of your project.
Keeping the project on-time and on-budget with regular check-ins also keep management happy, so it’s vital to your role as eLearning project manager.
Talk #3: The Follow-up
Finally, it’s vital to have follow-up conversations and emails to further clarify your opinions and requirements for a finished module. When so many are involved in one eLearning project, it’s vital that every member of the team have the same interpretation of conversations and materials. Sending a quick, bulleted list to reiterate a weekly check-in, or fortifying a module change via a conference call keeps all the members of the team – both organizational and instructional – on the same page as to what a successful project looks like.
Don’t skip follow-up communication because you think you got it the first time. If your instructional design team seems to discourage regular check-ins, follow-ups and communication, it might act as a red flag.
eLearning Project Management
As a project manager, it’s up to you to make sure the eLearning process runs smoothly from start to finish. By keeping your entire team in the loop, communication acts as the anchor to help you (and your project) stay on track. For more articles on thought leadership within the eLearning sphere, be sure to check out more from our eLearning blog.
