E-Learning 24/7 Blog
The Truth and Realities of E-LearningSocial Media and E-Learning Survey
As an analyst with Brandon Hall, I am conducting a survey on Social Media and e-learning. From the results of the survey, I will be writing up a report, with recommendations, which will be available to Brandon Hall members.
That said, I am asking readers of this blog, if they could take a few minutes to complete the survey. As a thank you for doing so, you will receive from me, via e-mail a copy of the results. The survey can be completed in less than two minutes. Thank you very much.
Here is the link to the survey: Social Media and E-Learning
LMS Modules – The “Add-On” Facts
LMS/LCMS vendors are notorious for offering the amazing “module” in their marketing and advertising pitches – whether it is on their web site, at trade shows, white papers, e-mail marketing, whatever.
What is a Module?
A module – is an add-on to your LMS/LCMS. Now, we are talking about your base LMS, not their super duper LMS (if they offer such – and not all vendors do). Most offer one LMS, but offer “Modules”.
Before getting into a list. Let’s discuss the three ways, vendors operate within the “add-on” module approach when it comes to their LMS/LCMS – and for our discussion, we will focus on vendors who either offer only one LMS/LCMS or a standard LMS/LCMS – a base for example, and not the robust you get everything and the kitchen sink included.
Vendor Approaches to LMS Modules - We will focus BTW on SAAS (which in basic terms means “Hosted” – as in they host the LMS on their servers).
- Module/Add-on is already integrated within your LMS and is “turned off”. If you want to purchase it, the vendor simply turns it on. (Some vendors offer this and it is becoming more popular)
- Module/Add-on is not integrated in your LMS/LCMS. You can add it at any time and the vendor will integrate it, often with their professional services helping out (for an additional fee) or with their IS folks. Regardless additional fees, beyond you purchasing the “add-on” is part of the game. (Many vendors like this approach. After all it brings in additional revenue)
- Some Module/Add-on are already included, but again, extra cost if you want the another or sometimes a special deal for a couple more. (Rare, but some vendors will offer it. Can use either model, listed above)
- Whatever Module/Add-on are available, are included in your system at no additional charge. (Well, in a manner of speaking). (Rare, but you are starting to see it with smaller vendors who can offer a lite version of one type of module and a more robust of another) – Why? Flexibility.
Types of Modules/Add-on Vendors Offer (This is not an entire list, nor does it imply that every vendor charges extra for these modules, nor that they even have these modules. In fact some already include it at no charge)
- Performance Management or Talent Management
- Mobile Learning
- Social Learning or Collaboration or Community
- Authoring Tool or an Advanced Authoring Tool (Beyond what you get in the system)
- Human Resources Component – Recruiting, Compensation – HRIS, ERP (Can be very advanced)
- Knowledge Management
- E-Commerce
- Certification or Compliance
- Assessments
- Survey
- Event Management
- Classroom Management/Logistics
- VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol – Think Skype for example. Basically enables you to talk through your computer at no cost – of course you need a net connection and preferably a head set with mic for better clarity. A web cam if you want people to see your face)
- Web Conferencing
- Advanced Analytic
Why Charge Extra?
Money. End of Story. It is a big revenue generator for them.
Advantage to Vendors of Up-Front Purchase
It is better for the vendor to have you buy up-front with your LMS, then at a later time. Integration can be done at the same time they are “building your LMS or customizing/tweaking it” or in the case of turn on modules – they just turn them on. This is better for them, then at a later point.
Turn On/Off modules in Your System
Great feature if they are in your system, whether they are included already or you buy them. I assume if you buy them, you want them on. If they are already included, you may not want them on at this point, perhaps later. So, you can simply turn them off.
Words of Advice
- Always ask any LMS/LCMS vendor does the module/add-on in question come with the system and included in it at no extra cost. You have to ask them, otherwise they many not be forthcoming. Example: A vendor at TK2010, had a huge banner on the Expo floor which listed “mobile learning”. I asked them if this was included in their LMS/LCMS or was it a module that cost extra. They told me it cost extra.
- Look on their web site to see if they offer any add-on or modules of interest to you , and see if it is included in their LMS/LCMS as part of their LMS/LCMS (i.e no additional charge and included in your base model). You may have to dig around. Some vendors make it easy to find, some don’t. Worse, some shove so much text and graphics on the page, it is like reading a text book, when really you just want them to say, “Our LMS or standard LMS or whatever comes with X, Y, Z” and leave the pony show at home.
- Ask your sales person questions. If they do offer or include a module/add-on, what specifically is included in it? Some may seem obvious to you, but ask just to make sure. PLUS, and this is VERY IMPORTANT - have them visually show you what is in the module. If they want you as a client – you want to see it, and not view a pre-taped webinar of it. After all, you will probably have questions. You can’t ask them with a taped webinar or recording.
- When you actually are buying the module/add-on have them spell it out in your contract, itemize it with the specific cost associated to it. If you plan on having the module for the length of your contract, make sure to have them include it in any type of discount you seek over a three or multi-year deal.
Again, the discount comes into play after the total cost. Most LMS/LCMS vendors will do this, but some won’t, and say the discount applies to the total cost sans the module. I’ve seen this with e-commerce modules. Makes no sense.
E-Commerce Module
Most LMS/LCMS vendors will not automatically help out with a merchant account or with PayPal Business for you to receive your funds. From which you can deposit the money into your account via EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer – immediate – your company may do this as in direct depost, for example).
LMS/LCMS vendors will often charge you if you want SSL (the biggest player is Verisign. Another vendor is GeoTrust,).
If you already have a merchant account and SSL, you do not need to get another one. Same thing with PayPal Business and not the PayPal personal account.If you are looking for a merchant account vendor, I have included a directory for them, that I like: Merchant Account Directory. Review the options on the side of the screen. Of course, you can use your own bank – if they offer merchant account services – and they should!
Next Week: LMS Negotiations: Discounts + Buy Time
E-Learning 24/7
LMS/LCMS More Puzzlers – OS + Language + Browsers
I realized I left out three additional gems that vendors seem to have just fallen off the planet when it comes to the REAL WORLD!
Operating Systems
Mac
They are not going away, and yet an enormous amount of vendors do not support them. I guess they have no desire to attract this audience. Apparently they are awash in cash or assume that everyone uses Microsoft.
Microsoft – Windows 7
Yes, and it needs to be both 32 bit and 64 bit, which are different. Go to the store and you will see the laptops and home desktops coming out with the 64 bit version home OS, better yet, there is a 64 bit browser for IE, which is slightly different than the regular IE browser. Some home users are upgrading to 32 bit OS of Windows 7 as well. Why?
Because in order to use 64 bit, you have to have a system that supports 64 bit. And if you had purchased a machine that had XP and decided to take the plunge to get to Windows 7 – without a new purchase, you went to 32 bit.
If you had bought a Vista machine you could have purchased one that was 32 bit, since many machines were not 64 bit. I have 64 bit. I only get products that support 64 bit. And yes, Firefox supports 64 bit. I didn’t add Vista, because IMO it is garbage and 7 is just better.
Browsers
Netscape
Many vendors support this. Why? Who uses it? Unless I am back in the mid 90’s with NCSA Mosaic 2.1 or using the Wayback Machine (search google if u are unsure what this is), then I’m not. So dump it. If you want to hit the alternative browser market – go after Opera (which some Smartphones use) or Avant (another small segment of population use). But forget Netscape.
Firefox 3.0+
The newer versions offer more functionality, better security, more capabilities – than older versions. So if you are seriously looking at web 2.0 and higher, then update your browser requirements. Trust me, people will go online and download. The specs can handle someone using Windows XP.
Microsoft IE
Same thing. Honestly, IE 8.0. Welcome to 2010. Show you get it. Or stay in the time warp with Netscape.
Safari
Not only is it for Macs, but Windows users can download a version of it as well. That said, it is the browser most mac users – well, frankly use. They hate anything Microsoft, hence going with Apple (at least that is what my true Mac friends say).
Language Support
Yes, there are many languages that LMS/LCMS vendors leave out, considering we live in a global marketplace, but there is one that really stands out:
Latin American Spanish
This is different than Spanish. LAS is not just Central America, it is Latin America – which many consider to include Mexico. I grew up on the border and learned LAS, not Spanish from Spain (which they teach in College and many text books).
If you want to learn the language, check out Rosetta Stone and you will see that they offer a course in Latin American Spanish – really great. When I look at LMS/LCMS vendors I always ask them if they support LAS. One of my top five. If they do not..see ya. Include your Spanish, but add Latin American Spanish!
Lastly, the only way vendors will change is if end users stand up and say to them – we need you to change – we want to see this and that. Until that happens, many will never change. They will go as it is…never changing. And for some..they will go the route of Polaroid, who waited too long to realize that the digital photography market really was going to achieve success and work. Polaroid has never rebounded from it.
E-Learning 24/7
LMS/LCMS Puzzlers
Just some thoughts that puzzle me on why some LMS/LCMS vendors (okay over 98% of them) are still in some time warp from the Eighties when it comes time to enhance their services and technological solutions. Here are some gems they just fail to grasp:
FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TECH SUPPORT
- I know its a novel idea. I mean yeah, you – the customer are paying thousands of dollars for their product and are expecting a product that is supposed to work 100% of the time, and if not, you expect it to be fixed in a reasonable time (with them stating it with a estimated time) Plus, you expect to be able to call tech support and have them help you with any bugs or issues that arise, OR any challenges you are facing technical related. You (your administrator or yourself and NOT your end users).
So why do vendors refuse to do this? Besides the obvious — $$$$$, I see no other reason. I mean to irritate us that is another reason. I love their arguments
- Well if you have a tech or customer service problem just go to your PM or sales rep. – Why do I want to always have to bother them? I mean yes, I would go to my PM- for escalated issues (but only after your tech support/customer service didn’t help or assist me).
That said, I should be able, or my administrator should be able to call your tech support or customer service, depending on the issue (tech or non-tech) and get an answer – otherwise, why should you as the vendor have those staffs?
- Well, if you have a piece of software, you often have to pay for customer service and tech support. Let me answer you with a quick response to that – I am not paying thousands of dollars for my piece of software I am using at home.
If I was paying thousands of $$$ to EA Sports for a video game or Microsoft Office, yeah – I better get free customer service or that product is going back to the store. Unfortunately, we do not have that luxury when buying YOUR LMS/LCMS.
24/7 Tech Support and Customer Service
Hmm, we are in a global marketplace, so why are a large number of vendors still believing that everyone is on EST? Or hours are only 8 to 5 p.m. ET or CT and M-F? Fantastic. I like the added experience of no weekends – so when your system goes down and your end users who are at home can’t use it and then complain to you on Monday or if you are really lucky and have a mobile that some can call you at (and they do) so you get to do nothing, except grumble.
Better yet, is that you e-mail your LMS/LCMS vendor’s tech support and it is as though it goes into a black hole and is never seen again.
No follow-up, zip. Or you receive the infamous generic template e-mail – Dear X, thank you we have blah blah. Please allow blah blah hours to respond. How many times have they not responded within that time frame and then you have to pick up the phone and call them? When this happens, it is always a RED FLAG to me. I wonder, how important am I really to them? Or am I just another number to them to add to their bottom line?
Their Own Integrated Web Conferencing Tool
Instead of having a preferred or recommended vendor that integrates into their LMS/LCMS, what about if they actually created their own web conferencing solution – built-in within their LMS/LCMS? True Turnkey. No longer, are you stuck with their “preferred” or are required to having to go out and find someone to use (unless you want to) and spend all that time doing it.
If you could get the key features (that all good WC’s provide – please see my blog article on Web Conferencing); wouldn’t you be more enticed to look at that solution?
Especially if you spent months looking at LMS/LCMS systems, and now you have to go and find a web conferencing solution that either integrates – i.e. it hyperlinks from the LMS, when the end user clicks it – to the Web Conferencing Vendor (which is on their server), but gives the illusion to the novice end user that it is within your LMS OR you go with preferred which integrates within their LMS/LCMS, with full wrapper and full tracking, etc.
Some can hyperlink and still do the tracking, but a fully built in web conferencing solution, especially with emerging technology, seems to make technological sense. Hard to pitch to me, your cutting edge or at the forefront, when are not doing this.
API – Application Program Interface
Open architecture – enabling interaction between software (in our case SAAS – hosted, so yes LMS/LCMS or frankly anything hosted or software). You can create your own APIs or locate open APIs and use them legally for free. Enables you to integrate a wide swath of offerings within your LMS/LCMS. Some items could be: widgets, web conferencing (if you do not want to go the “preferred” way), e-commerce/shopping cart, your own self built social network, robots, mashups, etc.
Granted you need to have your IS/IT/Developer or programmer work with your LMS vendor, but the capabilities are truly unlimited. This is emerging technology. Personally, it is in my top five questions I ask a vendor. If they say NO, I walk away, regardless how great they are. Because honestly, they aren’t that great, without it.
Trust me. API is a must have for the future of LMS/LCMS solutions if you want to be at the forefront of where this industry is going – for you and specifically for your learners and the features/capabilities you can offer them. If you ever wondered, “can I create an e-learning community” in my LMS, and do this and that? If it offers API, and the technology is there, then it is doable, plus it is only going to grow.
BTW an example of API – Linkedin status updates shared on your Twitter account.
Next Week: LMS Modules: Be Careful that what they are advertising is actually part of your LMS and not an extra cost!
E-Learning 24/7
M-Learning: Landscape Changer: E-Reader
I know that there are quite a few out there right now going HUH?? What about the smart phone, I mean they have been pitching the smart phone. Yeah, I am well aware of it. But while the smart phone will be involved and be utilized in the mobile learning scene, IMO the e-reader will become more of a beneficial partner with m-learning because it offers soooo many more capabilities than the smartphone. Case in point:
One Person’s Thoughts
I was chatting with someone the other day on this topic and she said to me (and btw she is an end user, not someone in the industry), why would I want to access a course on my Blackberry? The screen is too small. However with an e-reader, I would be able to see the course since the screens are larger (more in a sec. on that). She added, I have no desire to take a course on my Blackberry and never would. Now, think about that for a second. Would you take a course on a Blackberry? Would you find it enjoyable? A smart phone is an amazing product and in the m-learning sector will compliment learning, but her statement, makes just another reason, why an e-reader can change the market. So, without further adieu:
Screen, Color, uh I don’t know file format?
I hear the snickering, what is this guy talking about. Everyone knows that e-readers are in that gray screen (some 4, 8 or 16 shades) using that e-ink thing, the screen size – come on, give me a break and the file format..wow, can they have any more and what is it?
Color
There is already a couple of e-readers out there that offer color. Yes, you heard me, color. And not crummy color either. Rich 1024×768 LCD in one case with high frame per second, the other has equally superb color. No they are not your Nook, Kindle or Sony E-Reader. You can be assured that in the not too distant future, other e-readers will follow. Oh, another key reason: the Ipad. Do you think Amazon is going to let Apple have a color tablet with e-reader capabilities and Amazon will stay in non-color field? I don’t think so!
Screen Size
I will not include the Ipad in this, because a)it is really heavy, b) too me it is more of a tablet, that will include e-reader capabilities. However, on the true “e-reader” field, they range (for the most part) in the 6″ to 7″ field, but the Kindle DX is 9.7″. Now, a new player hit the market with a 10.7″ screen. Again, brand new into the marketplace. How many other e-readers will increase their screen size by the end of 2011?
File Formats
Before I blaze into this glorious land, let’s setup a quick term you may have seen or heard – DRM, which stands for Digital Rights Management. In a nutshell it was created to thwart piracy of the vendor’s file format i.e. to pirate e-books.
While I won’t get into all the file formats and this and that, I will focus on the ones that will matter to us – first – the ebook format, next the other formats which add to the changing of the landscape.
Epub
This is already and soon will become even more so the most dominant e-book format. Sony uses it, so does the Nook, Ipad too, and many other e-readers. E-readers do not have a one only format, but if they did, this is it and yes it is DRM protected, but more open.
Who doesn’t use it..Amazon. Why not? They want their proprietary format .azw. I surmise for awhile Amazon will stick with .azw as their format and keep the monopoly going, especially for Kindle users who cannot purchase e-books anywhere else, unless they use Amazon. Ironically, the premise of the tough DRM standard, is somewhat of a joke. There are reports out on the net of hackers cracking the code, and thus enabling Kindle users to go elsewhere too. So long monopoly.
Other File Formats – Relevant to Us
Umm, lets see:
- .Swf (yes, Flash and not Flash lite either) – An e-reader already boosts this as a new feature into the marketplace. Ipad is going to use HTML5 instead of .swf, assuming they can get it to work in the near future, but its Flash sans Adobe. This e-reader also had the color screen too.
- .PPT – Another e-reader player has it; many offer .txt, .pdf; some offer .doc as well
- .WMV, .AVI, MP3, .MP4, .ASF – E-readers hitting the marketplace are starting to offer these features as well. So, you now add audio/video capabilities too. Again, eventually the big guys will have to follow suit.
- .GIF, .JPG, .BMP
Cool Bonus Features
- Text to Speech – Many e-readers offer this already. Lots of possibilities here for our industry.
- SD cards – Expansion city.
- Hard Drive – Plastic Logic offers this in 6b, and 8gb respectively. Price point is outrageous in the e-reader market, but still intriguing, nevertheless.
- Surf the Internet: Alex anyone? If you are curious Google “Alex e-reader”.
Wi-Fi
E-Readers most powerful arsenal against the smart phone industry. FREE 3G Wi-Fi. Repeat it. FREE 3G. For those e-readers who offer it (all the big guns do), wow..thank you! No more having to pay extra for data or extra for the privvy of using 3G with your smart phone.
Yeah you are stuck with you the e-reader company went with, but hey you are paying for the e-reader and its features and uh, e-books (the original premise of an e-reader), so this is like extra sprinkles on an ice cream cone.
E-Readers + Possibilities
There are so many out there, too many to say in one blog column, but here is just a quick few tied to a LMS.
- End users can access select courses, course catalog or courses themselves, download them and take them on their e-reader. The courses are .swf with audio/video capabilities, oh they offer text to speech too.
- End users can grab sims and download them, training templates, mini quick reference guides, manuals (which should be banned..really 20 pages? Who is going to read that?), whatever. Download and take it with them. Read them on their time, anytime, plane, auto (not driving of course), wherever. Unlimited access.
- You can add a “Library” to your LMS and offer the same features and capabilities to your end users. Check out materials, items,remember that webinar you recorded last month? Download the audio version of it, or video or both? Take it with you. Smorgasbord of possibilities. All available, plus you can fully track. How about sections in your library? One for this topic, or that topic.. People go to that section, find what they are looking for and whalla.
- Bookstore, anyone? You can sell any type of materials, content, courses you can think of, your customers buy it via a bookstore with e-comm on your LMS. Same as the library, they pick what they want – templates, mini guides, social media offerings, you name it, it can be done. Heck sims using .swf , audio/video, etc.
Last Word
I often think back to my friend’s statement about smart phones and using them with learning. When I mentioned to her all these features and possibilities, she looked at me, and said this makes sense. M-Learning is here, and it is only going to get better, but compare your devices and ask yourself a simple question. Will Wally Widget of the general masses more likely to purchase a smartphone or an e-reader?
Toss out the only twenty year-olds are using this thing. According to Tech Crunchies: Average age: 35 to 54; College or post grad degree.
Now, let me re-state the question again. Is Wally the Widget of the general masses, more likely to purchase a smartphone or an e-reader?
E-Learning 24/7
Interoperability – It works every time! Wrong..
Interoperability – The Double Premise for a LMS/LCMS
You can take any course from one system pull it out and then upload it into another system and it will work without any problems whatsoever. No issues, perfect. So, if the course is SCORM 1.2 and the LMS/LCMS is SCORM 1.2 everything works fine. SURE IT WILL!
What about in your current system? If you create a SCORM whatever course or AICC course by a developer (and they are not using a rapid e-learning software that your vendor accepts) OR you are purchasing off the shelf courses it will work, without a hitch. REALLY? NOT!
Again, 100% interoperability without any problems. So, you buy some courses from Brainworks to go into your system and it should work without any problems..A quick upload, and whalla..ready to go — OR Sally your 3rd party developer builds an amazing sim in 100% flash and you are going to upload that course into your system and it should work without any problems — no issues.. YEAH, RIGHT!
Yeah, where did I put that deed to the Brooklyn Bridge?
My soon to be vendor says…
If your potential vendor tells you they never have any interoperability issues with 3rd party off the shelf content or developer content (i.e. built by another party – developer for you or your company) and that it integrates without a hitch, I seriously doubt it.
Anyone in this industry knows that interoperability sounds fantastic, but you will face challenges, regardless of your LMS/LCMS vendor – small, medium or large. Doesn’t matter.
Bring in the Moving Truck
If you are moving your courses (excluding your rapid e-learning software courses, such as those built in Articulate or Captivate or whatever – and your new LCMS/LMS vendor accepts them) from your current LMS/LCMS vendor into your new LMS/LCMS vendor, 99% of the time you will face interoperability issues.
Can it be fixed?
Don’t worry though. They can be fixed. And who is going to fix them? Your 3rd party developer or the 3rd party off the shelf vendor (example: Element K courses or Rosetta Stone) to go into the new system. BTW, they should do this for FREE. Especially in this economy. I never paid for this service. If you are worried about it, stick it in your contract with them as a “just in case scenario”.
Again, they will work with your new LMS/LCMS vendor to get this done!
Tweaking the Code – Integrating into your LMS/LCMS
It is going to happen, especially if you have a third party develop your courses. The first time, they try to integrate your course into your LMS, they probably will have to tweak some code in the course so that it integrates completely. Even, if the course is SCORM whatever, it doesn’t matter.
Your LCMS/LMS vendor will need to work with your 3rd party developer. However, after the first time the tweak is made and the course now works, if you use that same developer again, they will know what coding is needed for your LMS and will have it already in place, so no additional tweaking is needed. Thus going forward, the course is easily integrated and ready to work.
What about hiring a firm to build my courses?
Even if you are hiring a company to create your courses, and it is not the LMS/LCMS vendor (some vendors offer this option – personally, I never use them – too expensive for what you get), you will need to have the company’s project manager or whomever you are working with connect with the LMS/LCMS contact person you are working with – they typically hand it off to someone in IT – to identify what is needed, so that tweaks in the code can be made and the course or courses will work in the LMS/LCMS.
Again, it only happens the first time – assuming you plan to use that company again to build courses for you and implement/integrate into your LMS/LCMS. Going forward, they should know what code is needed, so that the course can talk to the LMS/LCMS and vice versa and information, and data, etc. can be tracked.
3rd party Off the Shelf Courses
I purchased Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish courses for a company I worked at, to go into my LMS. The courses and my LMS were SCORM 1.2 compliant. However, when the courses were integrated, they did not function correctly. Code tweaking had to be made on the Rosetta Stone side, to go into my LMS. After the tweaks were made, and in conjunction in working with my vendor, everything worked. Again, had I purchased other courses from RS, the tweaks needed would have been made prior to the course being uploaded/integrated into my LMS.
Exceptions
I have found that interoperability issues do not exist if you are using any of the rapid e-learning software vendors and the LMS/LCMS accepts those specific rapid e-learning software vendors – i.e. Articulate, Captivate, etc. Even, if you are switching LMS systems. One caveat though: if your new LMS/LCMS vendor does not accept courses built in XYZ e-learning software, which just happens to be what you built yours in, then you will need to work with them to tweak it, so that it does work.
However, if they do accept it, you won’t have a problem. You simply move the course – i.e. the course, course files – it might be zipped already or however you initially uploaded it into your previous LMS/LCMS vendor – and upload it into your new vendor.
TEST, TEST
Always have your LMS/LCMS vendor test the courses to make sure they work in the system, and you test them as well. Create a dummy student or two. Take the course, play around in it. Generate a report or a few, make sure everything works. If everything works, then you can sign off with your 3rd party developer or 3rd party off the shelf course vendor. If it does not work, have them – i.e. your LMS vendor and course developer or 3rd party off the shelf course vendor (whatever you are trying to upload) work together until it does integrate properly.
My rule of thumb
You do not get paid, until everything works 100%. I tell all 3rd party developers this is my rule, non-negotiable. A good developer will agree to this without question, and many in the field will include it anyway in their discussions with you, but if not, be firm and require it.
And if something breaks down at a later point within our contract agreement (typically with off the shelf course 3rd party vendors) you will fix it for free.
Remember the Golden Rule
When dealing with interoperability issues, you never want to be the in-between from the standpoint of talking to the vendor then the developer or 3rd party off the shelf course vendor and back and forth to get the tweaks done, so uploading/integrating can be done.
Yes, you want to be kept informed. Yes, you may have to do some follow through. But the onus is on your LMS vendor and your developer or off the shelf vendor to make it happen. Never become the in-between. It serves no purpose, but only headaches for you. You will spend a lot of time tracking people down, dealing with technical issues that you shouldn’t have to. If your LMS vendor’s IT person or whomever is dealing with the other party is not responding – then go to your point of contact with your LMS vendor and explain the issue. Trust me, it will be resolved.
Coming This Week: M-Learning – One device that will change the landscape and why vendors must adapt (and haven’t yet)! (No, its not the Ipad).
E-Learning 24/7
LMS/LCMS Reports: Generate or Perish
Let’s get right to the chase. You have a LCMS/LMS. You generate reports about your employees or customers or both on information that you need to validate impact of learning or return on investment or because department xyz wants the information to ensure that Bobby is actually completing the course. Oh, yeah, if you have compliance training in there – data reports are necessary as well, for obvious reasons.
Bottom Line
You need the reports, just as you need data. They are your best friends, but sometimes your best friend – Robbie Report – does not extract the information you need. Why? Because your LMS/LCMS does not offer it. Rats! Or perhaps another word, which since this is a rated G blog, can not be repeated.
Report Reality: Facts
Here are the basic reports your system should be generating and the information you should want. I will just identify the basics and not the combination capabilities, such as attends the course, time in the course, sections or areas in the course they went (whatever the correct verbiage is), etc.
- How often did the student go into the course? i.e, how many times or visits
- How long (time wise) were they in the course?
- What sections or modules or areas or pages did they visit (again, whatever the verbiage is) and how long (time wise)? Not all LMS/LCMS offer this, but really if they do, it is a great feature, and frankly they should! BTW, this is what I require for a customization report. It only is beneficial, if your courses offer those capabilities.
- What courses did all the students for that curriculum go into? How long were they in there? How often? (This is a report, some departments like to have, rather than the detailed one). If you want to know for the entire catalog, then you generate the report identifying “What courses did the students go into or have accessed?”
- Who accessed or entered the LMS/LCMS? How often? (you can identify it by day, multiple days, week, etc.)
- You want the ability to generate the reports on a daily, weekly or monthly or whenever basis, i.e. how many times did student y go into course a, course e and course g during week z. OR Who accessed the courses on Tuesday?
- Run reports by department or division or curriculum or whatever area you set it up as.
- Reports of people who have completed the courses and reports of people who have completed the curriculum or learning track. If you have a certification program, then you want to generate a whole additional set of reports, but for this article, I will hold off, since the majority of people do not have certification programs, but of course, you would want who completed the certification, who hasn’t, a total list of students who have, who haven’t, where are they in the program, etc.
Assessments
If you use or implemented in a course or courses an assessment requirement, then you will want the following reports.
- Score results – final score, percentage correct/number correct, number missed/percentage missed
- Questions – Questions missed, what questions specifically were missed
- Student/Group – list by students/group i.e how did department x do versus department z or sales division a versus sales division b; Individual student report, total students report
- By course, list by curriculum or learning track or certification specs
The Report Curse of some LMS/LCMS Vendors
What you do NOT want to do, is extract (i.e. pull out) the data and put it into a database (say Access) and then generate reports so that department x gets what they need, you get what you need, blah blah. Let’s face it, do you really have unlimited hours to do this? More importantly, every time you do this, your company is losing money. Why?
Because your time is being spent having to do additional steps, which impacts your productivity (since you could be working on something else) and really should not be necessary, if you have the right LMS/LCMS. So, the next time your company wants to stay with the LMS/LCMS and you want to change, use this spin. It’s reality.
Next Week: Mobile Learning: One device that will impact us all and why vendors must adapt (and they haven’t)! (And no, it isn’t the Ipad).
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Here Data, Data, Data – LMS
We all want to have the perfect LMS/LCMS when we purchase it and implement it into our workplace. So, we investigate, ask questions, perhaps do a RFP, ask more questions and then purchase.
We implement it and then the big UH OH comes out…my DATA..that wasn’t supposed to happen or why is this taking so long or I have to do this myself or what types of files, huh what are they talking about questions start to arise. All of which could have been eradicated prior to you purchasing that LMS.
Questions to Ask your Would-Be LMS/LCMS vendor
- How does your system upload my employee data? Do I have to do it myself? Can you do it, if I send you the file – and if yes, does that cost more?
- What types of files does your system accept when I upload the data? Do you take .csv files (Which you ideally want)? What other formats?
- For the employee data, what fields do I need to have in order for the data to be uploaded correctly? i.e. First name, last name, is it employee ID # or a number you generate, address?, city, zip code? Do you have to have the last name (first)? They may say it depends on how you create your personal information or information you want to capture in the LMS. Make sure you get clarity on this component, because it can create some real headaches, especially when the data is being compiled and sent to you via your IT/IS contact person or HR or a combo of the two – They WILL want to know WHAT data you want and need – so YOU will need to know as well.
- If I have a new employee, how do I add them? Can I just upload that data record – i.e. via .csv? Or do I have to enter it manually? (Trust me, you do not want to do the latter).
- If we decide to do just weekly full employee data uploads, will it wipe/replace the original data that exists in the system? Or will it only add the new information into the system and keep the other data in existence? This is a good to know, because some IT/IS people like to send the whole thing over again with the new employees or those that are gone, and you really want to know how that works in your system, if you decide to go this route. Personally, I do not recommend a constant upload of full employee data – for the reason of potential wipe out. What I do recommend though, is a weekly upload of new employees, rather than a daily upload.
Need To Know
- You will manually need to delete employees who are no longer with the company. So you will need to create a process with your HR stakeholder on how you are going to get this information on a weekly basis/ and through your IS/IT stakeholder who is going to extract this information via a .csv file to send to you with your required information.
- Make sure you create a process or a plan on how you will receive a weekly data file from your IS/IT stakeholder (and who they are). I say IS/IT, because typically the HR person inputs the employee data, it gets housed on a server, and your IS/IT person can extract the information you want for your file (be consistent though, or they will really hate you –hahah) and send it you via .csv. Your HR stakeholder can provide you with the name of the new employees you will need IT to pull, hence you need both people, and of course, the ones who have left the company – for you to remove.
- A .csv file is a Comma Delimited file. So you may see that term instead. A .csv file can be created, opened and saved in Excel or any open source spreadsheet program.
- An upload of employee data records is/should be on one .csv file, regardless of the number of employees you have. If you can upload the file yourself, the upload should not take that long (depends on your network speed – T1 or higher or lower) and the size of the file – obviously, the more employees you have the bigger the file, the bigger the bytes.
- However, it shouldn’t take 15 minutes for any upload, let alone the first time you upload all the employees or only those employees who have seats. If it takes that long – that sends a RED FLAG to me, because it tells me they have slow server speed – which you do not want.
- So ask them, how long does it take to upload an employee data file – say with 5,000 employees on it with their info., into their system, using .csv format? Have them give you a number a time or find out and call you back. You want quick but be realistic. Two seconds, is not realistic. 10 minutes – look elsewhere for a company, unless you have no issue with that.
If you have already Purchased a LMS/LCMS or are Looking to Leave and Go Elsewhere or Just Curious
The vendor’s favorite line – the “BIG BAD WOLF LINE” is if you leave our system and go to another system, your DATA may become “corrupt” or “not work” correctly.
My response: BOGUS!
Do not and I repeat do not let them scare you with this tactic, because it is a tactic. Trust me, if that was true, they wouldn’t be in business for long, since it would tell me they have some real server issues and technical issues on their end. Thus, why would you want to stay with them anyway?
Data Reality
- They work with your new vendor to transfer the data
- If your vendor is a turd frankly, they will become nasty and do nothing. You say okay, I want all my employee data in one file and all the courses they completed, incomplete, scores, whatever in another file, by their first and last name and whatever Id you used. Have them send them as comma delimited files (.csv). They may say they can’t do it…I always respond back, “you mean you won’t?” If their system has reports that extract that data for you to generate number of courses taken/completed (for example), then they have the ability to pull that data. End of Story!
- If you are not planning on having the same courses in your new vendor’s lms or are unsure, then just have your latest employee data extracted. Personally, I like having the courses they completed or incomplete just in case you decide to add those. Worse case, you can manually go in and identify the employee and select completed on the administration side. If they can’t or more importantly won’t do the course completion data (and you want this info), go up the food chain. Someone will cave and give it to you.
One last word about DATA:
If you have to extract your data from your LMS/LCMS to generate a report because your system, currently does not provide that report; it may be time to look to a new vendor… Why?
Next week: LMS Reports
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Tech Knowledge: LMS – What were they Thinking? Notes on the Go
As I was walking around the Expo floor yesterday, I was surprised by a LMS vendor that had some “What were they Thinking?”when it came to features in their system.
What were they Thinking?
1. On the administration side, a good LMS will enable you to either “turn on/off” labels, or you can “edit” the labels or “add” new labels. Simple to use. Easy to use. Anyone can do it. However with these guys, if you want to change the labels on the front side for the home page for end users — You have to change it with HTML! That’s right. HTML. So your administrator, has to know HTML to make the changes for the labels, edit, remove, delete. Plus additional changes to the front side. Why do this?
Apparently, they believe that everyone has a programmer or someone in IT/IS who can do this and is available. But as a lot of us know, that isn’t the case. Our administrators do not typically 99% of the time have that skill set and unless you are a heavy tech geek and know coding, you are perhaps unlikely to know that code. Plus, is your IS/IT have someone who can handle this or has the time to do it?
2. Tech Support: They charge for it. $2,500. Uh, excuse me? I said to the vendor, if I buy a brand new car and it breaks, why should I pay the dealership to fix it? Silence.
3. Administration Side: They are updating it. First time in 13 years. Let me repeat this — 13 years. As I recall the projected date is “April”. They couldn’t guarantee that date, fully understandable. That said, this to me is a “Red Flag“. Why?
Red Flag
A. Waiting that many years to create a new administration back end interface design? It says to me, how fast are they to make new changes and switches going forward, especially when their reasoning made no sense for the hold back on the change. The vendor explained that their customers did not want to make the change, because it would be difficult or confusing to re-learn.
Okay, but think this way: If you are a new customer during that time frame, you wouldn’t know regarding the past. You wouldn’t care. You would want something easy to use, slick to use. So that argument, to me doesn’t hold water.
Additionally, in 13 years, many things have changed – i.e. a new slicker interface, new coding capabilities. Plus — uhh training? Train your end users on how to use the new administration side. Offer them “free training”, webinars or instructor led (during that time frame) or blended or documents – pdfs, whatever.
You have lots of choices. Lastly, ignore the “data” spin. Making an interface change does NOT affect your data. Especially, since they — the vendor is making this interface change. This is their job, to make sure data works within the new interface. If not, they fix the bugs.. and how do they ensure that the data is not impacted? They used a “sand box” or “test environment” with fake data and their new interface and worked out the bugs and issues before going “live‘.
YET on a Plus or maybe Minus depending on your perspective: As part of your back end side, they give you a “live” environment, which is your LMS, a “production” or something like that — can’t recall full details, and a “test drive”, which is basically a sand box. So, in the last environment, this is where they actually test their updates, new features, maintenance, prior to putting it into the “live” environment.
Plus, you as the administrator can go into the test environment, and play around in it, test things out without damaging your live “LMS” environment. I like this.
If you are unfamiliar with the multi-environment experience, you may see this as a minus. The only Plus you would see, is the testing from them, making sure things works, before they do a maintenance update or update across all the “LMS” – i.e. live environments. So, that is a plus. Again, if they offer this — why couldn’t they have done this in the span of waiting 13 years to upgrade the interface on the administration side?
Module Advertisement and Mobile Learning
Lastly, they advertise lots of modules — nice, but they charge extra for them. Their mobile learning is cool, but it uses “proprietary” based software — their software. So you cannot create content/courses in other mobile learning tools or open source mobile learning tools be able to use it with their solution. They say they are working on a future upgrade to do this. Again, “future”.
More Notes Later..including a player who “gets” it when it comes to where “LMS’s have to go now and down the road – social integration tied to Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Skype; Plus unlimited Seats, plus Community page – photos, thoughts, plus the whole reg. features of a LMS — and other. Still has some things to work on, still has a few components to go — oh, did I say $12K? I think by late Q3, these guys are going to have a fully robust system that can do damage. Small company, but what is nice, they “see” it, they “understand it” and “they grab” it. – future – yeah – open source, api. Off to another seminar.
Web Conferencing: Features U must Have and Nice Options
Must have features for your webinar web conferencing solution. Exception: Seats or licenses – depends on your situation and your goals. While, I have my personal preference, everyone is different, so the “what do I get Seats or Licenses?” choice is based on your objectives and needs.
- Ability to hold multiple sessions per day or at the same time. In other words, if you want to have 3 seminars going on at 9 a.m. you can. You have 3 different rooms. If you want to have 5 going on at the same time you can. As for the per day: You have one at 9 a.m, 10 a.m, and so on…
- Unlimited sessions per month. MUST HAVE. This ties into #1. Your solution should give you unlimited per month. There is no reason in this day and age for you to have any sort of limitation on this. The only catch to it, and really its not a big deal is..
- Seats. It used to be that every WC vendor went the seats route. However, there is now a push towards licenses. If the seats aspect is in play – you purchase your seats, but you still want unlimited sessions per month. Thus, you can have up to x number of people per session. So, yes, you could hold multiple sessions per day and yes, you could hold multiple at the same time – as long as it did not exceed the total number of seats. Example: At your 9 a.m. webinar, room #1 has 15 seats, room #2 has 25 seats. You purchased 40 seats. At 10 a.m. you have only one webinar, so you offer all 40 seats and so on.
- Licenses: You purchase as many licenses as you need for your company. Each administrator or person who runs the “show” gets the license. Now, this can sound confusing, but it really isn’t. You do NOT buy licenses for every person in the webinar. Rather this is for your company. So, let’s say as the Director of Training you clearly need a license. You buy one. The license includes unlimited webinars for the month and number of people (in essence seats) OR unlimited number of people.
- Typically with licenses - a lot of vendors do not enable you to have the multiple rooms at the same time – i.e. the multiple seminars going on at the same time offer. Now, Bob, VP of Sales, wants to hold (dare I say it?) meetings with his team scattered all over the country, plus have webinars handled by his team (and not training – I know – how dare he!). So, Bob now must purchase a license, since he will be handling his own stuff, and will not be using your license. After all, you have webinars on those days that Bob needs to have his meetings and his webinars. You can’t do both. Hence, another license.
- To License or Not to License that is the Question. Many Pros and Cons on the licenses aspect versus seats spin. Really it comes down to what else does your vendor provide, what type of agreement you are seeking, features, what do you want to do with your webinar – web conferencing solution. As I said, I prefer “seats” purchase versus licenses – Why?
- Month to Month Players. New kids on the block, well they have been there for a bit, but you are seeing more and more of them. You pay per month. You can bolt at any time – 30 days notice. No “contract” in theory. That said, you always score a better deal signing a one year deal. However, M2Ms are easier to pull out of – if u are unhappy with their service, compared to a vendor that you purchased licenses. There are a lot of M2Ms out there, and in my mind there is only one worthy of receiving excellence by me (if u are interested in the name, please email me).
- Visual. Personally, I like to see the person talking to me. Especially in a webinar scenario. After all, it is a seminar but online. Therefore, you MUST have a vendor that enables the ability to have your instructor/presenter/whatever visible on screen. Some terms they use for this includes: video, web cam. I eliminate the terminology by just saying: “I want to have blah blah visible on the screen when people are attending my webinar. Can you do this. Yes or No?” – Whalla, easy! Now, you also want to see how many other people can be seen on the screen at the same time too.
- 1, 2,4,6, 8.. How many instructor web cam/video visual windows does your vendor allow on the screen at the same time? Can you only have your instructor visible or also some learners/instructors who have web cams as well? BTW, what are your instructor “window” options?
- Is it stationary – so it the instructor window always stays in one place? Can an end user move it around the screen using their mouse? Can the end user expand the size of the window, so your instructor’s face or image is bigger? What does it look like when this happens? I mean if it looks grainy, maybe the expansion option for that vendor is not your best choice.
- Number of frames, Quality. I love the new option some vendors are pitching “HD”. Great. Problem with that, is speed on the other end – i.e. what the end user sees – which effects quality; how much better does the image appear when it comes to “HD”; and really can your end user tell the difference? Personally, at this point in the tech world, ignore the “HD” option, unless it is free. I had it with one vendor and rarely used it. My end users couldn’t tell the difference and honestly, the image quality often was poor when you expanded out the window, plus the infamous increase of frames per second was irrelevant to someone who is watching on a slow cable line or even any slow line or modem. Bleech!
- I have a highlighter, underlines, you can draw images, point to things, upload your powerpoint or other presentation. - Big deal. They all offer this.
- Desktop sharing - i.e. you can take control of your end users screen or they of yours – so you could share or work on a document together; you can do a “web tour or whatever term they like to use” – you can surf the net and your end users follow you and see what you see; you can upload your presentations on the fly – you do not need to upload ahead of time. You want all these features. The first two – nearly all do this. The last one, not all vendors offer this. Many are still stuck in the ice age with requiring you to upload your whatever ahead of time, and not on the fly – as in oh, I want to add this right from my desktop into my presentation – now.
- Email within. You want to be able to import your attendees or at least add them into the program – including newbies (which for the latter, they all do) and then EMAIL INVITES WITHIN THE PROGRAM and not having to use your own email account to send out the invites. You want to track who accepts and declines right? – Some systems offer this. You want to see who opens it right? – Some vendors offer this (very rare though). You want to see if someone even gets it – i.e. you have the right email address, right? (some vendors offer this) – So, why would you want to have to email your invites through your own email account? Ludicrous.
- Reminders. Sent from within the system and you can set it up so they can go out x number of days prior to. Better: You can send out multiple reminders. Regardless, you have to have the reminders option. End of story.
- Verification of Registration. Unless you are using some type of event management solution, once your end user accepts your invite, they should receive some type of verification. Rare to find, but a nice bonus feature.
- Text chat, people can raise their hands using icons, send private messages to the instructor, ask questions by text. They all have it. However..
- End users can send messages to each other while the webinar is taking place. If you want this feature, not all vendors offer this. And if they do include it, ask them if you can turn it off – it is a nice option, if you do not want Sarah and Lisa to be badmouthing your instructor or talking about this weekend during your webinar in private messages.
- Edit Text Transcripts. Very rare to find with vendors, but for those of us who do not want our end users to see a final version of stuff not relevant to the topic, an edit option prior to the final version (which includes the audio/video portion) being released, can be cool. However, you cannot edit the audio/video version ahead of time, unless you receive it as a download and have the capabilities to do so. Really, who wants to do that and who has the time?
- As for text, some folks like the edit option, since your text transcripts may include Aleen mentioning she is hungry in the chat that everyone can see. No thank you. BTW, not all vendors even offer the text chat transcript with your final version (a/v) for view or download.
- Mute. The instructor can mute end users either while the end users are on the phone or VOIP or both. Must have it. Better: Instructor can mute individual end users, rather than everyone. Why do this? Have you ever heard the “hold music” while someone puts the phone on the hold line? What about hearing keyboard tapping or someone talking to someone else in the room? Talk about distractions. Nobody wants to hear this. My recommendation: try to find the individual end user option, since it is nice to just pick Mike who is at home and you can hear his kid screaming in the background, rather than everyone on the call, since others may have questions.
- Twitter and other social media. Very new concept. Rare to find among vendors, however there are those who are implementing this solution. Basically, you can send the invite to the end user via Twitter/another social media offering. You can also have reminders sent out via Twitter/another social media offering. Nice, however – if your end users never use Twitter or social media, then worthless.
- Looks like your site – branded. YOU WANT THIS, especially if you have a LMS and plan either some form of integration or at least a link from within your LMS. Now, if you do not care that your end users see the name of your vendor and their colors and not yours, then this is not a big issue. But I always liked to have my colors at a minimum on the site and my logo. The logo had to be there. Some vendors charge extra to have their logo removed or some require that their logo or text is somewhere on the screen. Try to negotiate this to remove it. I’ve walked before. Frankly, I am paying for this service and I do not want to see your advertising, unless you are paying me or offering this free.
A word about Mobile and WC: Great concept, really nice. Downside: I have yet to see a vendor who offers the “video” capability – i.e. you can see the instructor during the webinar. Those that offer the mobile capability use text chat. When the video option comes into play, it will be a nice bonus. However, the ability to register or sign up for webinars via mobile is awesome and if your vendor offers it – WOW. I love this feature, especially if the person – end user does not have to have a smartphone.
This Week 27-29th: TechKnowledge Expo Hall Reports: Favs and Duds. I will reporting nightly on my blog, some of my Favs and Duds, that I see at this year’s TK Expo Hall.
Coming Next Week – Feb.: Here Data, Data, Data – LMS Reports
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