A Guide To The Hidden Essentials
Choosing the right eLearning partner is crucial—it can significantly influence the success of your organization's online training initiatives. Many tips and tricks exist for choosing the right partner for your eLearning needs. In our 30 years in the industry, we have learned why clients seek support outside their organizations and what to consider for each need.
Organizations partner with eLearning vendors for three primary reasons: to augment their teams, to gain fresh creative insights, or to access technical expertise. This article will delve into each need and equip you with the strategies to find the perfect vendor to achieve your goals.
Team Augmentation
When your organization faces resource constraints, partnering with an eLearning vendor becomes a strategic necessity. However, the selection process is often brief, making it imperative to identify potential red flags early, as issues can compound over time.
Experience And Staffing
The success of your project depends heavily on the vendor's team maturity. Assess whether they have the capacity and expertise to handle your upcoming projects without bringing in new hires, which could impact delivery timelines and quality. Will they have to hire new employees or contractors for your project? How experienced is the team you'll work with? An experienced team is more likely to deliver consistent, high-quality results.
Collaboration
Success depends on smooth teamwork with the vendor. Ask about their internal and external processes. Can they join your communication tools? Will they integrate with your project management software? Regular meetings, ideally once or twice a week, are critical, more frequently early on and reducing as the project progresses.
Timelines And Project Management
Your project's success depends on skilled project managers (PMs) who can deconstruct complex tasks into achievable, timely objectives and communicate frequently and transparently. Evaluate their experience by asking how long they've been in the industry. Ask what the average tenure of a PM is. Ask how they plan out complex projects, use tools, and break down desired outcomes into achievable tasks with deadlines. You can request de-identified timelines of past projects and any references from current or prior clients to verify their track record for timely delivery. Were deadlines respected?
Communication
Effective communication is the backbone of any successful partnership. During your interviews, pay close attention to how well the vendor understands your needs. If they focus more on selling themselves than on understanding you, view it as a warning sign that they may not commit to your success.
Leading Or Taking Direction
Examine whether or not the vendor can support you in the way you need. Can they give you examples of taking direction and executing their vision? How have they led a project alone? Your bandwidth may be limited, so you may want to trust your partner to lead effectively.
Creative Insights
The creative prowess of an eLearning provider is best judged by examining their past projects. When reviewing their work, consider the following critical aspects:
In-The-Moment Ideation
An innovative partner doesn't wait to contribute; they involve their creative lead early in discussions. This proactive engagement allows them to offer insightful strategies to break down and organize your objectives, enhancing the learning experience. They bring out-of-the-box ideas to the table that can set your project apart from the competition.
Engagement
Interactivity is crucial to engagement, which helps retain information. Your eLearning partner should demonstrate ways to incorporate interactive and gamified elements. Evaluate how they integrate learning interactivity, gamification, and scenario-based learning into their projects to captivate learners. Did their work samples hold your attention, make you want to know more, or encourage you to engage with what you learned? Did they include innovative approaches rooted in learning science best practices? If so, that's a very positive signal.
User Experience
A superior User Interface, intuitive navigation, and reliable features are nonnegotiable for delivering a positive learner experience. These elements ensure learners can focus entirely on the material without unnecessary distractions. Scrutinize the vendor's past projects to evaluate the clarity and usability of their designs. If you find their interfaces confusing or cumbersome, it strongly indicates that your learners will too.
Custom Vs. Templates
While many providers rely on templates to streamline their work to support project efficiency, this approach can dilute the quality of the learner's experience. Determine the level of uniqueness you desire for your course. Ask if they use templates. If so, how does it impact the design? Will your course feel unique enough? If you aim for a highly engaging and personalized experience, prioritize vendors who can offer fully bespoke solutions.
Technical Expertise
Mastery of both the artistic and scientific aspects of learning sets exceptional eLearning vendors apart. They craft emotionally resonant experiences while leveraging advanced technical expertise to tailor content to each audience. Here are the critical technical elements that competent vendors must excel in to deliver impactful learning solutions:
Advanced Programming Skills
To elevate your learning experience, consider interviewing your vendor's proficiency in programming. Can they use authoring tools at a genuinely advanced level? Do they use more sophisticated HTML programming or 3D engines? Ask to see examples of projects that required a more sophisticated level of programming and led to a more engaging outcome. Ask them what tools they use and why.
Graphic Design
When evaluating a creative solution, it's essential to ensure that it aligns with your brand's identity, is compelling, and feels current and relevant. Look for a provider's sizzle reel on their website. Do they offer a range of projects, such as 2D and 3D art and photography, to give you versatility in your content? These can be important signs of their skill in creating high-quality visuals that connect with your audience.
Video Production
The best videos don't just inform—they tell stories that evoke emotion and reflect real-life scenarios. Evaluate past work: How do they use scripting, acting, and music to engage the audience? Compelling videos go beyond talking heads, incorporating text overlays, strategic editing, and high-quality audio for a more immersive experience. Anticipating learner needs and creating relatable content, paired with crisp scripting and stunning visuals, makes top-tier videos unforgettable.
Animation
Microlearning through short-form video or animation is a game changer, offering quick, impactful learning moments. Unlike video, animation reduces the risk of relying on specific employees and is more cost-effective by avoiding travel, props, and sets. You can ask about your partner's ability to customize animations to fit your brand's unique needs.
Conclusion: Choose The Right eLearning Partner
By carefully assessing potential partners, you can see how they can grow your team. They should bring new creative ideas and offer specialized technical skills. This helps create a solid base for a successful partnership that improves your eLearning programs.
Prioritize vendors who excel in effective communication and seamless collaboration to ensure alignment with your goals. Assess their creative capabilities by reviewing past projects for engaging, customized learning experiences.
Technical excellence is equally essential. Select a vendor who can simplify complex concepts, conduct thorough needs assessments, and introduce new terminology effectively. Taking the time to find a good partner will boost learner engagement. This will help you meet your development goals and provide a better Return On Investment.
