Michael Allen's Guide to e-Learning, 2nd Edition

Chapter 14Successive Approximation and SAM

1. “With adequate funding, we will have the cure for cancer six months from Thursday.”
2. “In my administration, taxes will drop 50 percent while lifelong full-coverage health benefits will be extended to all citizens.”
3. “We will deliver a strongly motivating, high-impact e-learning application as soon as you need it within whatever budget you happen to have set aside.”

Some challenges are truly tough challenges. Although it might get a program launched, setting expectations unrealistically high doesn't help solve the real challenges at hand.

Designing effective e-learning applications is one of those truly tough challenges if you don't have the benefit of an effective process. This chapter describes what I consider to be the most effective of the design processes. Among its strengths is its systematic involvement of all stakeholders to assure their values and expectations can be an ally for your success rather than a stumbling block. It also allows you to take small iterative steps to deal most effectively with considerations of quality, budget, and schedule.

A Multifaceted Challenge

Developing learning experiences that change behavior is a tough, multifaceted challenge, no matter how few constraints are in place and how generous the funding. Just as in designing modern buildings, setting up a new business operation, or manufacturing an aircraft, in e-learning design there are multifarious complexities requiring a tremendous breadth of ...