Content Development Tip
Tips for Selecting a Custom Content Developer
A custom content developer, such as TheAcademy.com, is a vendor who takes your content specifications and develops an electronic version of the course you wish to build.
The first thing to consider is “what is the objective of the content?”, which is a critical aspect that should be determined prior to the project start. The objective of the content will drive the entire process of developing custom course content, whether it is online or live training. The instructional design and development process hinges on ensuring that the objectives are met – and satisfying you, your learners, and your organization.
What are the priorities for the project? Is speed to publish the most important? Is quality dependent upon lots of interactivity and animation? Is cost really the most essential thing? Knowing the priorities will help determine how the project should flow. The standard rule in project management is that time, quality, and cost are all interrelated. Any content development vendor should be able to show you how those elements work together along with your objectives in a project plan.
Finally, when assessing a content development vendor, you will also want to consider the experience of the team working on your project in terms of e-learning or e-training, how familiar the vendor is with your type of organization/association/business, what is the track record of completing projects, and how comfortable are you with the staff you will be working with.
Other aspects to consider:
- Is the vendor familiar with, and adheres to, standards when creating the course, like SCORM? This is particularly important if you already have an LMS. Will the course work with your LMS?
- How easy will the process be to update course content? What is the process for review, feedback, edits, etc.?
- Is the staff qualified to create the type of course you want? If you want interactive exercises throughout the course, knowledge checks, animation, 3D simulation – all of these projects require a specific skill set. See if the vendors have examples they can show you of other projects to get a sense of the capabilities.
