Overcoming Poopy e-Learning: How to Effectively Evaluate “e”

By Steven Yacovelli, Ed.D.

Once upon a time there was a young instructional designer named Pearl White. She was all alone in the Training Department and was handed access to an online course by the H.R. Queen (who – it should be noted – was not at all wicked).

“Pearl,” she said, “Since you are the only member of our Training Department, can you evaluate this online course for me, to see if we should spend our company’s precious ‘apples’ on it?”

“Errrr, ummm, sure H.R. Queen,” Pearl replied, having zero clue what makes “e” good or not so good.

End scene. Ever been in Pearl’s place? Were you perhaps charged with determining if an off-the-shelf program was “good” ... or perhaps one that was created by your internal training folks, by the curriculum design department of your school district or state Department of Ed, or another other entity? Well, if you were lucky you may have had Pearl’s friends’ help to guide you on what to look for. And that help is in the form of The Seven Dorks (of “e” or “e-learning”).

How do you effectively evaluate your online learning? How do you know if it was effective? Framed through the e-learning fable of “Pearl White and The 7 Dorks,” this ebook explores several strategies for you to use as you look at your “e” and determine if it’s built in a high-quality fashion or not, and – after it’s been implemented – to determine if it was effective for your learners and your organization as you had intended.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Yacovelli, Ed.D.
• Release date: Feb 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9780985108601

Steven Yacovelli, Ed.D.

Dr. Steve Yacovelli is Owner & Principal of TopDog Learning Group, LLC, a learning and development consulting firm based in Orlando, Florida that provides guidance and solutions in change management, instructional design, leadership and organizational development, learning strategies, and custom e-learning creation. Steve has been working in the learning “space” for almost 20 years. He’s worked with many Fortune 50 companies to help determine learning strategy, implement learning technologies, and also done a lot of the “stand up and deliver training” thing. With a combo of formal “book smarts” (Ed.D. in Instructional Technology) and “street smarts” (said experience with the likes of The Walt Disney Company, IBM, Tupperware Brands, The Ohio State University, the Public Library Association, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) he’s become a “top dog” in his field. “Doc Yock” (as his students used to call him) can be reached at [e-mail].

Book preview

Overcoming Poopy e-Learning

How to Effectively Evaluate e

The Story of Pearl White and the Seven Dorks

Steven R. Yacovelli Ed. D.

_

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Steven R. Yacovelli, Ed. D.

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Prologue: About this eBook

Telling Poop From Pearls: How to Effectively Evaluate e-Learning

FOCUS 1: A-B-D (Already Been Developed) Learning - The Design

Dork #1 - Iddy Asks: What’s the I.D. Like?

Dork #2 - Clicky Asks: What’s the Interactivity Like?

Dork #3 - Perdy Asks: "Is It Pretty? What’s It Look Like?

Dork #4 - Wordy Asks: What’s the Tone and Language?

Dork #5 - Tecky Asks: So Does it Work Like It’s Supposed To?

Dork #6 - Timey Asks: How Long Is The Darn Thing?

Dork #7 - Trumpy Asks: What Would it Cost To Run This Thing?

Long Lost Dork #8 - Awenuld and Lifting Weights

Final Dork Thoughts - More is Better

FOCUS 2: A-T-F (or After the Fact) Learning - Did the e Help the Learners Do What We Wanted Them To Do?

Level One: Learner's Reaction (a.k.a. What Did They Think? )

Level Two: Learning Results (a.k.a. What Did They Learn?)

Level Three: Behavior in the Workplace (a.k.a. What Do They Do Now? )

Level Four: Organizational Impact (a.k.a. So What Happened? )

CONCLUSION

Prologue: About this eBook

This ebook is part of a series of ebooks under the "Overcoming ‘Poopy’ e-Learning:

How to Create Engaging On-Line Learning That People Will Actually Want to Experience title. Each ebook focuses on a facet of online learning that can impact the quality of e" and its effectiveness - and acceptance - in your organization. And they’re pretty darn fun, too.

This critically-acclaimed* ebook’s focus is on how to effectively evaluate existing online learning. Whether it’s acquired from an external vendor or developed within your organization, understanding if the learning is a good fit and of high quality will help ensure its effectiveness to your learners, and help you think about your own design of online learning in the future.

[* = well my pup kinda read it and didn’t chew it, so I think that gets her blessing]

Will everyone get something out of these ebooks? Nope ... but the following groups might find some kernels of wisdom and applicable knowledge:

Expert e Learning Developer ... Sometimes it’s that new perspective that helps us see what we’re doing right and where we might have