Course Development

Email the Online Learning Team to schedule an initial consultation. This is where the county Subject Matter Expert (SMEs) will meet with the Online Learning Team to discuss the needs, requirements, timeline, and plan for developing the online course. The Online Learning Team will be there to assist with questions throughout the entire project.

The SMEs will brainstorm, storyboard, and begin the creative process to create the beginning stages of the course development. Gather all materials and information needed to work on the project. Create a Script for the online course. At this stage, make sure that the script is finalized, as this will be a basis of the steps for the course.

Choose the course development authoring tool and begin the course production in the authoring tool. The decision for the authoring tool depends on what you are trying to achieve by developing the course.

Record audio, create closed captions, add assets, add pictures, design interactions/quizzing functions, etc. This step is where you will want to establish what the course should look like and how the course should function. Perform multiple tests on the online course in the authoring tool.

Review, edit, and revise the online course to exactly what the finished product should be. During this process, plan to have multiple revisions to the course before a finished product of the course will occur.

Begin testing the online course in the Learning Management System (LMS) stage environment. This is where the course developers will be enrolled in the course and required to perform testing functions (i.e. test in multiple internet browsers, make sure the designed functionality and quizzing works in the course, etc.). Course tests may require revisions to the course, and retesting.

Once the course is working properly in the LMS stage environment, then the course will be scheduled by the Online Learning Team for a Go Live date. The Go Live date means that the course will be added to the LMS Production environment and that the course will be available in our LMS on a certain date. At that point, learners will be able to enroll and complete the newly added online learning course in the LMS.

Continue course maintenance after the course is online. We require that the creator of the course continue to maintain and/or make any adjustments to the course as necessary. We suggest at least a yearly review of the course and if needed, the creator may make changes. With this, the creator must contact the Online Learning Team to discuss the need for changes to the course. At this time, the Online Learning Team will discuss a timeline and plan for when upload and testing in the stage environment can occur. If the testing in the stage environment goes well, then the new version of the course will be scheduled to Go Live again. Any questions, please contact the Online Learning Team.

The following are additional questions that the Online Learning Team may ask: How many eCourses are you looking to create? What is the timeline for creating the courses? What are you looking to achieve in the training for the learners? Who on your team is going to be creating the course? Who on your team is going to be testing your course?