Who should design and build a course? Subject Matter Expert? or an eLearning specialist?

Why do you need an instructional designer or an eLearning specialist when you already have a subject matter expert in the company? And most critically, when your subject matter expert is interested in teaching.

Well, to answer the above question, why don't we start by answering the most fundamental question. When do you realize the need for the training? The answer is when there is someone who wants to learn what you already know or when you proactively want to teach someone what you already know. Okay. Now, it looks like that 'someone' is driving the process.

Then, why don't we involve someone which by now, you have understood is your learner in the process from the beginning? Onboard so far? Good. Now, who is your learner? That is a great question to ask. The learner is anyone who has a blank slate and is interested in learning what you have to offer - may it be a product, or a concept, or a set of rules. 

What difference does it make when you involve the learner from the beginning of the process?

• Define objectives better and set fair goals
  
• Understand learner's questions, and design the flow accordingly
• Assign topic weightage based on learner's absorption skills
• Come up with scenarios and examples to simplify the concept
• Create a better reference list based on learners requirements
• Avoid taking some fundamental yet key topics for granted
• Understand what you want to emphasize through the assessment

And the list goes on. Already convinced? Wait for this - What if you find a unique learner who is trained to learn new things and can help you design and develop the training material as well? Fantastic, isn't it? That unique learner is an instructional designer or eLearning specialist for you. Here is what instructional designer brings on the table:

• A fresh and clean slate for the topic
• Questions from learner's/end user's point of view
• Professional writing skills/ Technical writing skills
• Contents simplification and visualisation 
• A new perspective to your ideas and thoughts
• Experience in eLearning processes, working with customers, different internal teams, and vendors
• Skillset to develop the training material - Design documents, implementation of ADDIE model, Authoring tools

Now, coming back to the blog title, why don't you answer the questions for yourself? Who should design and build a course? Subject Matter Expert? or eLearning specialist? or what if both of them develop it together? :-)

Answer the Poll and view the result using the following link:

https://linkto.run/p/TKJ2UYK7