An eLearning developer who dosent develop eLearning

As an eLearning developer it is my job to create engaging, timely, and ultimately effective courses/instances for the subject matter experts (or as we call them in a rather Dr. Suessian phrase "SME's") that request them. Lately however I have found myself recommending anything but when approached for eLearning development. .One of the biggest obstacles to training or changing behavior is identifying the best tool for the task. Sadly it seems that time and time again eLearning is not the best choice. Could I create eLearning every time it’s requested of me? Yes I could. Should I create eLearning every time it’s requested? It turns out the answer is no I shouldn’t.

At this point I could relate this to an old adage about a toolbox with only one tool and everything looking like a nail but for most of us we know, one tool is not always the best option. Recently I have had the pleasure of discovering a tool that helps me in evaluating the dilemma I just outlined; is training really the answer?



Cathy Moore "Action Map"

In my travels I found a tool that effectively grounded my eLearning development for the better. Cathy Moore, saver of the masses from boring training, provides a tool that helps identify what type of tool will fill the needs of your SME's. I recommend that you check out her blog. It’s full of great information.

As I looked over the action map for the first time I realized that I have created training (battling deadlines, SME's, and silver bullet expectations) in situations where another tool would have been a better choice.

So here I am, and eLearning developer without eLearning. Instead I find myself being a process change reccomender, or a job aid maker, and sometimes a culture change cultivator; to my dismay at times though not an eLearning developer.