When I say the word “school” what comes to mind?  For most of us, that single word carries a vast body of meaning.  You may think of teachers, administrators, curricula, studying, text books – an entire system designed to educate children. 

In the quest to find the right eLearning vendor, it’s all too easy for a project sponsor be seduced by a proposal that sounds too good to be true. That vendor who talks a good game may turn out to be a perfect match. But it’s not uncommon to choose a vendor who turned in an amazing proposal, only to feel let down once the project work begins.

The proposals from eLearning vendors are in and have been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated. Presentations were made. At this point, eLearning project sponsors may be tempted to simply pick an eLearning vendor and get on with the contracting process.

What’s often overlooked? Checking references.

Choosing an eLearning vendor partner is a big decision. The way you arrive at that big decision will most likely involve a Request for Proposal (RFP) and may even include a Request for Information (RFI).

What’s the difference between these two tools? And how do you know whether you need to use one or both?

In the beginning, there was the worker. He (or she) had long stretches of time for focused attention, as well as limited access to media. Times have changed -- but has your training? Take a look at how technology has significantly altered the attitudes and behaviors of the modern learner. 

The first step to avoiding eLearning project mistakes is recognizing them in the first place. We've identified the seven most common mistakes that undermine eLearning projects. Most of them can be surprisingly difficult to detect -- until they've managed to put your project over budget or past deadline. They can make your life miserable, but only if you let them. Take a look at these seven project landmines, then download our "Training Executive's eLearning Playbook" white paper to learn how to avoid them.

Training, done well, should help people do what it takes for their organization to reach its strategic goals. Otherwise, why would training exist? Once an organization knows its goals and knows what people will need to do in order to get there, the next step is pinpointing the performance gaps. It’s the role of good training to swoop in and close the gaps that are most crucial to success.

eLearning vendors want to please. That can be a great thing for you, the client, in many respects. It can mean a sincere dedication to meeting your needs and making you happy. But it also comes with a downside: Vendors may not be willing to give you the real news or the hard news when it comes up.

To paraphrase Einstein, if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough – and neither will your audience. Einstein would have been a fan of the explainer video, which is a video that explains a concept, process, product or service, all in a minute or two.

Last week we wrote about how getting multiple reviewers to agree on an eLearning deliverable is no easy task. In fact, the process of reviewing eLearning deliverables can be the most challenging part of overseeing an eLearning project. Not managing that process effectively is, hands down, the leading cause of project delays and scope issues.

As a project sponsor – the one tasked with making sure the project is completed and meets its objectives – your success depends on identifying and effectively managing risks like this one. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy or straightforward.

How can you avoid problems with deliverable reviews? The key is in recognizing the root causes that can lead to trouble later down the line. Here’s what those root causes might look like in real life: