I was wondering if you posted the winning definition for rapid eLearning?

If so where can it be found?

Thanks

David

“Rapid elearning is [definition of elearning] that is [what is meant by 'rapid'].”

Do we really not know what the ‘rapid’ means? Is it not obvious that it refers to rapid development? Why isn’t the definition simply “Rapid elearning is elearning that is built/created/produced rapidly”? (take your pick on the verb, they all work).

Once we have that, it’s really a question of what is “elearning”, is it not? And that seems to be where much of the divergence occurs in the submitted definitions (apart from the rapid development versus just-in-time discussion, of course).

But are we really trying to debate and define “elearning”? Wouldn’t that have been a blog discussion 5-8 years ago. You’d think we are all more or less agreed as to what elearning is (though this survey tells us otherwise apparently). Yet much of the 5 final definitions try to describe elearning, and don’t even do a very good job of that.

Take one of the five final definitions, for instance:
“Rapid elearning delivers the right educational material at the right level at the right time to the right person in the right manner, with measurable results.”

First of all, this is not really a definition. It does not say what it is, but rather what it does (or what we’d like to think it does). Too picky? Perhaps, but if we can’t be clear and accurate amongst ourselves…

Second, does that description (about delivering the right everything to the right everyone) even hint at anything that is ‘rapid’ or that is ‘elearning’? Does it give any unique attributes to ‘elearning’ or to ‘rapid’? You can quickly tell if a definition is not accurate if you can replace the term with another term and the definition still works (or works better, as it does in this case). You could insert “Training” or “Instructional Design” or “The ADDIE Process” and the definition makes more sense:

“[Instructional design] delivers the right educational material at the right level at the right time to the right person in the right manner, with measurable results.”

Or, to my point earlier, it should say “The goal of Instructional Design is to deliver the right…”

That definition is clearly for something much more broad than even “elearning”, much less “rapid elearning”.

This is why I prefer “Rapid elearning is elearning that was created rapidly.”

However, this doesn’t capture all probably meanings because when we say “rapid elearning” we are not just referring to the thing as an object or end product that was built rapidly, we also see it as the process–how it was built. It’s a development approach. That’s why we can say, “I’m doing rapid elearning” or “this is a tool for rapid elearning.” It seems we use “rapid elearning” as a verb, too.

To conclude, because I’m not thrilled with any of the 5 final definitions, I’ll suggest my own:

“Rapid elearning is elearning that was developed in a much shorter period of time than has been typical. It also refers to the process or approach by which elearning is developed more quickly.” And obviously, there are tools, such as Articuate, that endeavor to make such a process or approach possible.

For me, rapid e-learning is about the tools used to develop the e-learning solution and the process that supports using those tools.

In traditional Computer-Based Training (CBT) development, an instructional designer works with a subject matter expert to create storyboards for a course in MS Word or Powerpoint. They send the completed storyboards to a developer who follows the storyboards to create interactive training using a product such as ToolBook, Authorware, or Flash. Today, a WBT can also be custom developed with HTML, XML. JavaScript, and CSS. Many organizations built their own “engine” that would provide much of the foundation such as navigation, bookmarking, and testing functions that reduced the level of effort required to develop training. Even if the developer had access to a library of widgets, the course would require some custom programming.

Rapid e-Learning products like Articulate provide a pre-built template and interface that handles all of the issues related to navigation, LMS tracking, and interactions. When you move from the traditional tools to a product such as Articulate, the instructional designer and subject matter experts can design the course in PowerPoint. They can use Articulate Engage and Quizmaker to create interactive presentations and quizes. When done, they can publish the content for the internet without needing the programmer to get involved. This saves a major step in the development process which is why it is more rapid.

The fact that you are developing the training with a rapid e-learning development tool does not mean that you should also shortcut the instructional design process. You still need to design training that meets the needs of your client and their learners. Remember, one poorly designed training program can turn a student off from future e-learning courses.