What exactly is Content Management, anyway? Content Management is a very vague term without a context. If you think about it, this could mean just about anything. In the context of e-learning, content management means the management of all of the small pieces and parts that make up an e-learning course. With even a few courses, the amount of content can be a daunting figure, and when your organization has a full course repertoire, it can get out of control. So it is best to start with a sound content management strategy before building a digital library.

Much of your content management strategy will depend on the type of development team you choose. There are 3 types of teams that are most commonly used: The first is the single silo team, where each developer is held accountable for the entire course. He or she may even have to produce all of the graphics, text, and animation in a course. As new projects come down the pike in this model, available silos are directed to take one or two projects. In the second team model, a small team of people located within the same location will work together on most projects. The various disciplines required, such as graphic design and technical writing, may be creatively produced by specialists in each particular area. Each specialist may work on multiple, if not all projects, mostly concentrating on his or her area of expertise. Finally, the third model is collaboration among employees and outside parties dispersed geographically throughout the nation or world.

With each team model, there exists unique content management needs. For example, the single silo model may require designated directories or database records sorted by individual. This reminds me of a former coworker who labeled everything on her desk, including the pens, so that no one would potentially use one of her items. Not to say that this is a bad model, but it does not have some of the synergistic properties that come with the other 2 models. A synergistic approach, such as in the 2nd model, might lend itself more easily to a shared repository of content. This would allow graphic designers and multimedia producers to see the text as it is being created. And lastly, a content management system for people scattered throughout the globe will have unique challenges with posting and retrieving content pieces through the web.

One way to describe e-learning content is as a digital asset. A digital asset can be one of:

· Text
· Graphics
· Sound effects
· Voiceovers
· Video clips
· Animations
· Templates and AICC/SCORM shells
· Master production files

If it is in electronic form and used in an e-learning course, it can be considered a digital asset. Naming and placing digital assets in a place where they can be easily updated is very important, especially for interactive multimedia courses (the good kind).

One of the promises of the first wave of e-learning was the advent of Learning Objects. Learning objects were touted as small learning “chunks” that could be reused in multiple courses. And LCMS’s or Learning Content Management Systems were going organize and put those learning objects together in the form of a course. Despite the repeated attempts by e-learning technology companies to sell this idea and the corresponding software, it did not take hold. There is recently more interest in this idea, but some see it as doomed from the start. Perhaps one day soon we’ll see courses dynamically created from learning objects.

Other technologies have also served as both a means and a direction for content management strategies. In addition to LCMS’s, digital assets can be stored in:

Databases – relational and XML-based
Spreadsheets and other document software
Text files
Digital Asset Management systems
Web Content Management systems
Collaborative development systems

And some can be integrated to put all available content in the developers’ hands. There are pros and cons to each technology, but the technology should not drive the development team model. The development team model should be based on available talent, opportunities for synergy, and course style. Technology should be the last thought on this list, and it should adapt to the team rather than the team adapting to what’s available. Conversely, I know if no magic button e-learning-specific content management systems, so the readily available option is a combination of existing technologies, such as a Digital Asset Management system coupled with a relational database.

Again, though, you should establish the kind of team that makes the most sense for your organization, and then work with your I.T. department or an outside vendor to integrate or build a system to meet your needs. Once you have determined the proper team model, the rest of your moves will be pointed in the right direction. I sincerely recommend having a content management strategy in place before your library becomes an unmanageable mountain of digital assets in unorganized folders with multiple, meaningless versions. Save yourself some trouble and create a sound strategy and process from the start. With a proper content management system, you can focus on putting creativity in your courses, rather than chasing down the latest version of that text file for page X.

Sheldon Murphy
E-Learning Consultant
Solid State Learning
www.sslearn.com
sheldon@sslearn.com
724-452-6945