Module: Introduction to Single Sourcing
Single Sourcing
ADDIE
Single Sourcing
•
•
•
Smaller Modules
Separating Content from Presentation
Working as a Team
Newspapers Do It
Course Goal
“teach you how to apply similar techniques when creating
multiple courses in your environment.”
Develop Once, Use Many
Tip: For a single topic (or learning object) you may want to
write verbose text for inclusion in an instructor guide, and an
equivalent, streamlined version for use on classroom visuals
or in the eLearning. Basically it is the same content.
Learning Deliverables
Separation of Content from Delivery
Course Source
Material
Difficulty Reusing
eLearning
(authoring file)
Content is often on the same page as navigation controls,
such as the next button, back button, course map,
background, etc.
Very difficult to capture the content for reuse.
Instructor Guide Content is often heavily formatted, using Word document
(Word document) styles, in tables, written in lengthier (verbose) format.
Difficult to repurpose.
PowerPoint
Slides (native
.ppt)
Content is often simplified and enlarged for visual display.
Insufficient source material.
Working with Different Media Types
Business Benefits
Separating content from delivery format provides many
business benefits, including:
• Future Proofing Content
• Scalability
• Decrease Redundancy
• Shorten Time To Market
• Rapid Updates and Modifications
Course Objectives
In this course, you will learn how to:
 create learning content as small, easy-to-use modules
 think outside the box and apply single sourcing to
innovative, large-scale projects
 define and communicate your single source vision to your
team, business unit, and company/organization
 deal with change management issues
 structure your team for best results
 deploy a successful single sourcing practice
Module: Learning Object Methodology
What is a Learning Object?
What is a Learning Object?
• Self-Contained
• Connectable to Other
Learning Objects
• Reusable
• Individual Item or an Entire
Activity
• Metadata Tagged for
Searchability
• Building Block for a Topic or
Lesson
Examples of Learning Objects
Examples of Learning Objects:
Screen Title
Animation
Sentence
Test Question
Paragraph
Quiz
Caption
Interactive Exercise
Steps in a Procedure
Simulation
Table
Instructional Game
Graphic
List of Course Objectives
Video
Topics, or Lessons
Module, or Units
Aggregated Course
Designing for Reuse
Here are some simple tips to share with instructional
designers and writers to make content as reusable as
possible.
1. Don’t reference previous LO’s or topics within any
reusable content.
2. Cover examples completely within the learning object
(or at least the topic).
3. Write verbose and streamlined text if you want
classroom visuals and eLearning to be less “text
heavy”.
4. Consider adding interactivity exercises as equivalent to
static graphics or text narratives describing classroom
activities, for use in non-print-based learning.
5. For transitional items and contextual examples, create
them as non-reusable objects or “glue”.
Glue
Non-Linear Development
Module: Large-Scale Project Examples
Thinking Outside the Box
If you think that using single sourcing is just a different
development methodology for creating eLearning or
Instructor-Led Training, you are missing the big picture.
Although single sourcing can help shorten overall
development, the more significant benefits include:
• Setting up content for creative remixing
• Moving modular training closer to the point of
performance
• Sharing and reusing content with other parts of the
business
• Creating new derivative versions of courses for
different target audiences
Demo Wiley Custom Select
Summary
Wiley Custom Select is an excellent example of single
sourcing in action because it:
• Uses the concept of Learning Objects – defined as
“Chapters” in a book in this example
• Learning Objects are short and granular
• Chapters are self-contained
• Keeps content separate from delivery - you can add
your own cover and the table of contents is
automatically generated
• Content can ultimately be repurposed for multiple
uses
Discussion Questions
Which issue do you think was more difficult in this scenario:
1. applying learning content management technologies
and techniques?
2. working with content owners and authors to see the
vision of allowing users to consume their intellectual
property at the chapter level?
How could you apply this example to learning content that
you develop?
Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions:
• How can you apply single sourcing to similarly
disseminate learning in your organization? (Think
outside the box).
• When would it be advantageous to move training
closer to the point of performance as illustrated with
this example?
Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand
Company XYZ owns a large chain of retail stores, located in
three different countries with the following characteristics:
• They sell 56,000 different brand-name items
• Sales staff is assigned by department (electronics,
medical supplies, gardening, sports, etc.)
• The company considers “product knowledge” as a key
to successful selling
• Turnover of staff is high at 34% turnover per year
• There is a need to keep the sales staff up on all the
latest information on products
Retail – Product Knowledge OnDemand
Summary and Discussion
Discussion Questions:
• How can you apply single sourcing to similarly
disseminate learning in your organization? (Think
outside the box).
• When would it be advantageous to move training
closer to the point of performance as illustrated with
this example?
Computer Software Training
Computer Software Training
1
Create a Common Outline
2
Organize Repository Topics
3
Compare and Consolidate Data Collection Worksheets
4
Collect Data from SME(s)
5
Create Derivative Versions (in same repository)
6
Tag content for output to different formats
Computer Software Training
In this example, many different outputs are supported
including:
• Instructor Guides
• Student Guides
• PowerPoint (visuals for instructor-led training)
• eLearning
• Mobile Learning
• Job Aide
• Online Help Files
• Publishing Software (for manuals)
• Etc.
Summary and Group Discussion
•
•
Does your organization provide limited access to
Subject Matter Experts (SME’s)? What can be learned
from this case study on how to more efficiently use
SME time?
Reusability doesn’t always mean using content created
by someone else for another use. In fact, one of the
most effective cost saving measures of single sourcing
is repurposing content for different audience. How
much content can be reused (or repurposed) in your
department/organization when creating derivative
versions of courses for different audiences?
Module: Creating a Long-Term Vision
North Star
Fact: The North Star never changes its place in the sky. When
you face it, you are always facing North.
North Star
Begin by writing goals for your project. Here are some ideas
to get you started:
• “Our vision of single sourcing is to create new learning
products and develop additional streams of revenue.”
• “By introducing this program, our goal is to be able to
offer our customers (both internal and external)
customized learning experiences without starting each
new project from scratch.”
• “To us, single sourcing holds the keys of creating
consistent learning products and deliverables. Our
learners don’t want every learning experience to be a
new exercise in how to use the manual or navigate an
eLearning course.”
Group Activity
Divide into groups. Write and share a one-line, North Star
vision with your group. Discuss.
3 Year Strategy
Play Strategy Discussion Video
Prototype ALL Outputs
Company XYZ inconsistencies
When preparing to move to a content-managed approach,
they collected samples of instructor guides from each
department, and they noticed that elements of the template
had changed over time, including:
• Variations in the document footer: changes in font,
styles, and spacing.
• Instruction Notes: Some added them in italics directly
under the content. Another group had decided to
show them in the margins.
• Use of Icons: the original template used visual icons to
represent discussions vs. activities vs. quizzes,
etc. Over time some of these icons had been
abandoned and new ones added. One group stopped
using the icons altogether.
Activity: Assess output formats
Assess output formats using the following steps:
1. Collect samples from different groups and divisions
(instructor guides, student guides, PowerPoint used in
ILT, eLearning, etc.)
2. Collect any feedback given by learners and instructors
3. With a group of key stakeholders, make a prioritized
list of what works best across all the samples
4. Create a list of what common elements exist across all
samples vs. what is unique
5. Create a specification showing what variability is
needed to meet all needs
6. Finally, create a prototype that everyone can live with.
Mapping Out Content
Calculating Conversion Costs
Conversion Ratios
Materials to Convert
Development Time
Ratio
Instructor guides,
Student guides and
PowerPoint used in a
classroom
20 hours of development 20:1
per finished hour (“seat
time”) of the course
eLearning (average,
medium level of
interactivity)
49 hours of development 49:1
per finished hour
Creating a Strategy and Development Plan