Custom Training Course Development Services

Background in Custom Training Course Development
Our Expertise in Instructional Design
The AL Course Development Process
Experience With Industry Standards 
How we determine pricing for custom projects
Opportunity for Shared-risk Co-development

Automated Learning takes pride in our track record for delivering quality custom training programs on time, on spec, and on budget. If you need a custom designed training program, we can deliver. We are a leading e-Learning development company focused on workforce skills training. In addition to our off-the-shelf courses, we have extensive design and development capabilities to customize existing products to meet your specific content and graphics requirements. Or we can design, develop, and deliver full-custom training solutions that meet your specific training needs in any subject. Our developers are experts in creating high quality, interactive, full-media, self-paced training and certification that really works.

AL courses can interface with industry standard Learning Management Systems (LMS) using AICC or SCORM. Our courses can also come complete with built-in Automated Curriculum Manager (ACM), or Learning Content Management System (LCMS). We have the solution to match your delivery platform.

We enjoy collaborating with trusted clients in the real-world workplace to deliver programs that meet their needs. We value these relationships and believe they contribute greatly to the quality and functionality of our courses. AL serves a global market from North America to Singapore, with clients ranging from large multinational OEM manufacturers to small, single location EMS companies.

Background in Custom Training Development

We have designed and developed an extensive inventory of available manufacturing training courses that includes quality training in: Lean Concepts, Lean 5S, Lean Visual Controls, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Prevention, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Program Management, Electronic Assembly, Mechanical Assembly for Electronics Manufacturing, Surface Mount Technology (SMT), Soldering, Inventory Practices, Electronic Component Identification, Health and Safety, Laser Safety, Hazardous Materials, and Ergonomics.

Our courses have been targeted to service personnel, operators, assemblers, technicians, engineers, supervisors, and managers. These low cost, effective, Web based training (WBT) courses deliver highly interactive, multimedia, e-Learning solutions that improve performance in the workplace.

While we have deep expertise in manufacturing training and certification, we also have considerable experience in developing training for other audiences. Several of our available manufacturing courses also apply to field service, research and development, laboratory, design, office, or other work environments. Among these are courses in Laser Safety, Hazardous Materials, Ergonomics, and our Lean training courses.

Custom e-Learning course development projects to date have included: a technical course for Lucent Technologies, courseware for Alcatel Canada, instructional design work for the Canadian Centre for Management Development (CCMD), custom reading-skills product development for an e-learning partner company, chemical safety training for a high-tech manufacturer, and work through an alliance partner with Canada Wood Council, American Forest and Paper Association, and the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario.

These projects included development services such as concept design and scripting, professional narration and multimedia development. Projects have been implemented on video, standalone CD, LAN and the Web, including development within a learning content management system (LCMS) and export to SCORM-compliant learning management systems (LMS).

Our Expertise in Instructional Design

Quality in training, like quality in any other endeavour, is achieved through a combination of process, tools, assets, knowledge, attention to detail, and extensive experience.

Our processes are based on over two decades of experience with developing and testing a variety of e-Learning courses on every imaginable computer platform, and on over nine years of working with enterprise level clients using current PCs and multimedia tools.

We have incorporated a multitude of innovative concepts stemming from a true understanding of the possibilities and limitations of multimedia platforms, customer needs and desires in e-Learning offerings, blended learning opportunities, and the demands of the training and learning enterprise.

Our instructional design process links Client workplace performance needs to learning objectives and content. We deliver relevant and efficient learning, better retention, and on-the-job results for you.

At AL, we work closely with your highly qualified experts to get the content right. We design your courses to ensure effective learning, using quality graphic, animation, audio, and video media that motivate and engage your learner’s attention. Multimedia uses more senses, adding intensity, and helping to accommodate various learning styles.

We design the AL interface incorporating user-friendly controls structured to ensure that learning takes place. Courses offer the flexible routing and self-paced delivery that your adult learners prefer. We take a modular approach to course content to provide just-in-time access and choice of path through the learning material to suit the individual’s needs. Our design provides on-demand repeat, refresh, and review of learning delivered on a uniform, standard interface.

Our expert designers develop interactive practice exercises and quizzes that provide immediate feedback and correction for enhanced learning. Challenging, criterion-referenced testing and certification is keyed to the course objectives. We use testing techniques including graphic match, performance tasks, numeric or text response, and multiple choice, to identify areas where additional training might be required. The tests also include a score bar to provide the learner with continuous status information. Administrative access to dates and scores of all tests and test attempts is compliant with ISO standards requirements for quality.

Your AL designed courses are available just in time, and can be scheduled to accommodate the needs of production, shifts, locations, and individuals. Your learners receive clear, consistent, standardized training, and can be brought up to speed quickly.

The AL Course Development Process

AL typically follows a multi-phase development process involving Client review and sign-off at specific milestones. We use reliable web-based tools to collaborate with your experts in defining and reviewing course content. This facilitates rapid development of accurate approved-by-you content even at a distance.

Phase 1 Scope the Project

We typically begin with a Client meeting to identify the audience and job requirements. We work with you to analyze both the audience and the job in order to identify your workplace performance needs. Learning objectives keyed to performance needs are determined for each audience segment. Then, concept, content scope, sequence, and evaluation requirements are identified. We work closely with you to identify available resources including subject matter experts, existing documents, and audiovisual materials. This information is captured in an instructional design specification document and project plan, which is typically the first deliverable. After your review and approval of the Instructional Design Specification and the Project Plan, we move on to phase two.

Phase 2 Develop the Storyboard

Phase two begins with Alpha-one development. This includes refinement of the performance objectives, development of appropriate enabling objectives, and development of the script, or storyboard. The storyboard specifies sequence, text content, graphics, audiovisuals, interactions, and testing items. Depending on the project, the storyboard can take different forms. Frequently we use a proprietary, internally developed database that has customized reporting tools and is capable of generating client storyboards, required graphics lists, narration scripts, and the like. Phase two is complete with your review and approval of the Alpha-one storyboard

Phase 3 Create or Obtain Media

During phase three, the required graphic, animation, photographic, and video media assets are created or obtained. For full-custom courses, we develop and test graphic standards, look-and-feel, themes, interface, navigation icons, and navigation functionality. We often produce a look-and-feel graphic prototype for your review and approval.

Phase 4 Author the Alpha-two Prototype

Alpha-two authoring development sees the realization of the storyboard. Media assets are integrated with text, interactions, and navigation to create a functional course prototype. Typically, there is no narration at this stage. We use an automated review, problem reporting, and tracking system to gather your feedback and to action corrections. You then review and approve the functional Alpha-two prototype. Your sign-off freezes the narration script for audio recording.

Phase 5 Complete and Deliver the Final Product

Alpha-three is an internal stage to record narration using professional talent, to post-process, and to integrate the audio track. We use a checklist driven internal Q&A process to test and verify content and function. Then we package the course into the beta release and deliver it to you, the client, for field-testing. The final step is again your review of the beta course, any needed revisions, and your signoff on the accepted course.

AL’s Phased Development Process – Checklist

Experience With Industry Standards

AL can export AICC and SCORM compliant courseware from our LCMS to integrate with your LMS. Our LCMS has been successfully interfaced to:

Docent
Saba
Pathlore
GeoMaestro
GeoExpress
LearnFrame

We have the solution to match your delivery platform.

How we determine pricing for custom projects

We base our pricing on metrics from previous projects, by task function. A rough content analysis and determination of objectives usually will provide an indication of scope. We carefully consider the content complexity, richness of media required, and level of interaction desired. Other factors that affect price relate to the availability of existing text and graphic resources, your subject matter experts availability, and timeline flexibility.

Pricing ranges, per user contact hour of custom courseware
For various levels of interactivity

Billing is typically on the basis of Client-approved phase completion.

Opportunity for Shared-risk Co-development

Where you have a training content requirement that could also apply to other companies, we have developed a reduced pricing model that takes into account shared-risk/downstream-revenue potential. This approach allows us to partner with a trusted customer to develop a custom program that can also be used as the basis for new product development in the LearnTech suite of e-Learning courses. Both parties benefit from this arrangement. Contact Automated Learning for more information.