Working alongside a Subject Matter Expert (SME) can significantly enrich the eLearning development process, ensuring that content is accurate, relevant, and credible. Here are 8 top tips to help you collaborate effectively with an SME to create high-quality eLearning courses:
1. Establish Clear Communication: From the onset, determine the best method and frequency of communication between you and your SME. Whether it’s through emails, video calls or in-person meetings, maintaining clear and consistent dialogue is crucial for project alignment.
2. Define Roles and Expectations: Be clear about what your roles are in the eLearning project. Set expectations about deliverables, deadlines, and the extent of the SME’s involvement to avoid confusion later on.
3. Brief Your SME: Make sure your SME fully understands the goals of the eLearning program, the target audience, and how their expertise fits into the bigger picture. A well-informed SME will provide more targeted and relevant content.
4. Prepare Your Questions: To maximize the time spent with your SME, prepare a list of specific questions or topics you need them to elaborate on. This helps in getting straight to the point and collecting structured information.
5. Respect Their Time: SMEs are often busy individuals with their own set of responsibilities outside the eLearning project. Be mindful of their time by scheduling meetings in advance and sticking to the agenda during discussions.
6. Collaborative Development: Engage your SME in the content development process where possible. Their insights can help shape course design in a way that is pedagogically sound and expert-centered.
7. Facilitate Knowledge Transfer: Encourage your SME to share not just hard facts but also experiences and anecdotes that may give learners better contextual understanding. Find creative ways to weave this information into interactive elements within the course.
8. Provide Feedback Loop: Establish a mechanism for feedback where your SME can review content periodically and suggest improvements or corrections. This ensures ongoing quality control throughout the course development lifecycle.
By following these top tips when working with a Subject Matter Expert, you’ll be poised to create an authoritative and informative eLearning experience that resonates with learners and fosters deeper understanding of the subject matter.