PwC's Academy - Standard operating procedures: Course design (classroom, blended, digital)

PwC's Academy - Standard operating procedures

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5. Training Development

5.1. Course design (classroom, blended, digital)

Classroom & Blended courses

The 4 phased approach is used to design and approve programmes/courses:

Clarify objectives & needs (stage 1)

Step 1 | Confirm the understanding and agree on the high-level structure for the training programme/course, such as the following:

The target groups and key stakeholders;
Existing skills and knowledge and behaviour gaps.

Step 2 | Agree on the high-level content of each target group and the mix of learning experiences/delivery methods per audience to ensure the best learning outcome (e.g. media, gamification, experimentation, project, discussion, role-playing, etc.);
Step 3 | Define the training materials required before, during and after each of the events;
Step 4 | Define and agree on the schedule and timing of courses;
Step 5 | Define and agree on the assessment type;
Step 6 | Define and agree on the evaluation process.

Design and build (stage 2)

Step 7 | Design of the content of each of the programmes/courses
Step 8 | Develop integrated materials, for example, exercises, case studies, etc.;
Step 9 | Develop reading lists if necessary;
Step 10 | Integrate, develop continuity, and sequence material;
Step 11 | Develop communication material regarding the training events, including the evaluation mechanism, and start communication;
Step 12 | Quality Assurance: review material content developed.

NB: In the case of accredited courses, once a programme is developed, it will undergo the scrutiny of internal and external approval processes of NCFHE before moving on to stage 3.

Implement (stage 3)

Step 13 | Run course pilot if needed;
Step 14 | Manage and deliver the training to the required audiences;
Step 15 | Review and update material content as feedback is received;
Step 16 | Provide logistical and administrative support;
Step 17 | Source, agree and book venues;
Step 18 | Liaise with you to agree on timetables and logistics, including issuing invitations and joining instructions;
Step 19 | Distribute training materials;
Step 20 | Record attendance;
Step 21 | Issue ‘attendance/award certificates’ as required.

Confirm and sustain benefits (Stage 4)

Step 22 | Develop assessments in each course;
Step 23 | Develop participants' evaluation of the programme/course to assess the quality of the course;
Step 24 | Develop trainers evaluation of the programme/course to include an overview of the training highlights, learning results and participants’ feedback;
Step 25 | Prepare progress reports templates to be applied after every training activity, to outline the number of participants that attended the training, as well as a compilation of data relating to the participants.

Digital Training / eLearnings

Preparation/Analysis stage

Step 1 | Analyse eLearn requirements and objectives with the client/SME.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Recorded meeting with the client/SME.
Output: Learning objectives and outcomes; general styling requirements; intended audience; overall elearn duration; learning method (storytelling, scenario-based, gamification, etc.); key elements; source of elearn content, understanding of the high-level outline/storyline.

Step 2 | Receive and analyse preliminary content.

Who: Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Client/SME forward information and team determine adequacy after analysis.
Output: Understanding of the flow needed for the eLearn.

Step 3 | Design eLearn outline/storyline.

Who: Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Internal meeting supported by Smart Screen tool, previously recorded meeting and preliminary content sent by the client/SME.
Output: Elearn logical flow with learning objectives and key elements addressed.

Step 4 | Review and confirm outline/storyline with the client/SME.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Recorded meeting with the client/SME.
Output: Vision, objectives and requirements confirmed; feedback from the client/SME; list of content needed from the client/SME on each scene/chapter and its deadlines.

Step 5 | Design eLearn storyboard.

Who: Instructional designer; Designers.
How: Internal meeting supported by the outline/storyline, Smart Screen tool and previously recorded meeting.
Output: Visual design concept is drafted (content, navigation, script, interaction); checklist with the content that is missing.

Step 6 | Review the storyboard and seek sign off from the client/SME.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Recorded meeting with the client/SME. Provide a general understanding of how the course will look and work.
Output: Feedback from the client/SME; alignment on what will be developed.

Step 7 | Sprint Planning - Refine product backlog and develop sprint backlog.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Internal meeting with Project Management tool.
Output: Sprints planned and agreed with the team; definition of ready for each sprint.

Design & Develop (Agile cycles) stage

Step 8 | 1-week Iteration (cycle) - Analyse, Design, Implement and Test.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Daily stand-up meetings for the team to update on how the work is progressing. Each person on the team shares daily what was done the day before, what will be done on that day and if there is any impediment regarding the sprint goal. The tasks may vary depending on the project and product backlog.
Output: Sprints planned and agreed with the team; definition of ready for each sprint.

Step 9 | Sprint Review 1 - Review iteration released with the client/SME and validate the design.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: 2 hours of recorded meeting with the client/SME. Showcase the iteration released through the Storyboard and/or Articulate Preview - if possible.
Output: Client/SME previewed the course; assumptions validated; feedback received from the client/SME.

Step 10 | Backlog Refinement - Prepare the backlog for coming iterations to match the feedback and recommendations of the client/SME.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Internal meeting with Project Management tool.
Output: Final sprints refined considering the client/SME’s feedback and agreed with the team.

Step 11 | Sprint Review 2 - Review iteration released with the client/SME and validate the final design and narration script.

Who: Project Manager; Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: 2 hours of recorded meeting with the client/SME. Showcase the iteration released through Articulate Preview or LMS - if possible. Every end of the sprint.
Output: Client/SME previewed the course; assumptions validated; feedback received from the client/SME.

Implement & Evaluate stage

Step 12 | Request client/SME final approval to publish eLearn.

Who: Instructional Designer.
How: Forward link (test environment) to the client/SME for final review before publishing.
Output: Elearn approved.

Step 13 | Develop marketing assets (course overview, promo video, LMS banner, website banner and website thumbnail) for the eLearn.

Who: Designer; Instructional Designer (course overview)
How: Develop assets and upload on the “eLearn website page - Promo” folder under the course folder on Google Drive
Output: Link to the folder sent to Training Coordinator and Sales Manager.

Step 14 | Draft the course page on LMS and upload the scorm package.

Who: Instructional Designer; Designer.
How: Create the Course page on the LMS live environment, under the appropriate category.
Output: eLearn course page drafted.

Step 15 | Review and test the course page on LMS and set up the certificate template.

Who: Training Coordinator.
How: Review and test the Course page on the LMS live environment, making sure all plugins are properly set up and working.
Output: Elearn published.

Step 16 | Update the website offerings with the new course (if it is a standalone generic elearn - not a bespoke elearn developed for a client).

Who: Training Coordinator.
How: Gather marketing assets shared and upload them on the website page accordingly.
Output: Elearn released to the market.