As a consultant for the creation of a new eLearning program, based on everything I have learned, I view the eLearning program like a building.  There have to be elements of foundation, construction, use and functionality, continual updating modifications and maintenance.  With these four aspects in mind, I have devised the following list in order of priority:

1.  Vision: What are the main goals and objectives of the eLearning program? The institution must determine upfront what the purpose and goals of the eLearning program will be.  If there is no established vision, the program will have no direction.  In order to implement an effective eLearning program, the institution has to identify exactly what it wants to accomplish. Only then can any sort of plan or design be developed.  The vision is the fundamental cornerstone on which the program will be built.

2.  SOP:  Who will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintain the eLearning Strategic Operational Plan (SOP)? Before anything else can happen, the institution must devise an SOP in order to know exactly how the eLearning program will work. The strategic plan will determine how the program is develop, resources that will be needed, who will be responsible for different aspects of the program.  The plan will serve as the guide book for the program once it is live.  The SOP may also be adjusted as times change to accommodate users based on needs assessments.  Without a strong viable strategic plan, there may be a great deal of confusion as every element tries to determine how to resolve issues and what exactly needs to be done.  The SOP can prevent or at least minimize waste of valuable resources.

Initially, I had listed funding before design and development. Then I switched it.  But there is an inherently logical correlation between Design, Development and Funding. One cannot happen without the others.  I need to know what the design and development will be in order to determine what resources I need, which will then determine how much funding will be required.  However, if I have no baseline budget, I cannot make definitive decision on which design to choose or how extensively the program can be developed.  I might use other institutional models to make initial determination, but ultimately, these three elements have to be considered simultaneously.

3. Design: What design format will be used for this program? The design can be modeled after an existing eLearning program at another institution. Design engineering can be kept in-house through an IT or program engineering department to keep costs minimal.  On the other hand, it can be outsourced depending on financial limits and if the institution has no internal department to support this task.  The most important factor in design is to determine demographics of the institution’s user population.  The program design will have to focus on current cultural and social trends to respond to user needs that the program will serve. One example, if the program will extend worldwide, then design framework should include the option of presenting tech support in multiple languages.

4. Development: Who will develop the program? This aspect ties in directly with funding but also includes questions of responsibility and ownership of program features.  Will the program be developed as a whole by a single entity, which may be difficult or cost and time prohibitive depending on how expansive the design is. Or, will the development occur as a piecemeal, in stages, by various entities then compiled? This might be a less daunting method, depending on the dimensions of the design, but there may be more glitches due to less unified standard of procedures and more independent creative autonomy.

5. Funding: How will funding be managed and allocated? For eLearning programs, the budget must include initial fees and long term financial support.  The costs analysis must include all aspects of budgeting such as design and development costs, initial fees for infrastructure, ROI for the program (return on investment), continuous technology support costs, payroll (instructors and administrative staff), implementation and evaluation expenses.

6. Quality Assurance:  Who will ensure quality in the program specific to every element, and how will quality be measured?  Meeting industry accreditation standards is the best way to verify quality, but the institution will have to take measures during all phases of program creation and implementation to ensure that there is an established set of quality standards and that it is being followed.  Such measures can also promote a positive reputation which can in turn make or break the program.  Ultimately, the quality of the program will determine how marketable it will be and therefore directly impact its success rate.

7. Infrastructure and Tech Support:  All users have to be provided training on using the program and course specific features.  However, there have to be support measures in place beyond the initial implementation of the program.  As the program grows and technology changes, update modifications are made, and user demographics change, tech support has to be available every step of the way.  If technology support is not in place, several issues can present.  For example, courses within the program may not be successful or users may become frustrated and disgruntled which can damage the reputation of the program and institution.

8. Program Evaluation and Assessment: How will the program be evaluated and how will the assessments be used? The institution will have to decide how to evaluate the various elements of the program.  Each course should conduct its own assessments through surveys and questionnaires.  By doing such the program can determine which courses are worth keeping and which ones should be altered or eliminated.  Further, evaluation of instructors, and overall programs should be conducted as well.

9. Administrative Alignment: How will program be presented to administration? Administrative staff has to be trained in regards to specific aspects of the program.  For example, where and how the program description is listed on the institution’s website and catalogue are implemented by administration. The evaluation of student/user credentials will be determined by administration, most likely admission department.  Staff also needs to route live inquiries regarding the program to the correct department depending on the question.

10. Implementation: Once the program is designed, developed, and funded, how will the program be implemented? The institution has to decide on how the course will go live to include scheduling details, instructor and course line-up, how user qualifications will be determined.  Implementation will also include whom the program is available to and what courses will be required to complete the program.