Development Efficiencies at Knowledge Impact
By Lori Mortimer

Knowledge Impact of Wayland, Massachusetts, develops custom training and performance support for end users of CRM and ERP software applications, such as Siebel and SAP. They customize the content to each client’s business processes and how it's built into the enterprise application.

KI realized that they could reuse content in two ways. First, they could reuse some content exactly as is, particularly for concepts common across the CRM system, even if the client has customized the application. Second, and most often, they could reuse existing content by modifying it to meet the client’s custom needs.

"We asked ourselves how we could create a reusable bank of objects and customize the same types of learning objects for different clients and how the clients have customized the applications," says director of product development, Annette DiLello. Most of the time, KI tweaks the object rather than reusing the exact object, DiLello says.

To optimize reusability and enhance development efficiencies, KI has adopted a prescriptive learning object strategy using Knowledge Mechanics Studio LCMS. In addition, KI developed a set of template-driven learning strategies within KM Studio.

"First, we defined a learning object as a measurable objective, and the learning content and assessment that map to it," says Dilello. "Then we defined the four types of learning objects that we build in our learning: task, concept, navigation, and process," and the instructional strategies to go with them, she adds

Then, Knowledge Impact modified the KM Studio development templates to fit its instructional strategies. When a content developer first creates a learning object, he or she assigns it an type: task, concept, navigation, or process. Next, the LCMS presents a template of tools appropriate for the learning object type. Interaction types, content sequence, and assessments are built into the template according to the strategy. The developer picks from the available tools and media within the strategy template, ensuring a developer-independent, consistent instructional approach for all learning content.

The prescriptive learning object and instructional strategies helps KI scope project costs and development time, says DiLello, because they can track time and costs at a granular level, the learning object. And by matching a learning object to a prescribed instructional strategy, each learning object of the same type is predictably similar in time and cost to develop.

Published: April 2002