Data Collection Procedures
Surveys: Surveyed 56 e-learning professional from across the world. Sent out online survey link via e-mail and also posted on professional e-learning groups.
Interviews: Conducted three face to face interviews and one telephonic interview of instructional designers working at various levels in their organization. Discussed about the type of e-learning development tools used by and why they chose those tools and the pros and cons of using those tools.
E-learning Guild: Referred to various studies and research conducted by the Guild those were in line with my research.
Online Journals: Referred work done by researchers.
Design of the study
The research paper will be a comparative analysis between the different e-learning tools based on usability, ability to create animations and simulations, ability to create e-learning templates, ability to screen capture, compatibility with LMS’s and so on. Based on the survey, top 15 tools will be chosen and detailed analysis of those tools will be provided, these tools will be sorted as authoring tools, video editing tools and LMS’s.
The research paper will also feature the interview summary report of various instructional designers interviewed.
Data
The data for the research report will primarily be fed through surveys. The following questions were asked in the survey:
1. What type of organization do you belong to?
2. What is your designation/position?
3. Name the e-learning tool used by you for training and course creation.
4. Which among the following categories does this tool belong to?
5. Why did you choose this e-learning tool or what are the key features of this e-learning tool?
6. Do you use a separate tool for assessment creation? If yes, please specify
7. Do you use a different tool for template creation? If yes, please
8. Do you use an LMS (Learning Management System)? If yes, please specify 9. Do you incorporate audio and video in your courses/ training materials?
10. What is your organization’s e-learning budget?
11. What is the average time for project completion?
12. What is the size of the education/e-learning development team in your organization?
Analysis of Data
The data collected from the survey will be analyzed with the help of pie charts and bar graphs. This will help in determining the tools mostly used by e-learning professionals today.
Overall the main purpose behind this research paper is to help instructional designers to choose the right tools for designing e-learning content. This paper will provide a robust list of tools available in the market and the most popular ones being currently used.
Deana said
Hey Shijina,
E-Learning is such an interesting topic and one that I am very interested. Obviously because my portfolio contains many e-learning items. One suggestion that I have is, perhaps you can also add to your list of tools, a list of best practices that would enhance the e-learning tools.