With the wide variety of choices available on development tools and e-learning software, making the right choice can be a daunting task. Depending on an organization's needs, the technical considerations, costs and budget constraints are usually what make for the right choice! What we've done here is to evaluate a few of these variables that can finally help you make the right decision.

Organizational goals

Educational
This is the reason behind why an e-learning initiative is undertaken. In knowledge management efforts, it is usually advisable to translate knowledge within an organization through learning initiatives. Corporate e-learning through a corporate web portal is fast becoming popular today. Educational goals can exist at a number of levels.

E-learning can be self-paced and the individual can learn at his or her own free time. It can also be communicated through a virtual classroom where instructors and students are located at different parts of the globe and take part in the class whenever convenient.

Most universities and learning institutions are also going the e-way and transferring their learning courses online. With almost every organization catering to a global audience and with almost the entire world connected through the Internet today, e learning is a given.

Technology and infrastructure
The tools needed for e-learning require high levels of electronic communication between students and instructors. Usually a combination of software tools and products are then customized to suit each specific need. A homogenized user base doesn't dictate the need for complex multi-platform solutions, but those organizations that place cross-platform versatility high on their list and those who wish to deliver distance education to students across the globe will definitely need them. Bandwidth and network connectivity issues also play an important role in Internet-based education.

Sometimes, it's not just the tools, but also the person who selects these tools. An expert in instructional new media development would also include instructional design support. Professionals of this caliber would prefer to use higher end tools, while those organizations that don't need this kind of expertise may not require them.

It is not just enough to list down the technical features required, but also study these products; their demos if possible and then rank them accordingly. Usability, ease of use and flexibility are what should be evaluated.

Ease of learning and ease of use begins from quality manuals and online help to effective on-line learning tools to selecting and an intuitive, interactive and easy-to-use user interface.

Technical adaptability would mean course management and tracking features, drawing and image tools, video tools, animation tools, database connectivity and so on.

Features

• Course development features
• Course delivery features
• Virtual Classroom
• Online registration, bookstore, library, course status, faculty information, etc
• Student evaluation and tracking reports
• Online admissions and applications
• Online career counseling
• Course tools: Planning, developing, monitoring, revising/editing the course
• Lesson tools: Instructional design support, evaluation testing, data tools, record tools, and grading and analysis tools
• Student tools: Bookmarking, multimedia capability, link tracking and security features.
• Student self-assessment tracking tools
• Collaboration features like asynchronous and synchronous sharing: Email, threaded discussions, real-time chat, whiteboard, application sharing, white board, teleconferencing, video conferencing and file transfer.
• Technical administration tools
• Installation and system tools
• Help-desk tools

The importance of bringing a structured instructional design approach to the use of these tools is imperative. Software tools can be used to deliver extremely good quality instruction to the Internet if they are used keeping quality instructional design in mind. Media experts, instructional design experts, professors/instructors and project managers play an important role in delivering quality e-learning instruction. Integrated Distributed Learning environments are being studied heavily today, but for them to emerge as a dominant delivery tool they would need to be studied from the perspective of a user (student, professor, administrator) for a more comprehensive usability-oriented assessment.

Stylus Systems offers IMS- compliant e-learning solutions. We can study your e-learning requirements and make recommendations regarding the best Learning Management System that you can use. Moreover, our instructional designers will study your objectives and work on designing and structuring e-learning modules and then implement them using the best LMS suitable. We can customize LMS products or work with Learning Management service providers to build and develop a cohesive learning package that will deliver all that you intend to. Contact us with your project requirements and we'll get back to you with the right answers.

Outsource your elearning requirements to Stylus, our client engagement team will contact you within 24 hours.