Online Courses - The best approach?

So you'll need some strong accessibility, likely involving some pretty complex forms and possibly flash illustrations and examples, a secure login (controlled by him, not automated), a scoring script (?) and comments.

You'll need to storyboard or wireframe it, and you will definitely need a sample of the questions before giving a quote. Additionally, you will 99% likely need a database.

I have a few years experience with wireframing and am teaching myself the programmer's job as I keep losing programmers to new jobs, bigger jobs or job changes.

Feel free to email me separately if you want to hash it out.

This is really funny, because I happen to be trying out this new tool that we're developing in-house for creating online courses* We've also developed a quiz generating tool - all of this being done so that the profs can (theoretically) do most of the work themselves. I don't do a lot with that side of it so unfortunately I wont' be able to help you too much. Interesting coincidence though.

*Side-note - this is *so* frustrauting. They've hired a bunch of CS co-op students to do build the whole thing. Usability and standards support are non-existant!

They need to hire a supervisor for those co-op kiddies, heh.

I think you might have some insight into developing the course material for an online presentation, Megan?

Taff, is it only comprehension? Or is there any learning involved? What is(are) the subject(s)?

The subject is Feng Shui. Although I've already pumped out one site on the subject, I have very little knowledge about it.

When I refer to being "thrown a loop" - I had this in the queue as a fairly static 20-pager that I'd planned on knocking off before Christmas. Normally, I'm not one to complain about projects growing into something larger but this would clearly push the project into the new year.

Ah, Feng Shui is fairly complex. There are a number of extremely complex charts that would have to be taken into account some how (and likely be interactive, else how would you test the concept)?

I know a fair amount about it -- precisely enough to know I don't know nearly enough.

I know what you mean -- all my December projects turned into February projects, which coupled with the move across the country stretches us pretty thin. Freelancing is all feast and famine!

Quote: Originally posted by Suzanne
They need to hire a supervisor for those co-op kiddies, heh.

They did, he was an idiot (basically), did nothing, and so convinced the higher-ups to eliminate that position. Great.

I develop online course material all day so let me know what you need help with. Our course content usually consists of lecture audio streamed along with text & graphics using Flash.

I bit the bullet and split it in two. I requested the course materials so that I can formulate an accurate quote but at the same time, encouraged him to proceed with the design portion separately in order to take advantage of my "pre-Christmas design special" which went into effect... oh... 5 minutes ago?

Suzanne: feast or famine is right! I've seen almost everything on my calendar for this month slide into 2003. No one seems to want to part with their money this late in the year.

Gotta love those design specials - he went for it. I'll probably be back to revisit this subject in the next month or so. Thanks for the feedback guys.

Excellent! If you need help with specing out the db side of it, let me know. Wireframing R Me, as it were.

Quote: Originally posted by Megan
*Side-note - this is *so* frustrauting. They've hired a bunch of CS co-op students to do build the whole thing. Usability and standards support are non-existant!

CS as in Computer Science? I would have opted for CIS (Computer Information Systems) students. There is more math in CS, and more business in CIS. So, in CIS, you learn to deal with business rules (as they apply to programming). Whereas in CS, you learn computers.

Is it just me, or are freshmen students getting dumber and dumber? I blame the public high school system.

We don't have CIS here - Computer engineering, Software engineering, bunch of other stuff. I heard from a co-worker last night that the backend code is crap too. It's not a matter of not knowing about business - it's a matter of not being aware of industry standards, particularly in other areas (usability, html etc.) Actually, they may not even think these things are worth thinking about...

P.S. This system is also being developed by another (related) department that has a lot of political power, so that's another problem... (they do on-campus online stuff, we do distance ed.)

I'm going to go over and force myself on the uni, that's it! lol!

I'm going to get my chance next week (since they asked for my opnion ) Hopefully all will go well.

Whoo! You go girl!

Scripting, quiz scoring, and programming re-usable components would be an ideal candidate for Flash MX, combined with .jsp or .php for the backend.

TonyMontana