Rapid Prototypes for e-Learning

Rapid Prototypes for e-Learning

Evaluate the Rapid Prototype

Ideally, four to eight individuals selected from the student audience review the rapid prototype. What often occurs, however, is that three or four training managers or subject matter experts review the prototype. In the latter case, the reviewers must have a clear understanding of the learner population in terms of demographics, culture, and level of technical expertise, to provide an accurate and useful evaluation.

The main purpose of the review is not to evaluate the content or instructional design, but to evaluate the ease of navigation, the screen design and layout, appropriateness of metaphor, and the technical performance.

Specific questions the designers should ask of the reviewers include:

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Did the program immediately capture your attention?
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Was the creative theme or metaphor engaging and appealing?
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Was the look and feel appealing? Was it acceptable to corporate standards and culture?
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Was it easy to navigate the program? Did you ever feel lost or confused? Are the buttons' functionality easily identified?
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Was the quality of the audio acceptable?
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Was the quality of the video acceptable?
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Were waiting times acceptable during the loading and playback of graphics, animations, and video (especially important for Web-based programs)?
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Was the tutorial lesson interactive and engaging?
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Did program features such as the glossary, notepad, and book-marking, perform flawlessly

Depending on the results of the prototype evaluation, adjustments may be made in the design document itself and incorporated into the script phase. If there is a lot of negative findings, it is common for the prototype itself to be re-created and evaluated for signs of improvement.