Forum Discussion
Receiving raw content from SMEs
Does anyone know of a resource I could give to a SME to help him create the raw content for me to work with for a course? This is a situation in which there are no existing resources. All the information is in his, and his coworkers' heads. The content is extensive so conducting an interview(s) would be impractical. I was hoping there already exists some sort of checklist or outline with examples that might help him to see how to get the information written down.
Hi Rachel,
I have previously worked on some projects where there weren't any available resources, and the SME's had to basically empty their brains for the project to work :)
I don't readily have a template available for you, but I usually handle it by creating clear boundaries for them to work within. I'll give you some examples I like to use.
If, for example, they have to produce information about multiple subjects, try to think of a suitable structure for your SME's to follow in order to produce the content in a uniform way, guaranteeing that you can then easily go through their content in order to create your storyboard.
Also, if you have already set learning goals and/or a global design of the eventual course, this will make it a lot easier for both you and the SME's to produce concise content!
Finally, if you have access to these SME's for a longer period of time, I wouldn't worry too much about them having to produce all of the knowledge in one go. If after a first round of producing content/you creating a storyboard for the course, you find that you are missing a lot of information, I always like to schedule a revision meeting/workshop where you just ask questions and they try to answer :)
I hope my answer is of help and if you have any other questions, let me know!
Hi RachelR, Here are a couple of articles that include links to some downloads that you might find helpful for working with your SME.
- Make Working with SMEs a Breeze with These 3 Downloads
- Tips For Working With Subject Matter Experts to Create E-Learning
- The Dos and Don’ts of Separating Need-to-Know from Nice-to-Know
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you :)
Hi Rachel,
I have previously worked on some projects where there weren't any available resources, and the SME's had to basically empty their brains for the project to work :)
I don't readily have a template available for you, but I usually handle it by creating clear boundaries for them to work within. I'll give you some examples I like to use.
If, for example, they have to produce information about multiple subjects, try to think of a suitable structure for your SME's to follow in order to produce the content in a uniform way, guaranteeing that you can then easily go through their content in order to create your storyboard.
Also, if you have already set learning goals and/or a global design of the eventual course, this will make it a lot easier for both you and the SME's to produce concise content!
Finally, if you have access to these SME's for a longer period of time, I wouldn't worry too much about them having to produce all of the knowledge in one go. If after a first round of producing content/you creating a storyboard for the course, you find that you are missing a lot of information, I always like to schedule a revision meeting/workshop where you just ask questions and they try to answer :)
I hope my answer is of help and if you have any other questions, let me know!
Hi Skender,
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and for your suggestions. Yes, the SME "emptying their brains" projects are challenging. Our ID team is working with the SME applying much of what you suggested and we're moving forward.
Hi Rachel,
That's great to hear! Happy to have been able to help :)
Good luck with your project and working with the SME! (they can be a bit tricky sometimes haha).
