From: <abstracts@gsm

AUDITORIUM PRESENTATION

 

Strategic Planning for Educational Software Development

 

John M. Jackson, M.Ed.

University of Virginia School of Medicine

 

ABSTRACT:

Faculty often develop innovative educational tools that are well suited to their particular situation. But many projects fail to make a broad and lasting impact on a curriculum or field because they are not adopted by others. A step-by-step strategic plan is essential to maximize the potential of a teaching tool and make an impact in the field. The key components to this process are:

 

• Review the available tools: What tools similar to your idea are available and how can they be improved upon?

• Develop a prototype: Rough out your ideas with a simple tool like PowerPoint.

• Collect pilot data/evaluations: Test you concept with learners and educators.

• Involve other educators: Identify collaborators to help refine and generalize your concept.

• Identify similar needs in related fields that could be addressed: Expand your potential users to include those with similar problems.

• Seek institutional or extramural support: Building the best takes money and professional developers.

• Acquire professional design and development expertise: Choose your team carefully, including those with related development experience.

• Create goals, objectives and evaluation plan for the product: Define exactly what you seek to accomplish and how you will measure the results.

• Involve potential adopters in the prototyping process: Gain early buy-in from other users by asking for their input.

• Assure that authoring modules is relatively easy: Success will be measured by how many learning modules can be created with your tool.

• Involve learners early in the design and testing process: Value the input from your intended audience.

• Evaluate with rigorous research methods: Carefully select subjects, conditions and methodology to gain valid, publishable results.

• Present and publish your results: Gain exposure for your project with other potential users.

• Advocate adoption with your peers: Without advocacy even the best tools go unused. A marketing partner will many times be useful.

• Continue to develop and refine your product: Even a great idea can be improved upon.

 

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

Many faculty have great ideas and produce innovative new educational products, but they fail to be adopted by other educators or have much lasting impact. This presentation will focus on a step-by-step method to maximize the potential of a unique idea, reach a large audience, and develop a professional reputation in the field.

 

John M. Jackson

University of Virginia

P.O. Box 800555

Charlottesville VA 22908

USA

Phone: (434)924-1528

Fax: (434)982-3040

jjackson@virginia.edu

Website: http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/