On Jun 27, 2006, at 8:46 AM, GregSmith wrote:
Exactly, not only do people NOT want to go to the trouble of
downloading yet
another browser plug-in, they especially do not want to go to the
trouble of
installing an application which they have never heard of, on a
machine they
may not own. This all boils down to people being ignorant and
conditioned
and suspicious . . . and there is no turning back now.
Especially not
with all the mobile this and cell phone that. This is painfully and
specifically true to those who try to sell anything online that may
depend,
somewhat, on impulse.
Hi Greg,
While generally true, I have found that if content is truly
compelling to a person they are willing to take the necessary steps
to get that content.
The common forms of e-learning deployment are definitely through a
web browser. If you have content that is aimed at a broad target
market then this probably is the best solution. That doesn't mean it
is the best solution for all markets. There are many benefits to
delivery in a browser but one of the big cons is off-line viewing.
My company creates e-learning software. While the e-learning model
we use would apply in many areas we target the medical industry,
specifically ultrasound. Off-line viewing of content that is always
up to date is critical as training often occurs on the road or in a
doctor's exam room where internet connectivity might not be
available. Our solution was a desktop application that synchs with
online content similar to the way you synch a PDA.
We have deployed this solution in a few large corporations as well as
to the public and had very positive feedback. I think we are able to
create a better overall experience for users using a desktop
solution. Since our target market finds the content deployed in our
e-learning system compelling they are willing to perform the initial
download.
And, remember, both Flash and QuickTime players come already
installed in
the most popular and current web browsers. The less the user has
to do, the
more they will use it, the more they will trust it, and the less it
will
matter what software was used to author it.
The points I would question here are how much a user will use or
trust content based on the ease of acquiring the content. It seems
to me that people make the most use of things that they find useful.
I know of an e-learning solution that were deployed on the web at
great expense but which was then taken down relatively quickly
because it was deemed useless. It was too hard to use. Regardless
of your delivery format, the user experience dictates how often the
user will use it.
People trust names that are familiar to them and that they have a
positive opinion of. If a customer has a need of learning something
about a product they purchased from Company ABC and that company
provides training then the customer wants access to it (whether on
paper, web, etc.). Their opinion of Company ABC is going to be
affected by the quality of the training that the company provides.
If the training meets the customers needs, a positive opinion is
gained and trust increases. If the training is not good the opposite
occurs. I believe this happens regardless of the medium of
delivery. Just this weekend I heard complaints about companies
because of their inadequate assembly instructions. One was about
furniture from IKEA and the other about an isolation booth (for music
studios).
So I would argue that just because a user has less to do to get
content does not ensure success. It is the user experience that
ultimately decides success. If you can provide that for your target
market in a browser, great. If they are better served by a web
enabled desktop application then take that route.
--
Trevor DeVore
Blue Mango Learning Systems - www.bluemangolearning.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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