5) Gain local control of the machine
Face-to-face training is a must. Arrange for about three days of customized, face-to-face training for the Assessment Design Team. It’s a good idea to add someone to the team to implement the design. Use these days, cloistered somewhere on campus with your cell phone off, to learn how take charge of the system so that you can confidently implement the system design and workflows you have designed. Insist on focusing only on the parts of the system that you need right now rather than all it can do.
6) Communicate just-in-time
Keep faculty up to date from time to time. Broad-brush strokes only, not the details. Before you “go live” and do formal training, develop an orientation presentation lasting about 20-30 minutes for faculty. Demonstrate exactly what a student and a faculty member will do. If you picked the right system, the steps in the workflow will be very easy.
The goal here is to take the mystery out of the process. Develop customized Quick Start manuals and resources and show them to faculty during the orientation. It is crucial to tell everyone how to get help, from whom and when.
Geoff Irvine is CEO of Chalk & Wire. A version of this article originally appeared on the Chalk & Wire blog.
- 6 tips for launching new assessments - July 14, 2014