Creating Training Tutorials with Google Blogger

 Background

Google provides many free collaborative tools like Google Blogger that allows teams to work together online. This is useful for project teams that reside in different cities. All you need to have is a Google account. Blogger is one of the original internet publishing platforms. It allows you to create and publish a basic blog website that can be shared easily.

Traditionally I have used Microsoft Word or LibreWrite to create the tutorial. The completed document is then saved as a pdf file and distributed. Now I just use Blogger to create and publish my tutorials and all I need to do is provide the user with the url link.  Users can still print the blog to pdf.  In addition this blog is an html file which can be easily copied and placed on a website such as the SUMM Knowledge Portal.

Developing the Training Components

Traditionally training tutorials focus on teaching users how to use the product or application. Our goal is to develop training material which not only teaches the users on how to use the knowledge portal, but also give them a road map as to how the system was conceived and the process that was followed. 
For ICT projects such as the knowledge portal we use the planning process that has been developed for successful implementation of database or application systems (see figure above). 

The Planning and Development Team

A good ICT project can only be developed if it involves a diverse team of dedicated staff members that include management, administrators, users, and ICT staff that includes those involved with system operations and maintenance and software development. The ICT project can only be sustainable if it is well planned, tested and implemented with the concept of continuous improvement in mind. It would also include training tutorials and manuals for users, operators and system maintenance as the project requires.

At the pre-design phase the management's role is to commit to the project. The commitment will include the approval of human resource (HR) and funds to complete the project. Also management will assign a project team that includes an executive administrator, users who will provide user input, technical ICT staff and/or consultants. The technical team may vary based on the scope of the project. It may include application developers or programmers if coding is required. It will also include technical support staff with day-to-day operation requirments and server and system support staff for system maintenance. 

Step 1 - Conceptual Design

The first step of planning is the conceptual design. This is where the development team needs to determine the what and why of the project. For example: this is the stage where the team decides on why they are creating the project and what it will acheive. This is a planning phase where the whole team defines the goals and objetives of the project. This should be written down and used as a blueprint moving forward.

Step 2 - Logical Design

The second step the team determines is the logical design. This is where they determine how it will be implemented. For example for the SUMM KP project the how is via a web portal. This means a website is needed. At the logical design stage decisions are needed to be made, such as will the web portal be an in-house development or outsourced?  Is it going to be a stand alone program or is a web application framework (WordPress) going to be used? Does the organization have the resources or capabilities to develop this in-house or does it need to contracted out? So these are the type of questions that will be needed to be answered at the logical design phase.

This is also the step where the project team decides on the web architecture of the knowledge portal. The web architecture includes the web portal layout. What are the key components (pages) of the site such as Home, Data, Knowledge Products, Contact, etc. and the breaking of the sub-components in each page. 

The source of the knowledge products is also discussed at this phase. Where are the products located? What format are the products? Is conversion going to be required? What format are we going to use in the portal? These and  other similar questions and answers are generally covered at this phase.

Domain name, cloud hosting service, etc. is determined at the logical design phase.

Step 3 - Physical Design

The third step is the physical implementation of the project. For the SUMM KP it was determined that we would be using the WordPress CMS web application platform for the knowledge portal's data management system instead of using html and PHP programming. The decision was also made to use a cloud based hosting service instead of hosting it in-house. 

This is where a hosting service is contracted to register the domain name of the web portal. Also most hosting services automatically install and update WordPress for you. Once that has been initiated you can implement the website on the hosting service with your domain url. 

The physical design phase is when you decide on the WordPress theme you want to install. You can also install plugins that will help you with the functionality of the site. Decide on the graphical look and feel you want. Some of these implementations need to include input from the project team.

Project Documentation

Regardless whether this is an in-house project or, in the case of SUMM KP, it is a project that is to be turned over to the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines, good project documentation is required. Once the project documentation is created training tutorials could be developed from them. 

Using Google Blogger we can create the tutorial documentation with the following blogs:

Introduction to Development of Sustainable ICT Projects - Using SUMM KP as an example.

Table of Contents (TOC):

  1. Planning Requirements - Pre-Development Phase
    1. Executive Committment
    2. Project Team
    3. Three step process
      1. Conceptual
      2. Logical
      3. Physical
  2. Conceptual Design
    1. Project Details (the what)
    2. Goals
    3. Objectives
  3. Logical Design
    1. In-house coding or WordPress
    2. In-house server or cloud hosting
    3. Web architecture
    4. Content - knowledge products
  4. Physical Design
    1. Engage cloud hosting service - domain registration
    2. Install WordPress
    3. Selection of theme and plugins
    4. KP database
    5. User sign-in and security
  5. Implementation
    1. Complete documentation
    2. Complete training materials
    3. Upload content
    4. Train stakeholders
    5. Test Project
    6. Go-live
  6. Operations & Maintenance
    1. Review user activity and comments
    2. Review feedback from support staff
    3. Review content upload and maintenance
    4. Make recommendations 
    5. Implement continuous improvement





 


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