Now that the newness has worn off microlearning, how’s it working for you? Where do you find its best applications? What challenges are you facing? In this article we’ll look at real-world applications and models for microlearning, as well as how to tackle some of the challenges that come with managing microlearning.

​​First, let’s look at the best ways to optimize microlearning. It’s all about quick, focused exposure to new content. See if you’ve used microlearning in any of these learning scenarios:

• Short sims: Instead of a blur of steps to complete multiple system processes, break it down into just enough steps to complete one discrete process. A microlearning segment may include a show, a try, and an assessment, but remember to limit the learner experience to just a few minutes.
• Concepts and terms: Confine a microlearning segment to mastering one term or definition. Consider a quick explanation with graphics (an infographic is a great tool to use!), then an example in practice, and a brief knowledge check. Done! Note that the infographic could be used in multiple microlearning segments – it’s the image that pulls all the segments together!
• Soft skills demos: While soft skills need practice to perfect, the first part of the learning journey can successfully incorporate microlearning segments that demonstrate best practices. First provide a list (rubric) of the desired behaviors, then show the desired behaviors in a quick video and ask the learners to identify the behaviors demonstrated in the video.
• How-to: If a physical (psychomotor) skill is being learned, demonstrate the skill, then break it down by calling attention to each key movement through slo-mo and onscreen text. At the end of the segment, provide a bullet summary and still shot of key movements.

Note that microlearning “segments” can be joined together to provide a big picture for learners. Segments are just convenient “ends” to learning that allow learners a logical jumping off point that they can return to later.
Clearly, levels of learner interaction can vary greatly with microlearning. This infographic shows how microlearning can be leveraged in four distinct ways.  

Inform and Engage
As learning shifts to becoming on-demand rather than scheduled, the Learning & Development team is increasingly being asked to provide learner engagement and information about the learning opportunities available. Microlearning is a great tool for generating excitement, buy-in, and early adapters. Some of the Inform & Engage applications of microlearning include implementing change management initiatives by featuring C-level videos to announce what’s coming and what’s in it for the employees, as well as peer videos to show buy-in. Also, to generate information about new products and services, consider employing microlearning segments to introduce product/service education with short high-energy videos, with each microlearning segment demoing one key product or service. The focal point of these segments are visual descriptions of the product features and benefits.
 
Learn Terms, Concepts and Skills
The heart of eLearning has consistently been the presentation of new terms, concepts, and skills. Microlearning provides an ideal way to provide easily digestible “chunks” of knowledge so learners don’t get overwhelmed. Microlearning heightens the learner experience by combining onscreen text, relevant graphics, and audio to provide a rich learner experience. Keeping it short ensures optimum learning transfer! Consider overhauling those long instructor-led and even eLearning courses to remove as much “fluff” as possible, convert loads of text and narration to concise infographics, and re-group content into three to five-minute chunks that begin with a quick overview/presentation, a demo or example, then a knowledge check!
 
Test Understanding
Have you considered compartmentalizing your assessments as short, stand-alone quizzes, games, or competitive learner interactions? These are just a few of the ways you can leverage microlearning to ensure your learners “get it!” Consider removing the assessment piece of your content and making it a standalone activity! Especially if the length of the assessment will be learner-driven. That way the learners can take the assessment at their discretion and not have to go through the content (again) to test their learning. You can get creative with microlearning…instead of the typical knowledge check, consider using competitive games with multiple learners, Jeopardy-style games, and more complex forms of gamification!
 
Explore New Worlds
Perhaps the most exciting way microlearning is being used is through more advanced technologies such as Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality!
 
Like gamification, these experiences are learner-driven, so they may only last a few minutes, but if the learner chooses, they can go longer! The great news for you is that the programming is the same regardless of how long the learner engages! A few uses of AR, VR, and MR include:

• Onboarding: a virtual tour of your workplace
• Learning to use high-risk tools and equipment: learn how to use new tools, machines, and instruments without risk. With AR and VR, learners can experience using the resources of their job without injury! Pilots have been using simulators for years, but now it’s becoming commonplace to have employees complete a VR experience before moving into the real environment
• Healthcare: now healthcare professionals can practice using equipment on patients virtually without risk to people or equipment

 
Challenges of Managing Microlearning
 
While microlearning has innumerable applications, its very “innumerability” is a double-edged sword. Very simply, microlearning requires micromanagement! Consider:

• Microlearning content is frequently distributed in numerous parallel channels within an organization. For example, a one-minute promo video might be send out via mass email (e-blast), placed on the corporate intranet, placed within one or more courses…you get the idea. The same content is accessible to learners in many places, but who is going to track all those locations and ensure versioning is maintained? Use of tracking spreadsheets to provide records of date and location of each microlearning asset is the best answer to managing microlearning placement.

• Suppose what was once a one-hour compliance course is now 10 microlearning modules. In the past, one course was uploaded to the corporate LMS, but now, 10 courses must be managed! The LMS Manager’s job has just increased 10-fold! Suffice it to say that managing microlearning creates an exponential increase in LMS administrators’ workload. To ease the burden, use a template that is accessible by all who want content uploaded to the LMS. Those requesting course uploads fill out all the information you need (e.g., course titles, description, learning objectives, time to complete, target audience, etc.), provide a link to their files, and you do not have to chase down people or information because it all comes to you!

The advantages and practical applications of microlearning are too great to ignore, but every great new trend brings its own set of challenges! Please take a minute and share your innovative uses for microlearning, as well as your own microlearning challenges and solutions! Let’s get better together!
 

Personally, I am always ready to learn; although I don’t always like being taught.

- Winston Churchill

Most of us today would agree with Churchill’s comment – we want to choose what we learn, how we learn, and when we learn. Perhaps that’s why microlearning is such a great fit for today’s learners – it’s short, focused, and highly engaging. If you’d like to develop microlearning, but not sure how, read on!

Microlearning is…

• Short. if your microlearning event is within three to five minutes, you’re on target.
• Focused. You must communicate the main point immediately – perhaps even in your title! Your entire microlearning event should support your primary point.
• Highly engaging. Video or highly animated and engaging graphics with audio are the go-to elements of most microlearning events. On the high end of microlearning Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are great ways to communicate your message; on the low-tech end, printed or digital job aids can also meet the need.

Watch the The ABCDs of Microlearning as an example of microlearning that will illustrate how easy it is to learn how easy it is to create a microlearning event.  As you watch, notice 1) the length of the microlearning, 2) the key point, and 3) what tool and media were used.
Now that you’ve watched, here’s how it was done…The length of this microlearning event was 1 minute 46 seconds. It was created using GoAnimate. The music, background, and some graphics were from GoAnimate stock.  An iPhone was used to record the audio, and Shutterstock was used for the photos. The project took a little over four hours to complete:

• Screen layouts: 1 hour
• Scripts (including writing, recording, editing): 1.5 hrs
• Finding photos graphics outside of GoAnimate: .5 hour
• Finding/inserting music: 15 min
• Testing/Syncing all media: 1 hour

Keep these best practices in mind as you develop your microlearning events:

• Convey one main idea
• Use standalone or as a component of a larger learning or performance goal (before, during, or after a larger learning event)
• Use multiple distribution outlets: email, intranet, LMS, social media
• Use repetitive themes such as branding, music, characters, etc.
• Use for learning that focuses on recalling, understanding, applying, and occasionally analyzing/evaluating (e.g., a case study)
• Employ text, graphics, and possibly interaction/gamification to support key ideas
• Assessments within microlearning are optional; immediate application is essential
• Develop your microlearning event for distribution for multiple devices (laptop, tablet, smartphone)

​he versatility of microlearning is endless. Think about it like this: what are the key ideas you want to communicate to your learners? Each one of these can be its own microlearning event. Here are a few examples:

​The following infographic contains many useful microlearning development tools. If you are unfamiliar with a tool, just Google it to learn more. Many of these are subscription-based. If you are working for a client, always ask if they have a license for the tool(s) you would like to use for your microlearning projects

​As a developer, you’ll find microlearning allows you to be creative and have fun with happy learners singing your praises! If you’d like to learn more about how to develop microlearning, watch this one-hour how-to webinar to put your skills to work!

In February’s Training Pros Learning Views Webinar – Easy Learning That Works – Teresa Davenport of Davenport Design & Development presented a historical perspective on how instructional designers have worked for years in a “if you build it they will come” cycle of course development. The assumption that we build courses and learners will take our courses was a given. But in the last decade, with the emergence of a new generation of learners AND new technologies such as Google search, Siri, learning games, and social learning, it seems that learners are moving on to learn without us! What does this mean for the future of instruction systems design? Is it becoming a skill of bygone days?
​
Teresa used an infographic to show how the older and more traditional ways of learning such as classroom and eLearning require a fairly extensive amount of instructional design expertise, and a long development cycle. Learning that is embedded in work, such as EPSS and on-the-job learning require less expertise and a shorter development cycle. And the newest technologies available allow learning to take place with minimal skill and time from on instructional designer.

​Teresa showed that the instructional designer’s skills are not becoming outdated, but they certainly need to adapt to the widely expanding options for learning. She made the point that decades-old instructional design methodology is still relevant today, but must adapt to new ways of learning in order to remain useful. Instructional design skills will continue to be needed in the following ways:

The Need For a Master Plan(ner)
Instructional designers skilled in Analysis and Design are in continuing demand in the workplace to devise master learning plans that hold together a cohesive learning strategy. While a learner may only see a front-facing view of what is to be learned, such as in a Learning Dashboard, the instructional designer must devise ways for the learner to access what is to be learned.
 
This is where the instructional designer becomes the new “learning architect.” Design strategies of the past assumed that the learning solution would only include one type of delivery strategy, such as classroom or eLearning. Now, a single learning solution such as employee onboarding or a technical certification might include 10 or more delivery strategies, including:

• eBlast podcasts or videos to announce learning or change management initiatives
• Social learning feeds to direct learners to blogs, podcasts, eLearning, etc.
• Webinars or “lunch-and-learns,” recorded for later replay
• Asynchronous learning, such as eLearning tutorials, simulations, and games
• Flipped classroom courses to allow learners to exchange and practice the information they’ve been gathering independently
• Performance Guides for on-the-job (OJT) practice

Teresa provided an example of a learning plan that includes learning timelines, types of delivery strategies, and duration/intensity of each to help demonstrate how the new “learning architect” must learn to think in terms of multiple delivery strategies.

​She applied the example of learning to be an eLearning developer over a three-month period by using the strategies included in this graphic.

​The learning path in this example of novice-to-expert eLearning developer provides 12 different learning options, including:

• Classroom and eLearning courses to kick off the learning, then diminish over time
• Use of a Wiki for learning basic terms
• User-generated content and expert forums and networks (e.g. eLearning Heroes) to get help from experienced users

The Need for Intentional Learning
While casual learners can use Siri and Google for casual knowledge-gathering and possible even how-to info, this still only gets a learner halfway through Bloom’s Taxonomy. And the learning is learner-driven. In the workplace, with time and productivity at a premium, instructional designers must be able to curate (research and cull) information so that only the information that is needed is placed in front of learners, and it is placed in such a way that a learner can access “just-in-time” information.  
 
The ability to construct a learning portal that puts the access to knowledge and skills where learners can easily find and use it is one of the new skill sets that instructional designers – now “learning architects” – must have to remain viable in the marketplace.
 
Teresa reiterated the theme of “easy” learning in that learning is easy for the learner because:

• Learning opportunities are everywhere are easily accessible
• Little skill is needed to access and use web browsers and learning portals

 
She also pointed out that learning is getting easier for instructional designers – the new “learning architects” – because the area where learning is seeing the most growth is in information access. Our role as curators of that information is increasing, and our role as architects of “smart” learning environments is perhaps our most in-demand skill. Key skills we need for the future:

• Curation – finding relevant information and placing it in front of the learner (easy!)
• Re-using the same information for multiple delivery outputs. In other words, creating one piece of content and re-using it for a podcast, video, tutorial, blog, etc. (easy!)
• Designing “master plans” that incorporate multiple delivery options (not so easy). As the new “learning architect,” instructional designers must add a component to their learning design that allows for multiple delivery strategies, and the ability to manage a multi-platform learning solution from needs assessment through evaluation.

Are YOU ready to move from instructional designer to learning architect? Tune in to the next Training Pros Learning Views webinar to get equipped!

Organizations are incorporating social learning into their culture at surprisingly high rates: over 50% of companies are using social learning practices today, and 2/3 plan to implement or increase social learning initiatives in the future. One survey indicates that 70 – 90% of workplace learning happens informally (see http://go.bloomfire.com/social_learning_future_of_work). This leads us as learning and development professionals to ask two key questions: How can I help implement social learning into my learning designs? and How do I remain relevant as a learning architect in a workplace that is gravitating to social learning?

Social Learning Examples

Scenario 1 – A New Payroll System

In answering the first question, we looked at several examples of incorporating social learning in the workplace. In the example below, a learning designer is tasked with developing deliverables to help employees learn how to use a new payroll system.



In this scenario, the designer created four deliverables and leveraged the organization’s social media outlets in the following ways:

1. A Quick Reference Guide (QRG) provided a high level overview of the payroll system, explained its features and benefits, and explained the value proposition (what’s in it for me or “WIIFM”). The QRG also provided a link to more detailed resources (the simulations below).

This QRG was distributed via social media outlets in the following ways:

• Posted on the company’s intranet in their Human Resources link
• Posted in the company’s Community of Practice in the HR Tools interest group
• Uploaded as a blog that was e-blasted to all employees

2. A set of simulations (“sims”) was created using Articulate Storyline to address the major features of the new payroll system. Sims allow the users to see how it works (demo) and to practice using a guided activity.

These simulations were distributed in the following ways:

• Posted on the company’s intranet in their Human Resources link
• Placed in the corporate wiki
• Posted in the company’s Community of Practice in the HR Tools interest group

3. A script for the Director of Human Resources to record a publicity video about the payroll system. Some of the content in the QRG was re-used for this script. Links to the QRG and the simulations were included in the video.

This video was distributed via social media outlets in the following ways:

• Posted as a link through the HR Director’s Twitter feed
• Sent as an e-blast to all employees
• Posted on the corporate YouTube channel

4. A set of PowerPoint slides to be used as a “lunch and learn” webinar. The Articulate Storyline simulations were also incorporated into this webinar.

This webinar was recorded and later distributed via social media outlets in the following ways:

• Posted on the company’s intranet in their Human Resources link
• Placed in the corporate wiki
• Posted in the company’s Community of Practice in the HR Tools interest group

This scenario revealed that learning designers need to begin working with social media managers within the organization to be sure the deliverables reach the target audience using all appropriate social learning venues.

Scenario 2 – Customer Education

Another common application for social learning is educating an organization’s customer. We looked at an example of a government office that uses Twitter, Facebook, Google Maps, and a live camera to educate customers about how to access and use the office’s various forms and processes, to learn how to complete online transactions, where to find the nearest satellite office, and the live camera feed is used to see how long lines are so people can decide whether now is a good time to do onsite transactions. Facebook is also used to gather feedback about customer experiences and convert the feedback into just-in-time customer service training.

Staying Relevant

So how do learning and development professionals stay relevant in a world quickly gravitating to social learning? We looked at Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as a way to think about our role and incorporate social learning into our designs:

This combined view of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and social learning provides a few take-aways:

• Use asynchronous learning apps when learners are not depending on each other for ideas or feedback. “Knowledge owners” can record their insights through apps such as YouTube, blogs, articles, etc., where they can later be viewed by others. These asynchronous apps are better for the lower end of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy that includes remembering and understanding.
• Use synchronous learning apps such as Skype, GoToMeeting, and Google Docs for group collaboration that allows learners to analyze, evaluate, and create.

The webinar created a bit of buzz about social learning, and several participants requested more information about building learning design scenarios that incorporate social learning. If your organization would like more information about social learning, please contact a TrainingPros’ relationship manager or Teresa Davenport at [email protected] to see how social learning can become a part of your organizational learning landscape!

The Delta symbol (Δ) – an uppercase “D” in Greek– represents change, or how much an entity changes over time. So the Delta Window is the snapshot of the real or present state, and a later snapshot that shows movement toward the ideal state.

Keep in mind that the Delta Window will never fully “arrive” because of the transformational nature of organizations. New ideas, technology, and methodologies are always informing and influencing organizations.  

Consider the shift in major universities’ perceptions of distance education as a viable offering:

In this example, the Delta Windows were spaced about 10 years apart, and show changes in stakeholder views as well as the systems strategies employed to support the distance education.

You can read more about a study that shows some interesting stats from a ten-year study of shifts in higher ed views toward distance education from 2002 to 2012 here. 

So what is our role in moving an organization’s Delta Window from the Real State, which is often not taking advantage of the best learning delivery strategies, to the Ideal State, which capitalizes on innovation, best practices, and latest technology? Here are a few ideas:

• Be prepared to share some intel about what other similar organizations are doing without giving away client-sensitive information. Few organizations are early adapters, and letting them hear that they will not be the first to try your recommendation will give them assurance that others have already forged the path, and if anything, they will be left in the dust if they don’t adapt.
  
• Have some numbers ready. Stakeholders have to get buy-in, and you can assist them in getting that buy-in if you have some hard numbers as to how much it will cost to transition to and support/maintain the recommendation you are recommending.
  
• Share examples. Again, always protect client confidentiality. But consider “scrubbing” some of your best examples that represent the solution you are recommending. Once a client sees what you are proposing, it begins to feel more real and more possible. If you are an internal L & D employee and do not have access to samples, you can usually find some examples by looking at competitor websites (depending on the type of learning solution you are recommending). You can also work with an outside consultant who can provide samples.
  
• Have a Plan B. Assume that your client is not going to buy in to your recommendation 100%. Before you present, be sure to have a Plan B that would represent a shift in the Delta Window, although it might not be the Ideal State.
  

I’d love to hear your stories of how you have experienced the Delta Window, either as a stakeholder, L & D consultant, or an L & D practitioner within your organization!

© 2015 Davenport Design & Development, LLC. All rights reserved. 

Let’s be honest. When you’re tasked with designing a course, how much thought do you put into incorporating instructional design theory? If you’ve gotten away from applying sound instructional design theories, it’s time for a refresher! Since spring is upon us and flowers are blooming, let’s focus on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning.

Here’s the skinny:

• Dr. Benjamin Bloom first published his theory of learning in 1956! Good things last!
  

• Bloom’s taxonomy categorized learning into three domains:
  

          o   Cognitive (knowledge acquisition or mental processing)
          o   Psychomotor (physical skills)
          o   Attitudes - now usually called Abilities (emotions that drive behaviors)

• Bloom’s Cognitive domain is well suited to drive many instructional design tasks, such as developing learning objectives, selecting source content, designing learning activities and assessments, and selecting appropriate delivery (e.g., classroom, eLearning, on-the-job, etc.). 
  
• Students of Dr. Bloom have continued to expand his cognitive taxonomy. Bloom’s REVISED Taxonomy (Cognitive domain) is now favored by many IDs. Here’s what it looks like:
  

OK, Instructional Designers, you know that learning objectives are an essential part of any learning solution, but do you know WHY we have to have them? Let’s think about it in terms of target audiences – those for whom learning objectives are intended.

Who Needs Learning Objectives?

1)       YOU – The Instructional Designer: You need learning objectives because you need a frame of reference to keep you on track as you go through the design and development process! The learning objectives you write serve multiple purposes for you. They:

• Become the benchmark learner performance will be measured against
  
• Serve as the outline that will drive your content
  
• Are the criteria that will establish the appropriate types of learner activities and assessments
  
• Indicate the best delivery medium based on learning verbs, such as e-learning, classroom (virtual or brick and mortar), or other types of delivery.

2)      The Stakeholders: Stakeholders need learning objectives because they need to buy in to what you are creating. They must understand what the learning solution will look like, and learning objectives provide the beginning of that roadmap. 

3)      The Design Document: OK, so a Design Document is not a “who,” but you can’t have a course design without learning objectives! And yes, every learning solution needs a design that will serve as a blueprint and roadmap for development. If you’ve ever tried working without one, you know I’m right!

4)      The Learners: Learners need to know what they will be learning! They don’t like working blind, and they especially want to know when they will be finished with whatever they’re learning! They also want to know what’s expected of them if they will be tested. Learning objectives provide this information.

 There are a few exceptions to providing learning objectives to learners. On occasion, Instructional Designers are asked to create marketing pieces or customer-facing content that is purely informational for the leaner. In this case, learners do not need to see the learning objectives, although you should have had them for all the reasons stated above!

Also, sometimes learners are working in a “surprise” environment, where they aren’t supposed to know where the learning is taking them. This is often done in Socratic learning.

Another scenario where we don’t need to provide learners with learning objectives is when we write procedure guides or technical instructions such as assembly manuals.

Keep in mind that your learning objectives might be stated differently for your learners and even your stakeholders than they are stated within your Instructional Design team. When we write learning objectives, we might use the three-part objective structure:

“Given a horse and a saddle, learners will be able to demonstrate saddling the horse so that the saddle will not slide off the horse when the horse is ridden.” (OK, no, I wouldn’t really use that as an objective in any environment, but hopefully you get the idea!)

Meanwhile, your stakeholders and learners might see this learning objective:

“After completing this lesson, you will be able to saddle a horse.”

You need to make learning objectives engaging for your learners, and understandable for each target audience.

If you’d like to know more about writing learning objectives, consider taking my course, How to Write Learning Objectives!”

Templates are a must-have if you want to complete your deliverable in record time. Here's the skinny on templates and how you can use them to get your project done faster without compromising content or quality...

What is a template? 
A template is a shell that houses your content. For example, if you are creating an e-learning course, the template is the basic structure for placing your content. 

When do I use templates?
Every phase of a learning solution project can use templates! Here are a few (but not all) examples:

• Storyboards for eLearning: Use a Microsoft™ PowerPoint template to get your eLearning course off to a quick start! Typical starting slides include Course Title, Agenda, Learning Objectives, Lesson Introduction (for each lesson), Lesson Content (different slide styles), Activity, Lesson Summary, Course Summary.

• Leader and Participant Guides: Templates built in Microsoft™ Word are most often used for classroom learning. These templates typically include a Lesson Title page, legal info, Table of Contents, Course Overview, Lesson Intro, Lesson Content, and Lesson/Course Summary.
• Design documents: I have literally hundreds of Design Document templates that I've used over the years because I always end up customizing the template for each client. To create my template, I first work with the client to determine how deep the Design needs to be, then build either a Microsoft™ Word or Excel template to meet their needs.

Why use templates?
Templates help you with:

• Working smart. When you are developing content, you get into a rhythm, and templates are at the root of your rhythm! For example, if you are moving content from a Design Document to your template, you will know exactly where to place content such as learning objectives, estimated learning time, and even source content, because your template will already have these items, either as placeholders or sometimes with sample content that you can replace.
• Consistent look and feel. For example, if you are using a Word template, you can create custom Styles and use those to make sure headings, bullets, tables, and numbered lists use the same formatting. 
• Looking professional. Look at styles, graphics, fonts, and formats that appeal to you. Adjust your templates to look like what you enjoy seeing. Assuming you have good taste :), others will like your content if only because it looks good!
• Visual organization. A template follows a set of repeating visual cues. For example, the beginning of each lesson in a course might begin with the lesson title, estimated time to complete, lesson objectives, and lesson topics. Learners will "learn" the structure of your content, and thus learn faster because they can locate information more quickly!

Where do I find templates?
You can find great templates online. Just query on the app (e.g., Articulate) and "templates" and you'll see what's available for public use. As I create D3 University courses about rapid prototyping and using templates, I will provide templates that are ready to use.

Your best templates will be the ones you've used in the past for other projects, but just about all apps and software you use have pre-built templates. I rarely use those because they are too basic for my needs, but I sometimes use them to establish the look and feel of my template.

WARNING: Do NOT take the work you've done for one client or employer to use for someone else!  It's OK to look at the layout you've used to create projects for others and borrow ideas for your current client or project, but you cannot use someone else's branding (color schemes, logos, proprietary fonts, graphics) for a different client/employer.

Every project I've ever done had one common characteristic: the need for speed. It affects everything including project cost, content, delivery options, number of resources needed to get the job done,  and amount of content included in the course, just to name a few.

The question we're tackling in this series is how can we speed up the design/development process? To begin answering this question, I'll start with a strategy that has worked well for most projects.

Break it down. 
If the project scope seems too vast or broad, or impossible given the time constraints, work with your team to break it into phases. 

Scenario
Your company provides cellular services and is launching a new product in the third quarter.  It's now the end of the first quarter.  All employees must be trained to support this product, such as Sales, Service, Billing, and Technical Support.


Challenges:

• The product is still in beta mode
• Marketing still has not completed its product packaging for customer-facing materials (e.g., product name and key features and benefits)

Solution

1. List your target audiences. Generate a list of each group that needs to be trained. 
2. List what each target needs to know about the product. To generate this list quickly, look back at previous product launches (or similar learning solutions as your case may be) and see what topics each audience needed in the past. I call this a Core Competency list. 
3. Sort the list first by topic, and secondarily by target audience.  Now you can see which target audiences need to know the same things. Your overwhelming task has has gotten smaller because you'll be able to deliver the same content to multiple target audiences! 
4. Schedule your design/development tasks. Now look at your calendar and look at how much time you have to develop your learning solution. Select delivery strategies that seem realistic given the schedule. Also, is it absolutely essential to have every target audience trained on every topic on day one of project launch? Probably not. Focus on developing the content/competencies that 1)  the most target audiences have in common, and 2) are highest on the need-to-know list. Work with your stakeholders to figure out the "must-haves,"  Negotiate a phased approach by identifying content that can be included in a later revision of the learning solution - strip down the current "phase" to the need-to-know-now info.
   
5. Build communication pipelines and structured processes with your key Subject Matter Experts. Structured communication is the key to "breaking it down" when you're working with your SMEs. In this scenario, you might liaison with the supplier of the new product so that you are getting your info from the source. Ask them to provide you with each new development of the beta product, and also to give you continued updates as to when the product will be final. Work with them to establish standardized communication processes such as daily updates via a structured email, or a template that makes it easy for them to communicate changes and new info to you. 
6. Be proactive when working through challenges - have a plan! Do not let challenges lie dormant hoping they'll go away, because they won't! In this scenario, your goal should be to only use content that truly is final, but be warned: what is final today is never really final! That's why we have product versions! Break down the challenges by first identifying them, then working with your stakeholders, partners, and team members to agree on a plan that minimizes or overcomes the challenges.  Set firm parameters that everyone agrees is a realistic solution to the challenge. In this scenario, you must agree on a final date and say, "What we have from you on x date is what we are going include in our materials. Further changes will go into our next revision." Reassure those who are providing you information that you will update the learning solution to keep up with product changes, and updated information will go in the next version. Learning solutions have versions, too!