Why is capturing the knowledge of subject matter experts so difficult for eLearning organizations?

Capturing the knowledge of subject matter experts (SMEs) for eLearning organizations can be challenging for multiple reasons:

1. Complexity of Knowledge Transfer: SMEs often possess deep, intricate knowledge that can be difficult to distill into clear, concise, and structured learning content. Their expertise is usually vast and detailed, making it hard to identify the most critical information for learners

2. Lack of Instructional Design Skills: SMEs typically lack formal training in instructional design. This gap can make it challenging for them to convert their knowledge into engaging and pedagogically sound eLearning content. They might struggle with organizing information in a way that is accessible and understandable to learners who are not experts in the field

3. Time Constraints: SMEs are often busy with their primary responsibilities and may not have the time to dedicate to the content creation process. This can lead to delays and incomplete content, impacting the overall eLearning development timeline.

4. Communication Barriers: There can be a disconnect between SMEs and instructional designers or eLearning developers. Misunderstandings and miscommunications can occur, leading to content that does not fully capture the SME's knowledge or fails to meet the instructional goals

5. Technical Challenges: Ensuring that the content meets technical standards, such as accessibility requirements (e.g., Section 508/WCAG compliance), can be daunting for SMEs who are not familiar with these standards. This adds another layer of complexity to the content creation process

6. Engagement and Pedagogy: SMEs might focus too much on the technical details and not enough on making the content engaging and interactive. This can result in eLearning modules that are informative but not engaging, which can hinder learning outcomes

7. Continuous Updates: Knowledge in many fields evolves rapidly, requiring continuous updates to eLearning content. SMEs need to be involved in regularly updating the content to ensure it remains current and relevant, which can be a significant ongoing commitment.

In short, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or those close to the content often struggle to summarize or abstract detailed information into coherent eLearning courseware. Typically, SMEs provide raw content, such as PowerPoint decks or audit findings, that dive into hyper-detailed explanations early on, making it challenging to create structured and engaging eLearning courses, resulting in content that is too detailed and specific, missing the broader learning objectives. 

These challenges highlight the need for tools and processes that can help bridge the gap between SME knowledge and effective eLearning content creation, such as platforms that simplify the conversion of raw content into structured, accessible, and engaging eLearning modules.

Working with SMEs? 

Get CourseAvenue.

CourseAvenue is an easy-to-use eLearning authoring platform that helps subject matter experts with no instructional design experience quickly transform their raw content (PDFs, PPTs, .Docs, etc.) into instructionally sound, visually appealing, and accessible courseware 10 to 100X faster.