Course Prototype: Why is it Needed and What is It?

Contents:

• Goals of Creating an Educational Product Prototype
• Reasons for Difficulties in Prototyping
• Typology of Prototypes and Their Key Components
• The Prototype Development Process: From Idea to Implementation
• Possibilities for Creating Prototypes: What Else Can Be Implemented?

A prototype, also known as an MVP, which is an abbreviation for the English term minimum viable product, is the implementation of the concept of a certain product, serving A prototype is a model or template that illustrates how the final product will function or look. In digital technologies, prototypes are widely used in the development of software, applications, and web resources. Furthermore, prototyping for online courses and various educational products is becoming increasingly popular.

Connie Malamed, an instructional designer and author of "Visual Design Insights for Professionals," recently shared information on her blog about how prototypes are used in online education.

Goals of Creating an Educational Product Prototype

Connie is convinced that the benefits of prototyping clearly outweigh its drawbacks. Thus, creating a course prototype will help in the following ways:

• test the concept in its practical implementation;
• identify potential difficulties at the initial stage of product development;
• apply an iterative method in development, starting with a functional “prototype” of the course and gradually improving it with each new version;
• prevent wasting resources on a failed concept (in the business world, this procedure for evaluating and selecting ideas is known as the “fast failure” method);
• visually present the product concept to other people;
• involve customers, partners, or potential students in the program creation process to receive and subsequently take into account their feedback;
• It is necessary to provide the customer with clear explanations of our decisions and clarify what resources and efforts will be involved in creating a high-quality product.

Reasons for Difficulties in Prototyping

According to Connie Malamed notes that identifying the disadvantages of course prototyping isn't easy, but she did identify several clear ones. The first two align with the disadvantages of conducting detailed research before course creation.

• In the initial stages of course development, prototyping takes time, but it saves time later.
• Explaining to a client or management why you're spending time prototyping rather than jumping straight into course development can be challenging.
• The previously mentioned "fail fast" approach is a key principle of prototyping. However, some teams aren't always happy with mistakes, even if they can save time and money. Connie's recommendation is to keep this approach quiet.

Typology of Prototypes and Their Key Components

The author classifies prototypes into four types, each designed to perform a specific function:

• An interactive, or functional, prototype incorporates the key features of a product, demonstrating its structure to users. It serves as a guarantee for developers that the intended functions and interaction mechanisms will function as planned.
• A visual or presentation prototype is used to demonstrate and evaluate the perception of a course design layout, allowing users to understand what they like and dislike.
• Prototypes created for usability evaluation are used to analyze the ease of navigation and overall user interaction with a product.
• A prototype created for feasibility testing serves as a tool for developers to test their ideas. It allows you to assess whether it is technically possible to implement the plan, or, on the contrary, to identify its inexpediency and the need to abandon it.

It is possible to combine elements of different English: types.

When creating this prototype, special attention should be paid to how the student will interact with the course. Connie recommends testing the following set of features with it:

• Buttons and other navigation elements function correctly.
• If the lesson includes a complex scenario, each route directs the student in the desired direction.
• Interactive components function without failures;
• The student receives feedback on their actions in accordance with the intended plan;
• Responses provided by the student during testing are saved, and the results are displayed correctly.
• Media materials, including video, audio, and animations, play without any technical glitches.

A prototype, as a rule, does not contain product functionality, interactive elements, or full-fledged learning content. It is intended solely to evaluate the perception of the design at an initial stage, before the curriculum and materials are created. In this regard, it is worth adding the following elements to it:

• Screen designs (or slides), including the course title, module and lesson names, and different types of content.
• The position and design of navigation components and various menus;
• The color palette;
• The selected font (or fonts) in different weights and sizes;
• Examples of photographic style, artistic illustrations, and graphic icons;
• Aesthetics of interactive components, including their display in different states, for example, the appearance of tooltips and changes in buttons when the user hovers over them.

Usability prototypes are used to collect feedback from users before or during course development. This helps to identify and improve issues related to navigation, interaction with the platform, visual design, and the learning process itself. It is important to focus on those elements that cause difficulties or dissatisfaction among learners. Using a usability prototype allows you to:

• ensure that students can easily understand the course structure and navigate the learning materials;
• assess how convenient it is to master the course from various devices, such as a laptop, tablet, and smartphone;
• assess how user-friendly the learning process is, how accessible the information is, whether the level of cognitive load matches students' abilities, and what their impressions of the course are.

Connie Malamed emphasizes that usability prototypes do not need to be highly detailed; they can be presented as a simple "skeleton" of the course, which does not include visual elements and design. This type of prototype is called a wireframe, which translates as "framework" or "grid." There is also no need to develop a prototype on an existing educational platform—specialized design tools, such as Figma and Balsamiq, can help with this.

This form of prototyping provides an opportunity to test whether a particular format or teaching method can be implemented before full course development begins, taking into account available tools, time constraints, and financial resources. Typically, such prototypes are used in the following situations:

• There are many options for solving a methodological problem.
• There is a possibility that, due to technical problems, some element of the course may become unavailable.
• Sometimes there is a feeling that the implementation of an idea may be so labor-intensive that it will take too much time.

This could be, for example, a proof-of-concept version of an original feature, a simplified interpretation of a complex format, or a stripped-down version of a component that you think might take too long to develop.

The Prototyping Process: From Idea to Implementation

Prototypes can vary significantly in level of elaboration, from the simplest and least detailed versions that can be created "on the fly" (the so-called low-fidelity or lo-fi) to realistic and detailed models (high-fidelity or hi-fi). Low-fidelity prototypes are designed to demonstrate the structure and key functions, allowing you to quickly test hypotheses and collect feedback. High-fidelity prototypes, on the other hand, are used to analyze user interactions with the product, as well as to test visual design and interactive elements.

The choice of level of detail determines the tools you will need:

• Paper and pencil. Yes, that's right, the simplest version with minimal detail can easily be created by hand on a piece of paper. This method allows you to visualize the interface, the logic of the learning activity, as well as the structure of the learning material or the entire course. Such a sketch is useful for demonstrating to colleagues or a client for feedback.
• Tools designed for creating low-fidelity prototypes allow you to form the basic structure of the future design layout from simple elements such as blocks and lines. Such tools include the previously mentioned Balsamiq and Figma. Figma offers the ability to develop not only static but also interactive prototypes. According to Connie Malamed, presentation tools such as PowerPoint and Google Slides are classified as moderate-fidelity prototyping tools. They can be used to visualize the design of an upcoming course, as well as organize navigation and interactive elements using hyperlinks between slides. When developing a mobile-friendly course, it's easy to adjust slide sizes and aspect ratios in the chosen builder. Course builders offer the ability to create an interactive prototype that will closely match the final course in terms of detail. By choosing a course builder tool, you can save significant time by eliminating the need to transfer existing materials from one platform to another. However, as the author of the article notes, this approach runs the risk of overemphasizing design elements in the early stages of development.

Opportunities for Prototyping: What Else Can Be Done?

Besides creating online courses, prototypes also play an important role in developing various forms of learning. Connie Malamed shares a number of interesting suggestions:

• The approximate structure of a training or workshop designed for several hours can be adapted for a short session lasting from 15 to 30 minutes.
• The prototype of multi-volume educational material is a one-page help.
• The prototype of a video lesson can be either an abridged or a full version, but it should be filmed with minimal costs, for example, using a smartphone.

Read also:

• Warning signs in interactions with clients: what a freelance methodologist should pay attention to.
• Optimizing corporate training through beta testing: a practical example
• Application of the principle of uniformity in the process of developing online courses is of significant importance. This approach helps create a structured and consistent learning environment, which in turn facilitates better student learning.

  First, consistency in design and presentation makes a course more understandable and accessible. When all course elements, such as fonts, colors, formatting, and module structure, follow a single style, students have less difficulty navigating and comprehending the content. This allows them to focus on learning rather than struggling with the interface.

  Second, consistency in materials promotes a deeper understanding of the topic. When all lessons and assignments follow a similar logic and structure, students can more easily grasp new concepts by building on their existing knowledge. This creates a "building block" effect, where each new piece of material fits seamlessly into the overall picture.

  Several practical approaches can be used to implement the principle of consistency in online courses. It's important to develop a style guide in advance, including recommendations for visual design, font selection, color palette, and overall tone. It's also helpful to use templates for modules and assignments to help maintain structure and style throughout the course.

  Also, pay attention to the consistency of information presentation. Start with basic concepts and gradually move to more complex topics, while maintaining a similar lesson structure. This will help students absorb the material more easily and reinforce their knowledge.

  Therefore, the principle of consistency is an important tool in creating online courses. It not only simplifies the learning process but also makes it more effective, creating a comfortable environment for students.

• A checklist for course content before launching it.
• Basic principles of multimedia learning that facilitate the development of digital educational content.