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CST Service Process

1. Initial Consultation/Discovery and Research

This meeting with the client identifies the main project needs and features and also establishes the working relationship among all project participants. In this meeting, the CST and the client:

  • Establish a relationship.
  • Verify the timeframe.
  • Identify learning objectives, project goals, and program goals.
  • Pinpoint challenges and constraints.
  • Document time sensitive information.
  • Establish technology comfort level.
  • Discuss content.
  • Confirm marketing or visual design needs.
  • Discuss assessment strategies.
  • Set expectations.

2. Instructional Design

Consultations with an instructional designer help develop the features of a successful course design that meets program and course goals and objectives. Specifically, these consultations identify and define:

  • Course and program goals and objectives.
  • Suitable teaching strategies, teaching modalities, and corresponding instructional technologies.
  • Course structure.
  • Technology infrastructure.
  • Professional development and training needs for instructors and support persons.
  • Support documentation needs.
  • Assessment metrics and integration needs.

3. Project Planning

A program manager helps identify the project scope and steps needed to complete the project. This step produces the following deliverables:

Written project plan, including:

  • Project deliverables.
  • Timeline.
  • Budget and resource requirements and allocations.
  • Project assessment strategy and plans.

4. Production

Production generally involves the collaboration of clients, developers, and designers. Depending on the project, this stage may include the following activities:

  • Content development.
  • Conversion of existing materials to a new format/delivery method.
  • Coordination of all internal and external content and multimedia production needs.
  • Usability testing.

5. Professional Development

This stage helps to ensure that the client is adept at implementing all aspects of the project once it is developed. Development may include:

  • Client/instructor technology training.
  • Support team technology training.
  • Creation of support documentation.

6. Implementation

Once the project is developed, CST can support its implementation in the following ways:

  • Assessment data collection services.
  • Consultations with the local support team.
  • Consultations with the client/instructor.

7. Marketing Services (optional)

Some projects require marketing to be most effective. CST's marketing plan includes:

  • Media delivery options and associated pricing.
  • Recommendations for specific marketing strategies (event marketing, viral marketing, etc.).

Marketing implementation:

  • Event facilitation.
  • Message distribution.
  • Distribution management for the defined marketing channels.

8. Assessment and Program Evaluation (optional)

Creating a successful project requires periodic evaluation and refinement. CST can help evaluate a project's effectiveness after it has been launched in the following ways:

  • Assessment final report(s) and data.
  • Initiating contact and final review with the USC Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation.