Online Training

Please see all questions received by April 6, 2012, and answers. 1. Are you seeking information from vendors that are capable of converting existing GSA PBS content into an online course (SCORM/AICC)? Yes. 2. Is the Agency seeking information from vendors that can deliver a catalog of COTS online courses (AICC/SCORM) PBS Academy’s four focus areas of : Employee Orientation, Professional Development, Management Development, or Executive Leadership Development? No, we are not seeking this service. 3. What's not happening that could or should be that is driving the need to make the current training materials SCORM compliant? The ability or skills translate training into that software. 4. Is a majority of this training material already constructed? If so what format is it currently in? No, no training is ready. Any training that is organized is probably in a Microsoft PowerPoint, Word . . . 5. What LMS is PBS Academy currently using to house their material? If none, what LMS is PBS academy considering for this job? PBS uses the GSA-OLU system which is the main LMS. It's a Taleo product. 6. If this RFI is for feedback/curriculum advisement, who will be building the training materials themselves? A PBS Academy staff member (curriculum expert) and PBS business line subject management expert. 7. What extent of custom development will be necessary with regard to building videos, animation, interactives, and 3D simulated learning activities? The minimum level would meet 508 compliance. However, contractors that have the ability to easily add interactive characteristics in training provide more quality to the government. 8. At the end of the list of questions we are asked to answer, we are asked to provide our recommended approach. Is this our recommended approach for converting existing content into SCORM/508 Compliant programs? I don't understand this question because the word "this" has no original modifier. What is "this" refer to which is your recommended approach? You don't name it. 9. Is it possible for GSA PBS to provide the content, or a content sample, to allow vendors to better gauge the expected state of the materials to be provided as source materials for the web-based training modules? All content and materials will be organized in the form of curricula, including the knowledge check questions. The contractor will not be tasked with developing curricula per se, but simply reviewing the content and providing feedback on how well the adult learning theory aspects of the training or utilized or fulfilled. GSA will provide the training. And be responsible for defining the length, time, audience, content, learning objectives, and knowledge check questions. 10. The RFI mentions a 25 question assessment. Does GSA PBS require pooling and randomization of the questions in an assessment? For clarification, if the assessment had to be 25 questions in length, randomization and pooling would require more than 25 questions depending upon the pooling and randomization requirements. This is just an example to gauge the expertise of contractors interested in providing the service. A GSA business line might only need 15 questions or 25 questions. Sound adult learning theory practices include reflecting the quiz and knowledge check questions with lesson learning objectives. If there are only a total of 15 learning objectives (cumulative per lesson/chapter for the entire course), more questions should not be created for the sake of randomization and pooling. 11. Is the current training being delivered in person? If so, how long does the current in person training take in minutes? 45 to 60 minutes seems to be the average length of our on-line training. 12. Will a specific development tool be required for the development of online courseware? If by specified tool you mean software, no. The software/tool just has to be SCORM and/or AICC compliant. 13. Please confirm that the contractor will not be required to provide subject matter expertise in support of content development and that the primary services intended to be provide are conversion of training into a SCORM and/or AICC electronic formation and curriculum advisement and consulting from an instructional systems design standpoint. The contractor will not develop curriculum. Nor will the contractor function as a content expert for any of the training. The contractor should be well versed in basic adult learning theory for on-line training and be able to review training and provide GSA feedback on the training product. GSA will be responsible for and determine the types of updating the training needs based on those recommendations. 14. Is there a previously used WBT Graphical User Interface we will use to develop the Online Training or will we provide this as part of the response? There is not a "standardized" graphic template used for CBT. There have been many different template designs used. Although at time it may seem to make sense to have "one" standardized design but since all course contents are different, not to mention different window size, we never came down to having just one standardized template design. 15. Just to clarify, the contractor will receive existing content that we will provide recommendations and adapt to web-based medium. Yes. 16. Are there examples of types of animation or 3D Simulated activities that would be expected as part of this RFI The examples are on OLU which has a variety of trainings but that training is located on the GSA intranet for employees only. 17. Are there any computer platform, software requirements, and/or browser requirements that must be met (other than those called out in the request)? GSA uses google chrome browser, but also has access to explorer which is more friendly to training that is SCORM/AICC compliant. 18. Are you expecting a Firm Fixed Price or Time & Materials as part of the cost. Is the hourly cost just for instructional design (curriculum advisement) or would you need an hourly cost for each type of labor category required to develop online training? Firm Fixed Price. 19. What LMS is used for the GSA on-line University learning management system? Is it proprietary? Taleo is the LMS system. Not in that we cannot develop our own training with a contractor and post that training.