How many Subject Matter Experts do you need to create a course?

Subject Matter Experts (SME) are the instructional designer’s foremost source of the content and its accuracy. They are rarely dedicated to the designer’s project. Working as your resource is often a task in addition to their normal workload. Adding additional expert contacts may help or hinder. The resource availability and the content complexity drive decisions concerning the number of SME’s working on a project.

Multiple SME’s are enlisted when one can not dedicate enough time to the project, when the content requires unrelated expertise, and when best practice decisions are needed. Each of these instances dictates the selection of additional SME(s).

When it is evident in the beginning that one SME does not have the time needed or when the demands become overwhelming, the client may offer or the designer may request additional support. The added resources should have knowledge comparable to the original. This allows the original SME to take on the less demanding role of validating information and adding filler.

Varied Expertise
When the content does not easily fall under the knowledge base of one SME, additional ones are generally assigned in the beginning. Each of them can have the same limited availability issues. This presents the designer with the dilemma of managing input on a grander scale. Careful information management is vital here, especially if the content begins to overlap. Taking the time to note the source in the content, as it goes together, allows for confirmation or referral if the need arises. Plus, the notations allow the SME’s to review only sections marked with their name.

Often there is more than one way to present information to the learner or for a learner to complete a certain task. If the designer can not determine the most appropriate way to do it, the decision falls on the SME. Knowing the possible solutions, the SME may solicit the input of the other SME’s involved or external resources.

The more voices in the mix, the more difference of opinions there are. The designer must maintain control over the input solicited and taken. When Best Practice decisions are required early in the process it is best to put the decision process early in the project, especially if getting agreement may be difficult. The designer can make minor decisions and later communicate it to the lead SME.

Less is Better
In the case where the content is large and complex, keep the amount of SME’s as limited as possible. This may sound illogical, but less is often better or the input can overwhelm the designer. When the content is complicated and many decisions are required, information gathering meetings can become debates and eat away at your development time. Where valuable debates do exist, request that the discussion take place at another time and continue gathering high priority information. The group may feel that taking what can become an hour or more discussing something is necessary at that moment, you need to make the decision as to the urgency of it. Unless it is urgent, make a note to follow-up on it and move on. Strive to leave the meeting with what you need immediately.

Working with multiple SME’s has many benefits, but requires a bit of management on the designer’s part. This includes management of everyone’s time, the information requests, the information given, and the development of the final course.