NOTE: This started off as an eBook review, but it ended up so critical I decided to leave names off and talk about that. Can an eBook be reviewed as you would a book, or is it in a category of "marketing" that is implicitly biased and shouldn't be expected to be anything more than an extended ad? Should we expect authors to stand behind their work or is, "Heck, I was just trying to get more people to use my services" a valid excuse for poor or misleading content? Discuss.
Original post, with names removed, starts below.
Original post, with names removed, starts below.
I just downloaded this eBook that came to my mail box promoted by x.com, Breaking Into The Industry: Become A Subject Matter Expert By Turning Your Passion Into A Profession, by site founder, X.
Let me take a look at the content...
Ok, this is not a review of the book but my own musings inspired by the topics covered. This is not intended as a critique. Maybe I'll do that later, after I've read it.
The book seems to tackle the Covid-boosted move by many sitting-on-their-duff former in-house experts to develop online courses and get rich. There is a proliferation of companies online right now that promote this ambition (I won't name them as this isn't an endorsement). X is not one of these, as he only mentions the possibility in passing along with other ways to promote your expertise.
The link he provides on this mention, however, goes to another blog post on his site, the sub-head of which promises, "This article explains how you, as a Subject Matter Expert, can create an instructional sound course within a day. From choosing the right tool to publishing a course based on learning objectives, just like Instructional Designers." The post, by Y and Z, describes what LOs are, does a quick chart of Bloom's taxonomy, points to some online authoring systems, and suggests curating and incorporating other people's work as a way of lowering development time (I haven't heard that one before). Oh, and adding some interactive questions is a good idea too.
How one is supposed to get this great course finished in one day is still a bit hazy. "Just like instructional designers"--HA! I don't recall ever completing a course in a day, but maybe that's just me.
By the way, guys, it's "instructionally" sound.
I changed my mind, this is a critique--it doesn't take long to read after all.
I've never heard of "SME" described as a career, before. The sentence, "A quintessential function of the SME is to identify information learners need to know versus extraneous data" looks to me like the purview of an ID rather than a SME, as does the advice to develop and check the validity of learning objectives for your course. I searched the book for any further delineation of responsibilities between an ID and SME and couldn't find one, except for X's definition of a SME, in that it does not include ID competencies.
I have only heard the term SME used within a company, not as a job description but as a designation with respect to a specific project. It's true that all sorts of people become "thought leaders" and "experts" just by talking and writing a lot and being visible. But "IT Expert" or "Evaluation Expert" isn't their job title, so I'm not sure what jobs these SMEs are looking for. Consultants trade on their expertise, sure, but it's usually informed by a long resume.
And I take back my earlier description of the target audience, as X asks, "What are you good at? Are there any niche skills you already have that give you a head start?" This is not restricted to people with deep expertise, necessarily, then. It sounds more and more like those online course promoters.
The gist of the book comes in Chapters 7 and 8, IMO, both of which concentrate on guest blogging, which is a service X provides. It's not surprising that an eBook should turn to self-promotion, but... is there a but? Not really, it's the main purpose people write blogs and eBooks in the first place, so more power to him.
This is no slag on X, then, as I admire the website he has developed and is now glued to promoting, as are all website hosts. It is kind of a slag on the whole blogging-eBook writing sales culture we're all being asked to buy into, however.
My question: Is all this "sharing", like the misnamed ride-sharing companies, doing us, collectively, any good?
Half way through the above critique, I considered not posting it because it is not all sunshine and roses. The expectation of a "review" these days is that you will say nice things or say nothing at all. We're all just trying to help each other, after all, right? (Wink wink, nudge nudge.)
And saying nice things does that, right?
Or does it?
Mitch (aka the ID Curmudgeon)
Let me take a look at the content...
Ok, this is not a review of the book but my own musings inspired by the topics covered. This is not intended as a critique. Maybe I'll do that later, after I've read it.
The book seems to tackle the Covid-boosted move by many sitting-on-their-duff former in-house experts to develop online courses and get rich. There is a proliferation of companies online right now that promote this ambition (I won't name them as this isn't an endorsement). X is not one of these, as he only mentions the possibility in passing along with other ways to promote your expertise.
The link he provides on this mention, however, goes to another blog post on his site, the sub-head of which promises, "This article explains how you, as a Subject Matter Expert, can create an instructional sound course within a day. From choosing the right tool to publishing a course based on learning objectives, just like Instructional Designers." The post, by Y and Z, describes what LOs are, does a quick chart of Bloom's taxonomy, points to some online authoring systems, and suggests curating and incorporating other people's work as a way of lowering development time (I haven't heard that one before). Oh, and adding some interactive questions is a good idea too.
How one is supposed to get this great course finished in one day is still a bit hazy. "Just like instructional designers"--HA! I don't recall ever completing a course in a day, but maybe that's just me.
By the way, guys, it's "instructionally" sound.
I changed my mind, this is a critique--it doesn't take long to read after all.
I've never heard of "SME" described as a career, before. The sentence, "A quintessential function of the SME is to identify information learners need to know versus extraneous data" looks to me like the purview of an ID rather than a SME, as does the advice to develop and check the validity of learning objectives for your course. I searched the book for any further delineation of responsibilities between an ID and SME and couldn't find one, except for X's definition of a SME, in that it does not include ID competencies.
I have only heard the term SME used within a company, not as a job description but as a designation with respect to a specific project. It's true that all sorts of people become "thought leaders" and "experts" just by talking and writing a lot and being visible. But "IT Expert" or "Evaluation Expert" isn't their job title, so I'm not sure what jobs these SMEs are looking for. Consultants trade on their expertise, sure, but it's usually informed by a long resume.
And I take back my earlier description of the target audience, as X asks, "What are you good at? Are there any niche skills you already have that give you a head start?" This is not restricted to people with deep expertise, necessarily, then. It sounds more and more like those online course promoters.
The gist of the book comes in Chapters 7 and 8, IMO, both of which concentrate on guest blogging, which is a service X provides. It's not surprising that an eBook should turn to self-promotion, but... is there a but? Not really, it's the main purpose people write blogs and eBooks in the first place, so more power to him.
This is no slag on X, then, as I admire the website he has developed and is now glued to promoting, as are all website hosts. It is kind of a slag on the whole blogging-eBook writing sales culture we're all being asked to buy into, however.
My question: Is all this "sharing", like the misnamed ride-sharing companies, doing us, collectively, any good?
Half way through the above critique, I considered not posting it because it is not all sunshine and roses. The expectation of a "review" these days is that you will say nice things or say nothing at all. We're all just trying to help each other, after all, right? (Wink wink, nudge nudge.)
And saying nice things does that, right?
Or does it?
Mitch (aka the ID Curmudgeon)
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