2006_07_01_archive

Nuvvo: a good idea that needs good content

In hindsight I approached the e-learning site Nuvvo with unrealistic

optimism. I was keen because Nuvvo has a modern, Web 2.0 feel and

ethos. Its aim - to provide a way for those who wish to teach online

to reach those who want to learn online - seems attractive, even

laudable. If you're an expert on something, use Nuvvo to put together

a course incorporating simple online materials and collaboration;

offer this free or charge for it if you wish/can/dare. If you're

interested in the subject and want to learn more, simply enroll on the

course (which may involve paying) and get started. Nuvvo takes a fee

for hosting the content depending on whether you're an individual or

an enterprise and the number of enrolments that can be active at any

one time. The minimum fee is nothing (individual, less than 10 active

enrolments), the maximum $149.99 per month (enterprise, unlimited

enrolments).

I decided to try my luck. I enrolled on a course tantalisingly

entitled 'How to produce, package and promote outrageously profitable

online courses and classes'. Now I accept that this was a freebie, but

then it also served as a taster for a full course priced at $197. The

two 'bonus videos' were not available; none of the materials was yet

available except a (quite useful) one pager labelled as 'lesson 1';

eight other participants were registered on the course alongside me,

one named 'hello'. This was clearly work-in-progress. Why was it being

offered in the catalogue?

To work, Nuvvo needs great content. That way users will graduate from

the freebie courses to those that command a fee. Its content

management system is relatively simple, but is capable of delivering a

helf-decent course, so that's no excuse. The problem is that it takes

a lot of thinking time to come up with a good course, one that meets a

demonstrated need, engages learners, provides relevant content and

then stimulates reflection and debate. Once it is designed it then

needs to be properly facilitated and supported. Clearly the author of

the course I chose had yet to be convinced that all this effort is

worth it.

This all got me thinking about the effort involved in getting website

users to contribute content. According to What is the 1% rule?, an

interesting article by Charles Arthur in Guardian Unlimited:

It's an emerging rule of thumb that suggests that if you get a group

of 100 people online then one will create content, 10 will "interact"

with it (commenting or offering improvements) and the other 89 will

just view it.

Nuvvo cannot hope to work by relying on 1% of its users to be inspired

and start teaching. It will attract very few users and hardly any

teachers if there aren't already some great courses on the site and a

rating system that dumps the rubbish at the bottom of the pile. It's a