Between the Lines (BL) recently met up with David Benz (DB), a Learning Strategist at DigitalThink in downtown Cincinnati, to talk about the field of custom e-learning.

BL: Could you give us an overview of what your company does?

DB: DigitalThink designs custom e-learning for companies that are typically developing internal courses for their employees. Custom e-learning offers training in specialized areas that catalog e-learning courses don’t cover. For the Cisco sales force, for example, we designed an entire series of product and solution-level training courses that brought field account managers up to speed on new technologies such as IP Telephony.

BL: How does e-learning relate to technical communications?

DB: In our case, I would say that online learning is just one type of technical communication. Instead of developing manuals for printers, for example, we build online courses that teach a very specialized and often technical skillset.

One of the strengths of our company is that we have a great deal of background and experience dealing with industries such as telecommunications and the pharmaceutical field.

BL: What are some of your responsibilities as a Learning Strategist?

DB: I work with clients to develop objectives and shape the content for our courses. This includes planning exercises, building graphic storyboard layouts, developing interactions, and planning course flow.

BL: What is one of the most difficult aspects of your job? What is your favorite part of the job?

DB: The wide variety of opportunities available. Projects have ranged from developing instructor-led materials to building full-scale simulated environments for clients.

BL: What is one of the most difficult aspects of your job?

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