Estimating the effort in the development of distance learning paths

The quantification of the effort required to produce e-learning material has been always subject to the proposal of some “magic numbers” not always supported by a method or analytical data. In this paper we propose a method for calculating the effort required to design and develop e-learning paths. Our model is based on a systematic gathering of data regarding the effort of the different actors involved (teachers, tutors, instructional designers etc.) from a series of e-learning projects carried out at the Laboratory of Maieutics over the last five years. In the first two years we collected ex-post data on design and development times, being careful to include a variety of different teaching methodologies. In the following years we identified critical variables which allowed us to abstract and generalize a possible costing model. The model proposed could be used as a reference point for professionals working on the development of content in their estimation of costs linked to the design and development of learning materials, providing a calculation basis which takes a number of methodological approaches and educational objectives into account.