The American College of Sports Medicine® (ACSM) is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. Serving nearly 50,000 members and certified fitness professionals, ACSM supports students, academics, physicians, exercise physiologists, and personal trainers.
ACSM's journey with educational content began with recording conference sessions on VHS tapes and cassettes, which they would sell back to members. As technology evolved, the organization started exploring online education and began using a learning management system to host recorded content and reach professionals who could no longer attend in-person events due to the pandemic.
To keep pace with evolving member needs and trends in adult learning, ACSM recognized the importance of transitioning from traditional recorded presentations to more interactive, technology-enabled experiences. This meant implementing SCORM-compliant solutions that could deliver engaging content to learners wherever they were.
ACSM also sought assistance with expanding their educational offerings through new course development initiatives, partnering with external vendors to enhance their content portfolio.
ACSM recognized the need for expert partnership in learning technology and content development. "You hire experts because they're experts," notes Katherine Schowengerdt, Vice President of Operations at ACSM. After conducting an RFP process, ACSM chose Blue Sky eLearn for both their learning management system and Learning & Development services.
What set Blue Sky eLearn apart was their technology-forward vision and deep understanding of associations. "Associations are different and have unique needs. We serve diverse customer groups who each require different types of content and varying levels of access," explains Schowengerdt. This understanding, combined with their complete learning ecosystem that brings together innovative technology and expert Learning & Development services, made them a uniquely valuable partner.
The engagement began with Blue Sky eLearn’s Strategic Workshop that helped ACSM address one of their core challenges: creating a comprehensive educational path forward that would serve their diverse audience segments, from undergraduate students to PhD researchers. The Strategic Workshop provided valuable outside perspective and helped create visual frameworks that made their complex organizational needs more digestible for both staff and volunteer leaders.
On the content development front, Blue Sky eLearn's Learning & Development team tackled stalled course projects, implementing strong review processes and completing the remaining modules. This quick win demonstrated the value of having experienced instructional design support.
Working with Blue Sky eLearn has helped ACSM gain a better understanding of their gaps, needs, and how to effectively use both internal and external resources for learning content development. The Strategic Workshop has enabled them to begin building a new online learning department with a clearly defined purpose, while the instructional design support has allowed them to continue producing revenue-generating content during staffing transitions.
"Blue Sky became an arm of ACSM, not just a vendor. They took the extra time, care, and attention to learn about us, and they cared about what we were doing, and that made the difference—when you can tell that the people that you're working with care just as much as you do.”
— Katherine Schowengerdt, Vice President of Operations
ACSM plans to execute the strategies outlined in their gap analysis and has already hired an internal instructional designer, staffing up in key areas to make full use of Path LMS. Their goal is to refocus their educational efforts based on the gap analysis rather than trying to "educate the whole world."
For other organizations developing their education programs, Schowengerdt offers clear advice: "Don't go it alone! Use the experts that have done all the failing forward for you!"
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