YOU DON’T NEED AN SME, YOU NEED AN SME TEAM!

Finding the right Subject Matter Expert (SME) can make all the difference between a successful learning project and a not-so-successful one. So, with the best interests of the project in mind, we set about looking for an expert on the topic, someone who has spent years working on and honing their craft. The positive deviant who has found nothing but success in their job. The person who can give us the big picture as well as the juiciest of details, all in one go.

While such an SME can add incredible value to the project, they might not be in a position to provide the perspective that a novice learner needs to hear. They are so steeped in their subject that it’s easy for them to not understand why someone would struggle to do something. Which is why you need another, not so experienced, SME on your team as well. (Subject Matter Non-expert??? That doesn’t sound too good, so let’s stick with non-expert SME for now.) This person can provide you with the details of where newbies might fall short, and the areas that they’re likely to find difficult to grasp.

So, let’s look at the kinds of inputs that we typically need from an SME:

1. Concepts, and models to help explain the concepts in the simplest manner possible
2. Situations that learners might find themselves in
3. The best possible action(s) to take in such situations
4. The incorrect action(s) that learners are likely to take in those situations
5. The questions, concerns, myths and misconceptions that learners are likely to have
6. Examples of how others handled such situations (correctly and incorrectly)

While the experienced SME can typically help with Points 1, 2 and 3 above, you need the help of a non-expert SME to help with Points 4 and 5. In fact, you can have more than one non-expert SME providing these inputs.

And, you will need the experienced SME as well as the non-expert SME(s) to provide inputs for Point 6. Let me explain.

1. Besides well-designed practice, one of the best ways to get learners to really understand the nuances of a topic are worked-out examples. They take learners step-by-step through the process of addressing a problem, explaining the how-to of, as well as the thinking behind, each step. However, worked-out examples for really complex tasks can be daunting for learners who are just starting out in the subject, and they might get overwhelmed. Here again, the non-expert SME(s) can come in handy, in a couple of ways:The task that the example demonstrates itself can be fairly simple, one that learners can easily relate to. As they gain comfort with such simple tasks, they can gradually progress to more complex ones.
2. The non-expert SMEs can add in some tiny tidbits of information that the expert may not consider, or may tend to dismiss as being too basic.

This can help learners gain not just skill and expertise, but also the confidence needed for them to get started. It can also help when one or more of the SMEs are busy (which tends to happen very often). When you have multiple people on your team, it’s easier to split the responsibilities.

Having said that, here are a few pitfalls to keep in mind while choosing multiple SMEs for a project:

1. SMEs tend to be passionate about their subject, and therefore can get very territorial.
2. They might contradict each other, getting on each other’s toes in the process.
3. With multiple SMEs, the project can quickly get complex and out of hand.

To address the above, we can:

1. Set clear expectations right at the beginning of a project, about both inputs (who will provide what) and the review process.
2. Even when there are contradictions, you can address them by being clear, in your mind, of who will provide what. For instance, consider that all factual and conceptual material will be provided by the experienced SME, while the non-expert SMEs can fill in with all perceptive details.
3. Appoint one of them, the experienced one, as the lead SME for the project. This can address the issue of contradictions, and soothe ruffled feathers as well.

So, what do you think? What other ways can we:

• Get the most out of SMEs
• Handle multiple SMEs on a project

Please add your comments at the end of this article. You can also post them on Twitter (@Learnnovators).

Written by Srividya Kumar

(Co-Founder at Learnnovators)

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Published on 07-Mar-2017