on 01-24-2014 02:37 PM
Hey Ted,
I've seen some pretty old threads here about developing training (this and Finesse Developer Training) but I'm not finding any actual training courses available on Finesse anywhere online, 3 years after the dates of these threads. I saw a couple great videos from a recent Cisco Live! and of course there is, as Mr. Lender points out, plenty of code and writing to wade through.
But learning is often far more effective when one is guided by an expert. There have been a bazillion studies on this, and probably half as many TED talks. Would you go climb Everest without a map or a shirpa? Nope. (Well maybe.) Here's one link with overviews of some key points: http://changelearning.ca/get-informed/understanding-human-learning/how-humans-learn-best
Also, you've based the product on a slew of technologies that not everyone is born knowing; many ContactCenter developers have been living in the corporate world (where "you only need to know what we say you need to know"); so I think it's best to include some foundational instruction in those key technologies (especially since they're key!). You could design a 2-week course (or a 1-week accelerated version) where the first half is setting up a dev environment, OpenSocial, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Security, and Browser Anomalies and the 2nd half is Finesse architecture, Working in the Cisco Container, Developing and Deploying Gadgets, Headless Finesse, Using the Admin API, Integration points, Troubleshooting & Admin, Testing/Best Practices, etc. The course should all be workshop-based and allow (require?) people to test out of the first half before going to the second.
Overall, the format of EACH HOUR (aka milestone) of the course should be:
0 - 5 min: What are we faced with?
5-20 min: What's the solution we're going to implement?
20-25 min: Here's why it works. A few under-the-covers notes.
25-40 min: Making something that uses it, a demo.
40-55 min: Workshop - now you do it.
55-60 min: Post-mortem. Issues, solutions, pressing questions, lead-in to next milestone.
Each day should end with a 90 minute practicum/test where the student does it all again in one sprint. It should be a hard-core learning boot camp.
This *could* be done in a series of videos, like WebStorm 8: Mastering AngularJS, spy-js, Grunt, and Multi-Selection Workflows - YouTube, but 80% of the time something trivial is glossed over that prevents an individual from orienting themselves for actually using the information (e.g., there's no video from WebStorm on how to set it up to import an existing huge Eclipse project). For that, these fora are great but maybe the video could be presented at the top of a moderated discussion for even better effect.
Also, I realize that some concepts/milestones might need 2 hours, and only the greatest of instructors will be able to follow the minute-by-minute breakdown, but the formula is "What's the problem / Here's how I do it / Now you try" and THIS is the BEST way to help people.
Also, providing a downloadable Finesse sandbox would be awesome, or a simulator on a VM so budgetary constraints don't hamper the ability of dedicated developers to get up to speed. CTIOS had an incredible simulation toolset that was invaluable for development efforts that began before the environment was even up!!
Chris
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