Adobe has announced that, as of December 31, Flash-based content will no longer work, and the company will no longer support the technology. Plan ahead to ensure that learning content isn't left in the dark.

1. Audit and assess.

Conduct a systems audit to flag Flash content and assess needs; such files usually have .swf, .flv, .f4v, .f4p, .f4a, or .f4b extensions, which you can find by searching the content package.

2. Plan and prepare.

Document the audit findings, devise a plan to complete file updates and conversions, and share the plan with stakeholders to prepare them for the changes.

3. Retire and remove.

As soon as possible, remove content that's no longer usable or outlived its shelf life so that users or visitors will not encounter a page where nothing works.

4. Renew and replace.

Update any content you can convert or modify with other supported technologies, such as HTML5. Otherwise, you will need to replace content that you cannot convert.

5. Develop and deploy.

Replace unusable files with newly developed content, allow enough time to work through the process, and perform a thorough review and testing before deployment. Launch the new content before December 31.