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This blog documents my learning journey into scenario-based eLearning (SBeL) and potential applications for my career. I am a senior level compliance verification officer and primarily work with food manufacturers seeking third-party audits. SBeL offers tools to cultivate expertise within my growing industry. All posts were compiled the Summer of 2021 and explore industry trends within my sector and eLearning.
- eLearning Experience
Earlier this week I was asked to train new colleagues on a critical task: reviewing client applications. We’re scheduled to begin training next week. There is no existing training program. All staff involved in the training reside in separate time zones. I have little experience in formal eLearning planning, design, or application. Time to panic? Not yet!
Let’s start with what I know and admit what I don’t know. I have years of experience in reviewing client application materials and documenting how those materials demonstrate compliance with a set of regulations. I’ve read about instructional designs for eLearning but lack significant experience in applying those ideas. My strategy for this training is to work within the time constraint and pick a few eLearning skills to practice.
Clarity in my Preparation Phase
Clarity in my Preparation Phase
My experience: I am new to eLearning design and regularly read training design resources. I am eager to deconstruct existing materials and propose improvements for the organization. But have not applied many eLearning tools within my workplace. There is little time for me practice new tools.
Selecting eLearning tools: Most staff work permanently from home or frequently travel so eLearning materials provide a solution for staff working in different time zones across the globe., But eLearning materials currently used within the organization are designed for staff with previous industry experience.
Current eLearning design program: The organization does not currently include a training department or trainer role. The team does collaborate on training materials. Materials are strung together from various staff or outside parties so they are not specifically designed to accomplish learning objectives for the task we plan to train under next week.
Benefits & Barriers to the current training system: The current system is cost-effective in the short term by saving the salary and benefits associated with a full-time trainer or team. Yet, the long-term costs of lost opportunities from neglecting to train staff is an important note to file away for future discussion.
Strategies for Final Preparations
Strategies for Final Preparations
Self-paced eLearning tools are available. They’re designed by the federal agency responsible for accrediting agencies like mine. So these materials are designed for a broad audience with various levels of experience and knowledge.
Note the limits in current instruction. Instructor-Led-Training is typically used within this organization to show new staff how to complete their tasks. But it is appropriate to call the training more of a demonstration with questions and answer breaks rather than designed, formal training. Past sessions are recorded and new staff may find it helpful to review those videos.
Use existing job aids. These aids are checklists and intended to complement recorded videos of a staff person completing the task. But they are designed for a learner with industry knowledge. So, the focus of the checklists isn’t general knowledge or instructions but how to complete the task specific to this organization’s preferences.
Coordinate within the training space. Blended learning is the best description of how current content is used. Most materials were designed for face-to-face instruction and modified for an online setting.
Closing Thoughts
Closing Thoughts
I may use my emerging instructional design skills to draft learning objectives for the incoming team members. Then match current materials to those objectives as much as possible. This will provide an opportunity to check our materials for potential gaps against ideal learning objectives while the training scheduled for next week stays on track.
Path of the Learning Journey: Deconstruction
Path of the Learning Journey: Deconstruction
I’ll practice deconstructing eLearning examples over the next few months. So far, I’ve reviewed a few examples and already see I’ll need a strategy to get the most out of this exercise. When I review a course, I'll ask and answer, “How would I design this lesson or element?” This will help me build the skills to answer, “Why did another designer make these decisions?”
2. Deconstructing an eLearning module
2. Deconstructing an eLearning module
This webinar demonstrates collaboration between many stakeholders developing eLearning courses. It’s funded by a grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, hosted by the University of Minnesota, and presented by industry experts. The training content provides fundamentals of certification for new organic farmers. Link to training: http://modules.organictransition.umn.edu/certification/
If I was designing similar content, then I'd incorporate these adjustments:
Develop a structure around core concepts. While this webinar is polished and informative, it does not include an introduction or clear sequencing of concepts for a farmer to follow. Instead, the webinar presents a list of topics which follow the chronological order of how a farmer achieves certification. As a consequence, equal time is given to each topic and content tends not to build off itself or explain complex concepts.
Learning Analysis streamlines information. During this webinar I spotted instances where I couldn’t see why content is necessary for participants. Example: It’s interesting to know the average cost of certification in the state of MN in 2012. But the webinar was presented in 2017 and designed for farms throughout the upper Midwest.
Evaluation helps demonstrate value of the training. How do participants of this training know they understand the content? A few self-assessment questions would break up content packed with information. Self-assessment questions also work to reinforce the purpose of the presentation to prepare farmers for the certification process.
Moncada, K., H. Behar, J. Riddle, C. Carlson, and C. Sheaffer. 2017. Organic Certification. A Learning Module in Principles for Transitioning to Organic Farming: e-Learning Materials and Decision Case Studies for Educators. University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.
3. Learning Reflection: Deconstructing eLearning assets
3. Learning Reflection: Deconstructing eLearning assets
Reflecting on my eLearning studies through systematically deconstructing someone else’s work will reinforce my understanding of good technique and critical decision-making.
Earlier this week, I reviewed a webinar from the Principles for Transitioning to Organic Farming series. One critique I noted was non-relevant information (2012 certification costs in one state for a training presented to in 2017 for an audience spread out across several states). I reflected on my work and was not satisfied in picking one minor detail like this. I decided to develop a framework to help guide the next deconstruction activity.
Deconstructing eLearning examples
Deconstructing eLearning examples
Estimate available resources and match to expected outcomes
Break down learner characteristics the designer appears to apply (but also develop my own list because it’s good practice)
Classify elements based in Ruth Clark’s work such as:
eLearning versus Scenario Based eLearning type of course
Identify desired skills and knowledge outcomes
Trigger events
Types of guidance
Feedback and evaluation methods
Focus on learning objectives as they appear in the lesson (but, again, develop my own list because it’s good practice)
This framework is centered on the learner but incorporates the context of an eLearning project. Recall the critique about average certification costs in one state. This detail may be explored in the learner characteristic step outlined above. It may also be reviewed under the resource estimation step because I should consider the availability of data or ability of the design team to collect updated statistics for the average costs of certification.
Clark, R.C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.
Inspirational Projects and Leaders
Inspirational Projects and Leaders
I'll compile a library of exemplary eLearning materials and voices within the industry. Some designers are already banked in my library. Ruth Colvin-Clark and Cathy Moore are prolific authors and consistently helpful in reinforcing my learning or guiding me toward new questions and ideas. Other resources may be highlighted as inspirational if I find the material exceptionally valuable after a deconstruction activity.
4. eLearning Inspiration and Revisiting the Path
4. eLearning Inspiration and Revisiting the Path
I participated in a scenario-based eLearning (SBeL) course years before I started studying instructional design. From my recollection, it was an engaging course with branching consequences to decisions, well produced videos, and a clean user interface. I also remember disagreeing with some content choices and discussing that feedback with other participants. Revisiting this specific course as I deconstruct other designers' work is a top priority for me this summer. I will practice setting aside my experience and act less like a subject matter expert and more as a designer. Link to training: https://access.willinteractive.com/the-path/the-path.
The focus of this deconstruction activity is Clark's elements of SBeL outlined under #3 of 3. Learning Reflection: Deconstructing eLearning assets post.
Trigger event
Trigger event
The video introduces “you” as an inspector driving to a farm to conduct an on-site audit of a farm seeking organic certification. This works as the trigger event before you make decisions and respond to the consequences throughout the audit.
Guidance
Guidance
Guidance built into the course includes text boxes appearing at the end of a lesson to offer insight on what went well and what didn’t work as a result of your decisions. The videos also include non-verbal cues such as a farmer politely listening but growing increasingly impatient throughout the audit. Some lessons include a video of you-as-the-inspector receiving feedback from the certification agency representative who is typically responsible for evaluating inspectors’ work.
Feedback and Evaluation
Feedback and Evaluation
One last element of note is the lack of a final assessment. Instead, the lessons conclude with a textbox confirming whether or not you found the best path through audit. The final message may encourage you to redo the inspection and select different choices to arrive at a better outcome. I think this works well for a course designed for a broad audience because exploring the branches emphasizes both best and not-best practices.
It is difficult not to rely on my experience and step into the role of a subject matter expert (SME). Some aspects of the scenario are unusual such as an experienced farmer neglecting to maintain common records or being surprised by final inspection results. I couldn’t quite figure out why they chose to apply common issues found among farmers new to certification to a farmer with seven annual certification cycles under his belt. Some situations start as unusual and by the end some branches are thoroughly unlikely.
Is a SME perspective helpful in assessing the overall training? Let me refocus with the perspective of a designer. Uncommon situations were selected for a purpose. A learner will apply and reinforce the same skills for an uncommon situation as those in a needed to navigate a common one.
Clark, R.C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.
5. Start with the Situation
5. Start with the Situation
I was reading about concepts like distinguishing between branched versus linear scenario learning objects (LO) this week. I kept jotting “situation” and “root cause” while reviewing these fundamentals of instructional design. Each approach matches a specific situation but for now I only need to identify characteristics so I could compare and contrast.
Here’s some of the building blocks I've logged the past few weeks: Linear scenarios are structured so they benefit learners new to the topic. The structure means a learner will not get lost as you have more control over how the learning is transferred. Non-linear works for learners familiar with the topic because they hold knowledge which prepares them to explore, experience. These learners may fail within the lesson but are more prepared to try again after receiving feedback.
At first, I thought my goal this week was to keep types of feedback straight in my head. There are several options to incorporate and stack upon each other depending on the learning domain. The feedback isn’t new to me but distinguishing types of feedback to select appropriate options for training. The more I read and reviewed the more I thought I needed a specific situation to practice selecting feedback.
Then I realized I consistently overlooked applying a LO for real world skills. I can flip through my notes and see I tallied this as an important aspect of scenario based learning. The idea makes complete sense to me. I don’t think I should intentionally build in real world skills but instead automatically build into each LO. How can I weave this concept into my understanding of scenario based learning?
The “real world” or authentic skill or knowledge is a bridge between the situation and feedback. If I understand the business case then I may develop learning objectives for training to resolve that situation (only if training is appropriate for the situation). Then I’ll develop feedback as part of the process of learners' experience within the LO. Feedback can be neatly categorized under several facets but it needs to be anchored under the learning objectives. All of the learning objectives are designed to fulfill the requirements of an authentic task. Sticking close to the business case will mean I won’t lose sight of connecting the authentic task throughout the LO development process.
6. eLearning Inspiration and gamification
6. eLearning Inspiration and gamification
The course is visually appealing and it is a fun concept. I look forward to dissecting a gamified lesson from Mike V. Roy:
Estimate resources: Likely a significant amount of resources required to license music and graphics.
Learner characteristics: General audience and not specific to a role within an organization. Management / supervers are likely the target of this training but I think all staff may find the content helpful in identifying morale issues within the workplace.
Classify elements:
Type of course: Scenario based aspects are present but some items are missing. 1) Trigger event and 2) authentic workplace task. The course works to inform learners of signs of low morale through a murder mystery. It does not cover tasks I’d expect to be helpful in discussing or investigating workplace morale.
Skills / Outcomes: Distinguish 12 elements of great management.
Trigger event: Absent.
Types of guidance: The intro includes an overview of the 12 elements of great management plus the option to review those slides while solving the mystery.
Guidance: Absent. I did not identify guidance to assist in the mystery to identify low morale but learners to have an option to review the lecture presented in the beginning of the lesson.
Feedback and evaluation - The course is pass / fail. Selecting the wrong answer only resets the course.
I can spot what the designer wants learners to know but now how to find or how to use that information. The purpose of the lesson may be to only introduce the 12 elements of great managing. Additional content could be added to include authentic workplace tasks and feedback on various paths through the lesson.
Link to training: https://mikevroy.com/portfolio-item/clue/
7. Analyzing Learning Objects
7. Analyzing Learning Objects
I spent the past week deconstructing an interesting Learning Object (LO) from Will Interactive, https://willinteractive.com/changing-perceptions. It contained a simple branching scenario but with two paths layered on top of each other. The learner navigates the scenario by playing simultaneous roles.
The LO was helpful in reinforcing lessons from class because it neatly addressed many of the benefits of scenario based eLearning identified in Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning.
It accelerates learning by showing the effects of assertive behaviors in police actions.
These outcomes are explored in a rich context to improve learning transfer and in a safe space to practice strategies which build critical thinking skills.
The Return-on-Investment comes from improving compliance and ideally increasing safety of citizens and officers throughout policing actions.
It was challenging to critique a professional LO because it was a high budget and extremely polished product. Once I tried to answer fundamental questions about what the LO attempted to accomplish and what it appears to accomplish I found it largely meets it’s intended goals.
Overcoming this challenge required trusting the fundamentals of instructional design and scenario based eLearning. I eventually found areas to suggest improvements even though the LO covers the basics of engaging and accessible materials well.
Clark, R.C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.
8. Inspirational Leaders (part 1)
8. Inspirational Leaders (part 1)
As a beginner instructional designer, I stumble across big ideas that practically break my brain. This week I read about metacognition and problem-solving patterns from Ruth Colvin Clark. Her explanation of monitoring in problem-solving helps me understand significant performance issues I currently experience in my work.
Monitoring throughout problem solving requires someone to assess, set goals, note changes, and adjust. However, novices may pick a solution to a problem and follow through despite receiving new information (Clark, p. 166).
Experienced staff demonstrate successful monitoring throughout problem solving. Extracting details about the problem-solving process can be difficult if a subject matter expert (SME) is unaware of the monitoring process.
My industry is growing quickly so this big idea is important for me to examine. Most agencies lure staff from competing agencies rather than hire entry level staff because of limited time and resources alongside a rapidly growing client list and work load. Knowing a concept like metacognition and monitoring helps me both develop strategies to build expertise in novice staff and how to extract information from SMEs.
Building expertise will be a high priority in my career as I move into more training and instructional design projects. In the next few weeks, I plan to develop an introduction to monitoring for my team. Our first goal will be to develop problem-solving patterns for common issues in our work. From there we can work on tools to expand monitoring skills within newer teammates.
Clark, R.C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.
9. Storyboard Template Research
9. Storyboard Template Research
I have no experience in using or developing storyboarding and scripts. Since I plan to begin developing eLearning Scenarios in the near future, I’ll start the journey by reviewing templates. This will help me collect ideas about different templates options and match them to projects I may tackle this year.
The eLearning Coach website collects templates from eLearning professionals. While searching for storyboarding templates I found this site helpful to compare and contrast different options. I selected this one from Kevin Thorn (link will open a download for the Microsoft Word document) because he designed it for use with a popular eLearning development tool, Articulate 360. So, this is a good template to learn from as I’m new to both templates and eLearning development software.
This tool tracks all elements of the lesson slide on one page. It helps place the slide in context with the entire project but also documents each detail within the slide such as slide media, quiz options, and location within a branching scenario.
The template is thorough and will provide a client with a full picture of all the details the designer is tracking. It is much more thorough than other templates I reviewed and may overwhelm some clients. For example, this template outlines both the script and the slide content (text, images, audio, interactions). Using two separate templates for the slide content and script may prevent clients unable to process all of the information planned for each slide. However, the template doesn’t give equal weight to each element of the slide. So, it visually communicates the importance of the slide text and script by including more space within the template to draft those elements.
The screen grab attached to this post highlights Keven Thorn's template organization and shows how to give more weight to a topic and communicate relevance to clients. Eventually I'll develop my own templates and like the idea of using larger portions of the template to help clients prioritize different elements of the slide.
One aspect of the template I scrutinized was the branching section. At first, I thought the section should include more information since tracking branches could be tricky. However, another document is needed to map out the branches and this template works to track the location of the slide within the entire project.
(Link to the template - Articulate Storyboard Template by Keven Thorn)
10. Inspirational Leaders (part 2)
10. Inspirational Leaders (part 2)
Last week I talked about a passage in Ruth Colvin Clark’s book, Scenario Based eLearning. This week I picked up a copy of her Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement to help plan future projects and assist my organization in accelerating expertise within our team. I have a goal to draft several specific scenario ideas while reading through the book so I’m ready to pitch a few projects within the next two - three months.
Early in the book, Clark discusses distributed cognition and the benefits of multidisciplinary teams to solve complex challenges (2008, p. 14). This is a great topic to start crafting scenario based training because most people within my organization come from various fields and started with the company in the past 6-18 months. In Scenario Based eLearning, Clark describes six reasons to consider this type of instruction (2013, pp. 12-14). I’ll use three of her criteria to start developing that pitch:
Scenario-based e-Learning can Accelerate Expertise - This is our main goal because our industry is rapidly growing and requires specialized skills. A scenario selected for the training will need to incorporate various disciplines so teams may practice applying their different skills to a singular challenge.
Learners like Scenario Based eLearning - The company experienced significant turnover the past two years. Engagement and job satisfaction are important aspects of the culture management wants to build and maintain. Clark states she thinks this type of learning is engaging because it’s relevant. Keeping relevance in focus could be a challenge when developing training for multidisciplinary work. The outcome of the training will need to be achieving success in tasks requiring several disciplines to avoid getting stuck on one discipline overshadowing another.
Scenario-based eLearning (SBeL) can build critical thinking skills - Management consistently reports issues with staff not using critical thinking skills. While I understand SBeL can build those skills within a work domain, I also recognize our larger system of work-flows are not designed for critical thinkers. There is no room to deviate from procedures or try a creative strategy but occasionally critical thinking skills may compensate when tools or a step in the workflow fail. This tells us the workflows may need to be redesigned more so than staff needing to build critical thinking skills. I’ll need to carefully select scenarios where critical thinking skills should be built but avoid using training to correct errors in our tools and workflows.
Clark, R.C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.
Clark, R.C. (2008). Building expertise: Cognitive methods for training and performance improvement. Pfeiffer.
11. Using Design Documentation to Estimate Course Length
11. Using Design Documentation to Estimate Course Length
I used a Reverse Engineering design document for the first time this week. It helped me see the challenges in estimating course length for future projects I’m beginning to brainstorm now.
First, reverse engineering was an amazing exercise. I found myself focusing on certain aspects of a lesson and trying to understand how the paths took shape and why the pacing worked so well. However, there were several other design elements I made time to examine such as the decisions for intrinsic feedback in photos of characters or decisions to set the lesson within email, phone, or in-person at a coffee shop.
When estimating course length, I found this blog post from Your Learning World was the most helpful guide. It stated “there is no exact formula…to make these estimates” but included a general rule of thumb used in the industry. I timed myself completing this course and found I navigated the paths twice as fast as generally accepted 50 slides equals 1 hour. So, my own rule of thumb will be carefully analyze course length during a testing phase. Overtime I may build up better tools to estimate course length than a general rule of thumb, so my future pitches are more accurate.
What makes estimating course length difficult? In the lesson I reverse engineered, learners will come with similar backgrounds in skills, education, and experience. Screens within the lesson are consistently short. I completed the lesson for the first time in approximately three minutes. Then navigated all possible paths within about 20 minutes. However, the general rule says that a lesson with 20 total slides should take approximately 40 minutes. My strategy may be to report a range of values when pitching projects so potential project managers or clients. For example, “some learners could comprehend this content in as little as 10 minutes but plan up to 45 minutes so all learners in the group receive sufficient time to acquire the skills within the lesson.”
Your eLearning World - How to Estimate ELearning Development Time and Course Length
12. Learning to Manage Details with Christy Tucker
12. Learning to Manage Details with Christy Tucker
My current job in a non-instructional design role requires management several levels of detail. As I am training new team members to work within my role, I’m constantly finding new ways to explain how to find the right level of detail to complete our work without getting lost among all the layers of information.
A similar problem came up for me this week while creating a high design document to reverse engineer a course. I could attempt to capture each granular detail and document each slide within a course. Instead of building up my understanding of the course from the smallest details, I tried to understand the course from a higher level of detail. It helped me see variability in the paths the designer selected. She concludes a lesson quickly once a bad path is selected.
In this lesson about decision-making, a wrong option in the very first checkpoint could send the learner to a bad outcome. There are clear right and wrong paths within the lesson, and they appear to be there based on the designer’s knowledge of the industry. Many decisions within the throughout the course quickly terminate the lesson and lead to an option to restart the course. The designer holds knowledge of learner’s habits and found value in showing the worse possible outcome early in the lesson. The “bad” options she presented appeared to be reasonable, realistic mistakes a learner could make.
Staying focused on the high-level decision making of the paths helped me possibilities for shaping the learning experience. This lesson made a bad path easy to select but also easy to see why it was the wrong decision before the learner may choose to restart the lesson. As a new designer, I think it could be easy to fall into a habit of waiting to identify good, bad, and ok outcomes toward the end of the lesson if I’m focused on managing several slides and paths.
https://www.syniadlearning.com/portfolio/email-and-phone-branching/
13. Reverse Engineering Storyboards and Scripts
13. Reverse Engineering Storyboards and Scripts
This week I reversed engineered an eLearning module (discussed last week) and attempted to recreate storyboards and scripts. I noticed how much detail I was missing when reviewing the module after filling out storyboard templates.
The storyboard helped me catch several choices the designer considered to keep each slide simple but effective. Using similar images and blurring the background to eliminate unneeded detail wasn’t the type of detail I fully understood in my first pass through the learning module. After using a storyboard template, I scrutinized the intrinsic feedback in the photos and noticed how effectively the blurring of the setting focuses our attention on the gestures and facial expressions of the characters playing out the scenario.
I also noticed how difficult it could be to communicate a high level of detail to clients. Design elements like developing intrinsic feedback not only take time to develop but also need to be tracked throughout each screen. It may be difficult to explain to clients how much time is needed to build and finalize simple eLearning modules.
Tools like the storyboards and scripts will keep me track of all the details. They may also be used in client communication if they’re not too detailed or overwhelming. I started to think about stakeholder communication and how to manage the level of detail needed for stakeholders to review and approve project steps.
I found this blog post about client communication tips for instruction designers and loved their Intent -> Clarify -> Action model. They use a three step process to discover and clarify client’s needs. We minimize miscommunication by confirming a client or stakeholder’s intent. Setting up a framework for the project based on understanding the client's needs does make discussing high level details much easier. If we’re ever stuck in the decision making process during client or stakeholder interactions then pointing back to the larger framework of needs will help us get back on track.
http://blog.belvistastudios.com/2019/09/top-three-tips-for-instructional.html
14. Project Planning for Future Success
14. Project Planning for Future Success
In the next few months I plan to design and develop at least one 15 minute scenario based learning object for my organization. It’ll be a great opportunity to apply and reinforce what I’ve learned this summer. It’ll also be a challenge to navigate a gap between what I know and don’t-yet-know while completing my first large project. Planning and project management tools will be especially important to keep my supervisor aware of the process and on-going adjustments.
So project management resources for instructional designers is the next item to build up in my toolbox. I found Tim Slade’s guide for creating an elearning project plan exceptionally helpful. It provides enough detail to assist me through the process but also simple and direct so stakeholders in the project may see all critical details at a glance.
Balancing both internal and external (stakeholder) timelines will be one of the first skills I need to hone for successfully completing upcoming projects. Dr. G’s video about the Seven Stages of eLearning Project Management starts to fill in gaps in my planning and project management knowledge. There’s lots of tips packed into the video and I expect to periodically review it throughout my first large projects. Using the seven steps as a framework does break down a large project into much more manageable steps with critical control points such as a reminder to check in with stakeholders for approval.
15. Putting it all Together
15. Putting it all Together
This week I finished my first branched scenario eLearning object. This post discussed what I’ve learned and what comes next!
Principles Applied to this Project
Principles Applied to this Project
Cognitive load theory - It’s easy to impress and overwhelm with graphics, animation, or storytelling. Minimizing those design elements and making simple choices helps keep the project under control but also helps ensure our learners are not distracted or tired throughout the training. My Oh-No! I’m not an experienced designer so it helped to pick a basic design principle that minimized clutter and excess color and graphics throughout this project. Learners see one image to communicate two characters in the training and click flat graphics for buttons so they focus on the text and content (see image).
Branching Scenario Interface - Learners benefit from making workplace related decisions and reviewing the consequences in a built environment. This training ended up nearly linear so learners may review almost all screens offered in the training. I ended up allowing learners to return and immediately redo a decision. This provides feedback to show the difference between an ok decision and the short-term or long-term consequences of an ideal decision. If I did this project over again, I’ll build out the branches with more scenarios to reinforce all of the different consequences we encounter in performing this task (see image).
Scenario-Based Critical Thinking Skills Training - Leadership within my organization repeatedly say they want strong critical thinkers. They think it’s difficult to hire for that skill or build it within current staff. I’ve learned to approach critical thinking skills within scenario based eLearning by referencing learning domains. In this project, I show learners steps and strategies to dissect a client request and check if their application fulfills their request within the research and analysis learning domain. My Ah-Ha! If I cannot place the skills within a learning domain then it’s possible we’re not facing training issues and non-training options must be explored.
What comes next?
What comes next?
After reflecting on this project there’s two major areas of this work I plan to review within the next 6 months.
Principles of Adult Learning - Scenario based eLearning was a good introduction to adult learning principles and techniques. It allowed me to pick up on high level topics like learning domains and interact with them within the context of a specific training approach (scenario based eLearning). This project incorporated some adult learning principles but I’m ready to focus on the fundamentals of adult learning next.
Graphic design - It’s likely that major projects I work on will be partially designed by a professional graphic designer. However, it’ll be helpful for me to build up that skill to improve the professionalism of my personal, small projects or to draft mock-ups before turning over designs to a colleague. I constantly sensed my graphic design limitations throughout this project. Layout challenges and building in intrinsic feedback was difficult with rudimentary graphic design skills.
Storyboard Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nKgWuwl_4WvzOCDe7yyhvp-chBGccdBM_T_VAJNwK24/edit?usp=sharing
High Level Design Document Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FNhfarJTD5SDvgTm8CSnRuAC9k0EnTATF73eRozPNcU/edit?usp=sharing
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