Overview

For this concept piece, I created a short course for teachers hoping to transition into an L&D role. This course acts as a primer to the Kirkpatrick Method of Evaluation. It draws on the prior knowledge that would be gained by teaching in a K-12 classroom setting, and draws parallels between past experiences to better elucidate how training is planned for and evaluated in a corporate setting. Learners will read about the four levels of Kirkpatrick, explore each stage in relation to a fictional company’s training problem, and have the chance to assess their understanding of the content through varied knowledge checks.

Design Theory

I thought this concept piece would be a great opportunity to demonstrate understanding of many different adult learning theories at once, so I allowed them to drive my design. Here are some of the ways that I did that:

Backwards Design - Instructional designers should always begin with the end, and design the learning experiences necessary to meeting a SMART goal. Rather than present the material sequentially, beginning with Level 1, I began the course with the Level 4. This not only front-loads the stage at which the data is most valuable, it models how the development of training should be approached.

Bloom’s Taxonomy - The lesson on “Level 2: Learning” outlines the activities and assessments that could be used during the two days of training. The sequence of activities demonstrates how learning can be scaffolded according to Bloom’s taxonomy. Each day begins with an activity that requires learners to define important terms and provide examples. Over the course of each day, learners will tackle higher order problems that scale the framework, ending with skills such as creation.

Gagne’s 9 Events - Throughout the course, I attempt to hit on each of Gagne’s 9 events to optimize the learning experience. For example, I begin the course by gaining the attention of the learners with an audio piece that asks former teachers to reflect upon their experience with professional development in the K-12 space. I then inform the learners of the course objectives, but do so in learner-friendly language. I hit on several more of the events including: presenting the content, providing learner guidance (with concrete examples), eliciting performance (with “pause & think” activities in each lesson), and assessing learner performance.

Visual Design

The Kirkpatrick Method is often visually represented as a pyramid or a spectrum, and I didn’t feel that either of these adequately reflects the importance of using the method on both the front and back end of training. The pyramid seemed to suggest a diminishing value of each subsequent level, while the spectrum places each level on a plane of equal importance. This is why I used Adobe Illustrator to redesign the accompanying image. Learners will see that the process must be used in planning as well as evaluation, with training occurring in the middle.

Audio Assets

Because Rise is often used for quick-turnaround projects, I used stock photos where suitable images were available. In addition to this, I scripted, voiced, and edited one original audio asset in Audacity, using stock music to increase engagement.

Reflection

This piece was somewhat of an experiment that I hoped could showcase a number of skills at once:

1) I wanted to demonstrate that I am capable of developing a full learning experience in a short timeframe. From start to finish, I gave myself just two days to complete this course, including all planning and the development of my assets. I was able to meet my deadline by building it in Rise rather than Storyline, utilizing stock images rather than vectors that required editing, and by creating only one simple graphic. I also opted to use audio rather than video, understanding that it would require less time to edit. While I’m pleased with what I was able to accomplish in this limited window, I do think that the course would benefit from additional engagement, including more multimedia elements.

2) I wanted to showcase my knowledge of adult learning theory and models, and I was able to demonstrate this in: the content of the course (Kirkpatrick), the methodologies employed by the fictional company, and in the way that I presented the material. I’m pleased that I was able to squeeze so many of these adult learning principles into the course without it feeling too forced.

3) I wanted to demonstrate that I have an understanding of how an L&D team might operate in a corporate setting, both in terms of its limitations, and its overall mission to identify and solve business goals using real and measurable data. I’m happy to intentionally include this in my portfolio, as it is absent in other areas.

4) I wanted to present a more traditional “course” in the way that we typically think of eLearning, and feel that the structure (Content, Self Assessment, Final Assessment) will be effective as a resource for any teachers transitioning into the L&D space.