Portfolio
The Problem
Harmony Science Academy (K-8 charter school) is getting bombarded with disciplinary issues related to bullying. Valuable time is being spent on investigations and disciplinary actions, rather than on instruction. Suspension rates have risen, due to retaliation efforts from unaddressed conflict.
The Dean of Students brought up the issue at the school's biweekly Character Committee meeting (comprised of administrators, teachers, and parents). The Dean of Students indicated that based on conversations with those involved, the students are being heavily influenced by advice they are getting from their caregivers. The Committee consulted their Student Advisory Panel, who confirmed that their caregivers encourage them to "stand up for themselves," using violence if necessary. The Committee also studied bi-annual climate/culture survey results from students, parents, and staff, which showed that over the course of a few months, the percentage of students who reported that "bullying is common at school" had increased significantly.
I proposed a scenario-based eLearning experience to help caregivers learn and practice more helpful ways to advise and support their student when peer conflict arises. The scenarios would provide caregivers with a risk-free environment to see the consequences of their words on their children's behavior. The scenarios will offer alternative responses that are evidence-based, as opposed to giving advice from a place of fear and emotional turmoil. The ultimate goal is to maximize instructional time in the classroom by minimizing incidents of peer conflict and the time and energy it takes to resolve them.
The data used to measure success would be:
school culture/climate survey data from students, parents, and staff
referral and suspension rates from the Dean of Students
The Solution
Audience: adult caregivers of students at Harmony Science Academy
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Developer, Visual Design, Action Mapping, Storyboarding
Tools used: Articulate 360 Rise, MindMeister, EdPuzzle, Google Suite
The Process
First, we identified the Learning Objectives, which I continually referred back to throughout the process to keep focused on the goals.
Learners will:
investigate the parts of the brain that motivate our interactions with others and how to better modulate our responses.
distinguish the unique characteristics of "bullying," specifically how it is different from "teasing" or "conflict."
identify suggested ways to support your child when they say they are being bullied.
explore possible consequences of your responses to your child's experiences in a scenario-based exercise.
Action Mapping
A - Analyze
For my subject-matter experts (SME), I consulted with the Character Committee, as well as the Student Advisory Panel, to determine the breadth and depth of content to be covered in the course. We used the SMART goal formula (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) to build a focused, actionable statement of intent (seen in green). I used MindMeister during these meetings to record responses and begin structuring the course in real-time.
D - Design
Direct learning
D - Develop
I felt the need to disseminate specific information before caregivers interacted with the scenario. The parents in the Character Committee admitted that they didn't really know what "bullying" meant specifically, or what the evidence-based suggestions to deal with bullying are. The Student Advisory Panel suggested we show parents the same YouTube videos that the school shows students, so that there would be common language.
Knowledge Check: Sorting activity
Armed with these suggestions, I created three parts of direct learning using Articulate Rise. These sections incorporated text, imagery, and videos to get the information across. Periodically, I would use Knowledge Checks to reiterate the information that was most important and to ensure that the learner was taking an active role in the course.
Knowledge Check: True/False with feedback
The Character Committee curated YouTube videos to teach students about bullying. These were edited using an educational app called EdPuzzle. EdPuzzle allowed me to trim and cut parts of the video that weren't relevant. It also has a feature that allows me to insert "Notes" - the video will stop at certain points and the Note will pop up that give additional information.
EdPuzzle video with "Note" inserted
EdPuzzle video with Note inserted
Scenario: Text-based storyboard
I used a template from the Articulate 360 Resources to plan the scenario portion of the course. I framed the scenario as a conversation that a caregiver might have with their child at the end of a school day.
The character I used for the scenario is a female in casual dress (named Cindy, a mother figure). She introduces herself as a mother of three elementary-aged children and her function is to share her experiences with parenting her children. Because parenting is such a subjective and highly personal practice and because every child and situation is unique, I thought having this coach figure would be an effective way to present the information without making it feel like someone was prescribing one "right" or "wrong" way to parent.
Whether the learner selects a correct or incorrect answer, Cindy offers feedback that reiterates points from earlier in the course. The learner will either be brought back to the prompt to try again, or lead them to a conclusion screen.
Features
Visuals: I sourced each visual asset from the image repository in Articulate Rise or from Google Images.
Prescriptive Feedback: For each question, the learner will receive feedback from a mother figure named Cindy. The feedback gives additional information and explanation and address nuance. By sharing her experience, Cindy helps steer the learner toward the more effective responses while providing explanations for why that choice is effective.
Videos: The videos used were selected from YouTube and edited in EdPuzzle. By trimming the irrelevant parts of the video and pausing the video at key points to reiterate more information, the learner stays more actively engaged.
Knowledge Checks: In the direct learning sections, I inserted Knowledge Checks to make sure the learner is processing the information and retaining the most significant ideas. These Knowledge Checks also help me clarify nuances and common areas of confusion.
Results and Takeaways
I - Implement
I shared the completed project with the Character Committee and received positive feedback. Viewers commented on its interactive elements, incorporation of video, and realistic dialogue in the scenario. I also consulted with friends and family in the education and psychology fields to make sure the content flowed easily and comprehensibly.
One piece of feedback that I received was on the color scheme. I began by using a bright green in the headings (you will see this in the screenshots from the course that I used the sections above). One viewer mentioned that the color hurt their eyes. It was very helpful for me to consider accessibility issues - color interactions can make it uncomfortable (if not impossible) to learn.
With more time and resources, I would love to make the following improvements and enhancements:
Storyline integration: For the scenario, I used the structure already established in Rise. I would love to build the scenario from scratch and customize it to more specifically align with the concepts covered in the direct learning sections of the course.
Workbook: I would love to create "companion resources" with journaling activities and action items that would help the learner reflect and further engage with suggestions in this course.
This project provided me with the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders and SMEs, integrate feedback, and learn new programs and tools. I have grown significantly as an instructional designer and eLearning developer, but most importantly, I had a blast pushing myself creatively.
E - Evaluate
Unfortunately, I left this position before seeing the results of my course. However, I would have asked for another school culture/climate survey to be administered to students, parents, and staff. I also would have asked the Dean of Students to pull the referral and suspension rates to see if there were any changes.