Tools Used

Articulate Rise

Articulate Storyline

Vyond

Audacity

Adobe Illustrator

Overview

This concept project builds on the research that I conducted for my M.Ed. thesis on Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction (MBSR) techniques. The tutorial takes the learner through an interactive e-learning experience that utilizes animated videos created with Vyond to introduce concepts, interactive scenario-based practice exercises developed in Articulate Storyline, and learn-by-doing exercises brought together on Articulate Rise. The project’s objective is to equip nurses with a data-driven, easy-to-implement set of strategies to manage workplace stress and reduce burnout.

The Client’s Problem

This concept project imagines a healthcare client that came to me seeking a training program to equip their nursing staff to manage stress and avoid burnout. Nursing is a highly demanding job with one of the highest burnout percentages of any job today. An employee who is experiencing burnout is unlikely to perform at their best for the institution nor for clients, and thus an institution has a professional and human incentive to better equip their employees to meet the demands of the job.

Solution

A self-paced e-learning course was deemed to be a viable, practical, and cost-effective solution to address the problem of employee burnout in this sector. Working closely with the SME, I developed an eLearning experience that introduced learners to five different types of meditation practice that have been shown to be effective stress reducers. We considered in-person training sessions as an alternative to eLearning, but budget constraints and the many advantages of the virtual asynchronous format made eLearning the best choice. This course was made available to nurses already employed with incentives to encourage participation. For new nurses employed with the healthcare network, the course became a vital part of the employee onboarding process.

Design and Development

Action Map: This concept project begins with a kick-off meeting with myself, the client, and the SME in which we create an action map. Firstly, we brainstorm together starting with the question “what do people need to do, and why aren’t they doing it?” Our business goal/objective goes in the center of our action map, and then we brainstorm together how employees can get this result. The answers to this ‘how’ question branch out from our objective.

The objective that was pinned down for this concept project was the following: Learners will be able to implement various data-driven meditation techniques to reduce stress/burnout and increase perceived well-being. The intervention in this particular course is a set of meditation techniques that a variety of well-reputed studies have shown to be effective in reducing stress and burnout.

Business problems tend to fall into one of four categories: environment, knowledge, skill, or motivation. However, when we solve the root problem, whether it’s environmental, skill-based, or knowledge-based, problems of motivation typically self-correct.

The problem of burnout in the nursing profession is difficult to pin down to one category because people can feel burned out for a variety of reasons and nursing is an intrinsically difficult job. Even so, we concluded that the nursing staff often lacked the tools and strategies to effectively manage the stress and other challenges inherent to the job, and this course is designed to arm nurses in the network with proven meditation strategies to better manage stress.

Storyboard and Prototype: In follow-up meetings with the SME’s, I first developed a text-based script that laid out the structure of the course, as well as the instructional content therein. Utilizing Google Docs, we were able to collaboratively work on a shared document. The SME was particularly instrumental in ensuring that the design of the practice activities were effective. After feedback and revisions, the text for the scenario-based practice activities were deemed to have realistic dialogue, choices, and consequences. After approval of the text-based script, I was able to storyboard the accompanying images, animations, effects, and triggers for the course. After a second approval of this complete storyboard, I was able to begin the development process.

Design Theory: Because this project was rooted in both a knowledge and skill deficiency, I decided to present information in an interactive manner (introduce theory), practice and self-assess through personalized scenario-based micro-experiences, and then get experiential practice through guided audio meditations. This is a new spin on the classic “learn, teach, do” formula that uses data-driven engagement strategies to make learning more engaging. Theory is learned with a blend of animated videos, interactive activities (drag & drop, hotspots, real-world examples), and opportunities to self-assess. Next, this theory is made relevant (and is thus more likely retained) through realistic scenario-based learning activities. Lastly, learners ‘do’ by following an audio-based guided meditation that puts their newly minted knowledge to practical use.

Development: The actual course was designed using Articulate Rise as the primary authoring tool, Articulate Storyline to develop the scenario-based activities, and Vyond to create the animated videos that introduced the knowledge portions of each module. Rise was elected as the primary authoring tool due to the speed it lends to the development process. Articulate Storyline was used for the scenario-based activities because there were far more customization capabilities than are possible with Articulate Rise.

Summary

The eLearning solution created for this imagined client armed learners with a toolbox of data-driven meditation strategies that can help reduce stress, and in turn, reduce burnout. This course utilized a blend of animated videos and interactive activities to present content, scenario-based practice activities, and experiential practice sessions to engage learners and aid in content retention. Using action mapping as a structure for working with the client and SME’s, the project advanced in a clear manner wherein everyone involved added their voice and choice to the solution.

This project was a great opportunity to utilize the strengths of Articulate Rise, Articulate Storyline, and Vyond to engage learners. Using Articulate Rise as the primary authoring tool allowed for rapid development whereas using Articulate Storyline for the scenario-based practice activities allow for far more skill-building customization than is possible in Rise. I also think that presenting content with animations created in Vyond led to knowledge-building sections that were able to effectively capture attention.