Featured Projects
Mandated Reporter Training
What happens when you revitalize an outdated compliance training module that has been unchanged, turning it from static and unengaging content into an interactive and impactful eLearning experience?
Overview
Mandated Reporter is a required training, one of many compliance modules, all school district employees complete annually. It’s necessary to ensure the safety of the students and employees within the school system. In this eLearning course, I used the ADDIE model and Gagne’s Principles of Learning to revamp the content making it engaging and memorable.
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How do you create a course that keeps the information at the center, but presents it in a way that causes the learner to retain and apply the information?
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Curate content from a tired and outdated compliance training to make it lively and interactive.
In tackling this project, I focused on three main objectives: engagement, clarity, and impact. The original compliance training content was essential but often felt dry and uninspiring. My goal was to transform it into something that would captivate learners while ensuring the core information remained clear and actionable.
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All employees within a school district: teachers, support staff, administration, and leadership. These include new employees and seasoned veterans.
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Curating content from the original course, storyboarding, instructional design, eLearning design, prototyping, and revisions
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Compliance Director’s original training, 7Taps, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Articulate Storyline 360, Rise 360
My Process
To begin, I thoroughly reviewed the existing content to ensure all critical compliance details were preserved. While the material itself remained unchanged, I recognized the need for a modern, learner-focused delivery approach to better engage today’s educators.
I introduced interactive elements such as quizzes, drag-and-drop assessments, and scenario-based learning, transforming the training from a passive experience into an active, hands-on journey. These elements encouraged learners to apply their knowledge in real time, enhancing understanding and retention.
Design was a key focus. I implemented a sleek, modern aesthetic with visually appealing graphics, intuitive navigation, and subtle animations. These design choices enhanced the learning experience without overshadowing the content.
To make the training memorable and relevant, I incorporated real-world scenarios that highlighted the consequences of non-compliance. This approach not only made the content relatable but also underscored its importance in the learners’ daily responsibilities, shifting the perspective from simply “checking a box” to truly understanding its impact.
Additionally, I ensured the eLearning module was fully responsive and accessible, enabling all employees—regardless of their device or ability—to access and benefit from the training.
Ultimately, I transformed an outdated, mandatory training into an engaging, effective, and visually appealing experience that educators could complete with greater willingness and retain with confidence.
The original Mandated Reporter training consisted of 42 black-and-white text-heavy slides that learners could easily click through without much thought. This lack of organization made it difficult for learners to internalize the material effectively. To address this, I created a content map that reorganized the original information into a clearer, more coherent structure while retaining all critical details.
The learning objectives for the revised training are:
Define the term “mandated reporter” and describe the required reports: child abuse, suicide, and homelessness.
Identify the signs of child abuse, suicide, and homelessness in students.
Report student situations related to child abuse, weapons on school grounds, suicide, controlled substances, homelessness, and violations of the code of ethics.
To reduce cognitive overload, I chunked the content into four focused micro-trainings: Mandated Reporter, Child Abuse, Homelessness, and Suicide Prevention. This modular approach allowed learners to consume the extensive information in smaller, manageable segments.
The home screen design kept learners focused and motivated by displaying their progress toward course completion. Recognizing that the Child Abuse and Homelessness sections contained more content, I strategically placed these larger topics in the middle of the training sequence, bookending them with the shorter Mandated Reporter and Suicide Prevention sections to maintain engagement and momentum.
Alternating assessments were integrated throughout the training for consistency and reinforcement, including knowledge checks to solidify understanding. The course culminated in a scenario-based summative assessment, where learners could apply their knowledge to realistic situations they might encounter in education. This approach aligned with the application stage of Bloom’s Taxonomy, ensuring learners not only understood the material but could also apply it effectively in practice.
For a detailed look at the design format, including the scoping document, wireframe, and storyboard, please refer to the link below.
Content Map
To develop the storyboard for the training, I utilized Microsoft PowerPoint and Word, ensuring the design aligned with the content map and adhered to the plan of creating an organized, streamlined training experience without altering the core content. The storyboard process involved creating a PowerPoint prototype layout alongside the storyboard document, ensuring consistency in the imagery and style of the training.
For the visual design, I selected shades of green and black to maintain a professional yet visually appealing aesthetic. To reflect the diversity within the public school system, I incorporated images of educators and students from various backgrounds, fostering inclusivity and relatability.
The storyboard follows Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction and incorporates Mayer’s Multimedia Design Principles, ensuring the training is pedagogically sound and engaging. Learners begin by reviewing the learning objectives and some background information on how the content was developed. This is followed by a prior knowledge check to activate learners’ existing understanding.
After the knowledge check, learners are introduced to a Home Screen where they can track their progress throughout the course. This consistent and user-friendly feature encourages accountability and keeps learners motivated as they advance.
Given the reading-heavy nature of the content, I incorporated screen-revealing techniques to create a more dynamic and interactive experience. The storyboard outlines how the content is segmented into four key topics—Mandated Reporter, Child Abuse, Homelessness, and Suicide Prevention—to improve organization and retention.
The images below highlight key elements of the storyboard, showcasing the layout, interactivity, and design principles in action. For a comprehensive view of the design plan, including the full storyboard and prototype, click the link below.
Storyboard
Development
In the development phase I brought the course to life using Articulate Storyline 360. To maintain consistency with the design plan, I uploaded the original PowerPoint into Storyline and built the interactive elements from there. Aside from minor adjustments to fonts and some interactive elements, the storyboard transitioned seamlessly into Storyline. The time invested during the design and storyboard phases streamlined the development process, allowing me to quickly integrate planned interactions such as layers, triggers, and drag-and-drop assessments.
Once the course structure was complete, I added audio to enhance the learner experience. To ensure the course met the needs of educators, I invited several teachers from a local high school to preview and critique the course. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a few actionable suggestions:
Add closed captions for accessibility.
Adjust the timing of the "Next" button to align more closely with the start of the audio.
Consider creating a separate, streamlined course for veteran teachers.
The first two suggestions were straightforward to implement in Storyline, requiring minimal time to enhance accessibility and usability. The third suggestion, however, required deeper consideration.
While the Storyline course delivers content in a detailed and interactive manner—ideal for new teachers—it could be perceived as time-consuming for experienced educators already familiar with the material. To address this, I developed a streamlined version of the course using Articulate Rise 360.
The Rise course retains the core content but presents it in a more linear format, reducing visuals to minimize cognitive overload and focusing on essential information. Interactive elements, such as flashcards and drag-and-drop assessments, provide engagement without overwhelming the learner. The scenario-based summative assessment is also included but is shortened for efficiency.
This dual-course approach ensures the training meets the diverse needs of both new and veteran teachers. To explore each course, please click the links below.
Reflection & Takeaways
Feedback from teachers highlighted the effectiveness of the revised course. They appreciated the updated design aesthetic and interactivity, which had been absent from the original training. Many commented that the content was presented in a much more digestible and engaging format. Their feedback was invaluable, allowing me to make small yet meaningful improvements to enhance the learner experience further.
This project was a tremendous learning experience for me. I gained in-depth knowledge of Articulate 360, mastering features such as triggers, layers, flashcards, closed captions, and audio creation. Additionally, I explored complementary tools like 7Taps to enhance the training further.
Beyond technical skills, this project solidified my confidence as an instructional designer. Seeing the transformation of outdated training into an interactive, learner-centered experience was both rewarding and encouraging. The time and effort spent on this project reaffirmed my passion for creating eLearning solutions that are engaging, accessible, and effective.