TPLD Project - Volunteer Instructional Design Work

The Problem:  Many teachers are seeking a transition to careers in Learning and Development, with a particular interest in instructional design jobs. Teachers have a vast array of skills related to instructional design roles. However, in order to be successful as instructional designers, they need to learn relevant content and skills, such as industry-specific terminology, design processes, project management skills, and adult learning theories. Most teachers do not have the time or money to invest in lengthy or expensive continuing education options like Master's degree programs or online academies.

The Solution:  Teaching: A Path to L&D, is a volunteer initiative devoted to providing teachers free, neutral information and resources about careers in Learning & Development, with a focus on Instructional Design. In their current initiative, approximately 150 volunteers serve on teams to conduct needs analysis, design, and develop an eLearning course on how to perform the work of an instructional designer. This eLearning course consists of 10 learning modules that lead the learner through an exploration of the instructional design process while simulating the experience of the first months in a new role as an instructional designer at the fictitious company, Brews and Chews, a subscription-based service that offers coffee and baked goods. I am participating in this instructional design project in various capacities.


My Volunteer Roles in this eLearning Project:


Examples of deliverables I have created for this project are available below.

Articulate Storyline eLearning Course

This short, interactive eLearning module was created in Articulate Storyline 360. It includes closed captions, voiceover, and meets WCAG guidelines for color contrast. Interactive features of this short module include animated flashcards, a lightboxed web article, and a linked video clip.

Video Scenario and Quiz

I created a short video using Microsoft Video Editor, Clipchamp, as an interactive scenario introduction to a multiple choice quiz built in Eduflow. Captions are optional in the file linked here. Eduflow requires a WebVTT file for captioning videos. I created the VTT file using Subtitle Edit, an open source subtitle and captioning tool. 

This interactive video scenario describes the need for a training solution for a fictitious candy company called Sweet Treats. The company is undergoing a merger and needs to train employees on changes to production and customer service protocols. After experiencing the video scenario, learners make decisions about the project communications plan needed in this situation.

Job Aid

I created this job aid as an example of one way to organize a project communications plan. I used Canva to create the job aid and Adobe Illustrator to convert icons (from Flaticon) into SVG files and change them to match brand colors.

The Results (Testimonials and Takeaways)

Creating deliverables for this volunteer project involved a lot of resourcefulness. I drew upon a large number of resources to find the authoring tools and techniques needed to enhance each deliverable. TLDC (Training, Learning, & Development Community) offers a free conference on Accessible & Inclusive Design, where I learned about the open source tool Subtitle Edit. Using free resources such as this saved me hours of time and money on this project.

Also, this was my first experience designing with Canva (see job aid above) and using Adobe Illustrator to convert PNG files into SVG format in order to make style changes. 

I really appreciated the opportunity to work on a design team to experience the reflection on needs analysis, design, and development process. Other valuable experiences I had during this project include learning how to build a course in a new LMS, packaging and uploading SCORM files, and participating on a pilot team to review the course and test for quality assurance (QA).