CASE STUDY - eLearning
CASE STUDY - eLearning
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A Micro-Learning Solution for New Hire Onboarding
This micro-learning course was designed to bridge the professional communication gap for new graduates and interns entering a corporate environment. By focusing on actionable frameworks and real-world scenarios, the module empowers early-career professionals to communicate project status, risks, and needs with confidence and clarity.
THE AUDIENCE
THE AUDIENCE
New graduates, interns, and early-career professionals entering a corporate or technical environment.
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
Instructional Design, Graphic Design, eLearning Development, Scriptwriting, and AI Prompt Engineering.
TOOLS I USED
TOOLS I USED
Articulate Storyline 260, Canva, Google AI Studio (Gemini), and ChatGPT
THE PROBLEM
THE PROBLEM
A Software Engineering Lead managing a high-volume internship and new-grad program identified a persistent performance gap in professional communication. While these new hires were technically elite, they often struggled to translate complex technical work into business-appropriate updates. The "gap" manifested in two ways: over-sharing granular technical data with executives or failing to escalate project-halting risks in a timely manner. This friction created a "communication tax" on leadership, who had to spend extra time deciphering updates rather than making strategic decisions.
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
To bridge this gap, I designed a high-impact micro-learning course intended for a 30-day onboarding sequence. The curriculum bypasses generic "soft skills" theory and focuses on a specific, repeatable framework for professional updates. By centering the instruction on the "When, How, and What" of communication, the course empowers new hires to align their messaging with corporate expectations from day one, turning communication from a hurdle into a professional asset.
THE RESULTS
THE RESULTS
The primary result of this intervention is a standardized communication baseline for all incoming talent. By providing a downloadable Stakeholder Communication Checklist as a permanent job aid, the training extends beyond the LMS and into the learner’s daily workflow. Theoretically, this leads to a significant reduction in "back-and-forth" clarifying emails and an increase in leadership’s trust in the engineering team's transparency. For the organization, this means faster project velocity and a more professional, self-sufficient workforce.
DESIGN DECISIONS
DESIGN DECISIONS
The design of this project was driven by the need for efficiency and high engagement, utilizing a "problem-first" approach to ensure every screen supports a specific behavioral change. Every choice, from the minimalist visual style to the custom-built interactions, was made to minimize cognitive load while maximizing the learner's ability to apply these skills immediately on the job.
Modality Choice
Modality Choice
I selected asynchronous micro-learning as the delivery method to align with the needs of a fast-paced corporate onboarding environment. By breaking the content into bite-sized, two-to-four-minute lessons, learners can engage with the material without experiencing cognitive overload or major disruptions to their primary work tasks. This format is particularly effective for "soft skill" acquisition, as it allows new hires to immediately apply a specific concept—like choosing the right communication channel—to their real-world tasks within the same hour of completing the module.
Visual Design
Visual Design
The visual identity of the course was developed in Canva to feel modern, clean, and professional, mirroring the digital environments new tech hires navigate daily. I utilized a high-contrast color palette—incorporating deep blues for authority and vibrant oranges and yellows for action—to guide the learner's eye toward critical interactions. To maintain focus and reduce cognitive load, I opted for a clean, minimalist approach using solid color backgrounds and consistent header styling. This ensures that the instructional content remains the primary focal point while creating a cohesive, branded experience from start to finish.
Tool Selection
Tool Selection
I chose Articulate Storyline 360 for development because of the immense freedom it offers for creating bespoke, highly specific interactions. Rather than relying on standard templates, I used Storyline’s advanced trigger and state systems to custom-build every interactive element, from the "Tone Slider" to the "Email Construction" activity. To streamline the production timeline, I integrated AI-driven tools into my workflow: ChatGPT and Gemini were utilized for scenario brainstorming and branding ideation, while Google AI Studio provided high-fidelity text-to-speech narration. This hybrid approach allowed me to deliver a highly customized, narrated experience that is both technically sophisticated and easy to iterate.
DESIGN PROCESS
DESIGN PROCESS
My development followed a systematic, iterative workflow that translated high-level behavioral goals into a functional digital experience. By moving through distinct phases, I ensured that every instructional element remained grounded in my core design principles and project objectives.
1. Mind Mapping
1. Mind Mapping
To ensure the course remained a true micro-learning experience, I began with a mind-mapping phase to categorize the complex world of "professional communication" into four digestible pillars. This allowed me to identify the high-value behaviors that moved the needle for stakeholders while ruthlessly cutting "fluff" that didn't contribute to the immediate goal of project alignment.
2. Instructional Design Document
2. Instructional Design Document
With the core concepts defined, I developed a comprehensive Course Blueprint. This document served as the instructional backbone, mapping each learning objective to a specific business problem. By documenting the "why" behind every lesson at this stage, I ensured that the resulting course stayed aligned with Merrill’s Principles—specifically focusing on a task-centered approach to training.
3. Storyboard
3. Storyboard
The text-based storyboard was where the "voice" of the course came to life. During this phase, I utilized AI tools to iterate on realistic corporate scenarios and refine the narration scripts. Writing the content in a text-only format allowed me to focus purely on the instructional flow and the clarity of the feedback loops before moving into the high-fidelity visual phase.
4. Visual Planning: Style Guide
4. Visual Planning: Style Guide
Before opening Storyline, I established a Visual Style Guide in Canva to ensure a cohesive look and feel. I selected a modern typography set and a "corporate-tech" color palette designed to feel familiar to a Gen Z audience. This guide defined the button states, header styles, and icon sets, ensuring that the final build remained visually consistent and professional.
5. Full Development
5. Full Development
The development phase was an iterative process of translating the storyboard into custom, high-functioning interactions in Articulate Storyline 360. By focusing on variables and triggers, I moved beyond standard navigation to create custom experiences like the "Tone Slider." This phase also included the integration of AI-generated narration, bringing a polished, human-centric feel to the asynchronous environment.
6. User Testing and Feedback
6. User Testing and Feedback
Even without a formal client, I conducted a "peer-review" and "think-aloud" testing phase to validate the course's usability. I shared the prototype with a small group of early-career professionals to identify any friction points in the custom interactions.
Key findings from this phase included:
Clarity in Navigation: Initial testers were unsure how to "submit" the slider interaction. In response, I added a clear instructional prompt and a more prominent "Submit" button to ensure the learner knew exactly how to progress.
Technical Accessibility: I discovered that the matching interaction needed clearer "hover" states to be accessible via keyboard navigation. I updated the button states in Storyline to provide both visual and functional clarity.
Pacing: Feedback suggested that the first lesson was text-heavy. I moved some of the descriptive text into the narration (audio) and used more concise bullet points on the screen to maintain a "micro-learning" feel.
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