For this project, I trained learners to use two educational technology platforms. I conducted the analysis as part of a graduate course and then implemented the instruction for To The Top Education.

  • Audience: Clients enrolled in one of To The Top’s college application programs

  • Responsibilities: Instructional design, development, and delivery; graphic design

  • Tools used: Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Visio, Zoom

Educational Technology Training

Problem

To The Top uses CustomCollegePlan and Editate to help learners accomplish important tasks related to college applications. However, I noticed that learners didn’t know how to use these web-based platforms effectively, leading to miscommunication, inefficiencies, and a lack of awareness of informational resources. When I contacted our Chief Academic Officer, she echoed my concerns and added a few of her own. It was clear that ad-hoc training wasn’t working.

I suggested implementing a more systematic training process that would teach learners to maintain better communication with the college team, research colleges independently, stay on track with their applications, and produce better application materials. My supervisor agreed.

Solution

After a detailed analysis and design process, I led a live, interactive demonstration of CustomCollegePlan and Editate over Zoom. To The Top now uses the video recording and the reference sheet to onboard new clients.

The training process continues through self-paced, in-platform activities assigned to each learner.

Finally, employees ensure learning by monitoring students’ use of these programs to complete authentic tasks. If a problem arises, I provide additional one-on-one instruction.

Process

Proposal

First, I had to determine if an instructional solution was appropriate for this problem. I began by creating a project proposal that described the project and defined its aim, target audience, and delivery options.

Needs Analysis

With the project broadly laid out, I conducted a needs analysis based on Allison Rossett’s four opportunities for instructional intervention. I identified multiple performance problems from my personal observations and by consulting a subject matter experts. My analysis made me confident that these performance problems would reappear in future cohorts of learners and that instruction should be part of the solution.

Learner & Contextual Analyses

I continued my front-end analysis by conducting a learner analysis and contextual analysis. I also derived guiding principles from learning and motivational theory, as well as consideration of the diversity of my international audience.

Goal & Task Analyses

To help determine what my audience actually needed to learn, I conducted further analyses of the information and skills necessary to be a proficient user of the two software platforms. The process flowcharts I created for various critical tasks were especially useful later on.

Learning Objectives

With my front-end analysis complete, I drafted learning objectives according to Robert F. Mager’s guidelines.

Enabling Objectives Matrix

I created a matrix to allow cross-referencing of learning objectives, instructional activities, levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and intended delivery methods.

Execution

My UW-Stout course only asked me to create a small example of an instructional material, so I developed a reference sheet in Adobe Illustrator:

But I didn’t stop working on this project just because the course was over. The problem was real, so I wanted to provide a real solution.

I continued developing instructional content. I adapted my plans when my hypothetical analysis for class didn’t hold up to the realities of business.

Finally, I led an interactive demonstration of CustomCollegePlan and Editate over Zoom. I provided learners with a recording of the demo as well as the reference document I produced.

The training continued through self-paced, in-platform introductory activities assigned to each learner.

I have continued to monitor students’ use of these programs to complete authentic tasks, providing additional instruction as necessary.

Results

In short, our clients in 2022 are vastly more capable at these platforms than they were in 2021. User complaints and errors have been essentially eliminated, and the onboarding process is much more efficient and standardized for both clients and employees.

This project also had unintended positive results: it made my supervisors and me more effective at using these platforms, too. Seeing these results, I intend to adapt this project into a training program for new hires as To The Top expands.