Instructional Design Portfolio

Petipet Pathways

• Audience: Current and new sales staff at Petipet. 

• Responsibilities: Project manager, instructional design, eLearning development, action mapping, storyboarding, and visual design.

• Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Audacity, Twine, Google Suite, Trello.

Petipet faced a challenge within its sales team due to inconsistent product knowledge and representation. This inconsistency comes from a lack of standardized training, combined with diverse employee backgrounds, rapid company expansion, and resource limitations. Consequently, there existed a considerable performance gap between the desired and actual sales representation of Petipet's products.

To address the performance gap and inconsistency issue, an instructional solution was to create "Petipet Pathways: Orientation for Sales Personnel" a self-paced eLearning program. This program focuses on providing sales personnel with in-depth Petipet treat and supplement product knowledge and basic customer communication sales skills, empowering them to effectively represent Petipet's products and align with the company's mission and values.

To develop an effective learning experience, I utilized the ADDIE Model of instructional design. ADDIE comprises analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. This model guided me through a continuous process involving analysis, feedback, iteration, and testing. It included tasks such as problem analysis, creating action plans, storyboarding, designing visual mockups, developing an interactive prototype, executing the project, and evaluating the learning experience through user testing.

Planning Process

In planning the Petipet Pathways eLearning project, the Scope of Work provided a detailed roadmap. It outlined the instructional program, titled "Petipet Pathways: Orientation for Sales Personnel," focusing on enhancing product knowledge and sales skills for Petipet's sales staff. This comprehensive plan covered various elements:

• Instructional Content: The eLearning module aimed to cover Petipet's mission, values, product line, ingredients, benefits, usage, and essential sales skills for effective communication and customer relations.

• Interactive Modules: Incorporating multimedia like videos, infographics, and interactive scenarios to engage learners and reinforce Petipet's brand identity.

• Role-Play Scenarios: Simulating real-world sales interactions, enabling learners to apply their skills in customer engagement.

• Assessments: Formative and summative assessments to evaluate learners' product knowledge, matching abilities, and communication skills.

• Collaboration: Working closely with Petipet's marketing team and subject matter experts to align content with branding and ensure accurate product information.

This Scope of Work served as a foundational guide, shaping my planning and ensuring that each element contributed to achieving the learning objectives for the Petipet Pathways eLearning program.

Storyboard and Visual Mock-Ups

In the creation of Petipet's eLearning modules, a large component was the development of a comprehensive storyboard created within Google Slides. This storyboard served as a detailed blueprint, capturing not only the visual elements but also the narrative components essential to seamlessly integrate Petipet's branding into the project. It included the sequence of content, text, graphics, multimedia elements, and interactive features, providing stakeholders and subject matter experts (SMEs) with a tangible visualization of the envisioned eLearning experience. Before beginning the eLearning module development, the storyboard underwent rigorous reviews, ensuring alignment with Petipet's objectives and collecting valuable feedback from key stakeholders.

Role Play Scenario Mock-Ups

A role-play scenario was the main focus of the eLearning. It was conceptualized through wireframing using Twine and Google Slides. These platforms facilitated the creation of mock-ups, offering a dynamic view of the scenarios with branching activities. The interactive nature allowed for the exploration of diverse options within the scenario, showcasing how the sales staff's decisions and responses influenced the course of the scenario. Furthermore, these mock-ups provided insights into the nuanced changes in the customer's mood based on the interactions, offering a holistic understanding of the potential outcomes within the learning environment.

Together, these storyboarding and role-play scenario mock-ups not only laid the groundwork for the eLearning modules but also offered stakeholders a tangible preview of the envisioned learning journey. They provided a comprehensive understanding of the narrative flow, interactivity, and integration of Petipet's branding within the learning experience, ensuring a cohesive and engaging educational platform.

Interactive Prototype

The interactive prototype served as a crucial milestone before jumping into the full-scale development of the eLearning project. It was created using Articulate Storyline 360, this prototype functioned as a comprehensive tool to solicit feedback and ensure the functionality of the final product. Its primary purpose was to address any concerns or refinements necessary before implementing it across the entire sales staff at Petipet. 

Within the prototype, I ensured the integration of all aspects outlined within the Statement of Work (SoW), aligning each element with the project's overarching objectives. It was a fully functional representation that encapsulated Petipet's vision and objectives, acting as a precursor to the final eLearning experience.

Beyond the immediate eLearning environment, the prototype extended its utility by incorporating additional reference materials. These materials encompassed essential resources like product catalogs, Petipet's mission and value statements, a framework for effective customer communication, and transcripts for narrated slides. This thoughtful inclusion aimed to augment the learning experience by providing supplementary resources for learners to refer to outside the eLearning platform, promoting a more immersive and comprehensive understanding of Petipet's mission, values, products, and customer service expectations.

In the design of the eLearning experience, I consciously applied Mayer's principles to optimize learning outcomes. Specifically, the eLearning was structured with Mayer's Signaling Principle in mind, where cues and animations were strategically employed to highlight key organizational elements. This deliberate approach facilitated better navigation and comprehension for learners. Additionally, considering Mayer's Coherence Principle, the audio elements within the prototype were refined to enhance immersion without overwhelming users.

Following iterations driven by feedback and a pilot testing phase, I fine-tuned the assessment questions and revised the directions for the final assessment. These refinements were aimed at ensuring clarity and relevance in evaluating learners' comprehension and application of the acquired knowledge.

With these enhancements and refinements solidified through the iterative process, I seamlessly transitioned towards the full-scale development of the project within Articulate Storyline 360. This progression was informed by the insights from the interactive prototype phase, ensuring a refined and impactful final eLearning product aligned with Petipet's objectives and learning principles.

Full Development

The journey of building this project was fulfilling and challenged me to grow my skills in Articulate Storyline. I wore multiple hats, working closely with different subject experts and stakeholders while managing the project's different aspects. Acting as the project manager, I had to make sure everything flowed smoothly and matched Petipet's goals. Using Storyline, I used various tools such as states, layers, triggers, and variables to create an engaging learning experience, using my coding background to handle technical details and make the project user-friendly.

The project's consistent look and feel speak to careful design choices. I made sure to use Petipet's dog logo across slides, giving everything a unified appearance that matched Petipet's style. I added easy-to-use navigation so users could move around the eLearning at their own pace, going back to different parts as needed. I held off on showing the assessment until the end, letting users dive deep into the content before testing what they'd learned.

By using Petipet's branding elements thoughtfully, I aimed for a design that was easy to follow and engaging. This approach didn't just highlight my technical skills but also showed my dedication to making the learning experience top-notch for users, staying true to Petipet's culture, mission, and values.

Results 

The Petipet Pathways fully developed eLearning was well received by Petipet employees and administration. 

"I'm thrilled with the impact of the Petipet Pathways eLearning program. It's been instrumental in boosting our sales team's knowledge and skills, aligning perfectly with Petipet's values. The attention to detail and engaging modules have prepared our team to represent our products effectively. The interactive elements, like role-play scenarios and assessments, have made learning enjoyable. This program has not just filled knowledge gaps but also strengthened our team's unity across various time zones, enabling better service to our customers while upholding Petipet's standards." 

-Dan Marino, Petipet President

"The Petipet Pathways eLearning program brilliantly incorporates Mayer's Principles, creating an engaging and effective learning environment through its thoughtful design and comprehensive content."

-Brittany Laidlaw, Instructional Designer

Reflection

The Petipet Pathways project has expanded my grasp of instructional design, particularly within the ADDIE framework, guiding the project from start to finish. I've gained insights into analyzing situations, identifying issues, and determining the suitability of eLearning solutions. This experience has enhanced my project management skills, especially in handling feedback promptly while maintaining high-quality outcomes. 

Crafting this learning experience has been fulfilling, allowing me to blend creativity with structured design. I'm eager to apply these lessons from the project to continue creating engaging and purposeful learning experiences in the future.