Project One: Training Course
Training Volunteers for Disaster Crisis Response
Role: Instructional Designer
Context
I developed a training course as part of a classroom assessment. A global nonprofit was looking to create a training for crisis volunteers that was under budget, accessible to everyone (including those with limited technology), and fostered community amongst the workforce. The challenge was creating something equally accessible to everyone from Argentina to Zimbabwe.
Tools and LMS.
Technology, language, and culture played a big role in my design decisions. I chose to use a pragmatic authoring tool, EasyLMS, with some extra third-party plug-ins, to remain under budget and focus on ease of access for learners and developers. My role as the instructional designer gave me firsthand experience in creating branching activities, polls, quizzes, and tracking data. The assessment was a success as everything from my content to my SMART goals aligned perfectly.
One particular outcome I wanted to consider was how emotionally prepared learners would be for volunteering in a potentially dangerous environment. I decided to add additional information in the module to make sure that learners are just understanding how to comfort a crisis victim, but also how to comfort each other and themselves.
Decisions and Process
Learning Outcomes
My course suggests that learners would have adequate preparation time, checklists, and mental health resources available to all. The tools and technology I used included EasyLMS, H5P, a decision matrix, and Google Suite. I think my next step in utilizing my experience and building for my future is authoring the entire course in the LMS. This project challenged my knowledge of learner profiles and instructional design theories. I’d love to continue producing content that helps people in need.