Custodial Know How
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When it comes to cleaning at an industrial level, many of us disregard the task as someone else's problem, however for some people, cleanliness is their career. As a freelance instructional designer, I have worked with a variety of companies to deliver impactful and motivating training modules. This example provides a brief glance into the work I did for a custodial association. Their mission was to train custodians on how to clean and protect commercial buildings. This sample is part of a larger module I created to teach future custodians how to clean showers and restrooms.
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Responsibilities: instructional designer, storyboard developer, and voiceover script writer
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Target Audience: custodial hires needing training, new hires, internal employees
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Tools: Storyline 360
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Budget: medium/high
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Year: 2022
Background
During my time as a freelance instructional designer, I had the opportunity to temporarily join established teams midway through projects. The team that I joined for this project was working for an established custodial company looking to train its custodial workforce on proper cleaning and maintenance techniques. With a custodial staff scattered across the United States it was vital that the project contain the following criteria: everyday easy to digest language, highly engaging interactive features, and the ability to access comprehension and test out in real time.
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While NDA contracts prevent me from sharing the original work, I created an eLearning lesson based off the work I did for the company. The original voice over audio has been removed, as well as company sensitive information, assessments, and personalization features. The information contained in this eLearning lesson is easily researched and is not a trade secret of the company. Multiple points have been changed to avoid issues with copyright. The company used in this example is fictional. This example is used to demonstrate my ability to use triggers, markers, transitions, and other highly interactive features in eLearning projects.
Process
Prior to my time contributing, the team had established a project timeline, time management and progress monitoring tools, and had a completed prototype of slide designs approved by the client. The project manager had relayed that clients desire to have a “highly interactive” module utilizing tools and features within their budget. The company had provided a plethora of design elements at the team’s disposal including custom icons, professional photographs of custodial products, professional images and video of people properly using equipment and their brand kit. The project manager also provided access to previously completed modules so that all modules would have a strong sense of continuity. I had full access to all PDF training materials, files, and project SMEs.
I started this module by storyboarding the lesson. In this process I was responsible for breaking down information from the training PDFs into manageable learning objectives and information. I used components of adult learning theory and human centered design to organize information and communicate content. As I was writing the storyboards, I was also writing the voiceover script for each slide. I was advised by the project manager to keep language conversational and easy for learners of different educational levels and backgrounds. When my storyboards were completed, I went on to designing the slides for the modules.
Designing the Modules
In designing the modules, I kept with the established aesthetic, but focused my efforts on the interactive features. When designing I kept in mind the desire for highly interactive features. I used markers, states, and hover features to achieve this outcome. While it is not available in this example, in the finished product I used 360 degree images with hotspot and hover features to accentuate key points. I also built-in test questions alongside review elements to gauge knowledge acquisition. The module also included drag and drop features as well as knowledge checks imbedded in content. Where applicable, I also used the resource library to add images and icons. Overall, the design of the module followed the established standards of previous modules and blended with previously approved modules.
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Takeaways
This project gave me the chance to create a module that would blend in against previous and subsequent lessons. I enjoyed the direction and guidance of the project manager and enjoyed having the freedom to create interactive lessons from the client. As we presented my work to the client, they had wanted more interactivity which was out of their price range. While I could do what they asked, my work was always balanced against their budget. In completing this project, I learned to itemize all features of an eLearning lesson and clarify language in contractual agreements. I also gained greater understanding of interactive features and how to use those features in assessing knowledge recall. Overall this project helped me develop a stronger constitution on when to use interactive features in defining and determining participant understanding.
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