Course Design Document - Carollyn Paolini

Course Design Document
Carollyn Paolini
9/29/09
Shoretel Phone System

Overall Course Description: The IT department came to Training and announced that they were planning to roll out a new version of our current phone system (the on-screen phone software), and needed accompanying training for all internal employees. Upon further investigation, much of the change is cosmetic with only a few new features. However, the mini-analysis indicated that building a course that includes all the major functions of the phone was needed, not just a “What’s New” section. Additionally, we discovered that specific features of the system are needed by outside or remote employees as well. The plan is to make the training available to all current employees and include in subsequent New Hire Orientation sessions.

Course Instructions/Learning Strategies: Together with IT, we identified the eleven lessons that should be covered in this course. Considering our employees varying schedules and locations, we determined that an on-demand course would be most convenient and effective. Each of the lessons is tied to a specific real-world example (taking our company’s culture into consideration). The layout of the course is intended to be a “Pick your own Adventure” interaction. The opening slide displays a large desk with various items pictured on top. The items are set apart and active. When the user hovers over the item, a window pops up describing the lesson (“Transferring a Call”) followed by a funny scenario. There is also a link “Show Me” that routes the user to the slide with a computer screen in the center. This is the way the user will actually interact with the phone system, so we determined that showing a Captivate video of the feature in action was the best way to demonstrate the various functions. At the end of each lesson, the user is returned to the main menu with the active icons.

Course Media Platform: We will host the on-demand course within our company’s intranet system. We are currently shopping around for a new LMS, but that will not be ready by release of this course. The intranet is accessible to all our employees, internal or remote. Other benefits include the employees’ familiarity with the platform and comfort with accessing courses and accompanying materials there.

Course Provision for Learner Autonomy: The course is in an on-demand, self-paced asynchronous format. The user gets to direct the order in which they experience the training. This course was designed with different learning styles in mind. Although the course is narrated, the script is accessible via the Articulate player and can be searched. Additionally, each feature slide includes a Quick-Tips section, which highlights the specific steps taken to accomplish the task. Returning viewers can quickly access specific topics and tips again.

Course Provision for Structure: All the course materials are contained within the on-demand Articulate module (including a Glossary, Job aids, Help tabs, etc.). Managers are taking it upon themselves to ensure their departments work through the course, though we will be able to track their progress within our intranet reporting system. Some managers have requested a formal quiz and an accompanying certificate to demonstrate the learner’s accomplishment.

Course Communication: Within the course, we are very explicit about the objectives, the module’s interface and functionality, and what is required by the user for a successful course experience. We also have a test group to insure that all instructions are clear, and address any concerns they bring up. As far as feedback directly from our users, we use our intranet’s survey module to capture their questions, concerns and comments on every course we build. If further action is needed, we do it on an as-needed basis.

Assessments: At the end of each section, the user is given a short or minor assessment. They are drilled on the steps needed to execute or set up a specific feature or function within the phone’s software. There will be one major assessment – a short quiz at the end of the course. We are using the Articulate Quizmaker tool. While the audience for this course varies (from Executive level to Customer Care representatives), their need for specific features will vary. However, we felt these lessons were short enough and of interest to all employees. Therefore, we didn’t want to bore them with a ridiculous quiz. We crafted questions to force the employee to think critically about which feature to use when (for instance, the Find Me feature is great when you are actually working in the building but in and out of your office; whereas the Office Anywhere feature makes more sense if you are off site). Types of question formats include hotspots (engaging learner and getting them to identify specific locations within the software interface), detailed questions about functionality (which option must you check in order to receive your voice mail messages in a wave file format via email?)