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This is a project I started in September 2023, with an expected duration of four months. The client commissioned me to provide an eLearning solution for their training content. They wrote the content in Microsoft PPT and gave it to me for copy editing and adaptation to Articulate Rise.
The training content aims to bring youth workers up to speed with the organisation's processes and approach. To create effective eLearning, I was asked to present the content in an engaging, interactive, and accessible manner. The eLearning content had to cater for users with diverse needs, such as vision impairment and ADHD.
The organisation provides mentoring support for young Australian males. In 2022, it was named Charity of the Year in the Australian Charity Awards. For more information, follow the links below.
Audience:
Youth workers both inside Top Blokes Foundation and supplied by external service provider organisations.
My Roles:
Content formatting in Rise; Visual design; Interactive elements; Text-to-audio functionality; Copy editing; Transference of instructional design skills to their internal team; Oversight of skills implementation
Tools Used:
Articulate Rise; Articulate Storyline; Figma; Synthesys AI; BeBold Google plugin
Aim:
Coordinate the establishment of an effective, engaging, and accessible eLearning program
Through live workshops and programs, Top Blokes Foundation aims to connect youth workers with male youth. The workshops use a facilitation-based approach to support male youth in their formative years, at a time when they are vulnerable to risks. As of September 2023, the charity has mentored over 20,000 young males with verified outcomes to boot. An independent study recognised the following in youth that had undertaken the program:
The charity began in the NSW Illawarra region and has since expanded regionally and into QLD. To accomodate its growth, it sought to establish an eLearning-based staff training and development program.
I was brought on in a freelance capacity to consult and work on this project. To create an effective learning transformation, the organisation had several requirements:
Given the text-heavy nature of the training content, I deemed Articulate Rise the best solution for an eLearning authoring program. The program can present text-heavy information in many different formats. These variations allow breathing room and a much more enjoyable eLearning experience. General reading accessibility is also improved with effective formatting and layout.
To cater for users with diverse needs, I proposed some additions. To address learners with vision impairments and to also improve general engagement, I suggested that audio-based narration be implemented. For the client's limited budget, I suggested an AI text-to-audio solution.
I also brought light to a browser plugin available through Google Chrome. The plugin improves reading accessibility by converting the first half of every word to bold. It was especially developed with ADHD users in mind, but can also improve accessibility for all staff.
To transfer the more affective human elements of live training, I proposed narrator characters. These characters were built to carry the spirit of the organisation and transfer this to the users. By humanising the eLearning experience, the organisation can transfer its authenticity, purpose and vision in a much more effective way.
In the Rise courses, each lesson is opened with a quip from the narrators.
Three narrator characters were created. To reflect the organisation's co-facilitation approach, in which workshops are co-led by a two person team, the narrators usually come in a pair. Humour is used to humanise them and give them personality.
The organisation provided a style guide to brand the training programs.
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To enhance the eLearning experience, visuals were provided throughout. Colours were modified to suit the organisation's design scheme.
To improve the program's accessibility and capacity to engage, I copy edited the text-based content. For each PPT slide, I selected a formatting option on Rise that would most effectively convey the information.
The following examples were taken from the "Facilitation at Top Blokes Foundation" lesson. In this lesson, users learn the L.I.S.T.E.N framework to help them conduct effective workshops. See the original PPT slides on the left and their transformation to Rise on the right.
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To enhance accessibility, I proposed AI-based text-to-voice narration. Players can be embedded under text sections with a male Australian "AI voice actor". Rather than produce real voice-overs, this solution was devised for its cost-effectiveness.
I also recommended use of a Google Chrome plugin called BeBold. This program formats all text in a browser in the manner it is formatted here. In this format, words are processed in a more efficient manner, giving the reader the ability to breeze through content. It is helpful for people with focus impairments such as ADHD.
Storyline blocks were used to boost the production value of the content, in order to create more engaging interactions and visuals. Articulate Storyline offers limitless versatility, and produced modules can be added anywhere within a Rise course.
In the below video, three animations are presented. These are very simple animations—with inventive design elements intended to evoke youth workers before they begin the relevant workshop.
In the next video, I created a Storyline block self-email interface with JavaScript functionality. In this form, the youth worker is asked to draft an elevator pitch. They submit their pitch and it is self-emailed. The intention is for the youth worker to hone and practice their pitch for the initial meet and greet session.
The final example was used to introduce the induction program. The Storyline block times dialogue elements along with facial expressions. A combination of states, layers, and triggers were used to create player functionality. The user can pause the sequence and also restart it.
Upon completion of the client's first module, "Facilitation Skills and Strategies", the greater project scope was outlined in full.
The organisation wanted to adapt a very large amount of content to Rise. It had a tight timeframe and a limited budget to get the job done. Rather than outsource the entire job to me, it decided to assign me to the more challenging modules. To allow for adaptation of its simpler modules, it has asked me to train two of its internal staff.
