This micro-lesson is aimed at client-facing employees in the hospitality and service industries. Because of the common occurrence of customer complaints and problems in these roles, the active listening skills taught are highly relevant to this audience, and the course content and practice scenario are designed to translate to the performance context. 

I completed all analysis, design, and development work, and managed this project. I was responsible for all content, objectives, assessments, materials, and graphics. I worked on this project from start to finish, and upon completion, the course was user-tested by classmates but has not been implemented in any other capacity. 

Learning Theories & Instructional Strategy

Gagne's Nine Events and ARCS again heavily influenced the design of this lesson. However, the primary focus of this micro-learning lesson was the creation of a branching, scenario-based activity, so there are strong elements of Situated and Active learning. In the practice scenario, the learner engages with an upset customer, and their choices lead them down multiple paths. Multiple choice options simulate real-life actions (dialogue), with feedback given for each choice, and realistic consequences taking place (such as the customer becoming more upset). The final outcome of the scenario acts as an after-action review (AAR), where the learner can assess how well they utilized the active listening skills and choose to replay the scenario. Learner autonomy was a key consideration in the design, which can be seen through the ability to choose the order that the learning material is interacted with, and the choices available in the practice scenario. 

Mayer's Multimedia Principles and CRAP visual design principles were followed throughout, due to the large amount of multimedia used in the lesson. I aimed to create a unified aesthetic, where visuals were simple, and navigation was intuitive. User interface design influenced many of my decisions, such as focusing on the spacing and size of elements to define the layout and guide the learner's journey. 

Authoring System & Creative Tools

This lesson was developed in Articulate Storyline. I used Adobe Illustrator to alter vector illustrations, as well as create my own custom buttons and icons. Voice-over audio was edited in Adobe Premiere Pro.  

Because this is a micro-learning course, effective and concise communication was crucial. The learning content needed to be clear and accompanying visuals simple and engaging. It was important to reduce the amount of on-screen text at any given time, which influenced my use of flip cards, tabs, and carousel interactions. I simplified visuals down to their key components, removing unnecessary details. Text content was presented in focused paragraphs, phrases, or bullet points. Designing a short micro-lesson was a great exercise because I was forced to harshly evaluate all messages and remove anything that was nice to know.  

This lesson showcases communication in 3 formats, written portions of on-screen text, oral communication in the form of voice-over narration, and visuals in the form of illustrations and graphics. I contacted a voice-over artist to record the narration for the introduction, and clear communication was crucial to receiving the performance I envisioned. I provided the artist with a time-stamped script and accompanying storyboards so that they fully understood the scene. After hearing their initial demo, I provided notes regarding the tone and cadence I was looking for.

One unique aspect of visual communication for this lesson was the need to design states for the various buttons included. Hover states communicate to the learner that a button is interactive and clickable. Visited states for the 3 main skills on the home page were shown in the form of green checkmarks. Once all skills are visited, the button for the practice activity goes from gray to blue, communicating that it is now available. These visual cues are an intuitive way to communicate with the learner, reducing the need for written instructions on how to proceed through the lesson.