Category: Education

In my work in the instructional design space, I utilize the ADDIE learning method. ADDIE is an acronym that stands for Analysis-Design-Development-Implementation-Evaluation.

The initial step in the ADDIE process is the analysis. This is the step where instructional designers take time to get to understand the problem. They review with the stakeholders the goals/desired outcomes.

The way that I approach the analysis stage is to conduct a needs assessment. A needs assessment is just that–a baseline understanding or evaluation of the need/s. It involves understanding the desired outcome, evaluative measures, learners, and capabilities of the training systems, if any.

My needs assessment involves understanding how much time the stakeholder is willing to provide to a learner to complete the training. Is this going to be something where we have to train within a few minutes (like a just-in-time learning management course) or within an hour (like a synchronous or asynchronous classroom training structure).

I also want to understand the need in terms of a project. Meaning, I look at it based on the three part of project management: scope, time, and resources/money. I need to know this in order to ensure that I fulfill the stakeholder’s desires, said or unsaid.

I have known several instructional designers (and I have been personally guilty myself) that skill the “A” step or make assumptions about it without really understanding it. This is something you want to avoid–take the extra time to conduct the analysis so that the design process starts out great.

Storyline 360 is an e-learning authoring tool from Articulate.  The authoring software is robust and intuitive. It provides users with the flexibility to create content without being limited to templates. It also allows users to publish course materials in a variety of formats, including SCORM and web-accessible versions.
Articulate provides Storyline as part of their Articulate 360 suite. The cost runs from $499 annually (Personal Academic Plan) to $1,299 (Company Teams Plan) for the suite. Storyline must be purchased with the suite—it is not available as a standalone component.

I have been using Storyline since 2018. During my initial work with it, I converted courses from Microsoft PowerPoint or OneNote using very basic features of the program. Over time, I have challenged myself to get more creative in course design. I have added in videos, closed-captioning, and quizzes with multiple different question types. My designs now include questions throughout the training to reinforce the objectives (see a course I designed in 2020 regarding HIPAA compliance).

The format for my course design has changed over time as well. My company previously used Litmos, which gave me great flexibility in course delivery. The company now uses a LMS built into our Human Resource Information System (HRIS) that has less flexibility. Courses must be formatted in SCORM 2004 vs. SCORM 1.2 format. Articulate allows authors to easily switch between the format of the published project.

Read more on the Colleague 2 Colleague Digital Magazine, Spring/Summer 2021 edition here.

Working in the educational space, I like to find creative ways to encourage learning. I often mix multimedia elements to better engage with the learner. This is not always possible, as often the subjects are too esoteric. Finding humorous videos on the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) or information security can be a daunting task. My remedy: Memes.

A few years back, the BBC wrote about a 1921 cartoon that they believed could be the first meme ever used. The “flashlight” was the word used for a photo.

These simple images–often humorous–provide others an opportunity to view a concept through another lens. Anna Harvey (2020) wrote in the British Medical Journal: “These images spread and ‘evolve’ quickly—often gaining many layers of meaning. Online groups can have their own ‘meme culture,’ with images and phrases being essentially impenetrable to those outside of the group” (¶ 5).

Memes are meant to be engaging. Some are sarcastic. Some are serious. Most make others smile or chuckle. This is how I use memes: Not to poke fun at myself or others, but to provide a temporary respite from a serious topic. Below are some tips I use when utilizing memes:

1. Find a suitable picture to reflect the topic. When I am creating educational material, I tend to go to sites like ImgFlip. They have a “meme maker” where you can select from dozens of popular images from film or other sources. You can then type in the text to illustrate your topic. I tend to use the same image for memes (e.g., the Dos Equis guy), but I have definitely ventured from this to other photos.
2. Know the backstory of the image. It is definitely important to stick with a similar theme for your meme as the original story. This will help your learners to relate more easily to your concept, especially if the meme image is popular.
3. Don’t shy from making fun of yourself or your profession. It is important to always connect with your audience. I do that through being vulnerable. This vulnerability is often shown through my tendency to be self-deprecating.

A few years back, I was in meeting and a coworker snapped a photo and created a meme of me. The backstory was that I had setup a meeting with two stakeholders to (hopefully) bring them together for consensus. The meeting did not work as well as I was expecting, and apparently my face reflected that.

What tips do you have about creating memes or using memes for education?

The genesis for this research began when listening to White Rage, White Fragility, and How to Be an Antiracist over the summer. These three books talk about systematic racism as demonstrated by election laws.

In order to challenge myself, I examined the data using Tableau Public (I am generally an SPSS guy).
1. I summarized requirements as found from the U.S. Vote Foundation.
2. I documented the data using Excel.
3. I I initially displayed the data with Tableau, then fixed with Mapchart.
Caveat: This may not incorporate local interpretation of voting regulations.

Coding. These are the categories and descriptions.

1. Government/Official ID. Driver’s license, State ID, Passport, etc.
2. Government/Official ID or Acquaintance of a local election official.
3. Government/Official ID or 2 Forms of Official-Type mail. Bank statement, voter registration card, leasing document, etc.
4. Government/Official ID or Official-Type mail/document. Bank statement, voter registration card, leasing document, etc.
5. Government/Official ID or Semi-Official ID. Inclusive of school or healthclub IDs.
6. Any identification that shows name with address, photo, or signature.
7. No identification required.