Portfolio Project

EDUC 765: Trends and Issues in Instructional Design

By: Katie Brown

Submitted 10/20/2017
 Project Proposal Module 2

PROJECT TITLE
Inno-Versity User Quick Start Guide

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION
Inno-Versity

Inno-Versity is a leading learning company based in Grand Rapids, Mi. Their mission is
to develop people to their full capacity for the glory and honor of God and the good of
others. Inno-Versity provides instructional design, custom learning experiences, learning
consulting and creative services to businesses, nonprofits, K-12, and higher education
institutions worldwide.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Inno-Versity is a startup company that has recently grown from a staff of five employees
to 25. Currently, new employees depend on the Operations Specialist to assist them
with login and setup instructions for tool use. An Onboarding course is being designed,
but a Quick Start Guide would provide new hires with an online reference to use as
soon as logins are established, freeing up the Operations Specialists time. This guide
will allow trainees the ability to access necessary information independently, an
important factor since many employees work from home. This will be an easily
accessible guide that will provide clear and consistent direction for anyone within the
company to refer to when setup is needed. It will be customized to include the tools and
setup instructions that are utilized within the company.

AIM
With a Quick Start User Guide, I hope to provide the company with a more efficient and
consistent onboarding process. It should also serve as a helpful reference tool for all
employees.

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TARGET AUDIENCE
The Target Audience for this project will be new and existing employees of Inno-Versity.
Employees vary in their occupational background from instructional designers, creative
specialists to sales and marketing personnel, and project managers. Most employees
hold a higher degree. There is an even mix of male and female employees, and this
includes a broad range in age groups, ranging from 22-60.

DELIVERY OPTIONS
I will use an Online course to deliver this guide because many of the employees work
from home, making face-to-face instruction inconvenient. It will also help the learner to
be self-paced, allowing time to review instructions and practice as they are needed.

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 Front-End Analysis: Instructional Need Module 3

INSTRUCTIONAL NEED
A Needs Assessment will be used to determine if this problem can be solved with
instruction. I decided to send a survey to all Inno-Versity employees hired within the
past year (*survey not sent due to time constraints, but I could determine most of the
information). This group totaled 9 team members, which is over a third of the company.
Within this group is a good representation of the different roles at Inno-Versity: 3
Creative Specialists, 3 Instructional Designers, 1 Project Manager, and 2 Salespeople.
The primary source of data collection will be through the online survey. Many
employees do not actually work in the physical office location; however, an attempt will
be made to have face-to-face interviews with at least one person from each of the
groups described above. I will also include the Operations Specialist in charge of
onboarding at Inno-Versity and two Managers that can provide feedback on any issues
they are currently experiencing and opinions on how they can be fixed. An observation
will be scheduled when the next new hire is onboarded to identify any further areas of
improvement.

The survey will include general information such as Gender/Age. Also, the following
questions will be asked: Was the Operations Specialist available to answer all your
questions during onboarding? If not, how did you figure out the answer? What online
tool do you use the most for daily tasks? Which feature do you find the most valuable?
Were you comfortable navigating through Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Teamwork, Harvest,
etc. before you started working for Inno-Versity? What was your comfort level after
Onboarding (rank 1-5, 1 being not at all comfortable and 5 being very comfortable)?
Please rank in order which programs you would like more training on: 1. Gmail, 2.
Calendar, 3. Slack, 4. Teamwork, 4. Harvest. 5. Dropbox. What questions did you have
after you were onboarded that were unanswered?

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Interview questions will include: Could you describe your onboarding experience? What
could have made your onboarding experience even better? Were you adequately
trained to use all the tools that you need daily? If not, which ones would you like to learn
more about? Also, what issues arose due to not knowing how to use these tools? For
the Operations Specialist and Managers, I would ask them to identify the items that
commonly need to be retaught once a new hire is onboarded and what improvements to
the onboarding process they thought would be the most valuable.

It was identified that the male population was 66%, the female 33%. The ages were
identified as coming from one of two groups, equally distributed: Millennials or Baby
Boomers. The program ranking with the highest need for further information was
Teamwork, while Slack and Gmail were at the bottom. Ive identified these areas as a
reason that these instructions are needed: 1. There wasnt anyone available when the
new hire had questions, 2: Sometimes there was a lag between the time information
was given and when it was used, making it hard to remember when they needed to
apply it. This caused the Operations Specialist to have to repeat information or
complete the task for the new employee. 3. Time was wasted while the new employee
tried to figure out how to perform tasks without a reference.

The Inno-Versity User Quick Guide Start Guide will be a good solution to a growing
companys issue that they face as they are growing quickly and are increasingly
onboarding more people. This guide will fulfill a need to develop new employees as they
adjust to a new role at Inno-Versity. Currently, there isnt an onboarding program in
place. Therefore, when a new team member begins there is not a uniform message or
set of instructions that the new employee receives.

Employees point of view: new team members may or may not receive all the instruction
that they need to set up and onboard smoothly, depending on what information the
Operations Specialist remembers or has time to relay on that day. If the Operations
Specialist happens to away from the office (many employees work from home), this
could delay the new employees ability to access necessary information while

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acclimating to a new place. Since the company is an Instructional Design company, this
could impact the perception and confidence that the employee has in the company if
they are not onboarded or trained smoothly.

From the companys perspective: The Quick Start Guide will eliminate the need to go
back to the employee and find out why tasks are not completed, not completed correctly
or repeat explanations on how to perform certain tasks related to set up. This
timesaving tool will also benefit the company because they will know that each
employee is receiving the same information and that it is correct. The company can be
assured that every employee is being provided with a resource to utilize if needed to
review set up or basic instructions for common tools that are used regularly. Currently,
the Operations Specialist is the primary person to onboard new hires. If she were to
leave the company, it would take the company a few months to fill this position with a
fully trained individual. This User Quick Start Guide would ensure that no matter if the
Operations Specialist is in the office, at home, on vacation or leaves the company, the
new employee would still be able to learn how to use the basic tools needed to perform
their job at Inno-Versity.

The last perspective is from the Operations Specialist. She is the primary person to
onboard new hires. She might feel responsible for answering questions, even when she
is not in the office. This guide will give her the reassurance that new hires can access
information on their own. It will also eliminate the need to repeat directions from new
employee who forget how to use a tool. She will have less interruptions and more time
to focus on higher level tasks that need her attention.

Accessing email, calendar, interoffice messaging, timesheet and project task

assignments are a basic part of everyones role at Inno-Versity. Therefore, an
accessible online User Quick Start Guide will solve the issue of the employee
onboarding inconsistently. The company will know that they are receiving clear,
consistent and correct information, no matter if the Operations Specialist is available. It
will free up the time of other employees if the new employee needs repeated

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instructions. Ultimately, this User Quick Start Guide will give new hires a resource for
daily tasks that they can use, helping them to feel more independent as they begin their
career with Inno-Versity.

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 Front-End Analysis: Learner Characteristics Module 3
LEARNER ANALYSIS

Primary Audience
New hire Instructional Designers
New Hire Sales and Marketing Personnel
New Hire Creative Specialists and Project Managers

Secondary Audience
Existing Employees that may need to review set up instructions

General Learner Characteristics

Interesting blend of Millennials (20s) and Gen X (50s)
66% Male, 33% Female
Degreed, often with Masters level or PhD.
Either beginning their career or close to retirement age

Entry Characteristics
Proficient computer skills
Motivated to learn so that they know how to correctly receive and complete
assignments. They will also be motivated to submit a correct timesheet so
that their pay is accurate
Might be review for some users, others may have used similar applications
and need to understand the specifics of how these programs work

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CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Orienting Context
The Target Audience will want to take this course to learn how to perform
everyday tasks at Inno-Versity. For example, Harvest is an application that Inno-
Versity uses to track hours and submit timesheets. If the learner does not know
how to use this tool, their pay could be incorrect or delayed.
Learners will view this resource to help them get out of the starting block, learn
independently and serve as a reminder as to how to perform basic but essential
job functions.
If the Target Audience does not receive or remember these steps, it could affect
their ability to perform their job, pay, or cause miscommunication with team
members and clients.
They might feel like it will be too basic for them if they are familiar with the
programs. They may even feel impatient to get started on their job and not fully
read every step. This may be an opportunity for some type of job aide, because
even if the new employee has worked within the applications, this guide will
include customized information that shares Inno-Versity tips and preferences for
tool usage and set up.

Instructional Context
Online course-can be taken at home or in the office
Suggestion will be made to use earbuds/headphones if taken in a noisy
environment away from the office, if noisy at the office the learner can request to
book a meeting room with the receptionist
Find comfortable seating where they will not be interrupted: at home, in cubicle,
meeting room, or even in the lobby area if desires
This will be taken on a Inno-Versity issued laptop preloaded with the required
programs

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Technology Inventory
Target Audience will have access to newly programmed Inno-Versity laptops
(should have programs already loaded)
Any person taking this course will have general computer knowledge

Transfer Context
Daily tasks will be detailed: how to send and receive interoffice messages, send
and receive email, set appointments on the calendar, receive assigned tasks,
complete and submit timesheets, etc.
The Target Audience will have frequent opportunities to use this instruction
during the first 3 months of employment at Inno-Versity. After that, it will serve as
a reference to be used as an occasional reminder.
The correct use of the tools in the guide will allow the learner to become more
efficient and independent.

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 Instructional Impact Based Upon Learner Characteristics

APPLICATION OF LEARNING THEORIES

The framework that I intend to use to create instructions for the Inno-Versity User Quick
Start Guide will be centered around adult learning theories. The User Guide will be
designed using Knowles theory of Andragogy. The online course will be self-paced and
adopt a straightforward approach. An explanation will be provided as to why the Target
Audience will need to understand the content and how to apply it in their daily activities.
This online course will allow the new hire to independently learn and practice their new
skills.
The Minimalism Theory will be applied to this online course. Learners will not receive
large amounts of background information or lectures on any topics. They will be
involved in hands-on learning activities throughout the course at the introduction of each
new application. It will be self-guided and self-paced so that the learner has ample time
to practice new skills as they are introduced to them.
Merrills Constructivism Theory might be an approach that would work well within this
project. It will be task-centered, building knowledge from previous steps, provide a
demonstration with an application that the Target Audience will find relevant, allowing
them to apply and practice the steps to instruction. Possibly to gain interest, I could
begin each section with a scenario where a character is facing an issue that leads to the
characters need to look in the resource guide.
I will consider Multiple Intelligences as I create and design material. This will include a
variety of opportunities to practice newly acquired skills, maybe by incorporating music
or using colors schemes and pictures, problem solving scenarios, and a hands-on
activity to make it appealing across the board.

APPLICATION OF MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES

Adult learning theory will be applied to this instruction by including an upfront
explanation of the value that learning how to perform these tasks will impact their job.

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By providing possible short cuts and clear instructions, the learner can save time. By
providing tips and tricks, they will be more effective and efficient in their job. The
instruction will also describe how Inno-Versity submits all timesheets so that they will
receive their pay. It will be an online resource that is self-directed, allowing them to learn
independently. There will be plenty of opportunity to practice these skills in the
applications along with the instruction.

Motivational theory will be applied by explaining upfront the benefit that the learner will
gain by learning these tools correctly in their job. To keep interest, different presentation
modes will be used such as videos, work instructions and infographics. The learner will
be able to have hands-on practice using the tools. These will be informal and
conversational in tone, worded with some humor. They will gain confidence and
satisfaction by being able to complete common tasks correctly and independently.

There are many components of each of the learning theories that I studied that would
subscribe to. I was drawn to the Constructivism belief that learners construct knowledge
and meaning from their experiences. I believe that hands-on learning reinforces
concepts in a way that reading and listening to a lecture cannot.
I studied the Carrolls Minimalism learning theory and felt that this theory branch of the
Constructivism tree could be applied to a lot of the common tasks required daily in
corporate responsibilities, especially online applications. The idea of learning on the fly
without receiving extensive background information for certain online applications would
be time and cost effective.
I also found Multiple Intelligences an interesting theory that could have an impact on
learning. Creating learning experiences for each of the various intelligences might be a
challenge for practice use, but it could be beneficial for learners to absorb information
through a medium that they feel an instant connect with.
A learner characteristic that will come into play in deciding which learning theory to use
would be the age of the learner. Learners with physical disabilities or health restrictions
may not be able to participate in some hands-on activities recommended in some
learning theories.

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IMPACT OF A DIVERSE AUDIENCE ON INSTRUCTION
The Target Audience for this course will be English-speaking Americans. There will not
be a need to translate any of the content into another language. Since the Target
Audience is both male and female, I would keep any scenarios and the design gender-
neutral. If characters are introduced, they will be from different cultural backgrounds
(Hispanic, Asian, African American, Caucasian) to make the Target Audience feel that
there is a welcoming, accepting environment.
If this course were taken by members of other cultures, some references I may need to
consider would be money, food, or clothing worn in other cultures for characters in
scenarios. Also, I would consider removing any references to American culture (books,
movies, music, etc.). Popular slang terms or idioms should not be used (such as my use
of get out of the starting block above). To be clear, it might be helpful to have photos or
a video with each step of a process instead of just written steps.

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 Task/Goal/Performance Analysis Module 5

TASK ANALYSIS METHOD

I chose the Procedural Analysis method for conducting a Task Analysis for the Inno-
Versity User Quick Start Guide because the objectives have observable tasks that will
be broken down into steps for the participant to follow in order to learn how to
accomplish each task.

TASK ANALYSIS
Slack App Procedures
Join App
1. Go through the Onboarding Checklist with Operation Specialist on first day with
Inno-Versity. You will receive your logins and create passwords to access the
online tools.
2. Turn power on and log into your laptop (Visual Cue: light on when powered up)
3. Once you are logged into your main screen, access your Inno-Versity Gmail
account.
4. Click on the invitation to join Slack. (Visual: email in box from SLACK from
Operation Specialist)
5. Open the email and click on Join Now. (Visual: email will contain Slack logo and
large green button labeled Join Now.)
6. Create a username and password in the space provided and then select Next.
(Visual: you will see a form that has blank spaces next Full Name, Optional
Display name, Password along with a brown box at the bottom labeled Next.)
7. Read and review the Terms of Service and then select I Agree. (Visual Cue:
Green I Agree button at bottom of page.)
8. Click on Explore Slack to begin using this tool. (Visual: Hand waving with the
word Welcome displayed.)

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 9. Familiarize yourself with the main features on the Slack Screen, which include
the Inno-Versity dropdown menu at top left corner, your name below Inno-Versity
dropdown, Channels and Direct Message list, call feature, Settings, search bar,
@, Starred Items, More Items menu across the top, and message bar located at
the bottom of the screen.
Set Up Profile
10. Set up profile by selecting the Inno-Versity drop down arrow and clicking on
Profile and Account.
11. Under Workspace Directory select Edit Profile Button.
12. Add your personal information to the blank spaces on the form. When complete
click on Save Changes at the bottom right corner. Visual cue: Green bottom on
the bottom.
Send Messages
13. To send a message select the plus sign next to the Direct Messages heading.
14. Select the persons name that you wish to message or type their name in the
space bar at the top.
15. Select the green go button on the right side of the space bar.
16. Type your message in the provided space at the bottom of the screen.
17. To post a message on an Inno-Versity Channel, select the topic that you wish to
post to and type message then enter. To view a message on an Inno-Versity
Channel, click on the channel that has a new message and read. (Visual Cue:
The Channel name will be highlighted in white if there is a new message)
Set a Status
18. Select your name under the Inno-Versity dropdown at the top left corner.
19. Choose from the list of suggested status or create your own by selecting an
emoji and typing a short status line.
20. Click on the green save button.
Place a Call
21. Select the name of the person that you wish to call.
22. Click on the phone icon at the top of the screen.

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23. This will direct you to another screen while the call is in progress. To end the call,
select the round red phone button at the bottom of the screen.

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 Instructional Objectives Module 5
PROJECT (INSTRUCTIONAL) GOAL
Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to independently complete
common tasks related to the set up and use of the basic online tools used at Inno-
Versity. The participant will be able to recall and demonstrate the standards outlined in
the Employee Handbook and Inno-Versity Grammar/Editing Guide.

TERMINAL OBJECTIVES AND ENABLING OBJECTIVES

1. The learner will log into their accounts using assigned user
name/password to access Inno-Versity tools on laptop and set up access
for mobile apps. (Cognitive: Knowledge, Psychomotor: Manipulation)

o [Enabling Objective 1a]

o [Enabling Objective 1b]
o [Enabling Objective 1c]

2. The learner will demonstrate how to save browser tabs for all tools to their
Start Up screen. (Cognitive: Knowledge, Psychomotor: Manipulation)
a. [Enabling Objective 2a]
b. [Enabling Objective 2b]
c. [Enabling Objective 2c]

3. Using their Inno-Versity assigned laptop, the learner will independently join
the Inno-Versity Slack channel, create a user profile, send and receive
messages, set a status, and place a call. (Psychomotor: Manipulation,
Cognitive: Application)
o The learner will create a Slack Profile by uploading and saving a
photo, and adding and saving personal information in the correct
location in Slack. (Cognitive: Knowledge, Psychomotor:
Manipulation)

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 o On a daily basis, the learner will be able to select and change their
Slack Status according to their working status (e.g. working
remotely, out of office, on vacation). (Cognitive: Knowledge,
Psychomotor: Manipulation)
o The learner will identify and respond to any message that they
receive on any of the Inno-Versity Channels. (Cognitive: Knowledge,
Psychomotor: Manipulation)
o The learner will successfully select and send a Slack message to an
individual team member under the Direct Messages Heading.
(Psychomotor: Manipulation, Cognitive: Application)
o The learner will be able to demonstrate the call feature by placing a
phone call via Slack. (Cognitive: Application, Psychomotor:
Manipulation)
4. In Gmail, the learner will be able to perform the following basic tasks:
access account, respond, delete, store emails and create a custom
signature. (Cognitive: Application, Psychomotor: Manipulation)
a. [Enabling Objective 4a]
b. [Enabling Objective 4b]
c. [Enabling Objective 4c]

5. In Harvest, the participant will review the Inno-Versity Employee Handbook,

and then submit weekly timesheet according to the guidelines by correctly
categorizing tasks in Harvest and recording daily hours. (Cognitive:
Knowledge, Psychomotor: Manipulation)
a. [Enabling Objective 5a]
b. [Enabling Objective 5b]
c. [Enabling Objective 5c]
6. In Teamwork, the learner will be able to independently access their
assigned tasks, explain due date functions, attach files to the correct
categories and checkoff tasks when completed. (Cognitive: Analysis,
Psychomotor: Knowledge, Manipulation)
a. [Enabling Objective 6a]

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 b. [Enabling Objective 6b]
c. [Enabling Objective 6c]

7. The learner will be able to apply the Inno-Versity grammar and editing
standards described in the Guideline handout for all submitted written
content. (Cognitive: Analysis)
a. [Enabling Objective 7

Enabling Objectives Matrix & Supporting Content Module 6

Enabling Level on Blooms Learner Activity Delivery Method

Objective Taxonomy (What would learners (Group
do to master this presentation/lecture, self-
objective?) paced, or small group)
The learner will Application Watch a short Self-paced online
create a Slack animation of a user
Profile by
uploading and
setting up their profile
saving a photo, and then demonstrating
and adding and this by updating their
saving profile.
personal
information in
the correct
location in
Slack.
On a daily Application Read and demonstrate Self-paced online
basis, the the step-by-step
learner will be
able to select
instructions by
and change changing their Slack
their Slack status.
Status
according to
their working
status
The learner will Application Read instructions and Self-paced online
identify and then demonstrate the
respond to any
message that steps to respond to a
they receive on received message.
any of the Inno-

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 Enabling Level on Blooms Learner Activity Delivery Method
Objective Taxonomy (What would learners (Group
do to master this presentation/lecture, self-
objective?) paced, or small group)
Versity
Channels.
The learner will Application Read instructions and Self-paced online
successfully then demonstrate the
select and
send a Slack steps to send a
message to an message.
individual team
member under
the Direct
Messages
Heading.
The learner will Application Watch an online video Self-paced online
be able to that demonstrates how
demonstrate
the call feature
to perform this task and
by placing a then demonstrate how
phone call via to do it.
Slack.

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 References

Qureshi, E. (2004). Instructional Design Models. University of Windsor Instructional

Design course. Retrieved from
http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/edfac/morton/instructional_design.htm.

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 Final Project Rubric

Please see the final project rubric at: Portfolio Rubric and the reflection paper rubric at:
Portfolio Rubric Reflection

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