Understanding Home Insurance eLearning
This project is a scenario-based learning experience that guides homeowners through three key steps in the insurance process to repair their roofs after a severe weather event.
Audience: Homeowners who do not have experience with the insurance process required for house repairs
Responsibilities: Instructional design, eLearning development, Graphic Design, Action Mapping, Storyboarding, Scripting, Prototyping, Video Creation, Character Animation
Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond, Figma, Mindmeister, Pixabay
The Problem & Solution
The client for this project was a construction company specializing in roofing and insulation. They approached me for possible learning solutions because they had identified that many potential clients were slow to hire them for roof repairs or did not hire them at all due to a misunderstanding of the required insurance process.
After discussing the problem with the client, we determined that the issue was caused by a knowledge gap among their potential customers, which warranted a learning solution. We explored several options, but the two main considerations were instructor-led training for their on-site staff, who could then educate potential customers, or an eLearning solution. Ultimately, we decided that an eLearning solution was the best option due to its accessibility and scalability.
The Process
My process was informed by the ADDIE model of instructional design; however, there was a heavy dose of iteration at each stage to ensure the deliverable would meet the learning objectives.
To start, I consulted a subject matter expert (SME) to better define the content that would be targeted in the learning experience. Following this, I began the design and development phases by producing wireframes, visual mockups, and interactive prototypes.
After internal testing, the final prototype was trialed with volunteers that have the same profile as the target audience. To conclude, final iterations were made, and the end product was released.
Action Map
Before meeting with the SME, I conducted background research on the company and information related to the defined problem, namely, navigating the insurance process to repair roofs. I gained a good insight into the SME's knowledge base, as he had published a series of blogs on the subject. Based on the research, I produced a series of questions to guide our exchange.
During the meeting, I used the information shared to create an action map that defined what the customer base needed to do to easily handle the insurance process. Over a series of meetings, we were able to define three high-priority actions with related sub-actions, which were used as the content for the learning experience.
Text-based Storyboard & Script
To kick off the design and development phases, I created a text-based storyboard to serve as the foundation of the project. I designed the project as a scenario-based learning experience aimed at immersing the learner in a relevant situation. Drawing on adult learning theory, I employed this approach to enable learners to leverage their background knowledge while responding to questions based on the provided input
To further support the learner, I introduced a mentor character they could access for guidance and additional input. This scaffolding helps provide on-demand information and support, making use of a feedback loop to allow learners the opportunity to check and confirm their understanding of key concepts. To make the experience more engaging, I included dialogue between characters so the learner could experience content through storytelling. Additionally, I incorporated gamification elements that tracked the learner’s progress when they answered questions correctly.
In creating the storyboard, I wrote a story that immersed learners in the situation and outlined the consequences for each question to show what happens when mistakes are made. This approach helps learners understand the importance of each decision in the insurance process.
Visual Mockups
After creating the text-based storyboard with the script, I began working on the visual elements of the course. To start, I created a style guide to define the color scheme, fonts, text box styles, button design, and the appearance of the characters.
Following this, I produced wireframes to get a general idea of the layout for each slide. This process involved multiple iterations, which led to the final visual mockups.
Interactive Prototype
Once the visual elements of the experience were defined, I built an interactive prototype for testing. I focused on a three-slide interaction that contained programming and layouts which would be replicated throughout the rest of the experience.
I received feedback on the functionality of the prototype by allowing peers and individuals with the audience’s profile to test it. Based on this series of feedback, I iterated on the design, which, once completed, allowed for the rapid development of the rest of the project.
Full Development
Once the final round of feedback was analyzed, final iterations were applied, and full development began. The experience was based around a series of animations created in Vyond, which allowed me to leverage an interactive scenario-based learning approach. Each content point was introduced through the context of the story, and learners answered questions where scaffolding and feedback loops were utilized via a mentor and reactive input based on answer selection.
Learners can access this mentor by selecting a button on the question slide before answering, which increases their autonomy in the learning process. The aim of this approach is to guide the user to make real-life decisions in a safe environment and learn through their decisions, thereby building their knowledge base rather than being passive learners.
Gamification was employed to further increase engagement by tracking learner progress with the main character walking along “The Road to Roof Repair” and reaching milestones after each question was answered.
Although the script is presented only in text rather than audio, I incorporated sound effects in the videos to enhance the learning experience. This addition received positive feedback during testing.
Takeaways
There was positive feedback from learners who were interviewed after implementation. They found the story-based approach to be engaging and the flow of content and input to be logical.
There were no negative comments on the functionality, though I was advised to clarify the instructions on the questions so that users understand that one of the options is correct while the other is incorrect. These updates have been made to the experience.
Upon reflection, I am empowered by the effectiveness of this process in instructional design. With roots in ADDIE and a reliance on reactive iterations, it is very flexible while providing a clear way forward through each step of the process.
Finally, I was thrilled by the exponential impact each subsequent step had on the speed of project development. This approach is truly powerful if managed correctly.