Effective Presentations for
Non-Trainers (Completed Module)

Competencies Satisfied

NOTE: Many of these comptencies and their descriptions are identical to the EPNT Mock-Up project. That is because they are a natural progression from rapid prototype to finished project.

#2. Use cycles of reasoning as tools for problem solving (Reflective Practice): This project is tied directly to a recognized business problem. There is a need for presentation skills within the business, and there was a need for a course that better addressed the learners’ requirements. I used my analysis of the learners’ needs to design the content of the course, and used my understanding of the organization’s need to develop the medium for the course (there is a push towards more blended learning to maximize classroom time and use trainers more efficiently). The use of the Justin character will help engage the learner, using storytelling to encourage problem based learning and similar to the use of an online coach as described by Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer.

#3. Promote collaboration, partnerships, and relationships for full inclusion with stakeholders, clients, subject matter experts, team members, etc. (Reflective Practice): This course is designed to make full use of technology, practical application and face-to-face learning, thereby fulfilling this responsibility. The decision to use a wide range of tools is based on both instructional need (as described by the front end analysis) and a practical need (company initiative to drive eLearning) – a reality in many instructional designers’ lives. However, I feel that I based my design not on what the stakeholders think would be “cool”, rather on sound instructional design practices. I collaborated extensively with our eLearning team to bring my instructional design to life, as I do not have the technological background nor resources to embed streaming video, convert PowerPoint to Flash, or other development tools seen within this module. This goes back to the idea that an instructional designer does not need to be a "complete solution", rather one can oversee all aspects of the development from a management level.

#4. Be a lifelong learner and professional (Reflective Practice): Part of this competency lies in the ability to be open to new tools, technologies and theories and make a final decision as to which answer is the best for the project. The use of a storytelling model was new to me, but I felt it was the best way to help the learner through the process of creating and delivering a presentation. It is a lot of material to cover, and by personalizing the story I felt it would enhance the learning experience. I had never tried this approach before and the initial reactions were positive - for both the effectiveness AND the novelty of the presentation. In later iterations of this project, I decided to implement the use of our LMS built-in forums, creating a community of practice among the learners and to generate some immediate feedback as the learners create their presentations.

#9 / #5. Design learning and performance products and resources that reflect an understanding of the diversity of learners and groups of learners (Design and Development) AND Conduct a learning or instructional analysis (Planning and Analysis): My audience is somewhat controlled, however, I tried to accommodate all learning styles and age groups when designing this course. Learners are asked to read and listen (50% of all that is seen and heard is retained!), just listen, just read, participate in learning interactions, and to make practical application of the tools given to them in the course (95% of information is retained when learners must see, hear AND do). The course takes into account inexperienced employees who don’t understand business at all, as well as professionals who find themselves in a situation where they will need to present and want to polish their skills. By blending online learning and instructor-led training, I hope to be successful with all learning types.

#6. Conduct a learning or instructional analysis: Before deciding upon the final media for this training program, I analyzed the information gained from a previous online learning roll-out. This will allow me to better implement this training within the environment. For my examples within the training itself, I drew upon knowledge of emerging trends within the workplace to ensure the content would resonate with all learners.

#10. Develop products and resources to support learning and performance: This training is supported by a participant workbook which contains several interactive exercises designed to ensure the learner finishes the online training with a completed presentation. Both the participant workbook and the online training were designed using the principles of perception, instructional message design, and other general graphic design principles.

#11 / #8. Evaluate effectiveness of programs, products, or practices (Evaluation and Assessment) AND Apply various theories/strategies and current research, and consider local needs and constraints to design activities and experiences for learning (Design and Development): During the design of this course I performed both a formative and summative analysis to drive the content. This course also utilizes several types of assessments within the course itself – embedded assessments of multiple choice, drag and drop, etc.; and a final “assessment” of the presentation itself. If the participant is able to deliver an effective presentation, the course is a success.

#16. Employing effective strategies, manage one or more of the following endeavors: This project was a significant instructional design project. It became a long-term project spread over a number of resources with different departments getting involved by contributing different elements. There was significant negotiations for personnel, resources, timelines, etc., to ensure the project came to completion. The use of several media elements required voiceover casting, video actor casting, location shooting (in a training room, but still...) and recording at our on-site studio. And it seemed so easy when I started the outline....

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