Information Literacy Course

Highlights

  • Story-based, gamefully designed eLearning experience

    • Split into two parts to enhance retention

  • Personalized branching scenarios

    • Learners choose their research topics which lead them to develop specific research questions and scenarios based on them.

  • Highly engaging visual design featuring AI-generated images

    • Learners experience original graphics which enliven the story.

Features

  • Avatar and research topic selection personalize the experience, making learners more invested.

  • The story immediately engages learners and contextualizes information literacy in their day-to-day activities.

    • Synopsis: you are an astronaut on your way to a distant, alien-inhabited planet! Your mission is to make a name for yourself by conducting new research there.

  • A custom progress bar keeps learners motivated.

  • Accessibility & inclusivity

    • All interactions are keyboard navigable, including custom drag-and-drop interactions and timeline interactions.

    • Language is inclusive of all genders and other identities.

    • Rich alt text offers a similar experience for non-mouse users.

  • Custom buttons play audio effects when hovered and selected.

  • Custom knowledge checks augment learner retention.

Audience

First-year undergraduate students enrolled at Klamath Community College (KCC)

Problem

Information literacy is a critical skill for success in postsecondary education. In an age of growing misinformation compounded by emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, undergraduate students struggle to understand the value of this skill in the face of convenience, new technologies, and social pressures.

Klamath Community College’s Learning Resource Center required an interactive, engaging, and brief training course to prepare first-year students for conducting effective research.

  • Measurements of success:

    • 1) 90% of all incoming students will complete the training

    • 2) Feedback surveys within each module will demonstrate at least 65% of students have met a 3/5 or better on each learning objective self-assessment

Tools

  • Articulate Storyline

  • Midjourney

  • Miro

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • PowerPoint

My Responsibilities

Here’s what I did to develop this story-based eLearning for undergraduate students at KCC:

  • Storyboard, style guide, and design document creation

  • Drafting a mind map to guide development

  • Needs assessment

    • KCC’s Dean of Education and Librarian requested enhanced training for students on information literacy. After interviewing them and other faculty, I recommended an eLearning solution that could be delivered across desktop and mobile devices within KCC’s research and writing courses.

  • Ideation

    • I pitched the story of a KCC Astronaut landing on a distant, alien-inhabited planet where they would be tasked with conducting original research. They would have to create a strong research question, select credible information sources, and more to complete their mission. The Dean and Librarian loved this idea and gave me the green light to proceed.

  • Development

    • My first step was to craft the course’s learning objectives (shown below) and ensure my stakeholders agreed to them. Then, I established a style guide for color palettes and fonts before drafting any of the content.

    • Using Miro, I mapped out Part 1 and Part 2 of the course, which was especially key as the course has complex branching outcomes to allow students to select their own research topic from three options.

    • Because we wanted the course to be highly engaging, I sourced the vast majority of images of this alien planet from Midjourney, one of the leading AI-image generators. As I gathered my visual assets, I storyboarded the course and received feedback before diving in to Storyline.

    • [Learning Objectives] By the end of the course, you should be able to: 

      • PART 1 

        • Identify and develop a strong research question 

        • Select credible information sources for your research 

      • PART 2

        • Evaluate sources for your research

        • Demonstrate core skills for navigating research databases

        • Explain the importance of citing your sources

  • Review & revision

    • Both Part 1 and Part 2 went through extensive rounds of feedback from multiple faculty SMEs. They offered many great suggestions, including rephrasing some of the content and programming each branching scenario into a simplified pathway.

    • Because the course uses complex triggers and interactions, such as a custom, completely accessible drag and drop knowledge check, there were many fixes needed to produce a polished experience.

  • Implementation

    • The course will be embedded across the following courses within KCC’s LMS:

      • Writing courses

      • Research courses

      • KCC Library-delivered courses, including online and on-campus

[ID Model] Story-Based Learning: The Hero’s Journey

Learners gain new knowledge and develop new skills as they follow The Hero’s Journey in this engaging course.

1

Characterization

Letting learners choose their avatars allows them to be more invested in the learning experience. While it’s small, it does make it more personal and therefore impactful.

2

Establish setting

Learners have arrived on a strange planet with a green alien with a sense of humor.

3

Call to adventure

Learners understand the “why” behind their character’s story, which helps move it along and motivate action.

4

Meeting a mentor

Providing a guide along the learning journey helps learners feel like they won’t easily get stuck.

5

Growth & new skills

Learners interact with the content in a wide-range of intuitive interfaces that empower them to achieve the learning objectives.

6

Hero receives gifts

Encouraging learners along the way makes them feel their time is valuable and that they can indeed finish the course.

7

Hero returns changed

Learners have gained new information literacy skills.

8

End

Learners submit their course completion within the LMS for credit.