The Context

This project was developed as part of my MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning. It served as a practical application of instructional design theories, requiring me to build a functional learning resource from the ground up within a set academic timeframe.

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The Brief

To design an interactive eLearning resource that encourages children (ages 4–12) to engage with healthy eating habits. The goal was to transform nutritional facts into an exploratory, self-paced experience.

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Project Snapshot

• Role: Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer

• Tools: Articulate Storyline 360, Adobe Photoshop, Audacity, PowerPoint

• Target Audience: Primary school children, parents, and educators​

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The Technical Challenge

A core part of this assignment was the freedom to choose an authoring tool. I chose Articulate Storyline 360, despite having no prior experience with the software.

• The Goal: To move beyond basic slides and master triggers, layers, and variables to create a truly interactive environment.

• The Process: I used a self-directed learning approach, utilizing technical documentation and community tutorials to troubleshoot development issues in real-time.

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Design and UX Strategy

• Accessibility for Young Users
  Articulate Storyline’s default interactive markers are often too small for users with developing fine motor skills.

  • ​The Solution: I modified the interaction states to drastically increase the "active" area of the assets. This allowed users to trigger information pop-ups by clicking anywhere on the image, making the interface more forgiving and accessible for everyone.

• Cognitive Load and Assessment
  Research suggests that complex testing structures can cause anxiety and cognitive overload.

  • Strategy: I designed "Select One from Three" quizzes. This simplified structure reduced cognitive load while still facilitating knowledge transfer, ensuring the learner felt a sense of achievement rather than frustration.

• Multimedia Integration
  To support diverse learning preferences and literacy levels, I used Audacity to engineer clean, paced audio narration. This ensured that users who are not yet fluent readers, or those who prefer auditory learning, could fully access the key nutritional concepts.

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Key Takeaways

This project was a study in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It taught me that design choices, from the color scheme to the navigation, should not just target the "average" user but must be accessible to the widest possible range of abilities.

Looking back, future iterations would include:

• Expanded Accessibility: Adding closed captions (CC) and transcripts for all audio narration to fully meet WCAG standards for hearing-impaired learners.

• Pedagogical Agents: A character guide to increase social presence and engagement throughout the story.

• Pause Controls: Enhanced user control on the media panels to allow for individual learning paces.

• Video Content: Short, animated segments to further diversify the media mix.