Overview
Designed a scenario-based eLearning experience to improve how fire inspectors communicate during high-stakes inspection conversations. The project focused on developing real-world communication skills through guided practice rather than passive instruction.
Role: Instructional Designer, Visual Designer, eLearning Developer
Tools: Articulate Storyline 360, Freepik
Audience: New and early-career fire inspectors (<1 year experience)
Problem / Need
Inspectors demonstrated strong technical knowledge but struggled to communicate inspection findings clearly and professionally under pressure. This led to inconsistent interactions with business owners and reduced confidence in enforcement decisions.
The performance goal was to improve stakeholder interactions, measured by a targeted 25% increase in positive feedback from business owners.
Analysis
Using action mapping, I identified that the core issue was not knowledge, but application in live conversations. Early-career inspectors lacked structured opportunities to practice professional communication in realistic scenarios.
Key insight:
- Communication breakdowns occurred during unpredictable and high-pressure interactions, not during routine inspection tasks.
The solution therefore required practice in context, not additional informational training.
Design Strategy
I designed the experience around decision-based practice to simulate real inspection conversations.
Key decisions:
- Use a branching scenario to replicate real-world dialogue
- Structure choices as professional, indifferent, and unprofessional responses
- Provide immediate feedback to reinforce decision quality
- Prevent immediate retries to reflect real-world consequences
- Focus on a single, realistic scenario to maintain depth over breadth
The design was guided by the Dick and Carey model and informed by Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, ensuring alignment between performance goals, interaction design, and feedback.
Solution
Developed a fully interactive branching scenario in Articulate Storyline 360 based on a realistic inspection involving blocked exits at a school.
Key features:
- Three decision points based on common stakeholder objections
- Immediate feedback tied to communication effectiveness
- Narrative-driven structure to simulate real conversation flow
- Manga-inspired visual design to guide attention and emphasize tone
- Minimal text and high-contrast visuals to reduce cognitive load
The result is a focused practice environment where learners develop judgment and communication skills before applying them in the field.
Evaluation & Reflection
This project demonstrates my ability to design for behavior change by aligning learning activities directly to real-world performance.
What worked:
- Strong alignment between problem, activity, and desired behavior
- Realistic decision-making that reflects field conditions
- Effective use of feedback to reinforce professional communication
What I would improve:
- Validate accessibility against WCAG standards
- Conduct pilot testing with target users to measure behavioral impact
- Expand scenarios to include multiple inspection contexts
This project highlights my ability to translate performance problems into structured, interactive learning experiences that prioritize application over information.