Scientists & Inventors

Interactive Learning Experience

Background

I designed and developed this eLearning experience for fourth grade students at a local school district. The teachers needed a project that celebrated Black History Month while also connecting to existing curriculum. I suggested focusing on African American scientists and inventors connected to the branches of science they covered through out the year.

Audience

Fourth Grade Students

Year

2019

2020

Responsibilities

Research

Instructional Design

eLearning Development

Visual Design

Prototyping

Audio Recording

LMS integration

Tools

Keynote

Voice Recorder App

iMusic

Google Slides

Schoology LMS

The Process

Upon completing the needs analysis and agreeing on the project, I continued through the full lifecycle of project development. Utilizing the fourth grade science curriculum as a framework, I researched scientists and inventors within each branch of science. Then, I planned and conceptualized the user experience, specifically how the learners would interact with the learning tool, as well as the visual elements. Then, I built the learning experience, wrote scripts for each individual, and created individual recordings of the audio. Last, I combined all the elements into a finished product and embedded it in the school’s learning management system for use.

CLICK THE TITLE SCREEN TO START.

Black History Month Scientists and Inventors portfolio

I also developed an additional deliverable in the form of a worksheet/job aid that could be used to extend the learning experience further. I decided to include limited text and audio recordings of the information to ensure the learning was accessible to the most students, regardless of reading ability. I also thought it would be more engaging than copious amounts of text. The project has been in use for a few years and reaches between 300-400 learners each year.

Reflecting upon this project, I would do more to improving the inclusive accessibility of the activity by including alt text and speaker notes to make it accessible to screen readers.