eLEARNING

What | hybrid instructor-led training with 45 minute eLearning video + one-on-one coaching

Tools Used | Articulate Storyline/Rise, Audacity, iMovie, Adobe Photoshop

This project exemplifies my expertise as a storytelling teacher as well as my ability to work outside my expertise. My storytelling approach to this particular project helps medical students and the faculty who support them to approach the personal statement not as yet another hoop to jump through but rather as a rich and meaningful learning experience that would add value to their careers as physicians.

Problem | Due to recent changes to the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam), the personal statements that medical school students write as part of their residency applications will play an essential role in determining whether they get into their dream residency program (or not). Medical students are given very little (if any) training in writing, so my client, a medical school Dean, asked me to design a learning experience that could be seamlessly incorporated into the medical school curriculum.

Solution | I proposed a two-part asset: an eLearning video that would help medical students connect their personal values to both the values of the discipline and their own professional goals, followed by personalized feedback and one-on-one interactions to revise and finalize the statement. I wanted to practice designing a learning experience for a high stakes situation with stressed learners who have a clear extrinsic motivation—getting into medical school—but who might be lacking intrinsic motivation. I wanted to use the framework of “giving your values a voice” to spark intrinsic motivation, so the asset would not only help medical students write a compelling personal statement, but also inspire a practice of disciplined, deep, and regular self-reflection. This way, the Dean's investment would be sustainable and have long-term benefits to both the students and the medical school.

Process | I started by working the SME to identify:

1. the components of compelling personal statements

2. the most common mistakes medical students make in their personal statements

3. the key criteria residency program directors are looking for when reading personal statements

4. the context in which personal statements are reviewed and evaluated

5. the values of the medical discipline

6. any preparation medical school students have had for writing these statements

I generated a visual storyboard that included the programming notes and files that would be needed for the project. I created visual mock-ups using Canva because it’s easier to quickly change elements in Canva than Articulate Storyline. This allowed me to iterate color schemes and adjust alignment until the client was pleased with the color scheme and the location of the buttons. Finally, I created an MVP (minimum viable product) to test the functionality of the project and give test users (current medical students and new residents) a chance to give feedback before finalizing the design and developing the project in Articulate Storyline/Rise.

This project is proprietary.