Caring for Michigan Apple Trees

This is an eLearning course designed to help people in Michigan take care of their apple trees. The course guides learners through maintenance steps for each of the four seasons and has knowledge checks throughout.

Audience: Apple tree owners in Michigan, USA

Responsibilities: Instructional Design, Needs Analysis, Storyboarding, eLearning Development

Tools Used: Articulate Rise 360, Google Docs

The Problem

After purchasing a new home with apple trees on the property, I was unsure of how to care for them. I searched for tips online, but I was still unsuccessful. I could not find a resource that described every step of the apple tree maintenance process in Michigan. No matter what I did, I could not get the trees to produce healthy apples.

The Solution

I began wondering how many others purchase homes with apple trees but lack the knowledge to care for them. Because the problem was a lack of knowledge, training was necessary. I decided the solution was to create an interactive, asynchronous, eLearning course that guided homeowners through the steps of caring for apple trees year round. As an eLearning course, the content would be accessible on any device at any time and as frequently as necessary to meet the homeowner’s personal needs.

The Process

In order to create this project, I drafted a design document and then a written storyboard before developing the final course in Articulate Rise. I was guided by the ADDIE model when designing my course.

Adult Learning Theory

I knew that this course needed to be tailored to how adults learn since they are the intended audience. As a result, I created a self-directed learning experience in which the learner is in control. I also knew that they would be intrinsically motivated to learn because they wanted to solve a problem that was relevant and important to them. Because the learners would bring their past experiences and mistakes to the table, I incorporated common misconceptions and the rationale behind them.

Design Document

My first step in the process was creating a design document to get a high-level overview of the course. Because I was not working with a SME, I had to research the content and become an expert myself. I collected all of the potential learning content and then, following the backward design approach, I started writing objectives for the course. Next, I eliminated the superfluous information that was not directly related to the learning objectives. After establishing the course-level goals, I broke them down into unit objectives. I then created a course outline in order to organize the major topics and visualize the flow of the course.

Storyboard

Because the course was going to contain a significant amount of text, I opted to use a written storyboard. I wrote out the text for each course and listed the types of lesson blocks I would use in Articulate Rise. I also added information for each of the images and videos that would be added to the course. When planning the knowledge checks, I added the question text, answer choices, and feedback responses for each item. I incorporated many scenario-based questions to simulate the real-life situations that learners would encounter with their apple trees.

Course Development

After the storyboard was finished, it was finally time to begin creating my course. I chose Articulate Rise as my authoring tool because it can be used on any device, only requires a web-based browser, and is easy to navigate as a learner. These were important considerations as the learners of my course come from a variety of backgrounds and may not be incredibly tech-savvy. 

Since I completed the majority of the work during the storyboarding phase, course development felt relatively easy. I was able to quickly insert my text into the course and then add accompanying images, videos, and other details. I also built in the interactive elements including the knowledge checks. In an effort to reduce the cognitive load, I made an effort to break the content into smaller chunks, to make it visually appealing, and to make the course easy to navigate. 

  • Home Page

  • Outline

  • Lesson

  • Multiple Choice Knowledge Check

  • Sorting Knowledge Check

The Reflection

This was the first course I developed from start to finish, and it was a wonderful learning experience. I learned the process of creating design documents and storyboards. I also learned how to develop courses using Articulate Rise.

To continue improving, I would add an infographic that learners could use as a quick reference when caring for their apple trees. I would also provide opportunities for additional, spaced-out scenario-based practice opportunities to reinforce the learning.

Given the chance, I would also take this project through the implementation and evaluation phases of the ADDIE process. I would like to test out the course with learners and then measure the effectiveness with Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation to gauge their reaction, knowledge, behavior, and results. 

Click below to see more of my work, or contact me to learn more.