*This project is currently being hosted on the LMS, Canvas. Please follow the link and click "Enroll" to begin the demo.

Overview

This project is a branching scenario intended for education professionals. The tutorial takes the learner through a difficult conversation with a colleague who is having a difficult time grasping the importance of equitable practices in their classroom and the larger school environment. The learner is asked to use the strategies created by Dr. D.W. Sue to navigate the conversation in a professional and respectful manner. The tutorial was created using Articulate Storyline, Adobe Xd, and Adobe Illustrator.

The Problem

Equity in education has been inextricably linked to success or challenges in later life. Providing equitable access to education is a top priority of a 21st century school. Unfortunately, equitable practices are not widely found throughout K-12 schools in the United States. Despite a renewed push towards creating them, schools often fall short. This tutorial takes a small step toward helping educators navigate critical conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work place.

The Solution

After attending a state-wide professional development meeting where these scenarios were used in a face-to-face environment, it was decided that by incorporating them into an asynchronous learning course, more individuals across the state would be able to access these strategies and practice these critical conversations. The end goal of this action is to raise awareness and skills of state educators so that they are better equipped to handle these conversations in their real-life interactions.

Design Theory

Inspired by Cathy Moore's "Map It" strategy, the course begins with a small review of the positive and negative strategies outlined in D.W. Sue's book, "Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race". The learner is then asked to enter the conversation. The paths are structured to provide the learner with immediate feedback, allowing them to return to the conversation and make a new attempt when an ineffective choice has been made.

Design and Development Process

Research: I conducted interviews with a Subject Matter Expert (SME) from the Nebraska Department of Education. These interviews allowed me to identify areas of need related to equity knowledge across the state. It was determined that much of the need begins with basic educator knowledge and effectiveness. This information steered the direction of the initial conversation with the plan to create other branches and conversations in the future.

Script and Storyboard: I developed an initial script that was then reviewed by the SME. After incorporating the SME’s feedback, I developed a storyboard and mapped out the branching scenario using Adobe Xd. The storyboard went through multiple iterations in Xd with the layout, design, and script making dozens of large and small changes. Below are a few examples of how the process evolved from basic outlines and placeholders to the final product.

Development: I developed the final project in Articulate Storyline using Articulate assets and images from freepik.com.