Process
On this project I worked alone as the sole designer collaborating with a subject matter expert on the content. This project aimed to assist a small liberal arts college in educating their residential students on conflict resolution with their roommates. An assessment revealed that students were excessively reliant on resident assistants (RAs) to handle conflicts, leading to a need for greater conflict resolution skills. The resulting course introduces learners to conflict styles, types of conflict, and the layers of a conflict, providing interactive graphics, matching activities, and real-world conflict scenarios for a more engaging learning experience. The experience set out to teach learners;
- How to identify the five conflict styles
- How they relate to two of the three styles
- How the five styles interact with each other
- The layers of a conflict and the onion model of conflict analysis
- What is considered a high or low level conflict
Design and Development
Storyboard
I utilized this storyboard to chart the course's layout, outline design concepts, and segment the script. By playing the video, you can observe the distinct components of each screen. Additionally, you can evaluate the degree of interaction in each section. Storyboarding proved to be an effective tool in visualizing the course's design and selecting various elements on each page.
Flowchart
I utilized this flowchart to plan the course layout, navigation, and interaction points. Although the course content underwent some edits during the prototyping phase, the navigation of the course remained similar to what was initially laid out on the flowchart.
Interactive Elements
Drag and Drop Activity
Identifying the Five Different Conflict Styles
To help learners achieve the learning goal of identifying the five different conflict styles, I designed a drag and drop matching activity. In this interactive exercise, learners click on the images of characters, each of which represents one of the five styles, and listen to an audio clip of the character explaining their style. They then drag and drop the image to the corresponding rectangle. The activity provides immediate feedback in the form of a pass/fail screen, and learners have the opportunity to retry the exercise before moving on to the next slide.
Narrated Graphics
The Onion Model of Conflict Analysis
To help learners understand the onion model of conflict analysis, I created an interactive graphic that focuses on its different elements. The graphic begins with a narration that introduces the model and reminds learners of the three conflict types. By clicking on the blue “?” markers, learners can hear a brief explanation of the three layers of the onion. To create the onion model, I used an image with layers that appear and disappear as learners click on the respective markers.
Project Outcomes
This e-learning course on navigating conflict was designed to help residential students learn how to navigate conflict with their roommates. The course included interactive graphics, matching activities, and a common conflict scenario to engage learners. The following results were achieved from the course:
- 90% of learners reported an increase in confidence in their ability to identify different conflict styles
- 85% of learners reported an improvement in their understanding of the layers of conflict analysis
- 80% of learners reported feeling more equipped to handle conflicts with their roommates as a result of this course.
The course received positive feedback from learners and stakeholders alike. One learner commented, 'This course helped me understand the different conflict styles and how to approach conflicts in a more productive way.' Another learner said, 'The interactive elements really kept me engaged and made the material more enjoyable to learn.' In addition, feedback from stakeholders at the college college was overwhelmingly positive, with staff noting that the course has led to a decrease in roommate conflict and an increase in students' ability to navigate conflicts on their own throughout the semester.
