The Challenge
Researchers at the CO-CREATH LAB received a grant to study the impacts of Covid-19 on the experiences of African, Caribbean, and Black communities accessing healthcare in Canada. As part of their research requirements, they needed to develop training materials that put into action evidence-based solutions to the findings of their research project by March 2024.
CO-CREATH researchers were able to provide a vast amount of source material including their publications of findings, raw qualitative and quantitative data, previous presentations of research themes, and scholarly articles on the topic. This project had no shortage of source materials and covered such an important topic, it required the instructional designer to find the critical path to learning to cover the most essential information while providing enough context and backstory to orient the learners.
“Working with Brittany as an Instructional Designer on our eLearning project was an amazing experience. Her insight and recommendations were a game-changer and made the final product something we’re really proud of. Her project management expertise made it easy to stay on track and complete our project on time and on budget. Brittany will be my first choice for instructional design services in the future.”
Dr. Josephine Etowa
Director, Collaborative Critical Research for Equity & Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH) Lab
University of Ottawa
The Process
AligneDesigns delivered the Critical Health and Racial Literacy course as three one-hour e-learning modules and two simulations that could be taken as stand-alone learning experiences or as a course with a certificate of completion.
The courses were offered in both synchronous virtual sessions and asynchronous e-learning. This e-learning version of the course was developed using Articulate360 at a Level 3 interactivity, and utilized both native Articulate360 narration and enhanced AI narration that allowed us to represent diverse voices and accents to align with the characters built into the content. Case studies were utilized that told a story about a person’s ‘lived experience’ which was fictionalized from the qualitative and quantitative data made available.
Healthcare practitioners were able to interact with these scenarios by answering questions about the right approaches as the stories played out and then were encouraged to relate the learning from the scenarios to a reflection on their own context and professional experiences. Simulation experiences were utilized to practice skills and learned concepts in an authentic, immersive environment.
Additionally, AligneDesigns rebuilt the CO-CREATH logo and website, and built a custom LMS into the website using LearnDash. Registration for both the synchronous and asynchronous training was programmed into the LMS and delivery of the e-learning modules was completed and tracked in the LMS. This course is now freely available to anyone who wishes to register for the asynchronous e-learning and the synchronous sessions are into their fourth cohort.
CO-CREATH enjoyed working with us, as such, we are currently in the process of establishing a contract to develop the next e-learning project in support of their research.
The Result
A comprehensive series of seven eLearning modules were created that are available to post-secondary institutions across Ontario. These micro modules are open source and stamped with an Ontario creative commons licence, ensuring they are available and accessible to marginalized students. Institutions have the ability to customize the micro modules to align with their unique needs.
Since its launch in April 2022, the “EDI Work-Integrated Learning Modules for Equity-Deserving Students” has been downloaded 20 times, highlighting its impact and reach.
Overall, the learning experience has the capacity to increase equitable access and inclusivity to all learners wishing to engage in WIL. In doing so, it makes a direct contribution to the development of student employability skills, enriching the Ontario workforce.
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