I developed the FERPA training video in the spring of 2017 as a student in the Advanced Instructional Design course through the University of Arkansas’s program in Educational Technology. The training video was created by myself and three other classmates in conjunction with our instructor, Dr. Murray, and by the request of Travis Lynch and Shelly Walters. The goal of the video is to provide training for the University of Arkansas students who work at the Help desk on how to deal with access to student information, which may be protected under FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

We tackled the process of creating this training video as a professional team. We developed a communication plan to establish both times and means of communication with the group, the instructor, and our subject matter experts. We used the Slack application to communicate with our subject matter experts, as well as email and periodic Collaborate meetings of Blackboard. We used Trello as a project management tool. Once a communication plan was established, we set out to complete an analysis of the learners, of the needs of our clients, and of our available technology. Through this analysis, we determined that the users were part-time college students (71 or so), who work in multiple locations at different times. Because of this, we designed a course that could be taken on Blackboard asynchronously and was only about 20 minutes long. We also learned that the users were fans of video games, so we decided to make some of module game-based and simulation-driven. Because our module was offered through Blackboard, we decided to use Articulate as the platform for creation. We used Powerpoint and GoAnimate to construct aspects of the lessons and then combined those files in Articulate. Finally, conversations with our experts and research into FERPA regulations informed us on the scope of the training. We decided to create a four-part lesson that is informed by constructivist-theory and the advantages of real-life simulations and game-based learning. After introducing the students to the basic principles of FERPA, I created four situations that students were likely to encounter in their workplace; these situations were derived from actual situations previous workers had enoucntered. In each situation, the learner responds and then receives direct feedback on the best course of action. In the final fourth section, learners go through a branching scenario where they have to make multiple decisions before receiving feedback on their decisions.

Overall, the process of creating this training video exposed to a wide range of skills that I continue to use and will apply in future endeavors. On the skills side, I learned ways of creating in GoAnimate and a lot of formatting applications in Articulate. I am planning to apply these skills in the creation of videos for future classes, especially Roman culture videos to complement an online Latin course I am developing. I was also introduced to a range of new communication and project managements tools, like Trello and Slack. But most importantly were the skills of communicating with experts and team members in order to identify the needs of the learners and the organization. It was through these conversations that we decided on a situation-based training module. The process of identifying needs and users, discussing possible options for lesson organization, and applying our knowledge pf best learning practices has been incredibly influential. I have been applying the scaffolded approach to building course content in my own Latin courses and I use situation-based learning to have my students explore ancient Roman life and culture. In a future career working with other educators, I would use my experiences creating this module to highlight the importance of understanding your users to create engaging and impactful educational products.