Goals

• Conduct subject matter expert interviews and user research on what makes a good simulation and role play technology

• Write an authentic sample case study of a Teaching and Learning Lab (TLL) kick-off meeting and migrate the case study to the Viewpoint platform

• User test the simulation and iterate based on learner and peer feedback

Problem

❓How might we engage the learner in an authentic role play and simulation tool?

❓How might we write a case study to be migrated to the Viewpoint platform?

❓How might we leverage the functionality of Viewpoint to create an authentic simulation of the TLL Kickoff meeting?

Process

Subject Matter Expert Interviews

1. Dr. Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education (link)

2. Dr. Ronda Bondie, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education (link)

3. Dr. Meira Levinson, Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education (link)

4. Kelly Hirsch, Learning Designer, Teaching and Learning Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Education (link)

5. Heather Danley, Project Manager, Teaching and Learning Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Education (link)

Empathy Mapping

After synthesizing our research of what makes a good case-study simulation tool, an empathy map was created to show what the learner will think and feel, hear, see, say and do, the pain points, and the gain points of the process. Below is a graphic illustrating a particular type of user engaged in the role play and simulation TLL kickoff meeting using the Viewpoint platform.

Using a user-center/ human-centered design approach, this empathy map allows the learning designers to visualize particular behaviors. In anticipating these behaviors, empathy of what the users pain points ensures a more streamlined process for the user of the simulation.

💭 Feedback: Focus on ONE particular use case — a Junior Learning Designer within the Teaching and Learning Lab

💡Solution: Ideate empathy map and narrow down to a more specific learner, a Junior LXD

Simulation Graphic

After mapping what our learner will hope to get out of the learning experience at Viewpoint, a simulation graphic was developed to summarize findings from the expert interviews and the review of related literature of the elements of an effective case-study for designing role play and simulation technologies.

Storyboarding

The following component was storyboarding. This is how the flow of content and information will be visually portrayed to the user. Creating a storyboard helps ensure a seamless learning experience for the user and clarifies the scope of design for migrating the content to Viewpoint.

Scripting the Case Study

Scripting the narrative entails crafting detailed roles, scenario branches, points of tension, and the list of materials that we will provide to the learner at each phase of the simulation.

Migrating to Viewpoint

The next step was to migrate the fully fleshed out script into Viewpoint platform, and leverage the functionality that the platform has to offer such as the groups and roles, schedule, resources, and queued content. Below are some screenshots of what the UX/UI might look like to the learner or end user.

User Testing

The last step is to gather user feedback from peers and the TLL Team during the gallery walk-through and through the testing of the simulation and iterate based on user feedback.

💭 Feedback: author authentic and genuine “private beliefs”

💡Solution: interview faculty members, LXD, project managers and extrapolate their “private beliefs”, incorporate this to the simulation. Get feedback from the TLL Team! Below is a graphic summarizing private beliefs

End Deliverables

📊Capstone Analysis: an analysis document justifying the instructional design of the deliverable

📝Capstone Project: an authentic TLL kick-off meeting simulation

✍️Simulation Script: a fleshed out script of the simulation

💭Final Reflection: food for thought

🖼Gallery-Walk Through Presentation: the process of iteration and feedback