Product Orientation Training
A Home Security Elearning Course
Following the completion of the training, I reflected on my work and from what I learned, three things come to mind:
Working with video in Articulate storyline is more difficult than it appears and takes careful planning to execute appropriate timing and triggers for user interactions.
SME's s are a necessary resource for the creating learning solutions based on real environments.
Thinking outside the box, and trying different creative methods is part of the process, and finding the best method requires expirmenting.
Insights
This was a project I designed and developed as an instructional designer at a home security company. Essentially, it's a training based on updating current customer service representatives on new and existing products. The training itself was built in Articulate Storyline and took two weeks to finish, with the end product being embedded into a Rise orientation training on company products. The course took on the name “Dream Home” due to the fact that this 3D generated home has all products possible that could be used for the perfect home security system setup, thus creating a dream security system for a fictional customer. This was done to introduce learners to large a breadth knowledge on the company’s products for home security, with the tour providing the context for product use.
To fill this gap, I devised a new training program based on exploration and product usage, where learners will tour a 3D-generated environment containing all current products in their context-based locations. In addition to recognizing how products will be used, learners will have the opportunity to interact with each product to acquire the knowledge necessary to complete occupational tasks requiring an understanding of company products.
Solution
Objectives
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​Identity the different areas of the home that could be utilized for security and automation equipment
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​Be an expert on company Products, confidently guiding homeowners to the perfect home security solution.
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​Overcome any issues about products that may arise and answer any concerns in an expeditious manner.
Training Problem
Employees at a home security company are struggling to keep up-to-date with the various product offerings, including understanding how they are incorporated into the home security system. New products are often released to replace old ones and may differ from the products employees were trained on during their onboarding. This has created a problem in the customer excellence department, where on-call sales reps are required to describe what products work best for customers, as well as update new and legacy customers on the features of new products.
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Discussing with the managers of employees who have recently completed the training will help us assess whether those employees can effectively address customer questions and concerns in a timely manner.
Measure of Success
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Competence in product knowledge and usage is to be achieved by successfully completing all formative assessments in the course with a 100% passing rate.
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Employees’ ability to find home security solutions for customers is measured by customer satisfaction scores from surveys, with a target of achieving at least an 80% overall satisfaction score.
Design
Discoverability
Interactive Environment
The learner will be guided through a house tour, where the learner will encounter and build mental models for various company products
Learners can interact with the products in the environment to deepen their understanding. Additionally, interactive knowledge checks will be placed throughout the tour to ensure comprehension of the newly acquired information.
Reward Based Training
Motivation
User Motivation is generated through curiosity and completion of each section of the tour, with each new room being the reward for completion.
Gamification
Interactive games will replace traditional knowledge checks. Access to new rooms in the tour will be restricted until learners have completed the exploration and usage of products in the current room.
Challenges
Using 3D Video in Articulate Storyline 360
One of the more challenging issues I faced was creating interactive elements within a 3D house tour. By leveraging Articulate 360’s creative tools, I was able to set triggers to pause the video on specific frames and use hotspots to achieve the desired effects for interactive products and knowledge checks. Additionally, drag-and-drop functionality was implemented for placing products in the environment for the matching assessment, reinforcing the learners' understanding of product use in a home security setting.
Creating Effective Tutorials
During user testing, it was discovered that some users found the initial training instructions ambiguous. In response, I implemented a tutorial to help learners adjust to the flow of the training. The tutorial includes a sample knowledge check identical to those used in the main training. To enhance accessibility, a voice-over with subtitles was added to ensure that instructions are clear and could be comprehended. To complete the tutorial, users would display proper use of methods expected in the training by answering and performing all instructions correctly. Once the tutorial is completed, users can proceed to the main training course.
Course Highlights
Watch the video above to see the range of instructional technologies implemented into the training.
Conclusion
Following the implementation of the training, it received positive feedback from employees. Customer excellence reps and managers reported increased confidence and improved sales numbers, indicating that employees are effectively applying their knowledge to recommend new or alternative equipment to customers. Additionally, the training’s interactive components and use of gamification have made it more engaging and motivating for employees. Overall, the training has proven to be a great success, resulting in better product-based training outcomes compared to before.
Permission for content used in this portfolio is approved and provided by Jud Stoddard, Manager, Instructional Designer at Vivint© L&D