In 2012, we started working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to help them enhance and complete an elearning simulation about Emergency Needs Assessment in Articulate Storyline. Initially helping them with complex interactions using variables, states and triggers, we realized there was a greater opportunity in this project if we could incorporate the Experience API (xAPI).
We had two suggestions:
First, we asked if we could take the project over full time as part of our LINGOs Global Giveback initiative, committing our time and resources pro bono. This was an amazing experience for us. We were able to bring in an illustrator under the art direction of Chief Nuggethead (Kevin Thorn) to design custom characters and backgrounds for the course. We tested the limits of Storyline with an extensive branching scenario. We were able to build the course in such a way that it would support detailed xAPI statements that tell a more comprehensive story about how a participant experienced each level of the scenario.
Second, once the simulation had been built, we suggested that CRS work with Rustici Software as part of the Watershed First project. We supported those efforts in early 2014 and eagerly await the results. CRS now has the capability to tie real-world performance in emergency response situations directly to their training scenarios. Not only does this help them determine if their training is effective; it also let’s them utilize real world experiences to continuously improve their training.
We were thrilled to receive this feedback from Ted Henning, Technical Advisor-Capacity Building at CRS, and think it illustrates the way we’re able to work in a flexible manner to accomplish goals in complex working environments:
We are grateful for all your creative input and leading the technical design of the game. We are also particularly grateful to you for volunteering your consulting group, the Learning Ninjas, to contribute to the design of the game and entering the ENA scenario game in the LINGOs Global Giveback competition. We are very proud of the recognition we received.
Your work and communication style made for a very efficient and fruitful process. You were able to step right in and immediately start working very well with our team. Your openness and flexibility were especially helpful and appreciated.