Designing an Onboarding eLearning Course: A Quick Start to Success

This artifact showcases an eLearning course developed as a group project using Upword Resume, a custom resume-writing company, as an example. The project addressed the need for a streamlined onboarding program to train new resume writers efficiently. Using AdaptiveU and Microsoft Word, my team and I created the Quick Start Onboarding course, focusing on clear instructional goals, modular content, and accessible design.

Background

The goals of the project included:

Replacing an outdated and unorganized training program with a modern, user-friendly onboarding course.
Ensuring the course could be delivered remotely via an LMS, allowing for self-paced learning.
Incorporating accessibility features, clear objectives, and hands-on activities to engage learners and ensure mastery of the content.

The deliverable was a fully functional eLearning course with instructional materials, assessments, and mentor-supported activities.

Objectives

The primary objectives of this project were:

To design an LMS-hosted course that provides a structured and engaging learning experience for new hires.
To create instructional materials that align with company branding and training goals.
To implement quizzes and hands-on activities to assess learners’ progress and reinforce key concepts.

Outcome

The project achieved the following results:

A fully functional onboarding course accessible to remote learners, complete with video lessons, quizzes, and hands-on activities.
A modular design that allows new hires to complete training efficiently and effectively.
A reflective understanding of instructional design challenges and solutions, as captured in the project’s reflection document.

Approach

The design process began with a needs assessment, identifying gaps in the existing training program and defining key learning objectives. Roles were divided among team members, with contributions including content creation, LMS development, and accessibility enhancements.

I served as Project Manager and Developer, overseeing the project timeline, integrating content into AdaptiveU, and ensuring the course structure aligned with learning goals. The course included video lessons, accessible transcripts, and quizzes, with all elements branded to reflect Upword Resume’s identity. Challenges with AdaptiveU’s limited functionality required creative problem-solving, such as converting videos and reformatting visuals for compatibility.