Online Academy Functional Proof-of-Concept: Pilot and Evaluation
I wanted to determine the appetite for, and viability of, an online academy that would help customers learn how to use the organization’s various SaaS products. After gathering and analyzing customer survey feedback related to the organization’s most complex product, I identified several learning intervention opportunities that would improve the customer onboarding experience.
To prove the value of online product training I recommended these key learning objectives be addressed in a 10-minute microlearning solution, which would include engaging explainer videos and an interactive product simulation. The executive branch of the organization endorsed piloting a functional proof of concept at the annual customer conference, where I could demonstrate the effectiveness of the learning solution and survey attendees to gather learning insights.
I managed the project over a 12-week timeline, leading a multi-disciplinary team of visual designers, developers, editors, and subject matter experts to implement my proposed curriculum.
Conference attendees who participated in the demonstration provided encouraging metrics through a post-pilot survey:
· 92.7% were satisfied with the simulated product environment.
· 97.6% of learners would recommend the training to others.
· 96.8% see value in self-paced learning paths geared towards our products.
The learner’s confidence levels also consistently trended positively:
Other feedback included:
| “Best content I’ve seen on the subject matter.” | “Great, easy to use, friendly UI.” | “I would love to see this for the other products.” |
| “This was a great way to teach this. Doing it hands-on helped me.” | “This is an excellent introductory platform for new users.” |
The organization was incredibly impressed with both the results from the survey and the interest in the pilot demonstration, and a project charter has been initiated to formally implement the organization’s first online academy.
Skills/Attributes: Instructional Design, Project Management, ADDIE, WCAG 2.1 Conformance
Software Used: Adobe XD, Smartsheet, Jira, Google Suite
Asset references: Unsplash