Hi, I'm Rachel Greene.​

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The unfortunate truth is that no one learns from a click-through module.

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The learning experiences I design are informed by an academic foundation in

Philosophy (b.a.) - the human condition.

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Psychology (b.s.) - the human mind.

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I minored in American Studies, a preliminary Learner Analysis, diving into our communal culture and history.

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My path into instructional design began with a curiosity about how other people think. As an undergraduate, I became enveloped with the study of learning-neuroscience and the practice of effectively imparting information. 

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I was offered a role in which I independently developed supplemental lesson plans, learning sessions, and study resources for students in a DFW logic (pre-law) course at UNC Charlotte. DFW means that there is an unusually high amount of students receiving a D, F, or withdrawing altogether. There I began to notice a recurring challenge:

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Many learners try to master complex ideas with very limited learning resources beyond lectures and static materials.

 

Watching learners struggle with concepts that simply needed more interactive, less intimidating explanations pushed me to start thinking about how learning/training experiences could be designed differently.

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That curiosity led me to pursue graduate study in Learning, Design, and Technology.

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As soon as I began this program, though, I noticed a flaw in application. The Instructional Design field has been hypocritical. In focusing on analysis and theory, we lost touch with pragmatism. 

 

I cannot remember the content of the click-through Fire & Safety training at the Amazon warehouse that I sorted boxes in. What I do remember is the game that visually walked me through my tasks, showing me the colors, numbers, tags, and shelf markings relevant to me throughout my shift.

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All of the most memorable virtual trainings I have ever completed were gamified.

 

Designing training based on games is founded in Comparative Psychology principles. Throughout species, play is a crucial aspect of development. But evolutionarily it makes no sense.

 

It takes time, effort, patience, exposure to potential predator.​ And the benefits still outweigh the cost.

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Through play, we remain in a calm, receptive state while learning stressful information.

 

We gain the ability to empathize, anticipate, self-handicap, read subtle cues. Our self-efficacy, motor flexibility, spatial knowledge, and neurobiological adaptability are strengthened in a welcoming environment.

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For a young, developing mind, this approach risks undermining the importance of information learned through a game. Therefore, my interest is in business and industry training, where my work can support lively environments by addressing the individual adults comprising it.

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In high-stress, corporate contexts, the employees are aware of the risks. Click-through modules risk adding to that stress, and are typically not absorbed.

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Utilizing gamification in corporate training will then allow for higher retention, predictable application, and facilitate a positive headspace about the work itself.