Responding to Charges of Employment Discrimination

This course offers a mix of self-paced modules and live sessions over a six-week period, guiding learners to effectively investigate and respond to harassment, discrimination, or retaliation charges both internally and with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC.

Audience: Human resource professionals and compliance officers

Tools used: Articulate Storyline, Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, Adobe PDF, WebEx, TopClass LMS

Instructional approaches: Scenario-based learning, experiential learning, social learning, and graphic organizers

My role: Instructional designer, project manager, SME collaborator, vendor relationship manager, content writer

Problem and Solution: The subject matter expert, a law attorney with deep experience helping companies investigate workplace complaint investigations, facilitated the classroom version of the course for many years. She would be working from home outside the Washington, DC area, so could not teach onsite anymore. This change provided the association with an opportunity to convert the course rather than discontinue it.

The Process

Analysis

The course is based on a book published by the association and had been delivered in-person for many years. Much of the content is straight-forward, stable, and easy to present as a series of steps, which makes it a strong fit for an online format. However, some concepts are more complex and benefit from real-time explanations and opportunities for learners to ask questions or practice new skills.

We also focused on making sure the course was accessible, easy to navigate, and realistic for learners to fit into their work schedules. Member organizations shared that learners would have some flexibility to schedule training as part of their workdays. To support that, we designed a course so that weekly tasks would take no more than three hours. These tasks included self-paced online modules, a one-hour virtual session via WebEx, and participation in an online discussion forum on the LMS.

During our analysis, the SME and I outlined a development timeline for each module, clarified roles and communication methods, and agreed on key instructional strategies. Finally, since some learners might be new to online learning, we made it a priority to ensure the LMS and course navigation were intuitive and wouldn’t distract from the learning experience.

Design

The SME and I worked together to create a high-level outline that mirrored the steps in the process. In the original in-person course, a video scenario guided learners through an internal and external investigation. We decided to use the same video in the online course, having it digitized and segmented into shorter, more manageable clips.

I developed templates for the Participant Guide, online module screens, and webinar presentation slides, as well as brief descriptions showing where each module, document, and discussion forum would appear in the LMS. To help learners new to online learning, I added an orientation module that introduced them to the course structure and navigation without overwhelming them.

Building on the video scenario, book, and classroom experience, the SME and I designed graphic organizers and engaging interactions, as well as activities that encouraged learners to share their experiences with peers.

We also incorporated real-world examples and alternative case studies to give learners different perspectives on how investigations can vary depending on the complaint type.

Screen from online, self-paced module

Development

The first stage of development involved writing scripts for each module, which served as the foundation for the storyboards. Once the SME approved a script, I moved quickly to storyboard development to keep the vendor working continuously. Avoiding long gaps in work was important, since delays could cause the vendor yo shift focus to other customers’ projects and threaten our timeline.

As modules were produced, I reviewed them to ensure they aligned with the storyboard and functioned as intended. After resolving any issues, the vendor delivered a second version for the SME’s review and feedback. Once finalized, I tested each module in the LMS and worked closely with LMS technicians to fix a few minor glitches.

Our “cascading” development approach meant that three or four modules were often in progress at the same time. Acting as the “traffic cop” could be challenging, but I enjoyed coordinating the moving parts. Trans to strong collaboration among the SME, vendor, and LMS team, we stayed on schedule.

As the online modules neared completion, I shifted to developing the Participant Guide, webinar presentation slides, and discussion forum questions. The SME provided timely feedback and approved revisions for all three.

Once all components were finalized, I built the course structure in the LMS and uploaded the SCORM-conformant modules and supporting materials. The most tedious part was setting up the discussion forum questions - each one had to be entered for each module manually and assigned to specific learners. It was time-consuming but straightforward.

We encountered a few sequencing and access-right issues in the LMS, but with the help of the LMS technicians, we resolved them quickly.

Implementation

Before launch, the SME and several staff members tested the modules, downloaded materials, witched the videos, and joined the discussion forums. A few issues surfaced, but overall, testers found the course easy to navigate, the LMS user-friendly, and the content clear and engaging.

The inaugural class went smoothly. The orientation module proved especially valuable for learners new to online learning, though a few still reached out with navigation questions. Overall, both verbal and online evaluations were very positive.

Evaluation

• Collaboration with a knowledgeable and accessible SME was critically important to successful development of the course. It also kept the development team on schedule.

• Careful, thoughtful analysis and design ensures more efficient development and successful implementation.

• The blended course offering increased registrations year on year.

Key takeaways

CWC has approved inclusion of this copyrighted course and associated materials for display here.