Poll Everywhere
This training course onboards first-year medical students on how to register, log in, and effectively use Poll Everywhere during Peer Accelerated Learning Sessions (PALS). It provides step-by-step guidance to ensure seamless integration of interactive polling into their collaborative and active learning experience.
Audience: first-year medical students participating in Peer Accelerated Learning Sessions (PALS) at the School of Medicine.
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development
Tools Used: Articulate Rise, Figma, Adobe Acrobat, Canva, Adobe Illustrator
The Problem and Solution
Problem: First-year medical students often struggle with registering, logging in, and effectively using Poll Everywhere during Peer Accelerated Learning Sessions (PALS). Without proper onboarding, they may face technical difficulties that hinder engagement and disrupt the collaborative learning experience.
Solution: This Articulate Rise training course provides a step-by-step guide to help first-year medical students seamlessly register, log in, and navigate Poll Everywhere. By ensuring a smooth onboarding process, the course enhances student participation in PALS, fostering a more interactive and productive learning environment.
The Process
To address the challenges first-year medical students face when using Poll Everywhere, we first developed a comprehensive instructional guide outlining the registration, login, and participation process. This guide served as a structured resource that students could easily access to familiarize themselves with the platform before their Peer Accelerated Learning Sessions (PALS).
Building on this foundation, we transformed the instructional guide into an interactive Articulate Rise course, making the information more engaging and accessible. The course includes step-by-step walkthroughs, visuals, and knowledge checks to reinforce understanding. It is now integrated into the School of Medicine’s LMS, Canvas, ensuring that all incoming students receive this training as part of their onboarding experience for the school year. This seamless transition from static documentation to an interactive learning module enhances student readiness and minimizes technical barriers to participation.
Cover of Instructional Guide
To further support faculty members facilitating PALS, we also integrated an interactive document that provides guidance on incorporating Poll Everywhere into their teaching. This resource helps instructors troubleshoot common issues, optimize student engagement, and seamlessly integrate live polling into their sessions. By combining student training with faculty support, this initiative ensures a smoother, more effective learning experience for everyone involved.
Faculty Support
Mind Mapping and Mockups
Before developing the guide, I created a mind map to outline the key components, ensuring a logical flow from registration to practical usage. This helped break down complex steps into digestible sections, making it easier for learners to follow. By visualizing the user journey, I was able to anticipate potential pain points and structure the content in a way that minimized confusion.
To refine the instructional design, I created low-fidelity mockups in Figma, mapping out the user interface and interactions before moving to the final version. This step was crucial in aligning the visuals with the instructional flow, allowing me to test different layouts and navigation structures. The mockups also facilitated collaboration and feedback, ensuring that the guide remained intuitive and aligned with user needs
Mind Mapping
Low Fidelity Mockup
Reflection and Takeaways
Developing the instructional guide and Articulate course for Poll Everywhere registration and login was an insightful experience in creating clear, structured learning materials. I focused on designing a step-by-step guide that would be accessible to first-year medical students, ensuring that they could seamlessly navigate the platform during Peer Accelerated Learning Sessions (PALS).
One of the key challenges was balancing detailed instructions with user-friendly design. To address this, I used a structured heading hierarchy and concise explanations to guide learners through each step without overwhelming them. Additionally, translating the written guide into an interactive Articulate course allowed me to explore different modalities of instructional design, reinforcing the content through interactive elements.
Key Takeaways:
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User-Centered Design: The importance of clear, structured content that aligns with the needs of the audience.
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Modular Instruction: Breaking down processes into digestible steps enhances comprehension.
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Multi-Format Learning: Combining text-based guides with interactive elements strengthens engagement and accessibility.
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Scalability: The guide serves as a template for future instructional materials, making it adaptable for similar use cases.
This project reinforced my ability to design instructional content that is both functional and engaging, preparing me for future projects that require a balance of clarity, usability, and interactive learning design
