Surviving the Storm

Hurricane Preparedness & Safety

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Audience

New Florida residents, current residents interested in best practices

Responsibilities

Instructional Design, eLearning development, storyboarding, action mapping, visual & graphic design

Tools

Articulate Storyline 360, Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Google Slides, Google Docs

The Problem

From 2020 to present, Florida has continually vied for fastest growing US state, now second only to Texas. New residents are coming for the weather, but are often unprepared for hurricanes, which can cause catastrophic damage and loss of life.

The Solution

A scenario-based eLearning course that puts learners in the shoes of a new Florida resident facing an oncoming storm. Jeff, guided by his neighbor, Bill, experiences interactive activities focused on the real-world actions reflecting best practices in hurricane preparation.

The Process

Surviving the Storm was developed using the ADDIE framework.

Analysis began with conversations with a recent Florida transplant—a family friend—in which the importance of the idea clicked. I then incorporated Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping, my favored framework for identifying the high-priority actions that will best achieve the desired behavioral change. In this case, I asked: What are the real-world actions that will best prepare a new Florida resident for an oncoming hurricane?

Identifying these high-priority actions gave me a jump-start on aligning the desired learning outcomes with learning objectives, which are:

hurricane knowledge (categories, watch vs. warning, descriptions of damage severity, etc.)
creating an emergency kit
safeguarding your home & property
finding reliable information
creating an evacuation plan

Design began with another favored framework—backwards design. This ensures activities are focused not only on action, but also on the knowledge behind those actions. After all, knowledge drives action; to many learners, action alone often rings hollow without knowing why they’re doing them. As the course continues, learners face scenarios that drive home why they went through the trouble of preparing.

The additional benefit of the action map+backwards design combination is that we immediately know what we need to evaluate (though not necessarily how). With all this in mind, the storyboarding process began:

Written Storyboard

Visual Storyboard

Development consisted of creating and curating multimedia assets (in Canva), researching and creating content, and developing interactive elements and scenarios (i.e. drag-and-drop to create an emergency kit, interactive map for the evacuation route, etc.). Also in this phase, I used narrative theory to develop the characters, plot, and make the experience into a compelling story (see more on narrative theory below). As for assessment, I placed periodic quiz questions throughout the experience, reinforcing knowledge, action, and providing feedback to learners.

Visual Mockups & Design

Implementation consisted of deploying the course (using Netlify), making necessary adjustments to ensure correct functionality, and sharing it with (1) a focus group of new Florida residents, and (2) a group of long-term residents who’ve had to prepare for and experience numerous hurricanes.

Evaluation, the final step, begins with key questions: Did learning take place? How do we know? Has it changed real-world behaviors? In order to find out, I reviewed pre- and post-assessment responses, quiz question answers, and focus group feedback on “Bill’s Hurricane Guide”, the downloadable PDF at the end of the course.

Additional Theory

Learning Theory

Malcolm Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory emphasizes that adults are self-directed— autonomous, capable, and bringing their own life experiences to the table. My aim was to develop an experience that provides guidance but respects the learner. Content that is thorough but clear; a story both realistic but fun; graphics friendly but not overly cartoonish; and activities problem-centered and action-oriented. Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping helped identify these essential actions. David Kolb’s emphasis on retention through doing is the main reason I opted for fewer questions and more interactive, engaging activities in this particular project.

Narrative Theory

Jeff’s story closely follows Jospeh Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: normal life is disrupted by a “call to action” in the form of an oncoming storm. His neighbor Bill serves as a mentor—an older, wiser figure who has been through the “trials” Jeff is about to face. With Bill’s help, Jeff undertakes certain actions to acquire “new skills”, i.e. preparing an emergency kit, safeguarding his home, etc. In the “climax”, Jeff must call upon the skills and tools he’s acquired in order to pass through the “final trial”, Hurricane Alice. He emerges victorious, and returns to normal life, changed for the better.

Another key narrative technique employed in this project is narrative tension. The approaching storm—indicated by narrative updates after 2 and 4 objectives are complete—bring a sense of suspense and urgency that grips the learner and propels them forward.