Teaching the basics of Irish road safety through and e-learning experience
The Problem
Cycling can be hazardous, with road deaths rising for the first time in years and cyclists being among the most vulnerable road users. So, as a parent, how do you respond when your children want to start cycling on their own?
The Goal
Although parents can't control reckless drivers, they can teach their children the basics of road safety to help keep them safe. This course is designed to be both educational and fun, allowing adults to monitor their children’s progress and feel reassured that they have the knowledge to stay safer on the roads.
The course should be divide into sections, each becoming progressively more challenging. Every lesson should be engaging, colourful and interactive. It should be specifically designed for tablets and mobile phones. Parents and guardians should easily be able to track their child’s progress and results as they learn to cycle safely
Learning THrough Colourful Interactions
A major goal of mine was to ensure a fun colourful experience.
A vibrant and visually stimulating learning environment, combined with fun and interactive content, hopefully encourages participation and engagement.
When designed effectively, these colourful and dynamic materials can significantly enhance information retention. source
The product
Although Articulate Storyline is an industry-standard tool, it has certain limitations when it comes to interactivity. Since interactivity was crucial to maintaining children's focus and engagement, various workarounds were implemented to overcome these challenges. Mostly utilising the drag and drop feature for fun engaging mini-games.
The course is designed as an introductory guide to bike safety and is divided into three key sections: Stage 1 - Get to Know Your Bike, Stage 2 - Bike Safety Equipment, and Stage 3 - Road Safety. To reinforce learning, the course concludes with a Final Quiz.
Some Screengrabs below
Interaction Game Example
DOES IT MEET THE NEEDS?
The course lays the foundation by introducing children to fundamental bike maintenance, emphasising the importance of safety equipment.
While acknowledging that road safety is a substantial topic, the course acts as a simple and engaging introductory step towards improving responsible cycling habits in children.
Recognising that the course may not cover the entirety of a learner's needs, it serves as an effective starting point to begin their cycling responsibility journey.
Although this project was completed within a relatively short timeframe, I still find it a significant frustration how limited Articulate 360 can be. If I were to undertake a similar project in the future, I would likely encourage the client to use a game engine like Unity, where full customisation, design control and interactivity can be achieved.