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August 1, 2016 Dear Nevada Department of Conservation and …€¦ · August 1, 2016 Dear Nevada...

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August 1, 2016 Dear Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Enclosed you will find our training design and development proposal in response to your recent RFP. Our goal is to provide clients with high quality training solutions that will increase employee efficiency and productivity. We utilize the latest design and development technologies, sound instructional design theory, highly trained staff, and strive to follow industry best practices in the creation of our eLearning solutions. Should you have any questions about our proposal, we would be happy to discuss those with you at any time. Blue Owl Instructional Design would like to thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of our proposal. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, The Staff at Blue Owl Blue Owl Instructional Design
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Page 1: August 1, 2016 Dear Nevada Department of Conservation and …€¦ · August 1, 2016 Dear Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Enclosed you will find our training

August 1, 2016

Dear Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:

Enclosed you will find our training design and development proposal in response to your recent RFP. Our goal is to provide clients with high quality training solutions that will increase employee efficiency and productivity. We utilize the latest design and development technologies, sound instructional design theory, highly trained staff, and strive to follow industry best practices in the creation of our eLearning solutions.

Should you have any questions about our proposal, we would be happy to discuss those with you at any time. Blue Owl Instructional Design would like to thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of our proposal. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

The Staff at Blue Owl

Blue Owl Instructional Design

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Nevada Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources

Training Proposal

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ……………………..……………………………………………… 3 Project Objective .……………………………………………………………….. 3 Assumptions ……………………………………...…………………….………. 4 Training Strategy …..…………………………………………………….……... 5 Theoretical Foundations ……………..………………………………….……… 5 Instructional Design Strategy……………………………………………….…… 9 Instructional Technology ………………………………………………..…….. 14 Learning Assessment ……………………..…………………………………… 16 Universal Design .……………………………………………………………….. 18 Staffing & Resources ……………………………………...…………….……. 18 Budget …..…………………………………………………….………………... 23 Solution Summary ……………..………………………………………..……… 24 References ……………………………………………………………………… 25 Appendix A: Budget ……………………………………………………..…….. 26 Appendix B: Timeline ……………………………………………………..…….. 27 Appendix A: eLearning Module Sample Designs ………..………………..…….. 28

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INTRODUCTION

This proposal outlines details of the Nevada Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources employee training solution proposed by Blue Owl Instructional

Design. The project objective, training strategy, theoretical foundations, instructional

design process, instructional technology, learning assessment, universal design, staffing

and resources, and the proposed budget, are all explained in detail. We are confident that

the proposed training solution will meet the expectations of the Nevada Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this proposal is to address the training needs expressed by the

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Each year, the State of

Nevada hires dozens of seasonal employees to work in its 23 (Nevada State Parks, n.d.)

beautiful and diverse state parks. It has been determined that an improved education and

training program will help guarantee that park employees are better informed in areas

such as public safety and federal regulations. Additionally, an improved training program

will assist seasonal park employees in being better prepared, and more likely to stay in

their positions for a full season. Finally, as a result of the new training program, those

who choose to return to their positions will come back as more valuable senior

employees, ready to lead and mentor other park staff.

The training must accommodate the variety of park positions and locations in the

State of Nevada. This may include positions such as, but not limited to, Park Ranger

Technician, Park Aid, and Lifeguard (Nevada State Parks, n.d.). The Nevada Department

of Conservation has requested that training be made available for three unique groups of

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individuals: prospective employees, newly hired employees, and returning employees.

The training will require assessment and feedback components to benefit two audiences.

For employees, embedded assessment and feedback in each training module will to allow

the learner to recognize what progress they have made. For directors, employee

assessment scores will assist in determining employee readiness, and planning for job

assignments.

ASSUMPTIONS

In preparation for this project, Blue Owl Instructional Design will be making

several assumptions. These assumptions include: (1) availability of a single point of

contact on the client-side who can remain in regular (weekly) contact with our Project

Manager, (2) access to existing Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources employees for participation in alpha and beta testing, (3) a budget that will

support all aspects of the project from start to finish, including funding for staff and

project resources, (4) no access to a Learning Management System (LMS) on the client-

site, generating the requirement for a new website to host training materials, and (5) that

any necessary arrangements for access to a physical locations for employee training will

be coordinated by the client.

If these assumptions are correct, the Blue Owl Instructional Design team can

commit to completion of all tasks outlined in the scope of this project proposal, and will

provide ongoing support and regular communication for the Nevada Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources during the project development process, with the

goal of meeting the client’s needs at all times. If any of these assumptions are incorrect,

Blue Owl Instructional Design will work with the client to clarify and accommodate any

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necessary changes. In addition, we will commit to the availability of highly trained

professional staff to complete the project requirements, as well as a Project Manager who

will be available to answer questions and concerns, and maintain active oversight of the

project throughout its completion.

TRAINING STRATEGY

In order to address the unique training needs outlined by the Nevada Department

of Conservation and Natural Resources, our proposed method of design and delivery will

consist of four key components: (1) highly interactive scenario-based eLearning modules

with vivid graphics, developed as the primary training solution for use on multiple

platforms, (2) supplemental digital training materials that can also be delivered in a

paper-based or face-to-face formats, (3) a new training website designed to host the series

of eLearning modules and training resources, and (4) an online training database used to

track user training progress. Each of these components will be developed as unique

solution for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

Scenario-based Learning (SBL). Our eLearning modules will utilize a scenario-

based learning strategy. SBL allows students to work through a storyline or case while

applying newly learned skills and subject knowledge in a safe, real-world context. The

use of SBL storylines support active learning strategies, such as problem-based or case-

based learning, and give learners’ an opportunity to challenge their critical thinking and

problem solving skills as they work through solution development.

SBL is based on the principle of situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1990),

which argues that learning is most effective when taking place in the context in which it

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is going to be used; as well as situated cognition, which is the idea that knowledge is best

acquired and more fully understood when situated within its context (Kindly, 2002). This

instructional strategy seems highly relevant and appropriate given the nature of the

training that is sought by the client, and should encourage active inquiry on the part of the

trainee by introducing learning content that is based on familiar concepts and problems.

Successive Approximation Model (SAM). The Successive Approximation

Model (SAM) will also be utilized to guide the design and development portion of this

training program. One of the benefits of SAM is that it quickly produces a usable product

and allows sufficient time for modifications and improvements. The model uses the

Iterative Design strategy, which means that every stage or step in the development is

repeated and thus there is an opportunity to modify and update product several times if

necessary. The client and a sample learner will be included at various stages of the

process to provide their reaction and feedback on overall usability of the product as well

as learning resulted from the training.

The SAM model will allow both the design and development teams to work

closely with subject matter experts at the Nevada Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources to create an iterative strategy for each phase of the process. This will

allow for ongoing improvement to the eLearning modules and the training program’s host

website as the project progresses. We are focused on use of this particular model for the

efficient and flexible design that it offers (Allen & Sites, 2012), and will use it as a

guiding model as we work towards the development of engaging and effective eLearning

products for the client.

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Figure 1. Successive Approximation Model (Allen & Sites, 2012)

The Successive Approximation Model of development is known for speed of

development, frequent evaluations, and collaboration between the developers and other

stakeholders. SAM consists of three phases: Preparation Phase, Iterative Design Phase,

and Iterative Development Phase.

During the Preparation Phase we will collect information such as client’s

technological infrastructure (e.g., client's hardware, software, network, facilities in place

and hardware available to those who will take the training); workforce profile (trainees’

education, familiarity with technology and levels of work experience levels (e.g., new

hire or returning)), as well as expected competencies to be demonstrated by trainees at

the end of the training.

Upon collection and examination of the information, we will make

recommendations for training design and development. Opportunities for iterative review

will exist during the design, development, implementation, and evaluation phases of the

project. This continuous collaborative effort with the stakeholders helps to ensure the

success of the product development and is an integral part of the SAM model of design.

Multimedia Principles. Additionally, this training program will utilize

multimedia design principles outlined by Clark and Mayer (2011), to create an

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aesthetically appealing and effective eLearning experience for employees of Nevada

State Parks. The Multimedia Learning Theory outlines that use of various types of media

in combination facilitates learning. However, the wrong combination might in fact be

counterproductive by spreading learners’ attention thin or causing cognitive overload.

Below are principles that will be followed in designing effective multimedia resources:

● The modality principle, according to which words should be presented as speech

rather than on-screen text; any explanation of graphics will be presented as an

audio recording and not text. The text version of the audio will be available

nevertheless, to provide access to the information and materials to individuals

with certain disabilities as per Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Government

Accessibility Program.

● The contiguity principle, according to which spoken words should be

synchronized with corresponding graphics. The related information will be placed

together avoiding separating graphics and corresponding text explanation. The

related visual and audio information will be presented simultaneously and not in a

successive manner.

● The segmenting principle, according to which lessons should be broken into

parts to manage learning complexity. Careful consideration will be give to the

number of concepts taught in the training and the training will be divided into

segments according to the concepts being taught.

● The personalization principle, which encourages the use of conversational style

in multimedia presentations. Using the conversational language when presenting

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learning content will help to deliver the information in an efficient manner and the

style familiar to trainees.

ARCS Model. The ARCS model (Keller, 2010) specifies that four key elements

that stimulate motivation are attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction. The

proposed eLearning modules will include these elements to stimulate learners’ motivation

by maintaining learners’ attention through engaging content and activities. To ensure

learners engagement and participation, and to maintain interest in the material we will

use: real-world scenarios, variety of media, and humorous elements if and where

appropriate. We will create activities that allow learners to connect their prior

experiences and knowledge to the new content, which will make new content more

meaningful to them. In addition, we will create activities that are specific and relevant to

the real-life field experiences, which will promote understanding of the future usefulness

of the content. E-learning modules will be broken into smaller sections and steps to make

the learning manageable for learners. Objectives of the tasks will be communicated

regularly and the feedback will be provided to the learners in an appropriate manner and

time. Through the feedback learners will receive words of encouragement and words of

appreciation for the job well done leaving the learner with the sense of achievement.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STRATEGY

This project is to be carried out in five strategic phases. These different phases

will allow for proper gap analysis and information gathering, eLearning and training

website development, implementation and testing of all products, evaluation of the

project solutions, and short-term client support after project completion. The figure below

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(See Figure 2) outlines proposed project flow based on these five phases. If implemented,

this process would be complete in time for the spring/summer 2017 hiring season.

Figure 2. Proposed Project Timeline

Phase 1: Analysis & Objective Planning

In order to gain the background information necessary to begin the project, the

Project Manager will work with the two Instructional Designers to perform a gap

analysis, learner analysis, and content analysis. During this information gathering

process, we will look to answer questions such as, (1) is there a training program already

in place, (2) if there are any areas of concerns with the current training, what are they, (3)

what training materials have already been developed, (4) are there any limitations to be

considered for the training, (5) who are the prospective learners and what are their needs,

(6) what skills, knowledge, and experience do the learners already have, (7) what areas

have presented a training or learning challenge in the past, (8) what resources

(technology, personnel, facilities) are available to support training delivery, and (9) what

is the ultimate goal, or desired end product. This information will be collected through

face-to-face interviews and surveys with the goal of identifying learning objectives, and

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establishing the best possible solution for the client’s short-term and long-term training

goals.

Phase 2: Design & Development

This phase will be split into two subsections, 2A - Design and 2B - Development.

The division of this phase into two subsections is guided by the SAM instructional design

model, which supports an iterative design and development process. This iterative

process allows the client the ability to be more involved in the process by providing early

feedback regarding certain aspects of the training design. This early stage feedback

allows the team’s Instructional Designers time to understand where changes are needed

and implement adjustments earlier in the process.

During the design (2A) portion of this phase we will outline goals and objectives

of the both the eLearning and supplemental training, establish how the learners will be

assessed, select appropriate means for the delivery of learning content, and outline

interactive activities to be tested for appropriateness and learner’s reaction to user

interface and instructional methods. Clients will be asked for preliminary participation

and feedback, with the focus being on usability, learner appropriateness, and quality of

content. A preliminary design for the training website will also be available for client

review. Feedback will be collected through surveys or face-to-face interviews, and if

necessary, changes will be implemented in the development phase (2B).

During the development phase (2B), all required content materials and activities

for the eLearning modules and supplemental training resources will be created using

information gathered in the earlier phases of the project, with the end-product in mind.

During the development stage, the Blue Owl Instructional Design team will arrange for

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product testing by a representative sample group of learners, allowing for real-time

adjustments to be made to training resources before product launch. At least one sample

eLearning module will be placed on the training website for preliminary user testing.

Sample eLearning design templates can be seen in Appendix C.

Members of the design team will survey or observe the sample group and make

note of any comments, reactions, or concerns expressed by the participants of the trial.

Upon completion of this phase, the goal will be to have addressed any major usability,

content, or quality issues that may have existed prior to implementation.

Phase 3: Implementation

The implementation phase will be an opportunity to perform a soft launch of the

training website, all eLearning modules, and any supplemental digital and paper-based

training materials. During this phase, the team will conduct a series of alpha and beta

tests with employees of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

These tests will allow the designers and developers and opportunity to make additional

adjustments, and will also present the first opportunity for a larger audience to experience

the resources that were developed.

In order to accommodate learners who may not be able to access the eLearning or

other digital training materials, the Blue Owl Instructional Design team will also offer a

train-the-trainer series in which a Staff Trainer will travel to a physical location and train

members of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on how to

deliver the content in a face-to-face format. At this time, paper-based training resources

will be provided, with backup digital files for reprinting materials. Not only will this

solution offer a supplemental option to the eLearning format, but it will also allow

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training to be accessible at all times (i.e. during Internet outages or system upgrades).

During the train-the-trainer sessions, participants will have an opportunity to provide

feedback on the format and quality of the supplemental training resources.

Phase 4: Evaluation

Initial training success will be measured by how well learners perform in the

assessments woven throughout each training module. These staged assessments (and

interactions) will demonstrate trainees’ competency levels in relation to the established

goals and objectives of the training, as well as provide us with information about where

and when learners do not perform well. If problem areas are identified, necessary

adjustments will be made to the training materials to accommodate learner needs and

overall training progress. Once any necessary adjustments are made, the training website

will be officially launched, and ready for use by all employees of the Nevada Department

of Conservation and Natural Resources.

In addition to evaluating assessment scores, program success will also be

determined through analysis of feedback gathered during interviews and focus groups

performed immediately following the alpha and beta tests conducted during

implementation. This will allow our team to collect learners’ reactions to the training,

observe learning progress, and note any remaining usability or technical issues.

Additionally, we will utilize these interviews and focus groups to obtain learner

reflections on overall experience, and gain a solid understanding for how well each topic

was presented, and whether employees felt comfortable and at ease with use of the

proposed eLearning solution.

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If problem areas are identified during evaluation, necessary adjustments will be

made to the training materials to accommodate learner needs and overall training

progress. Once any necessary adjustments are made, the training website will be

officially launched, and ready for use by all employees of the Nevada Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources.

Phase 5: Support

Following the training launch, a 30-day support phase will be implemented to

allow a short-term solution for addressing any questions, technical challenges, or other

issues that may exist. The client will be provided with contact information for a

Technical Support Specialist employed by Blue Owl, who will assist in any problems that

arise. After the support phase concludes, Blue Owl Instructional Design will provide

basic support documentation, and the project will be considered complete. From this

point forward, it will be the responsibility of the Nevada Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources to maintain the resources that were created, and provide any

necessary support. Should additional development or support be required from the Blue

Owl Instructional Design team, the client is welcome to solicit a new contract that covers

any additional needs not already within the scope of the current project.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

In order to achieve the desired training outcomes, the Blue Owl Instructional

Design team will utilize Articulate Storyline as the primary instructional technology

resource for eLearning module development. Articulate Storyline will allow the

Instructional Designers to create dynamic learner-focused modules, publishable in

HTML5. These modules will be designed for use across multiple platforms, including

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computers and mobile devices. Using Articulate Storyline, our development team will

build each eLearning module with adaptive learning and branching capabilities to

accommodate different staff roles as well as different levels of learner expertise; this

includes prospective employees, newly hired employees, and returning employees.

Articulate Storyline will also allow for built-in formative and summative

assessment within each eLearning module, and can be connected to the proposed online

database, which would be made accessible to directors and other park administration so

that they may retrieve learner progress data. This PHP/MySQL database would

accompany the new training website being designed to host all training content for the

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Additionally, the Blue Owl

Instructional Design team would utilize several of Adobe’s Creative Cloud applications

including Illustrator and Photoshop to create training assets, Premiere Pro to edit video

and audio, as well as Dreamweaver to assist with website construction and file

management. Finally, free resources such as Audacity, may be utilized for eLearning

audio recording and editing.

By constructing a new website and database as the means for hosting and tracking

training progress, as opposed to adopting a traditional Learning Management System

(LMS), our team believes that we will be able to significantly reduce development and

support costs, maintenance costs, renewal costs, and training costs over time. We will

also reduce the need for additional staff resources to maintain a LMS infrastructure.

Developing and hosting in this format will also allow the team to create a fully

customizable resource to meet the specific needs of both the Nevada Department of

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Conservation and Natural Resources and its employees, including designating training

sections for prospective employees, newly hired employees, and returning employees.

LEARNING ASSESSMENT

We will implement several types of learning assessments in this training that will

be built on the authentic situations. Prior to the beginning of the training, learners will be

asked to complete a pre-assessment or a diagnostic assessment. The goal of this type of

assessment is to establish what learners already know about the topic and with regard to

the objectives of the training. One way of doing this is through a Knowledge/Experience

Survey. The responses to the questions in this survey will allow us to gauge learners’

prior knowledge or experience with regard to the content presented in the modules.

Learners may be asked to rate their competency level (on the scale of 1-3) with the topic,

or rate their technical skills level. The pre-assessment tasks may serve as a powerful tool

in informing the learners about areas of strength and weaknesses. Special attention could

later be given to specific areas where a lack of knowledge or competency level was

identified.

To differentiate what training is offered to prospective employees, newly hired

employees, and returning employees, we propose a branching-style training design where

each of the three groups is presented with unique training options:

1. Prospective employees will have access to entry-level training modules for the

particular role(s) that they are interested in pursuing.

2. New hires will have access to entry-level and applied training levels for the

particular role that they have been hired into, and will be required to take all of

the modules in the training track for their specific staff role.

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3. Returning employees will be given a pre-assessment prior to beginning any new

training. In the pre-assessments, we will present the learners with real-life

situations followed by the number of questions that will allow the learners to

demonstrate any applicable knowledge they have gained from previous training.

Depending on the results of the assessment, returning employees will be assigned

required modules that will focus on the knowledge that the learner has failed to

demonstrate effectively.

Upon completion of the training, learners will be asked to complete a post-

assessment. Post-assessment will represent the summative assessment of knowledge

gained in the training. The goal of this type of assessment is to establish individual

learner’s level of competencies with the learning objectives at the end of the

training. This type of assessment may also be implemented at the end of each

section/stage of the training. The post assessment will be conducted in the form of online

multiple-choice exams that will check for factual knowledge, understanding of

procedures, and ability to follow steps in a process.

In addition, various formative assessments will be used throughout the training.

Formative assessments are integral part of any training and provide learners with

opportunities to practice and reinforce the learning. Formative assessment is one of the

most effective strategies to promote learning (OECD, 2005). Learners who complete

formative assessments on a regular basis perform better on the final assessments

compared to those who did not. Examples of formative assessments will include concept

mapping, checkpoints, practice quizzes and other interactive activities.

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UNIVERSAL DESIGN

All training will be designed and developed in compliance with the federal

requirements and standards outlined in the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

(https://www.section508.gov/) to ensure equal access to electronic information to all

users including those with disabilities. Web content accessibility factors such Internet

connection speed, differences in browsers and operating systems, screen size, and other

factors will be given attention in the early stages of the development. This will ensure

that we avoid potential issues with accessibility and compatibility. In addition, any video

content containing an audio component will be captioned to accommodate employees

who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or who may be non-native English speakers. To ensure

text readability anywhere in the training, we will also make appropriate accommodations

for people with color blindness or other types of vision impairment.

STAFFING & RESOURCES

The timeline and budget for this project assumes a team consisting of the

following staff roles: a Project Manager, two Instructional Designers, a Graphic

Designer, a Web Developer, a Database Developer, a Videographer, a Staff Trainer, and

a Technical Support Specialist. Each role is responsible for a specific portion of the

project, and may or may not be involved in all five phases. Proposed staffing

requirements are outlined below; with salary estimates calculated using information

available on PayScale.com (n.d.):

Project Manager - This position will act as the main point of contact for the

client, and will coordinate all aspects of the project throughout all five phases. The

Project Manager will also lead the Instructional Designers in conducting the Gap

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Analysis, as well as identifying training objectives. The project manager will also

perform a quality review on all eLearning modules and training materials, as well as on

the training website, before these resources are made available to the client. The rate of

$50/hour is proposed for this role, with an estimated 540 hours or $27,000 required for

project completion.

Instructional Designers - These two positions will work hand-in-hand with the

Project Manager throughout all five phases of the project. They are responsible for

conducting learner and context analyses, gathering survey data, designing and developing

eLearning modules and training materials, conducting iterative revisions, and finally

coordinating focus groups and face-to-face interviews with employees. The rate of

$40/hour is proposed for each of these roles, with an estimated 800 hours or $32,000 for

one role, and an estimated 700 hours or $28,000 for the second role, totaling $60,000 for

project completion.

Graphic Designer - This primary role of this position is to create the prototype

design for the training website, and generate graphics for the customer training website

and portal. They may also be asked to aid the Instructional Designers in graphics for the

eLearning modules, digital, and printable training materials. They will only be required to

participate Phase 2 of the project, and will provide the Project Manager with any graphic

assets (including native files) that they generate so that they may be shared with other

staff, and the client, as necessary. The rate of $35/hour is proposed for this role, with an

estimated 100 hours or $3,500 required for project completion.

Web Developer - This position is responsible for working with the Graphic

Designer to generate the customer-facing portion of the training website, as well as

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coordinate the back-end database portion of the website with the Database Developer.

The Web Developer is responsible for all aspects of the coding process for the customer-

facing website. This position will only be required to participate in Phase 2 of the project.

The rate of $35/hour is proposed for this role, with an estimated 200 hours or $7,000

required for project completion.

Database Developer - The primary role of this position is to develop the back-end

database that will connect to the training website. This position will work directly with

the Web Developer to make necessary connections to the front-end website and

eLearning modules. The position will also act as a backup for the Web Developer, and

will be required to generate documentation explaining the database and it’s functionality.

This role will be required to participate in Phases 2 and 3 of the project. The rate of

$35/hour is proposed for this role, with an estimated 300 hours or $10,500 required for

project completion.

Videographer - This position will work directly with the Instructional Designers

to capture any video content required for the eLearning modules or other training

resources. The Videographer will do all of the video and sound editing, scaling, and

captioning. This position will only be required during Phase 2 of the project. The rate of

$40/hour is proposed for this role, with an estimated 200 hours or $7,000 required for

project completion.

Staff Trainer - This role will work directly with the Project Manager and

Instructional Designers to develop a one time face-to-face training option for the client.

The Staff Trainer will conduct two-to-four “train-the-trainer” courses with up to 25

employee participants per session, as selected by the client. The Staff Trainer will

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generate paper-based materials as well as digital files for the face-to-face sessions. This

position will only be required during Phase 3 of the project. The rate of $25/hour is

proposed for this role, with an estimated 100 hours or $2,500 required for project

completion.

Technical Support Specialist - This role will work directly with the Project

Manager to determine areas of support required after project launch. This role will be

required to provide basic troubleshooting and technical support for all resources, and will

have access to make web and database updates (i.e. text changes, addition of new fields),

as well as general eLearning module updates. More detailed requests will be

communicated to the Project Manager and/or Instructional Designer. This position will

only be required during Phase 5 of the project. The rate of $25/hour is proposed for this

role, with an estimated 100 hours or $2,500 required for project completion.

Additional resources, such as software or print materials, will also be requested to

support each phase of the project. Proposed resource requirements are outlined below:

Articulate Storyline: This software will be utilized for development of the

eLearning modules, and will be utilized by both of the Instructional Designers as well as

the Project Manager. The software will be used during Phases 2, 3, 4, and 5, and purchase

will cost approximately $6,000 for three licenses.

Adobe Creative Cloud: This software will be utilized for generating design assets

for the eLearning modules, as well as the training website. It will be utilized by both of

the Instructional Designers, the Graphic Designer, and the Project Manager. It will be

required during Phases 2, 3, 4, and 5, and lease will cost approximately $2,400 for four

licenses.

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Thinkstock Images: This subscription to a high quality stock imagery site will

provide quality imagery for use in the eLearning modules, digital, and print materials.

The license will be utilized by both of the Instructional Designers, the Graphic Designer,

and the Project Manager. It will be required during Phases 2, 3, 4, and 5, and lease will

cost $598 for a two-month shared subscription.

Print Materials: Print materials such as binders, booklets, or tri-fold brochures

may be required to support the project. All print materials will be coordinated by the

Project Manager during Phases 3 and 4 of the project, and $2,000 is requested to cover

the expense associated with printing and print supplies.

Video Camera: A hand-held high-definition video camera is being requested to

support the Videographer role. Purchase of this camera will ensure consistent quality and

consistency, and will also provide a resource for the Project Manager to utilize should

video need to be recorded after the Videographer role concludes. The video camera will

be used primarily during Phase 2 of the project. The amount of $1,000 is requested for

purchase of this camera. The client will maintain ownership of the camera upon project

completion.

Web Hosting: Web hosting services will be required to maintain the training

website during the development process, and after delivery of the product to the client.

The web hosting service will be established and utilized during Phases 2, 3, 4, and 5. The

amount of $3,000 is requested to establish web hosting service, domain name, and other

necessary web support services. Specifics will be addressed prior to purchase.

Travel: Over the duration of the project, the Instructional Designers, Project

Manager, and Staff Trainer will be required to travel to on-site locations to communicate

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with the client. The amount of $5,000 is requested to support any travel expenses

(mileage/airfare/lodging) that may occur during any phase of the project.

Miscellaneous: This budget line is requested to support any overages or

unforeseen expenditures such as staff salary overages for additional hours worked,

project supplies, or other resources. It will be available during all phases of the project,

and the total amount requested for miscellaneous expenses during the project is $6,000.

BUDGET

The proposed staff and resource budgets are displayed below (See Figures 3 and

4). The budget is based on staff salary as well as project resource requirements. Enlarged

copies of the proposed budget are also included in Appendix A.

Figure 3. Itemized Staff Budget

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Figure 4. Itemized Resource Budget

SOLUTION SUMMARY

We strongly believe that the training solution we have proposed will provide the

right combination of resources to meet the needs of the Nevada Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources. Using a sound theoretical framework, industry

supported instructional design strategies, and experienced professionals to build the

training content, we are confident that the end result will be a high quality product. The

addition of a 30-day support phase, and delivery of support documentation upon

completion of the support phase, will help to ensure the continued success of this training

initiative for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This new

training series will not only provide employees with the information that they need to be

better prepared in their roles, it will allow management an opportunity to actively view

progress through the training database to determine employee strengths and weaknesses.

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REFERENCES

Allen, M., & Sites, R. (2012). Leaving ADDIE for SAM: An agile model for developing

the best learning experiences. United States: American Society for Training &

Development.

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E., (2011). E-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven

guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA:

John Wiley & Sons.

Keller, J. M. (2010). Motivational design for learning and performance: The ARCS

model approach. New York: Springer.

Kindley, R. W. (2002). Scenario-based e-learning: a step beyond traditional e-learning.

ASTD Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.astd.orghttp://www.astd.org

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1990). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation.

Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Nevada State Parks (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 3016, from http://parks.nv.gov

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2005). Formative

Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms. Paris: OECD Publishing.

PayScale. (n.d.). Salary data & career research center. Retrieved July 16, 2016, from

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Country=United_States/Salary

Section508.gov | GSA Government-wide Section 508 Accessibility Program. (n.d.).

Retrieved July 27, 2016, from https://www.section508.gov/

The World Wide Web Consortium. (n.d.). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

Retrieved July 31, 2016, from https://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/

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APPENDIX A - Budget

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APPENDIX B - Timeline

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APPENDIX C - eLearning Module Sample Designs


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