SIMULATION
Making Accommodations
Project Details
Clients: IRIS Center
Audience: General Education Teachers
Technologies: Articulate Storyline, Paint.net, Canva, Microsoft Office
Category: Simulation
Materials Created: Design Document, Storyboard, Storyline Simulation
Goal: Convert traditional worksheet activities into an engaging learning simulation
“Making Accommodations” is an interactive learning simulation created in Articulate Storyline for the IRIS Center, an organization dedicated to equipping educators with the tools to support students with disabilities. In this scenario-based experience, users take on the role of a teacher working with Mason, a student with multiple disabilities. Through engaging, real-world decision-making, educators explore four key types of accommodations—setting, presentation, response, and timing/scheduling—and apply their learning to best support Mason’s success in the classroom.
Explore the Project
Please note, as this is a current project, only the Section 1 Demo is available at this time. The entire project will be viewable upon completion.
Research and Design Development
After meeting with the client to discuss the project and ensure it aligned with the IRIS Center's educational goals, I created a detailed design document. I leveraged existing IRIS Center materials to build out the content overview for the simulation.
Content and Storyboard Creation
Using the content outline, I created a storyboard with mockups of the slide layouts to map out learner interactions and receive feedback from the IRIS Center. I included notes on style elements to ensure consistency and align the simulation with the IRIS Center branding. I conducted additional research as needed to deepen my understanding of various accommodations and consulted a subject matter expert at the IRIS Center to refine content accuracy.
Simulation Development
I used the storyboard to built the interactive experience in Articulate Storyline, incorporating engaging interactions and realistic scenarios that immerse the learner in a classroom simulation with a student who has special needs. The focus of this simulation was to familiarize learners with the four types of accommodations and provide them with an opportunity to practice selecting appropriate accommodations in a simulated classroom.
Project Challenges
One of the biggest challenges in creating this simulation was that this was my first full project using Storyline, requiring me to rapidly aquire the skills and knowledge to achieve the desired interactions in Storyline. I relied on the tutorials provided by Articulate as well as community-generated articles to advance my abilities in Storyline.
Another major consideration was ensuring diveristy in the characters represented while maintaining a realistic represention of the population. I carefully selected Microsoft cutout people as that provided me with a wider range of real-life people than the built-in Articulate selection.
Next Steps
This project is currently in review with the IRIS Center. The full project will be linked as soon as it passes review and is published.
While the content is complete, I am currently working on adding in a few additional features. Upcoming improvements include implementing an audience survey to collect user feedback and incorporating custom coding to generate a personalized document upon completion. These enhancements will refine the learner experience and provide valuable data on the simulation’s impact.
