Running head: CASE STUDY ANALYSIS 1

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Case Study Analysis 1: Lynn Dixon

Danielle L. Moffat

Purdue University

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Case Study Analysis 1: Lynn Dixon
Key Stakeholders and Their Primary Concerns

Telopea Learning has been contracted by Cairns Marine Park, a publicly funded institution,
to design an interactive touch-screen kiosk to form part of an upcoming educational exhibition
celebrating World Wetlands Day at its Cairns Aquarium. The key stakeholders in relation to the
kiosk design project, namely those individuals and groups who have a direct interest in and/or may
be affected by the project outcomes, are set out in the following table:
Table 1
Stakeholder Groups, Individual Stakeholders and Stakeholder Interests
Stakeholder Group
Individual Stakeholders
Interests
Project Sponsor:
Key project decision-maker whose
Laura Barton, representative
concerns are bigger picture in
for the government
nature involvement limited to
department responsible for the
major reviews and signoffs
Cairns Aquarium.
Provision and management of
funding
Evaluation is of particular interest
- concerned with the overall
success and positive impacts of the
project, enhancing/maintaining
good public opinion
The Clients
Client-side Project Manager:
Project details orientated
Ben Williams, Education
responsible for day-to-day project
Manager for the Cairns
management concerns and
Aquarium.
decision-making
Ensuring the Project Sponsor is
advised and on-board ensuring
ongoing funding
Providing a rich and visually
appealing learning experience for
the target audience/learners
ensuring repeat visits
Service Provider Client
Financial in nature
Service Provider
Liaison:
Securing new and existing project
Representatives
Janette Parks, Head of Sales
work (income) for Telopea
for Telopea Learning.

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Designer:
Lynn Dixon, Instructional
Designer for Telopea.

Ben Williams, regional

wetlands expert
Subject Matter
Experts

Local University

School children
Senior citizens

Target Audience

International visitors
Wetlands experts

Establishing and maintaining good

client relations to promote repeat
custom
Responsible for instructional
content and layout of the
interactive kiosk
Concerned with overcoming
design challenges
Managing client expectations to
ensure final design does not
exceed the available budget
Managing existing workload to
provide sufficient time to meet
project deadlines
Delivering pedagogically sound
instructional design
From an academic and
professional point of view,
extending instructional design
knowledge to new technologies
Provision of content information and
material as well as feedback on
subject matter content.
May be able to provide content
material and additional expertise, for
example, in relation to the Aboriginal
relationship to the wetlands.
Visually interesting and engaging
display
Ease of use and quality of
information. Available to act as test
group for evaluation purposes.
Ability to understand information
with relatively low level of English
Accuracy of information and content
deals with subject in sufficient detail
to promote an adequate level of
understanding

Instructional Design Challenges

The Analyse phase of the ADDIE model involves gathering information in order to arrive
at an understanding of what is to be learned by the target audience as a result of participating in

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the instruction (McGriff, 2000). Lynn gained a clear understanding of the purpose of the kiosk
during the initial client meeting with Laura and Ben, namely to demonstrate and emphasize the
relationships and interconnectedness between the great Barrier Reef, the wetlands and the
catchment areas in a way that is reflective of the educational exhibitions Connections theme
(Nelson, 2014). Laura and Ben have also outlined to Lynn the main instructional goals which are
to provide the target learners with an understanding of (1) the different types of wetlands; (2) the
impacts that urban development is having on the wetlands and the effect of the same on its wildlife
populations, and (3) the role the wetlands play in Aboriginal culture and heritage. With the
instructional goals in mind, Lynn has selected what she considers to be appropriate content from
the subject materials provided to her by Ben which she has consolidated in to a first draft Design
Document setting out a preliminary sequencing of instructional content. Given that Lynn is now
in the process of planning a strategy for developing the kiosks instructional content it can be said
that the Analyze phase is now complete and the Design phase is now underway (McGriff, 2000).
The discussion between Lynn and her clients at the Design Document review meeting
highlighted key design challenges relating to the present Design phase as well those for forward
consideration in advance of the Develop phase due to commence in the near future.
Key Design Phase Challenge
The primary design challenge arising in the Design Phase relates to identifying and
selecting appropriate instructional content relating to the learning goal to provide the target
learners with an understanding of the role the wetlands play in Aboriginal culture and heritage.

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Key Develop Phase Challenges

The key design challenges arising in the Develop phase relate to the form in which the
instructional content is presented in the kiosk display.
Presenting the instructional content in a way that satisfies the respective needs and
requirements of all of the exhibition visitors has been identified by the clients as a critical concern
and forms the most important Develop phase design challenge that Lynn must overcome. The
target audience, ranging from school children to senior citizens, is exceptionally varied in terms of
learner characteristics. Furthermore, a significant proportion of the group comprise international
exhibition visitors, some of whom do not have a high level of English. Lynn is inexperienced in
designing instruction for a touch-screen device and therefore translating the instruction in to touchscreen format in a way that the different target audience member groups can navigate and use it in
an intuitive way will form a major development challenge for her.
The clients have expressed their desire for the instruction to be presented in a visually
appealing and interactive way, including the addition of an engaging game or animation in the
Threats to Wetlands section. Meeting the clients expectations in that regard within the limited
parameters of the project constraints forms a major Develop phase challenge that Lynn will have
to overcome.
Case-Specific Issues and Constraints
Design Phase
Lynn does not have access to adequate subject matter resources and expertise in relation to
Aboriginal culture and heritage. Ben has provided her with literature on the subject but it does not
appear to specifically deal with connections between the Aboriginal people and the wetlands and
is therefore unlikely to yield an adequate relevant information for use in the instructional content.

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Ben has requested that an Aboriginal Dreamtime story narration is included as part of the topic.
Without access to Aboriginal culture and heritage expertise, Lynn does not know if Aboriginal
Dreamtime stories deal with the connection between the Aboriginal people and the wetlands and
therefore whether the inclusion of such content will be relevant to achieving the instructional goal.
Lynn is presently unable to sequence the instruction to produce a final comprehensive
instructional plan, a fact that is apparent in the Design Document which only accounts for half of
the 20 minute content time requirement provided for by the Statement of Work. Addressing the
Design phase challenge is a critical and immediate concern as the Develop phase decisions and
activities, such as development of the kiosk software and the form and content of the media that
will be used in the kiosk display, cannot be wholly considered until the Analyze and Design phases
have been completed (McGriff, 2000).
Develop Phase
Ben has unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved with the limited resources the
project budget allows for. His content requests relating to the inclusion of animations and
instructional games do not align with the Statement of Work, which specifies an average
moderate element interactivity across the entire kiosk. These expectations appear to have been
set up by Janette during the initial pre-sales meetings with the clients, which belies a lack of
understanding on her part of the realities of instruction design budget constraints. It is important
that Lynn addresses these issues before commencement of the Develop phase as they may cause
conflicts leading to a sticking point for progress in the event that the clients feel that they are not
being delivered the product they were promised by the Sales Team.
The project has a limited budget which means that Lynn is restricted to using the resources
provided to her by the clients and available to her at Telopea Learning rather than contracting

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external services such as voiceover artists and actors or purchasing ready-for-use content materials.
It is important for Lynn to ensure that the client is fully aware of the implications these limitations
will have in terms of what she is able to deliver. This issue can be dealt with at the same time as
the point in the preceding paragraph.
Lynn is working on multiple projects at once and therefore is subject to time constraints.
As such she must be realistic about what she is able to deliver to the client within the time she has
available to complete the project tasks. Furthermore, Bens hands-on project management
approach has the potential to cause time management problems for Lynn. Although Ben has
offered to attend at her offices Lynn doesnt have the spare time to divert to attending lengthy
project meetings with the client without risking delays in project progress. Again, this issue can be
dealt together with the other issues.
Suggested Solutions
Design Phase
Lynn has the option of engaging the assistance of an Aboriginal culture and heritage subject
matter expert who might guide her in relation to the outstanding content. This writer is aware from
her own experiences, having visited Australia several times, that the Aboriginal people have a deep
spiritual and emotional connection to the land that is unique and complex. A subject matter expert
would be in the position to help Lynn inadvertently causing offence by addressing the topic in a
way that is culturally sensitive. They would also be able to confirm which cultural practices are
representative of the Aboriginal peoples relationship to the wetlands which would assist Lynn to
select appropriate content that aligns with the instructional goal. However, engaging a subject
matter expert may represent an additional financial project expense that the clients limited budget
will not allow for.

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An alternative solution may be for Lynn to use the resources she has available to her,
supplemented by conducting her own research in to the topic area, to gather the instructional
content as well as to meet with Ben to discuss his ideas on which Aboriginal Dreamtime stories
might be used to achieve the instructional goal. The advantage of this approach is the fact that it
represents no additional financial project expenses and it will satisfy Bens specific content
request. However, it is likely to generate a lot of extra work for Lynn who is already under some
time pressure due to the fact that she is dealing with multiple instructional design projects
concurrently. Given that Lynn is likely to be undertaking her research online, she also runs the risk
of relying on inaccurate or biased information which may cause her to inadvertently cause offence.
Develop Phase
In order to cater the display of the instructional content to the needs of the international
visitors, some of whom have a low level of English, Lynn might choose to present the display in
a highly audio visual manner with only the use of simple text cues. In order to satisfy the needs
of more advanced learners, graphical depictions could be supplemented by optional pop-up
windows providing more detailed information. Studies have revealed that attractive visual designs
arouse positive emotions and therefore have a positive impact on the learner, increasing their
willingness to engage in the learning process. Accordingly, this approach may result in the positive
learner response and kiosk attendance time that Laura is concerned with achieving (Sung & Meyer,
2012). Selecting instructive graphics relevant to the educational goal will help to facilitate learning
of the target instructional information (Sung & Meyer, 2012). A disadvantage of this approach is
that the resources available may not provide sufficient appropriate material to create such a highly
audio visual display. Furthermore, wetlands experts may be dissatisfied that content matter is not
being put across in sufficient detail.

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An alternative approach to this particular Develop phase challenge would be to develop

different pathways in the instruction aimed at satisfying different learning levels and interests. In
her current project plan, Lynn has made provision for a quick tour of the kiosk contents A similar
separate kiddies tour could be designed utilizing images, text size and icons as well as exploring
the themes and providing interactivities at level appropriate to the target child learner age group
(say 6 10 years of age). The main kiosk tour would then cater to adult learners, presented as a
mixture of text and instructionally relevant images (both static and animated as appropriate), in
line with Meyers Multimedia Principle that people learn better from pictures and words than
words alone (Sung & Meyer, 2012). A language option could be built in to the kiosk, catering for
the most common languages spoken by international visitors to the Aquarium, which when
selected converts the text elements in the display to the language in question. The advantages of
this approach is that it caters to the needs and requirements of the different target learner groups
much more specifically and satisfactorily than the first option. However, it is likely to be a costly
exercise in terms of development time as well as the additional financial costs that would be
incurred in having the text elements of the instructional content translated.

Final Recommendations
It is recommended that Lynn seeks to engage the assistance of an Aboriginal subject matter
expert due to the importance of addressing the topic in a culturally sensitive manner and the
potentially negative political consequences involved in failing to do so. The cost of hiring a
consultant subject matter expert might be avoided by approaching the local University which may
have a school of indigenous/Aboriginal studies. University subject matter experts may be willing
to exchange their knowledge for non-financial rewards such as recognition within the kiosk for
their contribution or agreements to contribute to research studies.
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It is further recommended that the kiosk is developed to provide for a highly audio visual
display in line with the first Develop phase solution outlined above as it represents the most cost
effective solution available to cater for the widely different target audience members. It is
suggested that an additional content panel is inserted at the beginning of the learning experience
explaining the format and providing instructions on how to use the kiosk, including guidance on
how to access the text pop-up boxes in order to satisfy the wetlands expert target audience members
by drawing attention to the availability of more in-depth information. In order to address the issue
of a potential shortfall in media resources, it is suggested Lynn approaches the local University,
public libraries and national archives which may be able to provide further audio visual material,
including film footage, which could be used to supplement the existing material provided by Ben.

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References

Hffler, T. N. & Leutner, D. (2007). Instructional animation versus static pictures: a metaanalysis, Learning and Instruction, 17(6), 722 738.
McGriff, S. J. (2000). Instructional systems design (ISD): using the ADDIE model. Retrieved
from https://www.lib.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/directory/butler38/ADDIE.pdf
Nelson, C. (2014). Lynn Dixon. Designing an interactive kiosk to celebrate World Wetlands
Day. In Ertmer, P. A., Quinn. J. & Glazewski, K. D. (Eds.), The ID casebook : case studies in
instructional design (195 203). Boston: Pearson.
Sung, E. & Mayer, R. E. (2012). When graphics improve liking but not learning from online
lessons, Computers in Human Behavior, 28(5), 1618 1625.

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