INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PROJECTS


Instructional design is an archetypal example of complex, ill-structured problem solving. ID problems are generally situated in and emergent from a specific context. The designer is constrained by circumstances, some aspects of the problem may not be well-specified, all of the information required to solve the problem may not be provided, and there are a variety of solutions.  

08/2003 - 05/2004
Competency -Based Training Program for Hotel General Managers
Client: The Cendant Hotel Group, Inc.

Project Team:
  • Jerry Klein (Project Coordinator, Training Systems Institute)
  • Deniz Eseryel (Instructional Designer)
Project Summary: 
Designed and developed a competency-based training program and appropriate assessment modules for Cendant Hotel Group, Inc. that would help accommodate variances in the skill and knowledge levels among hotel managers and address differences between different hotel brands operating under Cendant, Inc. This goal is achieved by:
  • Creating a Competency Catalog for New Hire General Managers/Owners (Competency clusters listing competency statements and assessment items and/or process to determine mastery of competencies).
  • Grouping competencies into instructional modules.
  • Developing tests and/or process for identifying modules a new hire general manager needed to take.
  • Creating competency identification and assessment development methods and process that could be used by Cendant staff in future competency-based training development projects.
  • Conducting a benchmark study of hotel GM training programs across the industry including Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hampton Inn, Choice, Accor, and so on.
  • Designing and assisting development of highly interactive, Web-based training courses parallel to the new competency-based training program

Related Publications & Presentations:
  • Klein, J. & Eseryel, D.(2005). The corporate learning environment. In M. D. Lytras & Ambjörn Naeve (Eds.), Intelligent learning infrastructures for knowledge intensive organizations: A semantic web perspective  (pp. 1- 38). Hershey, PA: IDEA Group Publishing.
  • Klein, J. & Eseryel, D. (2003). A conceptual model for managing change in organizations through blended organizational learning. e-Lumination, 5(2), 3-6.

06/2002 - 08/2002
Human Resources Development & Management Training
Client: BKKBN, Indonesia

Project Team:
  • Firouz Rahmanzadeh (Managing Director, Training Systems Institute)
  • Deniz Eseryel (Instructional Designer; Project Coordinator);
  • Phil Doughty, Jerry Klein, Ruth Small, & Mike Spector (Instructors)

Project Summary:
The Indonesian National Center for Family Planning (BKKBN) sought to enhance the quality of the institution's human resources that were ultimately responsible for the development of reproductive health and family planning programs in Indonesia . Human resources development may be accomplished through a number of different methods and approaches including in-service training of personnel and the application of incentive/motivation programs.

Training of personnel plays a significant role in HRD. Through its several national training activities, BKKBN, the main implementer of the family planning program, has sought to continuously improve the knowledge, skills, and the working environment of its employees. BKKBN, in order to further enhance the quality of its personnel and programs, enlisted support of the Training Systems Institute to conduct training on Human Resource Development & Management (HRD&M) for six of its officials. They were the managers and facilitators of both national and international training programs at BKKBN.

The training program, which was designed and developed by TSI, included series of lectures/presentations and field-based experience targeted to address the specific HRD&M requirements of BKKBN. The program enhanced the officials' capabilities in:
  • Describing the concept, principles, components, and processes of human resources development and strategic management;
  • Identifying important lessons and best practices in planning and implementing a human resource development program;
  • Demonstrating the ability to apply strategic HRD management principles by proposing a human resource development improvement plan; and,
  • Demonstrating the ability to apply strategic HRD management principles by proposing a HRD training plan.

As the initial step in realizing what was learned, at the completion of their training program the officials developed the “BKKBN University Learning Organization” to serve as a HRD&M training plan for BKKBN. 

06/2002 - 07/2002
Workshop on Effective Communication in Diverse Contexts 
Client: AGWAY, Inc.

Project Team:
  • Firouz Rahmanzadeh (Managing Director, Training Systems Institute)
  • Deniz Eseryel (Instructional Designer; Project Coordinator);
  • Traci Fordham & Daniel Hernandez (Subject Matter Experts; Trainers)

Project Summary:
The Synthetic Culture Simulation Exercise has been designed to cultivate critical awareness of the relationship between people communicate as individuals and in their membership in particular cultural groups. TSI conducted this workshop for approximately 250 executives of Agway, Inc. engaging them in an intense cultural simulation exercise. In accordance with the rules of the exercise the executives were divided in four (Alfa, Beta, Delta, Gamma) synthetic culture groups.

Each group represented a differing cultural/communication pattern. The participants, under the guidance of the workshop group leaders, interacted and engaged in problem solving with those who have different styles of communication from them. They were able to observe how communication obstacles and conflicts arise from different cultural patterns and meanings. The participants were provided with the opportunity to ‘try-out' different communicative strategies to solve these communication conflicts. 

08/2000 - 05/2001
Web-Based Training Program for Financial Consultant
Client: Merrill Lynch

Project Team:
  • Deniz Eseryel (Instructional Designer)
  • Radha Ganesan (Instructional Developer)

Project Summary:
Responsibilities included designing and developing Web-based training for Merrill Lynch clients and consultants. Merrill Lynch aimed at streamlining the effectiveness of training and utilizing the advantages of the World Wide Web as an emerging and competitive tool for training. In this direction, this project involved designing and developing Web-based instructional products to be used for training clients and newly-hired employees of Merrill Lynch. After a through needs analysis, TSI proposed a Web-based training strategy to Merrill Lynch. Within this framework, a sample Web-based course on how to read financial reports was designed and developed for Merrill Lynch. The major tasks for the project can be grouped into three general phases: (1) Analysis, (2) design, and (3) development. Analysis phase included content, learner, and contextual analyses, which resulted in specification of learning objectives, task analysis, instructional strategies and tactics. This phase resulted in scope document.

Design phase included the design specifications of Web-based training environment and the content design. The design phase resulted in design specifications for individual modules and screen designs, which were translated into high-level design of the Web-based training course.

The final development phase adopted a rapid prototyping approach and included development of the Web-based training course and the multimedia components. A series of formative evaluations were conducted to make sure the final product is effective and meets the requirements of the clients. 

Related Publications & Presentations:
  • Eseryel, D., & Ganesan, R. (2001). Distributed group design process: Lessons learned. In C. Montgomerie & J. Vitelli (Eds.), Proceedings of ED-MEDIA 2001: World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia, & Telecommunications (pp. 469-473). Tampere , Finland : Association for Advancement of Computing in Education. [ERIC No: ED466156]