Classroom Management with Mr. Eddie

Classroom Management with Mr. Eddie

This scenario-based eLearning concept project was developed for both new and seasoned teachers.

Audience: Teachers

Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design

Tools Used: MindMeister, Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Articulate Storyline 360

The Problem

After working in education for the last several years, I have witnessed different teachers of many experience levels struggle with effective and student-centered classroom management practices. I have struggled myself. Students who test boundaries and educators who become emotionally reactive or unconfident negatively impact the student-teacher relationship.

As a result, the student loses trust in the teacher, the behavior worsens, and the number of student incident reports increases. Furthermore, the teacher must dedicate more time to rebuilding the student relationship.

The Solution

Drawing on my own experience, collaborating with other educators, and using books as additional resources, I designed a scenario-based eLearning. In this training, the learner would advise the teacher, Mr. Eddie, on establishing an effective management plan that fosters a positive relationship with the student.

My Process

I used the ADDIE framework to create this scenario-based eLearning experience. This experience is heavily rooted around colleague observations, self-reflection, discussions with general and special education teachers, and books provided on classroom management topics. I performed action mapping, wrote a storyboard, designed visual mockups, and developed a prototype to improve the functionality before finally moving into full development.

Action Map

I interviewed and had an open discussion with educators to increase the rate of developing an effective student-centered classroom management plan. I used this approach to visualize the information I gathered and to decide which steps were the most important.

I identified three high-priority actions:

Focus on the student as an individual before bringing up the consequences
Identify the root of the problem
Acknowledge the student’s behavioral change when they comply

The high-priority actions focus on cultivating the student-teacher relationship but also lead the student to comply on their own by learning why it is crucial.

Text-based Storyboard

From the action map, I developed my storyboard. I used dialogue to show the consequences of the learner’s choice of advice for the teacher, Mr. Eddie. The student, Kevin, wears headphones and has a difficult time putting them away. The incorrect action leaves the relationship between Mr. Eddie and Kevin on shaky ground by escalating the conversation between the two. The correct action lets the learner move along within the story.

When discussing the next high-priority action two with the experts, even they grappled with arriving at a consensus on the best way to handle it. In my storyboard, I ensured that the teacher maintained an empathetic tone throughout the conversation with Kevin and offered him an alternative option of using headphones without causing a learning disruption to his classmates.

Throughout the project, I incorporated the mentor option, so the learner had the freedom to refer to expert information when needed. The Mentor is an Impact Coach who, in many schools, serves as a specialist that addresses students’ behavior and supports teachers in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with students.

Visual Mockups

I developed my style guide to help me stay consistent throughout the project. I designed rectangular buttons for a sleek look because my slides were vibrant and had a lot of visual detail. I chose dark green to evoke stability and encouragement and white and brown colors to complement the green.

Next, I created wireframes in Adobe XD. I wanted to keep the layout simple to avoid interrupting the critical conversation between Kevin and Mr. Eddie. After that, I added the illustrations of the classroom, hallway, and the Impact Coach’s office.

I collected feedback from my peers in the instructional design space and educators to iterate on my design.

I changed the placement of the Continue button for slides with dialogue between Kevin and Mr. Eddie. This adjustment made the experience more user-friendly.
I replaced one of the illustrations of the hallway from a closed door to an open-door classroom to make it more realistic when Mr. Eddie and Kevin are having a private conversation. This iteration was an essential detail to the SMEs, and having an open discussion with the educators was necessary.

Interactive Prototype

I created my prototype in Articulate Storyline 360 to see its functionality and overall feel. Then I solicited feedback from my ID community and educators.

I made the following improvements:

I added a secondary button, “See Why,” so the learner could learn why the conversation went a certain way based on their advice. I didn’t want to interrupt the dialogue between the teacher and his student, but it needed further explanation.
I let the learner control the sound to make it accessible for all learners.
I rephrased some of the answer choices to make all of them the same length.

Full Development

After collecting feedback from my prototype, I developed the entire project. Once again, opening it up to feedback allowed me to iterate further:

I adjusted animations for my speech bubbles and buttons and manipulated screen elements on my timeline for seamless transitions.
I took a global approach to the sound option so the learner could decide if they wanted the sound on or off during the rest of the project.

Results and Takeaways

The project was well received in the education community. Industry veterans told me it would be relevant and excellent training during back-to-school Professional Development for new and seasoned teachers.

It was essential to collaborate with other educators on this project, even though I have years of experience working in education. Each person brought crucial insight to the project. As a team, we solved a common issue in today’s classrooms and prescribed an effective classroom management plan.

Experience the Project

What People Are Saying

Kim Farnsworth, Ed.S.

“This project showcases Aneta’s skills and knowledge of interactive scenario based eLearning. It demonstrates Aneta’s technical skills with Adobe Illustrator and Articulate Storyline 360, as well as her meticulous attention to detail. Aneta provides her learners with the option of experiencing sound effects, and this extra effort highlights Aneta’s knowledge of the importance of having choices in eLearning and sensitivity to different learning styles.”
Alyssa Carlson, M.Ed.

“As a veteran educator, I often see colleagues stress about classroom management. Aneta’s eLearning scenario presents an extremely common problem and breaks it down into simple but impactful steps. The design is bright and eye-catching, engaging in the user, and the Impact Coach provides vital help and reasoning that the busy educator might need but not always have access to. Aneta’s knowledge about both the topic and the software shine through. This is just the kind of walk-through a burgeoning teacher needs to feel more confident in the classroom!”
Piri Campo

“Aneta has done a fantastic job creating a realistic scenario around a complicated topic. The feedback she gives is crucial for a teacher to learn the ‘why?’, not just the ‘how?’, so a teacher can transfer this learning to new situations. I wish I’d had this tool to help me leap forward in my classroom management skills when I started teaching.”
Andrea Khambalia, International Educator

“Aneta’s beautifully designed “Classroom Management with Mr. Eddie” provides a highly instructive and insightful approach to classroom management skills. By participating in series of decisions, the learner gains a deeper understanding of strategies an educator can employ to cultivate trust with students and ensure an effective learning environment. Through the scenario-based approach, Aneta’s project shines a light on the choices available during challenging scenarios and the skills available for classroom management for relationship building.”