Instructional Design · Professional Development · Adobe Captivate

Project Overview

Collaborative Planning Professional Development is a self-directed instructional design project developed to explore how targeted professional learning can support more effective collaborative lesson planning among educators.

The project began with a needs assessment examining the gap between desired and existing collaborative planning practices. I used the identified performance needs to inform the design of an eLearning experience intended to help educators understand expectations, strengthen planning practices, and prepare for more productive collaboration.

Developed in Adobe Captivate, the project demonstrates my approach to connecting performance analysis with instructional design and eLearning development.

Project Snapshot

Intended Audience: K–12 teachers and instructional coaches

Project Type: Self-Directed Professional Development / eLearning

Role: Instructional Designer & eLearning Developer

Responsibilities: Needs analysis, instructional design, storyboarding, scripting, video editing, job aid development, and eLearning development

Tools: Adobe Captivate, Adobe Premiere Pro

Deliverables: Needs assessment infographic, eLearning course, storyboard, opening video script, and collaborative planning job aid

Status: Completed self-directed portfolio project; not implemented with learners

The Design Challenge

Effective collaborative planning requires teachers to understand shared expectations, arrive prepared, and work together to develop instructional plans.

For this self-directed project, I examined a simulated school environment in which teachers participated in collaborative planning sessions with varying levels of preparedness. Inconsistent communication of expectations and limited preparation time contributed to inefficient use of collaborative planning sessions.

The design challenge was to identify which aspects of the performance gap could be addressed through professional development and create a learning experience that would help teachers understand the planning process and prepare to apply it collaboratively.

Needs Assessment

Drawing on my experience as an elementary educator, I developed a needs assessment to explore challenges associated with collaborative lesson planning.

Using Allison Rossett’s five-step needs assessment framework, I examined the gap between desired collaborative planning practices and the challenges I had observed in educational settings.

The analysis highlighted three key areas:

• Clarity of expectations: Inconsistent communication of planning expectations can make it difficult for teachers to prepare effectively.
• Teacher preparedness: Differences in preparation can affect the efficiency and productivity of collaborative planning sessions.
• Performance support: Teachers benefit from structured guidance and accessible resources that support consistent planning practices.

These findings informed my decision to design an Adobe Captivate professional development course supported by a collaborative planning job aid.

The course was designed to introduce and clarify the planning process, while the job aid provides a practical resource educators can reference when preparing for and participating in collaborative planning sessions.

Although the project was self-directed and not formally implemented, it demonstrates how I translated professional observations into an instructional design solution.

My Approach

I designed the learning experience to address the performance needs identified through my analysis: clearer expectations, more consistent preparation, and practical support for collaborative planning.

Rather than treating collaborative planning as a single activity, I organized the learning experience around two connected stages: preplanning and collaborative planning.

The preplanning content focuses on the instructional information and resources educators should consider before meeting with colleagues. The collaborative planning content introduces the roles, responsibilities, and processes that support productive planning sessions.

To extend learning beyond the course, I also developed a collaborative planning job aid. This resource provides a structured reference that educators can use to organize their preparation and guide planning discussions.

Together, these components were designed to connect foundational knowledge with practical application in an educational setting.

Collaborative Planning Storyboard

Collaborative Planning Opening Video Script

Collaborative Planning Job Aid

This job aid is designed to align with the process laid out in the course. Teachers would use this job aid to ensure consistency.