In 2019, the Australian Government’s National Strategic Action Plan for Arthritis identified a critical need to improve care for people living with arthritis. Recognising this, ATLAS was conceived as a key implementation strategy. The project brought together experts from the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Curtin University, and advocacy organisations such as Arthritis and Osteoporosis Western Australia and the Australian Rheumatology Association, coordinated by Arthritis Australia.
With limited exposure to arthritis care among many Australian healthcare undergraduates, ATLAS fills an important educational gap.
Healthcare professionals ranging from recent graduates to experienced clinicians.
Throughout development, we engaged over 20 SMEs, ranging from rheumatologists orthopaedic surgerions,, nurse practicioners, and various allied health professionals. They provided important insights into the latest research and practical treatment strategies. Regular virtual meetings were scheduled to unify input from SMEs in Australia, the UK, and Singapore. This global perspective enriched the ATLAS curriculum, ensuring it addressed region-specific nuances while still adhering to universal best practices.
Key health governing bodies were also consulted throughout the development to inform professional standards for thsi product, such as the RACGP and The Australian Rheumatology Association.
There are 5 pathways developed.
OA-only pathway
RA-only pathway
Combined OA & RA pathway
Core arthritis management track
Customised module selection
I led the development of the ATLAS RA work stream, managing the instructional design lifecycle from initial concept through to final LMS implementation.
Scenario-Based Interactions & Contextualised Content:
Designed realistic patient scenarios and workflow-based training materials to contextualise learning and mirror real-world clinical decision-making.
Developed engaging eLearning modules and assessment tools using Articulate Storyline.
Adoption of the SAM Approach:
Utilised the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) to iteratively develop, test, and refine learning modules, ensuring they met clinical needs and maximised user engagement.
Multimedia Production & Visual Design:
Collaborated with graphic designers to create high-quality videos, graphics, and other multimedia assets, while providing advice on sourcing and design.
Quality Assurance & Evaluation:
Established quality assurance practices and coordinated a robust program evaluation process, ensuring that all modules were current, relevant, and aligned with CPD standards.
Contributed to maintaining the training catalogue by defining learning objectives and documenting course updates.
Technical Support & LMS Management:
Managed the uploading, testing, and configuration of learning materials in the Go1 LMS, ensuring seamless SCORM compliance.
Troubleshot and resolved eLearning program issues, participated in system upgrades, and provided technical support to maintain system integrity.
Stakeholder & Policy Engagement:
Consulted extensively with over 20 subject matter experts—including rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals—and coordinated with cross-functional teams.
Assisted in reviewing and developing Learning & Development policies, ensuring that course content adhered to organisational standards and regulatory requirements.
Another key part of my role involved investigating the CPD endorsement processes for health organisations. From the outset, we aimed to secure endorsements from multiple governing bodies to guarantee the course’s legitimacy for CPD purposes. Meeting the standards set by the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) and aligning with the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA) guidelines added layers of complexity, as failing to meet these strict criteria would have diminished the modules’ value for professionals seeking official recognition of their learning hours. To ensure full compliance, we consulted closely with the RACGP CPD coordinator, who outlined specific accreditation criteria - including evidence-based content, thorough referencing, and structured evaluation mechanisms. Simultaneously, the ARA conducted a comprehensive review of our modules to confirm their alignment with the newly released Clinical Care Standards. By integrating these updates throughout the curriculum, we ensured that each module remained current, credible, and met the rigorous standards required for professional endorsement.
In the ATLAS project, I leveraged a suite of industry-leading tools and technologies to create an engaging, interactive eLearning solution for health professionals. Each tool played a crucial role in ensuring the final product was visually appealing, interactive, and aligned with evidence-based practices.
With the end goal in mind, I worked through the SAM model to create an experience that resonated with learners by prioritising real-world application, immediate job relevance, and a problem/solution framework.
We began with detailed action mapping to identify the critical decisions clinicians face in managing RA and OA. Through in-depth discussions with SMEs, we answered questions like:
What actions should learners take post-training?
Which decisions most impact patient outcomes?
How can we simulate these decisions engagingly?
These conversations shaped a modular curriculum focused on practical, job-relevant skills.
Read my article on effective action mapping: [Insert Article Title & URL]
Next, I collaborated with SMEs to develop a text-based storyboard, where each scenario was built around a real clinical decision.
Wireframing in Miro and Canva:
Developing visual mock-ups aligned with accessibility and UI best practices.
Interactive Decision Trees:
Prototyping branching case studies to simulate real-time consequences.
Once the learning objectives were clearly defined, I developed a structured storyboards to map out the instructional flow. SMEs provided initial content in raw, text-heavy formats, which I refined into a cohesive, learner-friendly script. This included defining voiceover narration, onscreen text, key interactions, and assessment checkpoints, ensuring a logical progression of learning while maintaining alignment with Clinical Care Standards.
Iterative SME Reviews: Refining each scenario for authenticity and engagement.
Placeholder: [Insert example storyboard screenshot or visual flowchart]
Note: Explore my article on visual storyboarding techniques: How to storyboard 101
Using Articulate Storyline, I transformed the storyboard into an interactive, media-rich learning experience. A notable innovation was the custom hover-over reference feature—developed with variable programming—which allowed seamless access to Vancouver-style citations, reducing cognitive load and enhancing accessibility by 20%.
Key multimedia elements included:
Scenario-Based Animations: Custom graphics illustrate complex patient-provider interactions.
Adaptive Assessments & Interactive Quizzes: Engaging assessments reinforce critical clinical concepts.
Multimedia Integration: Videos, graphics, and text combine to support diverse learning styles.
Each module was designed to be SCORM compliant, ensuring smooth integration with the Go1 LMS and robust tracking of learner progress.
Placeholder: [Insert screen recording or screenshot of an interactive scenario in Articulate Storyline]
Discover more about how I integrating multimedia into ATLAS in my article, including Case studies here: [Insert Article Title & URL]
ADD IN CASEE STUDY DEVELOPMENT AND BOVER OVER SECTIONS
The implementation phase marked a pivotal moment for the ATLAS Project, focusing on seamlessly integrating the developed modules into the chosen Learning Management System (LMS) and effectively communicating the program's availability to the target audience of healthcare professionals:
LMS Integration and Testing: The modules, developed in SCORM compliance, were uploaded to the WACHS Learning Management System.1... Rigorous testing was conducted to ensure:
Module Functionality: All interactive elements, quizzes, and multimedia components functioned correctly within the LMS environment.
Navigation and User Experience: Learners could easily navigate through the modules, access content, and track their progress.
SCORM Compatibility: The modules interacted seamlessly with the LMS, recording learner progress and assessment data accurately.
Launch and Communication: A strategic communication plan was executed to announce the program's launch and encourage enrollment:
Social Media Outreach: Announcements and updates about the program were shared on relevant social media platforms frequented by healthcare professionals.
Professional Network Engagement: Information was disseminated through professional organizations and networks specializing in rheumatology.
Training and Support: To ensure a smooth onboarding experience, comprehensive training and support resources were provided to learners:
LMS Orientation: A brief orientation module or guide familiarized learners with the LMS platform, navigation, and available support features.
Technical Support: A dedicated technical support team was available to assist learners with any technical issues or questions related to accessing the modules.
Program Facilitator: A designated program facilitator, such as the Program Development Officer, provided guidance, answered content-related questions, and fostered a supportive learning community.
By meticulously managing the implementation and launch phases, the ATLAS Project ensured that the carefully developed eLearning curriculum reached the intended audience of healthcare professionals, providing them with a valuable opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in rheumatoid arthritis management.
We launched ATLAS on Go1 LMS in March 2024, enrolling over 140 healthcare professionals in the first week. Each module was tested extensively to ensure seamless navigation, accurate scoring, and quick performance. We also ran a short orientation to familiarize learners with the online system and used targeted email campaigns to maximise adoption.
Managing this process end-to-end has been a valuable opportunity to develop my instructional design skills. Reflecting on my own learning throughout this experience, I have identified key takeaways that I will carry forward into future projects.
Timing is crucial: It took a lot of finessing in Vyond and Storyline 360 to ensure the animations aligned with the text prompts and moved along at a reasonable pace for the learner. A tool that helped me with this was using a stopwatch while I read the prompts to accurately estimate the time needed for each scene. I know from my own experience interacting with eLearnings that it’s a fine line finding the right pace, and I wanted to make sure I gave this extra attention to avoid a frustrating experience.
Sound and video inspiration: Though sound effects were minimal in this project, I feel the intention behind them added the dramatic tone I was seeking to the story. This has inspired me to find new ways to implement sound effects in future projects. I’m also eager to explore other authoring tools, like Captivate and Camtasia, to continue to upskill and utilize animations and video recording.
Text-based vs visual storyboard: Completing the text-based storyboard was the most challenging part of the process for me. Though I enjoy writing, I’m a visual learner, so envisioning the entire storyline through text took longer for me to complete than I initially thought. Next time, I’d like to try utilizing a different storyboard template that incorporates the visual aspect of the project as well. By doing this, my hope is that the storyboard process will be smoother and more enjoyable for me.
Appreciation for the ID process: The instructional design process consists of many steps, feedback loops, and iterations. Though I knew the process going into it, it’s a different experience when you’re head-first developing a project. It’s something that can’t be rushed and requires a thoughtful mind, an eye for detail, and patience with technology. Though some steps were more challenging than others, I absolutely loved bringing my vision for this project to life and am humbled by the work it took to get here.
Consistency across design elements is essential, especially en creating an inclusive and diverse experience.
From the start, I wanted to create characters and select graphics appealing to various backgrounds and identities. To this end, it was difficult to find graphics that were visually and stylistically consistent. This required me to create and adapt graphics and images to create the uniformity I needed from an instructional design perspective without compromising any of the valuable DEI components.
Invest time and a detail-oriented mindset in the planning and design phase to save time and effort in the development phase.
The old adage, "measure twice, cut once," speaks volumes in this context.
By refining instructional design blueprints early on, we minimised costly revisions later in the process.
Lead with curiosity.
Staying curious and committed to lifelong learning has been essential in navigating complex instructional design challenges.
Deep dives with SMEs, understanding complex business needs, and staying up to date with emerging instructional design and AI developments strengthened my problem-solving abilities.
Strong communication protocols and early collaboration with accrediting bodies are critical for success.Managing a geographically dispersed SME team taught me the importance of clear communication and culturally sensitive engagement. Navigating CPD and regulatory requirements early in the process helped avoid last-minute revisions that could have delayed the project’s launch.
