New Advisor Onboarding Case Study

A short presentation that addresses the process for developing a virtual onboarding experience

for new academic advisors.

The Project

Michigan State University's Academic Advising Professional Development Working Group is looking for an educational developer to create a virtual onboarding learning tool for new university advisors. The working group generated a case study scenario and background for instructional designers to pitch their process for creating an onboarding experience through a recorded presentation. The best pitch would be selected to move forward in creating educational and professional development opportunities for all MSU advisors.

The new advisor onboarding virtual learning experience would address the following:

The foundations of academic advising (what is academic advising - field, context, and expected outcomes at Michigan State University)
What new advisors need to know about the students they will be advising
What new advisors will need to know how to do
The strategies new advisors should know to promote an equitable advising and educational experience for all students.
An introduction to their advising community (collaborators and key partners); campus and community resources
Any other content that would be important for new advisors to know at this stage in their onboarding.

The instructional advisor also had to provide their design process, framework for creating learning outcomes, stakeholders they would include in the design of this project, tools and platforms used with reasoning, address diverse needs of the audience, methods for obtaining feedback, and how department leadership would encourage new advisors to utilize this tool.

For my recording, I used Google Slides and recorded the session using Zoom. The recording file was uploaded to a shared Google Folder.

The Process

Outlining

The outline helped to organize my thoughts and create a structure for the presentation slides. I started by jotting down main topic ideas and sections I wanted to cover, refining it as a developed a coherent structure for the presentation. I was able to identify key points I wanted to convey throughout the presentation, and focused on core ideas that supported the prompts of the case study. I prioritized information based on the case study guidelines and was able to sequence content to help the viewer grasp the progression of my ideas. I incorporated learning theory and explained how this enhances the design process and data collection. The outline also helped in creating the script used for the presentation recording.

Script

After creating an outline for the presentation, I formulated a script. The script ensured that the content spoken was clear and concise, and related to the key points of the presentation. To improve the visual elements of each slide, I kept text minimal and gave space to provide information through speaking. The recording was limited to 20 minutes, so a script helped maintain consistent timing and spacing of each slide to avoid going over the allocated time. Finally, the script allowed me to adopt language and tone that best suited this audience, which consisted of academics, advisors, and instructional designers. Once the script, outline, and Google Slides were created, I recorded the presentation on Zoom.

Learning Theory

I included two learning theories into my design process that I felt aligned well with the goals of this case study. First, Design Thinking is a collaborative method that obtains perspective from the target audience and stakeholders to brainstorm solutions. Prototypes can then be created and tested on, with feedback being obtained throughout development. Since this program will be specifically for advisors by advisors, I wanted to have their voice heard throughout the design process.

The second learning theory used was Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation, which is a guide for obtaining feedback from subject matter experts and stakeholders throughout the creation of the project. I applied these principles to evaluate how receptive advisors are to the new training program, gauge if advisors are acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to perform their jobs, how well are they applying what they've learned to their roles, and long-term impact of their training.

Style Guide

I used a PowerPoint slide template and integrated soft colors and professional photographs into each slide. I kept a consistent theme throughout the presentation with using the same font style and color scheme, which helped the presentation flow from one slide to the next. I wanted the presentation to be reflective of what the training course could look like and used fade-in animations for enhanced visuals. Using Figma, I created a style guide to determine colors, fonts, icons, and images to be used in the presentation.

The Impact and Reflection

This presentation had a meaningful impact by effectively communicating complex ideas in a clear, engaging, and visually cohesive way, making the onboarding strategy more accessible to a broad audience. By balancing concise visual design with detailed verbal explanation, it supports different learning preferences and enhances audience understanding and retention. Additionally, sharing both the final approach and the thought process behind it helps build credibility and encourages others to apply similar design principles, ultimately contributing to more intentional and effective onboarding practices.

Creating this presentation was an opportunity for me to apply my design, presentation, and critical thinking skills. I found a presentation style that kept visual content clean and concise, while still conveying key points and detail in the spoken pieces of the presentation. I enjoyed integrating different design techniques, including having consistent color, fonts, and images, and using subtle animations for smoother slide transitions. I also appreciated the opportunity to share my ideas and process for creating an effective onboarding experience for new advisors. In future presentations, it would be beneficial to provide an example of a course created in Articulate Storyline to further showcase my work.