You're On Call! - E-learning for Amazon

Needs Analysis

Assessed need within Transportation Logistics Team for robust training on duties/expectations of primary on-call (person responsible for triaging/troubleshooting emergent system problems). 

Based on feedback gleaned during focus groups with recent Trans. Logistics new hires, I learned that the on-call role was a major pain point with limited existing training resources. 

New hires were expected to go on-call within three to six weeks; existing material consisted of a text-based wiki page. Some responsibilities were explained cursorily, while some were explained to an overwhelming level of detail.

Learning Approach

Proposed creating e-learning as experiential simulation. Course would (a) inform new hires of responsibilities of primary on-call; and, (b) set realistic expectations for new hires on the experience of being on-call (i.e. trouble tickets appearing at least expected moments; phone alarm going off unexpectedly).

Storyboard

Developed storyboard in Microsoft Word, drawing from existing material on team wiki and gaining additional insights through working session with subject matter expert. 

Handed off storyboard to contracted e-learning development team to build out course in Adobe Captivate.

E-Learning

Finished course engaged learners through a variety of modes, including animated videos, text, knowledge checks, and audio effects.

Screenshots from opening animated video depicting on-call alarm going off during various scenarios (cooking, jogging, etc.)

Course Objectives

The on-call calendar, seen in the screenshot above, is followed by the next screens, in which an alarm unexpectedly goes off, the course informs the user that they are being paged, and instructs them to open the sev2 (high-importance trouble ticket). 

After opening the sev2, the user learns about the situation, and is then asked to select the correct response to it.

This mechanic is repeated three times throughout the course -- an alarm goes off without warning, presenting a sev2 situation, and asking the learner to select the correct response.

This design choice mimics the abrupt and high-stakes nature of an on-call shift, during which an on-call is constantly being interrupted by high-priority pages on their phone, and forced to respond to them.

User Feedback

Users of this course commented on its originality and engaging nature. Users commented that the course made them feel as though they were actually on-call, and that the unexpected alarms and knowledge checks dispersed throughout the course forced them to pay close attention to the information in order to correctly respond to the sev2 situations.

Users commented that after taking the course, although they may not have felt prepared to respond to every possible type of situation that may arise over the course of on on-call shift, they did feel prepared to dive into the role, and had a good sense of what to expect in terms of the experience.

Experienced members of the team commented that after the launch of this course, new hires came to on-call shadowing sessions better prepared: knowing the basic expectations and duties of the on-call role, able to ask more nuanced questions about situations they might encounter.