• Project Outline:

1. Canvas Instructure Training Set up- This portion was before I began creating the course. This was essential to success because it was the planning process. I was able to practice with the technology, figure out a timeline and design what I wanted out of my situation.
   1. Practice with free trial materials
   2. Meet with education director regarding the plan
   3. Play with creating the course and setting up modules
   4. Design the course
2. Online Volunteer Training: Touch Tank: This situation is for new volunteers who are just on-boarded to the museum. There tends to be a gap between when we on-board volunteers and when they can  attend a training. A lot  times work schedules interfere as well, so an online portion is the direction that my boss, Volunteer Services Director and the Education Director want to take the museum volunteer training. This was something already on their plan, but the fact that I proposed my project to them made them want to work with me on getting it done. This is essentially be proposed as a plan for actually changing their training if I get it to meet their needs.
   1. Module 1: Introduction
      1. What is the Touch Tank?
      2. Where is it located in the museum?
      3. What is in the tank?
      4. Quiz
   2. Module 2: Spider Crab and Hermit Crabs
      1. Spider Crab Facts and Handling
      2. Hermit Crab Facts and Handling
      3. Quiz
   3. Module 3: Horseshoe Crabs
      1. Horseshoe Crab facts and handling
      2. Horseshoe Crab instruction video
      3. Quiz
   4. Module 4: Seastars
      1. Seastar Introduction
      2. Why are they separated?
      3. Facts and Handling
      4. Quiz
   5. Module 5:Whelks
      1. Introduction
      2. Facts and handling
      3. Quiz
   6. Module 6: Protocols and Tips
      1. Guest interaction
      2. Encourage touching
      3. Guests never hold an animal
      4. Quiz
   7. On-the-job mentor training
      1. How do you become a mentor?
      2. Checklist
      3. Overview
      4. Quiz
   8. Final Assessment

• Materials:

  • Canvas Instructure free tutorial and other help guides
    • Found and used many help guides
    • Played with tutorial courses during two week free trial.
  • Needed list from education director
    • Provided expectations of the what he wants out of the course
    • I provided what I need for my plan
  • Video of touch tank handling
    • Video was completed by the education director and myself.
    • I played the student and he was the instructor.
    • It is a 10 minute video on horseshoe crab facts and handling.
    • We felt this was the most important one to start with a video of, because the handling is the most complex and important to do properly for the animal safety.
  • Images of the various creatures and proper handling
    • I have access to these materials through the Volunteer Services office binder.
  • Images of all of the artifacts and the tanks in the museum Touch Tank discovery area
    • I have access to these materials through the Education department.
  • Current Touch Tank Training manual
    • I have this from completing the training myself.

• Timeline:

  • Meet with director  10/15 completed
  • Play with Canvas tutorial 10/20 completed
  • Create course in Canvas 11/8 completed
  • Get Touch Tank videos 11/11 completed
  • Develop Modules 1 & 2 11/8 completed 
  • Develop Modules 3 & 4 11/17
  • Develop Modules 5 & 6 11/21
  • Develop Assessment and pass rate required 11/25
  • Create training survey for students 11/29
  • Final product done by 12/2

• Concerns:

  • My only concern now is time. I am trying to get all that I need done, while keeping up with the other assignments for the class. I cannot find a good balance, so my notes have fallen by the wayside.
  • I am hoping to get enough ahead of schedule, and be able to catch up on my notes for the class during the asynchronous weeks.

Something fun from our museum (its pretty hilarious just thought I’d share) You can see lots of our animals 🙂