Instructional Course: Handling Difficult Conversations in the Workplace
For this project, I was tasked with designing an instructional course on a topic of my choosing. I chose the topic "Handling Difficult Conversations in the Workplace." This course was designed with a focus on accessibility and engaging multimedia.
Audience
This was developed for adults in a corporate environment
Tools Used
Adobe Captivate
Time Spent
This was developed over the span of 11 weeks. I spent roughly 2-3 hours per week.
Project Overview
Handling Difficult Workplace Conversations is a self-paced e-learning module I designed in Adobe Captivate to help professionals build the confidence and communication skills needed to navigate challenging interpersonal situations at work. The course focuses on strengthening emotional intelligence, applying structured communication frameworks, and practicing response strategies through realistic, scenario-based interactions. Learners are guided through recognizing assumptions, regulating reactions, and delivering constructive feedback in high-stakes conversations.
Design Process
I structured the module around four progressive learning sections:
Foundations of Difficult Conversations: Introduces the importance of workplace communication and explores common barriers such as assumptions, emotional escalation, and misinterpretation. Learners engage with guided reflection and concept exploration to build awareness.
Facts vs. Assumptions: Features interactive click-to-reveal activities and applied examples that help learners distinguish observable facts from personal interpretations. This section builds critical thinking and prepares learners for objective communication.
Applying the SBI Feedback Model: Introduces the Situation–Behavior–Impact framework through guided instruction, modeled examples, and structured practice. Learners analyze communication breakdowns and practice reframing feedback using SBI.
Scenario-Based Practice and Knowledge Check: Concludes with branching conversation scenarios and a graded knowledge assessment where learners apply communication strategies, select response approaches, and receive feedback based on their decisions.
Instructional Design Highlights
Designed a fully interactive Captivate module featuring tabs, click-to-reveal elements, and scenario navigation.
Developed branching conversation pathways that simulate real workplace dialogue and decision-making consequences.
Created a formative knowledge check with varied question types and corrective feedback aligned to learning objectives.
Integrated multimedia elements, including video examples and guided on-screen instruction.
Applied adult learning principles by grounding content in practical, workplace-relevant situations.
Implemented accessibility considerations such as high-contrast color selections, captioning workarounds, and visible navigation controls.
Structured content using chunking, progressive disclosure, and visual hierarchy to reduce cognitive load.
Reflection
This project challenged me to design within the technical constraints of Adobe Captivate while still delivering an engaging and instructionally sound learning experience. I focused heavily on scenario realism, learner choice, and practical application so that the module would feel relevant rather than theoretical. Developing the branching conversations and feedback pathways reinforced the importance of aligning interactivity with learning objectives, not just engagement for its own sake.
Ultimately, this project strengthened my ability to translate communication theory into applied practice through simulation, reflection, and guided feedback. It also expanded my technical fluency across authoring tools, reinforcing the value of adaptability in e-learning design. The finished module reflects my commitment to creating learning experiences that are not only structured and accessible, but also authentic, practical, and immediately transferable to the workplace.
See the completed course below!
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