Instructional Design

As part of the OPWL 537 Instructional Design course, my team and I developed educational materials for Bukit Elephant Park in Phuket, Thailand. This hands-on project strengthened my skills in learner needs analysis, environmental awareness, collaboration, and problem-solving. The park, focused on elephant conservation, wanted to improve visitor safety around elephants. In response, we created a culturally sensitive instructional video, card game, and safety poster to enhance safety awareness and communication among guests, guides, and mahouts (elephant caretakers).

Our goal was to support the park by creating better ways for guests to learn how to stay safe and protect the elephants.

To understand what the learners needed, we used two instructional design models: ADDIE* and LeaPS*. Both models start by analyzing the learners, their environment, and the tasks they perform. This helped us get a clear picture of the learning context.

We interviewed Fern, the Marketing Director and daughter of the park owner, who gave us valuable insights about the park’s visitors and elephant caregivers (called mahouts). This helped us design materials that fit the park’s specific situation.

Cultural awareness was very important. Since Thai culture values respect, hierarchy, and politeness, we made sure our materials were respectful and neutral in tone while still delivering clear safety messages.

With ongoing support from the park staff, our goal was to create educational materials that were easy to understand, culturally appropriate, and helped improve safety and communication between visitors, mahouts, and park guides at Bukit Elephant Park.

To design an effective and engaging learning experience for international guests at the park, we applied a range of adult learning theories and design principles:

• Cognitive Load Theory: We kept content clear, concise, and focused to avoid overwhelming learners and support knowledge retention.

• Mayer’s Multimedia Principles: We used visual aids—videos, posters, and game cards—to enhance understanding and retention through well-integrated media.

• C.R.A.P. Design Principles: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity guided our visual design choices, ensuring materials were both appealing and easy to navigate.

• Cultural Intelligence (CQ): We considered the values and expectations of Thai and international guests, incorporating culturally respectful elements to enhance relatability and engagement.

• Bandura’s Social Learning Theory: By encouraging peer interaction, we supported learning through observation, discussion, and shared experiences.

• Bloom’s Taxonomy: Our materials were structured to support multiple levels of learning, from basic recall to application and analysis.

• Keller’s ARCS-V Model: We built in elements to capture Attention, establish Relevance, build Confidence, and ensure Satisfaction, sustaining learner motivation throughout.

• Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence (EQ): We designed content to be emotionally positive and empathetic, aligning with learners' emotional and social needs.
  
  

By integrating these principles into our self-paced, on-site materials—videos, posters, and game cards—we aimed to create a meaningful, accessible, and safety-focused learning experience for all park visitors.

This phase focused on developing learning objectives, selecting effective instructional strategies, and organizing content logically.

When designing for Thai learners and international guests, we paid close attention to language proficiency and cultural norms. We ensured materials were clear, concise, and free of jargon, using simple, accessible language.

To make the experience engaging and interactive, we created an instructional video, game cards, and posters to be displayed at key stations throughout the park. Initially, we considered a guest-led activity using color-coded safety cards with guidance from mahouts. However, this approach conflicted with Thai cultural norms, where such direct instruction by mahouts to guests could be seen as inappropriate.

Instead, we developed visual resources—particularly safety posters—that mahouts and guides could reference when addressing unsafe behavior. This solution respected cultural expectations while reinforcing the intended safety messages.

In this stage, we created the course content, learning activities, and assessments.

Developing materials for Thai learners required close collaboration with subject-matter experts and cultural consultants. We maintained ongoing communication with Fern, the Marketing Director, sharing drafts and seeking feedback to ensure our materials aligned with Bukit Elephant Park’s goals and cultural values.

This collaborative process helped us produce content that was accurate, culturally appropriate, and aligned with the intended learning outcomes. We also ensured the materials were accessible and adaptable, given the varying levels of technology access among park guests.

Final deliverables included:

• An instructional safety video

• A set of game cards and safety games

• Station-based safety posters

Open dialogue and collaboration were essential to our instructional design process. Working closely with Fern and her team, I was able to contribute to creating effective, culturally appropriate materials for diverse learners.

Teamwork allowed us to combine different perspectives, skills, and expertise, ensuring our content was accurate and aligned with learning objectives. It also helped distribute the workload and keep the project on schedule.

Throughout this experience, I gained valuable insights from my colleagues and developed a deeper appreciation for Thai culture and the unique viewpoints within our team.

While coordinating across time zones posed challenges, our strong communication and organization—especially through weekly meetings—kept us aligned and on track to meet deadlines. I’m grateful for the chance to collaborate with such a talented and committed group.