Challenge

• Families often struggle to understand how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching, learning, and the future workforce.

• A clear, structured learning experience was needed to demystify AI, reduce misconceptions, and present practical, age‑appropriate guidance for K–12 and adult audiences.

• Existing resources on AI in education are frequently technical, overwhelming, or inconsistent, making it difficult for non‑experts to grasp key concepts.

• Parents and caregivers in particular lack accessible explanations of AI tools, benefits, risks, and responsible use—yet they play a critical role in supporting students.

• The challenge was to design a cohesive, three‑lesson online course that simplifies complex AI concepts while maintaining accuracy, engagement, and accessibility.

Solution

• Broke down complex topics into scaffolded, easy‑to‑follow modules that build understanding progressively.

• Applied multimedia learning principles to create engaging videos, interactive checks for understanding, and accessible visuals that support diverse learners.

• Connected AI concepts to practical educational contexts, real world examples, using parent friendly language, showing how AI supports tutoring, feedback, differentiation, and future workforce skills.

• Ensured accessibility and clarity by using consistent layouts, chunked content, and multimodal supports, making the course usable for parents, educators, and students.

• The final product provides a research‑informed, approachable introduction to AI in education, empowering families and educators to navigate AI with confidence.

Challenge

• Designing an online course for parents, a non‑traditional learner group with varying levels of digital confidence and AI familiarity.

• Needing to present complex AI concepts in a way that feels approachable, non‑technical, and relevant to everyday life.

• Creating a learning experience that scaffolds understanding from foundational AI concepts to real‑world applications and home‑based strategies.

• Supporting community‑building and reflection in a way that feels safe, simple, and welcoming for learners not familiar with online learning.

Solution

• Used a consistent module structure (Overview → Rise lesson → Optional readings → Activity → Survey) to reduce cognitive load and support intuitive navigation.

• Chunked content using Cidi Labs layouts and tabs, allowing parents to explore information at their own pace without feeling overwhelmed.

• Designed each module around a clear scaffold:

  1. Module 1: foundational AI concepts

  2. Module 2: growing demand for AI skills and literacy in the workforce.

  3. Module 3: practical strategies for supporting students at home

• Developed interactive Rise lessons to simplify complex ideas through multimedia, scenarios, and knowledge checks.

• Embedded Padlet to create a low‑barrier, community‑building space where parents can share experiences and learn from one another.

• Ensured accessibility by using clean layouts, consistent headings, alt text, and mobile‑friendly design.

• Parent friendly pacing.

Challenge

• Overreliance on the default Modules view, resulting in cognitive overload and inefficient content retrieval for students.

• Poorly designed navigation increases frustration and scrolling fatigue.

• Lacks alignment between design choice and the digital learning environment, to ensure students can access materials with minimal friction.

Solution

• Built Canvas course to model an improved, student‑centered user experience.

• Designed modules with clear structure: assignments, discussions, and quizzes accessible directly from the landing page.

• Enabled quick navigation so learners can jump to specific modules without scrolling.

• Improved User Experience by increasing efficiency and reduced frustration.

• Improved visual design and navigation.