Tar Heel Journey
Tar Heel Journey is an interactive e-learning platform designed to support incoming international students at UNC. The platform helps students explore essential campus resources that meet both academic and everyday needs, ensuring they feel welcomed and confident as they begin their journey in a new country.
Through immersive videos and interactive features, Tar Heel Journey offers a personalized introduction to UNC’s campus, covering everything from study spaces and academic services to social hubs and cultural activities. This engaging approach makes the transition to university life smoother and more exciting, fostering a sense of belonging from day one.
Project Overview
Target Audience: New International students in UNC
Tools & Technology: Articulate storyline, Adobe illustrator
Learning Objectives:
Student will be able to...
1. Locate the right buildings for their daily needs.
2. Find the supports that they need will they encounter academic problems
3. Describe the upcoming new journey in UNC
Needs Analysis
I Collaborated with Gigi Taylor, Senior English Language Specialist at UNC, who has over 20 years of experience working with international students and leads the Writing Center, which primarily provides academic support to international students.
Her deep understanding of international students' needs helped me identify key challenges and shape the project content to effectively address those needs.
Step 1
MIND MAP
I used a mind map to interview Gigi Taylor and identified two key categories of challenges (Life and Acamemic Demends) that international students often face. After the interview, I decided to focus on academic needs and food and social connections as the initial themes for the project.
Step 2
JOURNEY MAP
Next, I used a journey map to explore the academic resources available at UNC throughout the academic year.
Course Design
After conducting a needs analysis, I designed a course outlining clear Learning Objectives, Assessments, and aligned Activities to bridge the gap between existing campus resources and the specific needs of international students.
Instructional Design Models
I integrated a wide range of instructional design principles into my work to ensure that learning experiences are both effective and engaging. By applying concepts such as cognitive load theory to optimize information processing, multimedia learning principles to enhance engagement.
By using visual cues to direct learners' attention to key information can lower learners' extraneous cognitive load.
Breaking complex information into smaller, digestible segments helps learners process and understand content more effectively.
Using personalized language makes learners feel more connected and engaged with the content, enhancing their learning experience and motivation.
Assessments & Activities
Learning Objective 1
Students will be able to locate the right buildings for their daily needs.
By incorporating multiple-choice questions with real map visuals, the platform ensures that students can accurately locate the correct places based on provided descriptions.
Learning Objective 2
Students will be able to find the supports that they need will they encounter academic problems
By incorporating multiple-choice questions based on common scenarios faced by international students, the platform ensures that students can locate the necessary support services during their campus life.
Learning Objective 3
Students will be able to describe the upcoming new journey in UNC
In this phase, an AI chatbot tool will prompt students to reflect on their feelings about starting at a new school in a foreign country. The chatbot will gather feedback, which can then be shared with the relevant offices to provide support based on students' responses.
