An Instructional Designer’s Guide to Scaling Onboarding

Session Abstract

The Schoology Implementation team has struggled year after year with finding a scalable onboarding method for our largest band of clients. We knew that we wanted to develop a solution that would decrease our touch time with clients while still providing best in class onboarding experiences. Looking at tools to help us accomplish this, Pendo had been at the top of my list for over a year. as an instructional designer and product engagement specialist I looked at an instructional approach that would meet the criteria I had set:

1. Decrease Time to Value
2. Was live and interactive
3. Easy to use

We ended up with an instructional solution that leverages six walkthroughs which are woven into the Schoology Learning Management System. We estimate these guides now save us no less than 4 hours per new implementation.

Once the project was set into motion I was able to define new processes and workflows which maximized the usage of Pendo in ways that not yet been realized here at Schoology. I designed a course based on leading and proven instructional design models. Through dom manipulation, we were able to specify the exact level of interaction and ux that we wanted and expected for a successful onboarding/training experience. We are using Pendo analytics to iterate on the learning experience and connect to salesforce so that we can trigger emails to various stakeholders throughout the onboarding process.

The process was developed for our lowest band but the highest number of clients and one month after being shipped we are now expanding across all bands. Every new Schoology client will be implemented through Pendo.

I would like to propose a session that covers a design process for using Pendo as an instructional/onboarding solution. Our 6 guides combine to leverage over 60 steps but this process is applicable to even a single step guide.

Learning/Session Objectives Include:

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify where/when Pendo can be used as an instructional solution
2. Plan/Script/Storyboard/Design/Develop/Deploy an instructional solution via Pendo
3. Manipulate the dom to control the UX (this ensures that the user has the intended experience throughout the learning experience)
4. Build-in data collection points to assess the reliability of the instructional solution against intended outcomes and use that data to iterate upon the instructional solution.
5. Avoid self-inflicted time loss through lessons learned