Learning Experience Architect
Learning Experience Architect
Immersive High-Stress Scenario Training
Role: Lead Instructional Designer | Format: Instructor-Led Classroom Training & Virtual Reality | Audience: Entry-Level Navy Schoolhouse Students | Scope: 125 Classroom Lessons & 4 Virtual Environment Settings
Project Summary
This project included a wide range of instructional deliverables, including lesson plans, trainee guides, lab materials, and virtual curriculum. One of the largest efforts was the development of an open, free-play simulation environment that instructors could use to evaluate students in realistic, high-stress situations.
The goal was to move beyond linear instruction and create a training environment that could adapt to different scenarios, instructor objectives, and future changes to procedures or operational requirements. Rather than following a predetermined sequence, learners were expected to apply their knowledge, communicate with others, and respond to situations as they developed.
The solution combined Virtual Reality and desktop-based simulation for up to 25 participants. Scenarios included active shooter events, domestic disturbances, robbery incidents, and gate entry procedures. Participants operating in VR could communicate with desktop-based participants representing additional roles involved in the response, including emergency personnel, search and rescue teams, and command centers.
Desktop participants and instructors could also observe the first-person perspective of individual VR users, providing visibility into how learners moved through the environment, assessed their surroundings, and responded to developing events. This gave instructors another way to evaluate situational awareness, communication, and decision-making during the exercise.
The project represented a significant development effort and was ultimately very well received by stakeholders. Elements of the immersive environment were later adapted for use in training developed for another United States Navy rating.
Challenges and Solutions
The biggest challenge was coordinating the large number of teams, deliverables, and stakeholder inputs involved in the project. With so many moving parts, there was a real risk of teams working from different assumptions, applying inconsistent standards, or losing sight of the overall design direction.
To address this, we developed a central Design Guide that documented the established design and development standards for the project. This gave every team a shared reference point and helped maintain consistency across instructional content, multimedia development, simulation design, and other project elements.
The project also required frequent communication across geographically distributed teams and stakeholders. Regular coordination helped ensure that dependencies were understood, tasks were completed in the correct sequence, and work from different groups came together as one cohesive training experience.
Together, the Design Guide and ongoing cross-team communication helped us maintain consistency, alignment, and continuity across a large, complex development effort.
My Role
As the Lead Instructional Designer, I was responsible for developing the majority of the project’s Design Guide, which established the standards and direction used across the development effort. Although the initial guide was created before production began, it was treated as a living document and updated as stakeholder feedback, testing results, and design decisions evolved.
I regularly coordinated with Subject Matter Experts, government stakeholders, and internal development teams to ensure the project maintained a consistent design approach and clear overall vision. This included translating feedback into actionable direction and making sure each team understood how its work fit into the larger training experience.
I was also responsible for generating tasking across the development teams, tracking schedule and progress, and adjusting scope when necessary to keep the project aligned with available time and resources.
Because of the multiplayer nature of the simulation, I was heavily involved in playtesting and quality assurance throughout development. I evaluated the virtual environment, user controls, multiplayer interactions, and overall experience while also helping verify that the application could support up to 25 simultaneous participants interacting within the same training scenario.