Overview Training Course
Why This Is in My Portfolio
Although this course was built back in 2015, I’m including it here as-is to give a clear picture of what eLearning looked like at that time. I haven’t made any updates or changes—this is the original version. If you’re looking to understand how I design today, just know my current work is very different. This serves more as a snapshot of where things were, not where they are now. Plus, if anyone’s wondering if I’ve really been in eLearning for at least ten years, well, here’s the proof!
I am no longer with CMS and not actively maintaining or updating this course today. It is presented in its original form as a record of the instructional design approach, partnership dynamics, and real-world healthcare training I contributed to during my time in that role.
A Quick Heads-Up
Because this course was built in 2015 using Adobe Captivate, you may run into HTML5 compatibility issues if you try to launch or interact with it today—especially in modern browsers. I’ve intentionally left it unchanged, so it reflects exactly what a course of that era looked like and issues you would have today if we used the original program. It’s a legacy example, not a showcase of current capabilities.
This course includes voiceover (VO) narration, which I recorded sample off before handing it off to a professional. The narration is not AI-generated—it was recorded live to match the tone and pacing of the material. Audio may autoplay in some sections, so depending on your location or environment, you may want to lower or mute your volume before starting.
Summary
This course was developed for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. federal agency responsible for administering the nation’s major healthcare programs. It was part of CMS’s broader shift from costly, in-person instructor-led training (ILT) to scalable digital learning. The focus of this course is the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS), a comprehensive, computer-assisted survey process designed to improve the consistency and accuracy of inspections across long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.
The QIS process plays a vital role in healthcare oversight. It helps ensure regulatory compliance, resident safety, and the delivery of quality care in facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding. QIS is facilitated through the Automated Survey Processing Environment—Survey Explorer Quality (ASE-Q) software, which guides state surveyors in reviewing a representative sample of residents and systematically evaluating quality measures and care outcomes.
This course was designed to onboard new CMS surveyors—many of them registered nurses transitioning into regulatory roles—with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively conduct QIS inspections.
My Role
I led instructional design and course development, working directly with CMS stakeholders and an RN SME who had delivered the original in-person training—and would also serve as the instructor for the web-based version. This dual role presented a unique challenge: the SME’s original PowerPoints were heavily text-based, written as if they were being spoken aloud, and often included full sentences and content unrelated to the actual learning objectives.
Since I wasn’t a subject matter expert myself, I used that to our advantage—I asked questions and participated in mock sessions to better understand the content. The SME would often quiz me after these sessions, and that back-and-forth helped us identify which parts of the material were essential, and which weren’t serving the learning goals. That process allowed us to streamline and sharpen the course’s focus.
Working with SMEs who are also the instructors is one of the more complex but rewarding aspects of instructional design. To support the relationship, I created weekly prototypes for review and made sure we scheduled feedback during their least busy times. That helped reduce pressure, built mutual respect, and ultimately led to better collaboration and a stronger course.
The Process
The course followed the agile ADDIE model and was guided by what would now be considered agile practices:
- Analyze: We quickly defined learner needs, objectives, and content gaps in collaboration with an RN subject matter expert who had led ILT sessions.
- Design: Course structure, flow, and assessments were mapped out to mirror the original training agenda while optimizing for eLearning.
- Develop: Built in Captivate using modular, topic-based navigation and non-linear learning paths to improve learner flexibility and retention.
- Implement: Deployed as a blended learning solution, combining asynchronous eLearning with live or follow-up support as needed.
- Evaluate: Informal and formal feedback from SMEs, pilot users, and training leads shaped post-release improvements.
Tools Used (2015)
- Adobe Captivate – Core course development tool (now referred to as Adobe Captivate Classic; at the time, it was simply known as Adobe Captivate)
- SCORM Cloud – Used for testing SCORM compliance
- Adobe Acrobat Pro – For PDF review, SME commenting, and version control\
- Audacity – Used for mock recording and editing voiceover
- Microsoft Office – SME collaboration, scripting, and resource development
The Problem
Prior to this digital solution, new surveyors were flown to centralized training locations and placed in weeklong hotel-based ILT sessions. This was costly, time-consuming, and logistically challenging, especially given the need to onboard surveyors across different states and regions. The process also created inconsistencies in how content was delivered from trainer to trainer.
The Solution
This eLearning course replicated the structure and content of the traditional ILT model, but in a scalable, repeatable, and consistent format. It introduced surveyors to the QIS process and ASE-Q software, while standardizing onboarding and improving access to training—regardless of location. The course was designed with non-linear navigation, giving learners control over how they engaged with content—something particularly useful for adult learners with varied experience levels and schedules. It also included knowledge checks (KCs) throughout to reinforce key concepts and allow tracking of learner comprehension across sections.
Permission Note
All information used to create this course is publicly available online through official CMS resources, making it appropriate for inclusion in my portfolio as a representation of real-world instructional design work in federal healthcare training.
