★ NATIONAL eLEARNING AWARD WINNER — CCUA LEARNING EXCELLENCE AWARD, 2022
Featured Case Study
Award-Winning eLearning Design
How humour, storytelling, and a metaphorical journey turned dry federal-regulation content into a nationally recognized learning experience for First West Credit Union.
98.6%
COURSE COMPLETION
250K+
MEMBERS REACHED
1,200+
EMPLOYEES TRAINED
National
AWARD WINNER · 2022
Overview
A National-Award eLearning Program
As the lead instructional designer for First West Credit Union (FWCU), I spearheaded the development of an innovative eLearning program designed to educate and persuade members and employees on the benefits of transitioning to federal regulation — a process known as “federal continuance.” This case study outlines the creative approaches adopted to achieve high engagement and completion rates, culminating in national recognition for outstanding learning excellence.
SME Endorsement
“Gary is an absolute rock star and genius. It has been an exciting learning journey working with him and seeing his creative brilliance in action.”
Alicia Peters
Director of Corporate Initiatives · Subject Matter Expert
First West Credit Union
The Challenge
FWCU was on the brink of a significant transition from provincial to federal regulation. The challenge was to create educational content that was not only informative but also engaging enough to motivate a high completion rate and support for the federal continuance vote among 1,200+ employees and 250,000+ members — despite the inherently dry nature of the subject matter.
The Strategy
Four Modules, One Metaphorical Journey
Collaborating closely with FWCU’s leadership team and subject-matter experts, we crafted a four-module course combining essential information with interactive and humorous elements. Frequent brainstorming in Microsoft Teams and asynchronous review in Articulate Review kept the collaboration productive and enjoyable.
Thematic Approach
The course was themed around a metaphorical journey, symbolizing FWCU’s path toward becoming the third federal credit union in Canada. Using green-screen technology plus my own voiceover and acting, I created seasonally themed vignettes at famous Canadian locations for entertaining content reviews and previews.
Interactivity & Humour
To lighten dense material, interactivity and humour were woven into course content and quiz feedback to boost retention and engagement. In keeping with the Canadian journey theme, learners got a little hockey play-by-play in their self-check feedback — easing their overall anxiety while rewarding the hockey fans.
Behind the Scenes
Sharing the Method
When I was asked to breathe new life into First West’s online courses, one of the first things I brought to the L&D team was green screen (chroma key) video. It let me put a presenter anywhere in the country without leaving the office. It made reshoots quick and cheap. And it opened the door to the humour and storytelling that keep people watching. Learners responded right away.
In May 2019, I represented First West at UBC Okanagan’s Digital Media in Education Conference in Kelowna with a talk called “Get Real with Green Screen Tech.” Two years later, the same approach became a core part of Federal 101, the course that reached 98.6% completion and won the 2022 CCUA national award for learning excellence.
Demo video · UBC Okanagan, 2019
The Setup
This short demo was part of my UBC presentation. It shows how simple a basic green screen setup can be: light the screen evenly, light the presenter separately, and use good microphones to capture clean sound.
Before & after
From Green Screen to Autumn Forest
Drag the slider to compare the green screen footage with the finished shot.
Course video · Federal 101
Making Lemonade to Meet Deadlines
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, especially when a deadline is looming and your concealer isn’t working. On this shoot I leaned into some self-deprecating humour to get the job done. Humour does more than entertain. It keeps people curious about what’s coming next, and that keeps them engaged.
Course video · Federal 101
Taking Module 2 for a Spin
A sunny spring drive to introduce Module 2, shot in my building’s parkade with a DSLR, a smartphone, and an inexpensive green screen. Watch for the raw footage partway through, and keep the sound on for the ending.
The Results
A Resounding Success
%
Completion Rate
The eLearning program was a resounding success, achieving a 98.6% completion rate among FWCU’s employees. Learners looked forward to each module’s humorous and entertaining elements. The project’s success led to several accolades:
Company Recognition — Featured in an article on FWCU’s social media site, acknowledging my contribution to the project’s success.
National Award — Honoured with a national award from the Canadian Credit Union Association for outstanding learning excellence.
The Conclusion
Dry Content, Transformed
This project exemplifies how innovative instructional design — leveraging humour, interactivity, and storytelling — can transform dry regulatory content into an engaging learning experience. The success of the federal-continuance program at FWCU underscores the potential of creative approaches to achieve exceptional educational outcomes and substantial organizational impact.
More Endorsements
Liz Bailey-Connor
Chief People & Culture Officer · First West Credit Union
“Gary is our instructional designer who worked on this learning and he is SO talented! We are very fortunate to have his expertise and experience.”
Shelley Besse
Chief Credit Officer · First West Credit Union
“I love the enthusiasm and fun you put into this module — especially the hockey commentary during the quiz section!”
Susan Coulson
Director of Special Accounts · First West Credit Union
“I just finished Module 1 for Federal Continuance and I am obsessed with Gary! This was the best module I have taken in my 20 years here — and there have been some great ones over the years!”
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
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