How to Become a Resource Parent

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 For this project I wanted to try and stretch the skills I developed in the CSU Fullerton Master's program by learning a new authoring program. I selected Articulate Rise 360 as it is very different than what I used in school and thought it would be a good chance to expand my skill set.  I chose to develop an eLearning module on how to become a resource parent for a few reasons: 

• I am familiar with the subject as I am a resource parent
• Most of the resources available online are complex or very "dry"

Since I was new to learning Rise 360, I didn't want to develop content I was unfamiliar with so that I could focus my attention on development rather than research and development. 

For the first phase of development, I created a brief outline of the content - History of Foster Care, Overview of the Resource Parent Approval Process, and Resources. While I am familiar with the process, I utilized the information available on the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services to fill in any gaps in my knowledge. Once the outline had been finalized followed this process to develop the module: 

1. Organized the module into three lessons within Rise 360
2. Input the content into their respective sections
3. Develop interactions
4. Graphic design work (i.e., insert photos, videos, and other graphical elements)

Once this phase of development was completed, I reviewed the module for any bugs and asked ten instructional designers that I collaborate with to review the module. 

 Overall, I found Rise 360 to be an easy authoring software program to learn. The program has the user create "blocks" for the content and the user simply needs to input the content for their module. What I really liked about the completed product is that it is very modern and works easily on a number of devices (i.e., smart phones, lab tops, and tablets) without causing issuing during development. 

Here are a few key takeaways after using Rise 360: 

• Quick and easy to learn
• Great for rapid development
• Customization is limited due to the nature of the "block" system
• Limited interactions available
• Best if used for smaller eLearning modules (not the best option for longer and more complicated modules)