Introduction:
The Aimee Copeland Foundation, in collaboration with their initiative “All Terrain Georgia” Learnie community, embarked on a mission to make Georgia’s state parks more accessible to individuals with mobility impairments. Their vision involved raising funds to acquire off-road, all-terrain wheelchairs and providing availability to use in the state’s expansive park system. However, a significant challenge emerged: how to remotely train individuals to safely and effectively operate these sophisticated off-road devices. To address this challenge, the Aimee Copeland Foundation turned to Learnie, a technology company specializing in mobile-based microlearning solutions.
Learn more here!The Challenge: Teaching Safe Usage of All-Terrain Wheelchairs
The Aimee Copeland Foundation and All Terrain Georgia encountered several key challenges in their mission to enable individuals with mobility impairments and their able-bodied companions to safely and responsibly operate all-terrain wheelchairs. These challenges included:
- Device Operation: Ensuring that users could effectively and safely operate specialized all-terrain wheelchairs.
- Safety Protocols: Establishing and enforcing strict safety protocols to minimize risks to users, their companions, and the environment.
- Accessibility: Providing accessible content and information to individuals with mobility impairments and their companions, ensuring they have the resources they need to operate the wheelchairs safely as well as mobile accessibility during operation.
- Environmental Impact: Minimizing the impact on the natural landscapes and environments these wheelchairs enable users to explore.
- Companion Training: Training able-bodied companions, a “Buddy”, to assist individuals with mobility impairments in operating the wheelchairs responsibly.
Addressing these challenges was crucial to the success of the Aimee Copeland Foundation and All Terrain Georgia’s mission.
The Solution: Learnie’s Microlearning App
In collaboration with Aimee’s team, Learnie designed a comprehensive training program to tackle the challenge at hand. The solution involved:
- Certification Process: Developing a certification process for individuals and their “Buddy” through the Learnie mobile and web microlearning platform.
- On-Demand Training: Providing on-demand mobile/web training in easily digestible, bite-sized modules for convenience and flexibility. Reviewable during activities.
- Focused Modules: Creating modules that centered on all-terrain wheelchair operation, emphasizing an understanding of the device’s features and functionality. Plus, safety requirements and proper use of the equipment.
- Knowledge Assessment: Incorporating knowledge checks within the program to ensure participants grasped the content and could apply it safely.
- Comprehensive Quiz: Offering a comprehensive quiz to assess participants’ clear understanding of operating the equipment in various scenarios, as well as safety precautions and response protocols.
This approach aimed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to use all-terrain wheelchairs responsibly and safely.
The Outcome: Building a Learning Community
Within just six months of implementing the Learnie-based training program, the All-Terrain community attracted over 600 participants. This remarkable success validated Aimee Copeland’s belief that education is pivotal to the All-Terrain Georgia program, emphasizing the importance of users practicing safe and sustainable riding behaviors within the state parks.
Learnie’s technology not only delivered training materials efficiently but also played a significant role in building a learning community. This community fostered bidirectional information sharing, enabling participants to exchange insights and experiences. This collaborative learning environment not only enhanced the users’ skills but also provided valuable feedback to improve the All-Terrain Georgia program continuously.
“Education is key to our All-Terrain Georgia program, which requires that users practice safe and sustainable riding behaviors in our state parks. Learnie’s technology is a perfect fit for providing our training materials to participants while also building a learning community of bidirectional information sharing that helps us improve our programs.” Aimee Copeland – All-Terrain Georgia
Conclusion: Unlocking Potential and Driving Community
The collaboration between Learnie and Aimee Copeland’s foundation, alongside All Terrain Georgia, stands as a testament to the power of microlearning when applied effectively. By utilizing mobile tools and delivering knowledge in easily digestible segments, the project empowered mobility-impaired individuals to access and enjoy the natural beauty of Georgia’s state parks. Additionally, it demonstrated how technology can create a sense of community among participants, fostering mutual support and collective improvement.
The success of this collaboration exemplifies the potential of modern education and technology to break down barriers, facilitate inclusive experiences, and empower those with mobility impairments to explore and appreciate the state’s natural wonders safely and sustainably. With the right tools and a commitment to education, any organization can unlock the potential of Learnie’s Community Microlearning platform while advancing its mission.
Want to see Learnie in action? Schedule a demo here!