Maintaining the Chain of Custody: A Project Analysis

Scenario-Based eLearning Training

This is a scenario-based eLearning concept project developed to assist law enforcement officers in effectively maintaining the chain of custody of evidence in criminal cases. Evidence must be handled in accordance with laws, policies, and procedures in order to protect the admissibility of evidence in court. 

Audience: Law Enforcement Officers

Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design, Storyboard, and Mockups

Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond, Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, MindMeister, Google Docs

The client is a local police department serving a population of approximately 65,000 residents. This project addresses the proper collection and custody of evidence in criminal cases to help ensure admissibility in court.

Overview

The client is a local police department serving a population of approximately 65,000 residents. This project addresses the proper collection and custody of evidence in criminal cases to help ensure admissibility in court.

Unfortunately, officers can easily make errors in the collection and custody of evidence in criminal cases. What seems like simple mistakes, such as leaving DNA-laiden evidence in a hot environment or asking another officer to drop it in the storage locker for you, can result in the evidence being thrown out in court, wasting an officer’s efforts and compromising the case for victims and suspects. Ensuring careful, accurate, and timely collection procedures are imminently important to multiple parties and for the trust the public instills in their local police department.

Following careful analysis and consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), I determined a risk-free eLearning training was an ideal solution for several reasons. One, law enforcement officers work staggered shifts all day and night. Getting officers together for an in-person training was both cumbersome and ineffective. Multiple trainings would need to be held or some officers would be working extended hours to cover their shift and then attend training, which is not ideal in that it is expensive and officers would likely be tired. Tired students do not make good students. 

Two, by providing a scenario-based training, officers would be able to try out their chain of custody skills and decision-making in a risk-free environment where errors wouldn’t result in actual evidence potentially being dismissed. In real life, if evidence is compromised and dismissed, it can mean the difference between conviction and freedom. This is an enormous weight to bear and an incredible responsibility to the public. Actions in this environment have huge implications. It’s imperative officers get it right. By providing this training in a scenario-based format, learners could experience realistic, memorable consequences of the most commonly made mistakes in evidence collection and custody.

Process

Seeing the learner first-hand in their actual work environment and learning first hand the kinds of hurdles they face on a day-to-day basis helps to make me a better designer. So, in an effort to learn as much as I could about the needs of the learner, I tagged along with an officer responding to a crime scene where he would be collecting evidence. During my observations, I was able to interact with the officer who graciously answered my questions and entertained my curiosities surrounding his job. So many of these questions and observations could have been very difficult to have captured in our planning process had I not been allowed to observe the conditions first-hand. Many of the officers are experienced and naturally filter out details such as passing traffic, which is a stressor for new officers, but old hat to veteran LEOs. This was highly relevant information afforded to me by simply observing.

In consultation with SMEs, we identified the most common mistakes made in collection and custody of evidence and the actions officers would need to take to avoid these common missteps, creating an action map to drive our training goals. 

Utilizing this information, I drafted a text-based storyboard and began working on visual mockups in Adobe XD for a scenario-based eLearning experience. 

The storyboard included the scenario context, text, and an initial visual concept design in mockup formats. This helped the client and SMEs see how the visuals and text fit together. Once we confirmed we had a cohesive storyline that appropriately addressed the items in our action map, I began the development of the project in Articulate Storyline 360.

Action Map

Working in partnership with the SMEs, we developed an action map and identified a goal we could measure progress against: Improve admissibility of evidence collected by MAIT officers to 90% as per state statutes by May 1, 2023. In the action map, we identified common missteps frequently taken by officers collecting evidence and specified actions officers needed to take throughout their chain of custody in order to maintain the admissibility of their evidence in court.

Some aspects of our action mapping identified areas of concern could actually be addressed with solutions other than eLearning. For example, one issue we identified was a failure to use personal protective equipment (PPE). We discovered a large part of this misstep was not due to a skill gap, but rather the result of PPE not always being readily available. This was something easily addressed through a system already in place with the maintenance crew. Ensuring adequate supplies were available in patrol cars was one of their duties, and by simply adding a list of the necessary PPE that should be stocked in the cars to their maintenance checklist, we could help ensure the requisite equipment was available. This helped us avoid unnecessary training, saving time, money, and resources–all of which are typically a scarcity in publicly-funded organizations.

Our action mapping step helped us to identify five key areas we needed to address in our scenario-based eLearning training: protecting the scene and personal safety in the work environment, securing an on-site storage location, avoiding degradation of DNA, accurate documentation details, and proper booking of evidence. This guided the development of the content we’d present in our eLearning, which was used to draft our text-based storyboard.

Storyboard

Utilizing the five high-priority items we’d identified in the action mapping process as correct answer choices in our scenario, we leveraged common missteps as distractors and other actions from our map as contextual components of each of the scenario consequences. This lent itself to creating a more real-life experience in the potential pitfalls officers could face when taking the same actions on the job.

Often in this position, officers are working independently collecting evidence. A large part of their training has occurred on the job under Field Training Officers (FTOs) and consequences were typically addressed with supervisory staff, such as Watch Commanders or Sargeants. I utilized this information to develop the primary characters in the storyline: the main character, the officer collecting evidence, and his FTO, Dan, who is introduced by Dawn, one of the department’s dispatchers. Dawn plays a small role in setting up the context for the scenario, but plays a key role in the everyday life of an officer. 

The typical environment on the job where officers may find themselves collecting criminal evidence in public areas such as roadways. The added stress of moving traffic, onlookers, and other emergency vehicles entering and exiting the scene offered real-life stressors officers would actually face in the field. It was important to capture the fact they are asked to make decisions both on their expertise and under these outside pressures, so the bulk of the scenario takes place on the scene of a vehicle versus pedestrian crash where these same stressors would be present. The only exception to this is the final scene where the officer is facing the pressure of unapproved overtime and a potentially unhappy Watch Commander back at the station.

Throughout the scenario, the FTO–Dan–is presented as a mentor that learners can access as needed. By making this resource available, but not required, we offered scaffolding for the learner without forcing users to read through information they already knew. The goal of the training was to encite good decision-making skills in a high-pressure environment, so we kept that at the forefront of the experience.

Visual Mockups

After the development of the text-based storyboard, it was time to move on to creating visual assets to start bringing the scenario to life. Using Adobe XD, I began creating a series of wireframe slides laying out the visual construction for the opening slide, questions, prompts, and the mentor slides, along with color scheme and text selections.

Over the course of development, the format of the slides changed due, in large part, to an unforeseen challenge: a severe lack of images readily available for topics in law enforcement. Most particularly, images that positioned themselves for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The social and political climate surrounding law enforcement was resoundingly apparent in images available through a variety of sources. As a result, we had to reevaluate the overall appearance and layout of the slides to accommodate the visual assets available. 

Ultimately, this presented itself as a terrific opportunity to personalize the experience by using video components for the scenario. I used Vyond to make individualized animated videos for each of the question, prompt, and reinforcement slides. By leveraging the customization options for characters within Vyond, I was able to incorporate a wider variety of characters (both active and supporting roles) that better represented a diverse workforce.

Interactive Prototype

Using Articulate Storyline 360, I created an interactive prototype of the layouts I’d already planned out in Adobe XD. The initial prototype included the title slide, a question slide, a mentor slide, and both a right and wrong answer slide.

By creating a prototype consisting of a single set of the proposed slides, I was able to troubleshoot visual aspects, programming, and functionality concerns prior to replicating the slides multiple times. Had we needed to make changes after the initial full development of the slides, I would have had to re-program the entire project, which is neither productive nor efficient. By getting feedback on the prototype and making necessary changes on the first set of proposed slides, I prevented the need to redo work that had already been completed. Again, saving time, money, and resources. 

It was prudent to do this, as I ultimately had to re-think the layout of the slides when we discovered we weren’t going to be able to readily source images from various repositories. The initial design had a two-column format with the image on half the slide screen and the question on the other side. When we found sourcing images difficult, I reworked the slides to be more text-based, but the design still didn’t capture the interactive feel I was going for. Deciding then to instead utilize animation, we needed to adapt our initial design concept to allow for full screen imaging.

Another change made as part of the on-going feedback process we engaged in during this phase was to incorporate a progress bar as a positive reinforcement. Since the ultimate goal of correctly collecting evidence and maintaining a chain of custody is to have the evidence entered into court, I chose to use a gavel as the progress bar marker.

To create a more interactive feel, we opted to give voices to the animated characters talking in the videos. To do this, we needed voice recordings of the prompts and feedback slides. Two characters–the officer and the mentor, Dan–were going to be animated, meaning we needed two voices. I recruited two individuals to voice the characters: a former colleague and an aspiring voice actor. 

The two voice actors required scripts to read from, which I developed directly from the previously created text-based storyboard to ensure consistency. I shared the script via Google Docs to ensure everyone had up-to-the-minute copies. I also included the visual mockups of the scenes I had created in Adobe XD for inspiration and to better help them understand how the scenes fit together. 

Since both are novice voice talents with personal equipment, I needed to remove background noise, inconsistencies in the recordings, and outtakes from their final recordings. I used Audacity for this task.

Full Development

The full development of this project was rewarding. I developed the final product in Articulate Storyline 360, leveraging powerful tools available in the software including lightboxes, triggers, variables, states, and conditions. This provides a clean, easy to follow format for learners, making it accessible and engaging. 

Final Testing

Following the full development of the eLearning scenario, I put the project out to a select group of testers, as well as the Instructional Design community as a whole, to test the functionality and look for holes. Testers reported back with comments like, “This was so engaging!” and “I loved how clean and slick this is!”

A few final adjustments were made in the project, including giving specific directions to users about how to close a lightbox. One of my early testers clicked on the mentor hotspot, but couldn’t figure out how to close the lightbox, preventing her from advancing further in the training. By giving the instructions early on in the course, no other users reported having this problem.

Results & Takeaways

Overall, this project has been well-received by both the client and the Instructional Design Community as a whole. Feedback is that the scenario is well thought out, organized and coherent, engaging, and meaningful. Users have particularly liked the characters and animations created in Vyond.

Through the creation of this project, I was able to hone my technical skills in Articulate Storyline and Adobe XD, as well as develop new skills as I was inspired to try designs that required utilizing additional tools. I also appreciated the opportunity to identify alternate solutions to an interactive eLearning that presented itself when we discovered through action mapping the concern around PPE. Training is not always the best or only solution, and the client appreciated that I was able to acknowledge, accept, and encourage them to turn to the most efficient solution, even if that meant I wasn’t needed.

Aside from the difficulty sourcing images from repositories, I had to troubleshoot and problem solve a couple of problems centered around programming. One was in regard to the lightbox that opens with the mentor, Dan. The videos I created for those slides would play beautifully, but when the user closed the box, the video of the officer on the question slide had already played and would appear dark. Further, you were no longer able to read the question text. I discovered that a dissolve transition had been applied in my Vyond file, so when users returned to the video that had already played, a black screen appeared. By removing the dissolve transition, I was able to rectify this issue.

Another challenge arose when a tester who self-reported as being deaf and hard of hearing said she was distracted by the voice-overs on the animations and when hovering over the buttons. It was suggested that possible solutions could be offering Closed Captioning or a feature that allowed users to mute the audio and read the questions and answers on their own.

In reflection, the planning stages of this project were most insightful and provided great growth opportunities. I am continually refining my skills and working to broaden my skill set. Action mapping is a newer skill for me, so having the opportunity to practice action mapping skills with SMEs who are already familiar with me and open to working with me gave me an environment I could feel confident in, even as I was developing my own skills. I will continue to hone and deepen my skills in this area, as well as my technical skill set. I am looking forward to creating new projects where I can explore and employ more advanced tools like cues and paths.

Finally, I will continue to advocate for the opportunity to observe learners in their day-to-day work environments to better understand their needs. Hearing about what is needed versus seeing it first hand is day and night in my book, and I believe I’m a better designer when I can observe and question conditions directly.