The sample course shown in this demo was part of a series of courses for the Critical Path Project's Workforce Development curriculum. The curriculum focused on improving skills to help prepare individuals for success in the workplace. The intended audience are participants of Philadelphia FIGHT's Critical Path Project, and the Broadband Technology Oportunities Program, which are dedicated to provide access to technology and employment opportunities to the most underserved communities in the city of Philadelphia. The most likely program participants are:

• Out-of-school youth and adults who never earned a high school diploma or equivalent


• High school graduates that have been out of school and/or the labor market for many years.


• Individuals with learning disabilities


• Prisoners or ex-offenders


• Welfare recipients or people referred from welfare-to-work programs

The istructors received training on the way the curriculum is to be delivered encouraging the implementation of the 21st century skills (Puntambekar et al., 2013). Learners are to develop or improve life skills and technical skills along with literacy skills. The delivery of the courses have the instructors encourade critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, as learners prepare, organize and perform their own job search strategies, manage contacting prospect employers, participate in job interviews and prepare and organize all the necessary documentation for job search.

The curriculum content also aims at addressing several “technological and practical barriers” that exist in the underserved communities. To that end, there are several topics that address such barriers along with strategies to overcome them in order to successfuly obtain and maintain employment.

We adapted the curriculum content in alignment with Pennsylvania's Foundation Skills Framework for Adult Education. We also integrated resources and standards from the Pennsylvania Department of Education on College and Career Education. Each course is a blend of in-person delivered lesson plans, technology lab work and self-paced eLearning. The curriculum provides learners with several skills, shown in the diagram below.

The curriculum delivery is a blended approach, consisting of in-class demonstrations, computer lab work, independent projects and eLearning. Each course topic requires the learner's participation in activities that result in performing an action towards job search and workplace skills. The example activity shown here was part of the Resume Writing series, where learners learn and develop the skills to create a professional-looking resume header. In the lesson, learners receive the necessary information on the importance of a resume header, what should be included/excluded in a resume header, and how to create a resume header in MS Word and Google Docs. Learners are expected to create their own resume document, have an email address (there were previous lessons on use of email), and create a resume header that is appropriate for prospective employers. Learners' critique each other's resumes as they progress in class, and they also receive feedback from the Instructor.

The instructional design and eLearning development of the course makes use of storytelling, scenario-based instruction and gamification. The lesson is organized as a story where a student has been using a resume but hasn't received any calls from prospective employers. The isntructor provides feedback on ways to improve the resume.

The game, inspired by the show Jeopardy, serves as an engaging way of reinforcing basic concepts and rules that apply to job search, resume writing, and job interviews. The Jeopardy game is an effective teaching device for learners, as it is highly motivating, and communicates very efficiently the concepts and facts around job search and workplace skills (Michael and Chen, 2011).

The slide backgrounds are photoshopped images of the reception area, the computer lab and the library. Those simple gamification elements help increase learner interest and engagement. Coincidentally, Articulate Storyline provides a character that resembles the Instructor.

Scenario-based learning also increases engagement and reproduces real-life situations that engage and help learners apply some of the 21st century skills that are ncessary in today's workplace.

The course encourages problem solving, critical thinking and metacognition throughout the course content and interactive exercises. Learners actively participate in the course activities where they can practice the newly acquired knowledge and skills.

Knowledge check questionss provide learners with the opportunity to reflect and integrate what they have just learned.

The Resume Jeopardy game offers a flexible, learner-centered approach to learning. It is also a great way for learners to practice technology skills.

The game allows learners to assume realistic roles, face problems, formulate strategies, make decisions, and get fast feedback on the consequences of their decisions.

Unlike games for entertainment, the effects and processes in the Resume Jeopardy game cannot be "close enough" to approximate the desired result. Learners must provide accurate and correct answers, as they address or replicate real life situations.

Additional tutorials and simulations complement the course to provide a full learning experience. Learners complete the lesson when they provide a document containing the part of the resume that they just learned about.

The tutorials are video recordings with narration that demonstrate the steps to create a header in MS Word or Google Docs.