Practicum Project Proposal
Rebuilding Lives: Developing a Self-Paced Advocacy Training Module
Introduction
The Rebuilding Lives project addresses a significant gap in advocacy training and civic engagement instruction within secondary and post-secondary education. Despite increased public discourse surrounding homelessness, mental health, and policy reform, students often lack structured opportunities to develop real-world skills in these areas. The current learning environment (“what is”) emphasizes theoretical understanding and empathy-building without equipping students with the practical tools necessary for creating change (“what ought to be”).
Over the past two years, I have developed the Rebuilding Lives educational video game and accompanying instructional materials as part of my undergraduate software engineering and graduate educational technology coursework. These assets were designed to build empathy and introduce students to real-world social challenges, focusing on systemic barriers faced by unhoused individuals. However, gameplay and lesson plans alone are not sufficient to close the skills gap.
For my practicum, I propose creating Advocating for Change: Civic Engagement Strategies through Rebuilding Lives, a self-paced, computer/web-based training module. This new module will build upon my previous coursework by translating the game’s learning outcomes into practical civic advocacy competencies. The training will enable students to analyze policy, craft persuasive arguments using logos, pathos, and ethos, and design community advocacy plans.
This instructional solution will improve student performance by enhancing civic literacy, increasing students’ confidence in democratic engagement, and preparing them for real-world advocacy. The self-paced format will allow flexible access, reducing classroom time demands and promoting better resource utilization for both instructors and students (Clark & Mayer, 2016).
Identification of the Problem
While students express empathy toward marginalized groups such as unhoused individuals, they often lack the training necessary to translate empathy into civic action. This instructional gap limits their ability to influence policy, collaborate with community organizations, and advocate for themselves and others.
Traditional social studies and government curricula seldom provide experiential learning opportunities that teach the fundamentals of advocacy strategy, public speaking, or policy research. Students may graduate with an understanding of social issues but lack the practical skills to create change. Instructors also often lack access to ready-made instructional materials that blend civic engagement with modern digital learning tools.
My previous coursework—including the development of the Rebuilding Lives game, lesson plans, and community engagement strategy—has laid the foundation for addressing this instructional problem. However, a scalable, self-paced learning module is still needed to teach and assess the advocacy skills students must master.
Description of the Proposed Solution
The proposed solution is the development of Advocating for Change: Civic Engagement Strategies through Rebuilding Lives, a self-paced, web-based training module designed to complement the Rebuilding Lives game and lesson plans. This module will be accessible to students and instructors on-demand and will follow best practices in e-learning design and performance-based learning (Merrill, 2002).
Key Features:
- Interactive Lessons: Covering advocacy fundamentals, public speaking, argument development (logos, pathos, ethos), and policy analysis.
- Real-World Scenarios: Based on the game’s narrative and expanded case studies, allowing students to practice skills in simulated environments.
- Reflection and Journaling Activities: Guiding students to connect game experiences with advocacy principles.
- Assessment Quizzes: Testing understanding and providing feedback on civic engagement competencies.
- Instructor Guide: Offering facilitation tips and suggestions for integrating the module into existing curricula.
Targeted Skills and Competencies:
- Analyzing and interpreting social policies.
- Developing persuasive written and oral arguments.
- Understanding community organizing principles.
- Applying critical thinking to social problem-solving.
- Demonstrating ethical decision-making in advocacy contexts.
By providing flexible access to high-quality training, this module will bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical civic engagement, fostering long-term student growth and empowering instructors to facilitate complex social learning without adding excessive preparation time (Clark & Mayer, 2016; Kolb & Kolb, 2017).
Project Timeline (ADDIE Model)
| Phase | Dates | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis | May 5 – May 11 | – Review Rebuilding Lives coursework – Identify instructional gaps – Draft learning objectives – Collect informal feedback from peers or community advisors |
| Design | May 12 – May 18 | – Finalize learning objectives and outcomes – Draft lesson outlines – Plan activities and assessments – Outline interactive elements |
| Development | May 19 – May 25 | – Develop module content and media – Build prototype – Conduct internal review and revisions |
| Implementation | May 26 – June 1 | – Prepare informal review process – Launch feedback collection (peers, Facebook, professional network) – Gather responses |
| Evaluation | June 2 – June 8 | – Analyze feedback – Revise module based on input – Prepare final version for practicum submission |
Summary
The Rebuilding Lives practicum project will address a critical instructional gap by building upon previously developed coursework and instructional design work. The new self-paced web-based training module will equip students with the practical skills to apply empathy and civic knowledge to real-world advocacy efforts. This solution will foster improved student performance, provide scalable teaching resources, and prepare students for active civic participation.
The next phase of the practicum project (Part 2 – Design Plan) will involve creating a detailed instructional design blueprint, including lesson plans, media selection, and assessment strategies to ensure the module effectively meets its learning objectives.
References
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). e-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). Wiley.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning theory as a guide for experiential educators in higher education. Simulation & Gaming, 45(2), 204-234.
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59.
M.Ed. Educational Technology Program 