eLearning

Tools used in Development: Lectora, Canva, Vyond, ElevenLabs, Subly, Venngage, ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sora

Time in Development: About 2 months

Client: Colgan Air Services, LLC

My role: Instructional Designer, developer, graphic designer, subject matter expert

Context: Colgan Air Services is a small, Part 61 flight school that experiences frequent CFI turnover, leading to inconsistent training and student disruption. Many incoming instructors are new to teaching or unfamiliar with the Part 61 environment. To improve efficiency and consistency, Colgan prioritized developing a standardized eLearning course that equips new CFIs with foundational knowledge, expectations, and responsibilities from day one.

Challenge: Colgan Air Services faced inefficient and inconsistent training for new CFIs due to the absence of a standardized training process. Most incoming instructors had limited or no experience working in a small business, Part 61 flight school environment, which left them unprepared for Colgan’s unique operational expectations. As a result, CFIs struggled to perform key responsibilities and often lacked clarity around customer service standards, airport security procedures, and administrative duties. These gaps led to repeated issues that required additional time and resources to address. Colgan needed a solution that would streamline training and ensure all CFIs were set up for success from the start.

Solution: To address the training gaps, I designed a self-paced eLearning course that new flight instructors complete asynchronously during their first week. The course uses real-world scenarios, interactive checks, and guided feedback to reinforce expectations, build confidence, and support first-time instructors. It equips CFIs with essential knowledge of Colgan’s procedures, responsibilities, and customer service standards to ensure consistency and professionalism. The course was designed to be efficient, engaging, and accessible fitting into the early stages of CFI training without overwhelming learners.

Results: Although the training hasn’t launched yet, developing this course gave me valuable insight into designing scenario-based learning aligned with real-world CFI responsibilities. A major takeaway was the challenge of creating rigorous, meaningful assessments—even as the subject matter expert—which pushed me to think more critically about evaluating judgment and performance. Once implemented, I plan to measure success through learner feedback, improved training consistency, and increased CFI confidence. The process strengthened my ability to design practical, learner-centered content that meets both instructional and operational goals.