Memory Vault Challenge 

Title: Memory Vault Challenge. Securing Critical Knowledge 

Format: Scenario-based eLearning module 

Duration: ~22 mins (self-paced)

Target Audience: Managers, team leads, HR or L&D staff who support knowledge transfer 

Role: Instructional designer, scenario writer, interaction designer, storyboard author 

Tools Used: iSpring Max, PowerPoint, Canva, Amazon S3

Skills Applied: 

• Scenario design and branching structure

• Needs analysis and task analysis for knowledge capture

• Assessment design aligned to mission objectives

• Application of Gagné and Merrill in a practical flow

• Interaction design with decisions, hotspots, knowledge checks, and feedback 

Focus:

• Help learners spot at-risk knowledge before experts leave

• Practice choosing capture methods under time pressure

• Build habits for observation, prioritising risk, and framing urgency for leaders

The Design Process

• Defined the core problem. Critical knowledge walks out the door when SMEs retire, transfer, or leave, and processes are only partially documented. 

• Wrote mission objectives that linked each vault to tasks such as identifying at-risk knowledge, observing work, and framing risk for leaders. 

• Framed the experience as a “mission” with three vaults. Process capture, shadowing and gap analysis, and leadership readiness. This created urgency and a clear narrative path.

• Planned a slide-by-slide flow using Gagné and Merrill. Attention, objectives, demo, practice, feedback, assessment, and integration are tagged on each slide. 

• Better awareness of how quickly knowledge becomes risky when only held in memory or personal files.

• Stronger decisions about which capture tools to use first under time limits.

• More consistent habits for observing work, recording what matters, and acting immediately after a shadowing session.

• Improved ability to frame knowledge risk for leaders using simple dashboards and clear language. 

• Narrative framing matters. The “mission” structure grabbed learner attention and kept engagement high across each vault.

• Realism improves impact. Scenarios with partial information, tight timing, and realistic personalities (e.g., Kayla’s “shortcuts” and Ravi’s personal logs) made decisions feel authentic.

• iSpring’s branching features were robust. It was easy to simulate different paths and ensure feedback matched learner choices.

• Consequences teach better than scores. Feedback showing what happens if a decision goes wrong helped reinforce the urgency of proper knowledge capture.

This project deepened my skill in designing fast-paced, decision-based learning in iSpring Max and demonstrated how scenario learning can shift behaviors around documentation, process sharing, and organizational continuity.