LDTC 690: UMGC in Europe Enrollments & MYCAA Funding Awareness
This case study will go into detail on the organizational issue that UMGC in Europe is currently experiencing and how my learning project will assist with improving the organization and its learners.
The Problem
UMGC in Europe serves military affiliated students across Europe, with various locations on or near military installation. The current performance gap is that there is a lack of clear, structured guidance provided to military spouses on how to utilize funding resources, such as MYCAA, toward eligible UMGC in Europe programs," (Jacobs, 2026) which has resulted in underutilization of the My Career Advancement Scholarship (MYCAA) and low enrollment rates.
Target Audience
The MYCAA scholarship is only available to eligible military spouses who want to pursue their educational and career goals.
My Role
For this learning project I served as the Instructional Designer and Project Manager. I focused on gathering important data from stakeholders such as academic advisors, site leads, and program coordinators to get valuable information regarding what issues the staff that works directly with military spouses and potential students were seeing regarding why military spouses weren't utilizing the MYCAA scholarship and how knowledgeable staff was in the MYCAA funding activation process.
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I ensured that based on the data collected, I created a learning solution that would provide military spouses with the correct steps for the funding activation process.
The Process & Solution
I used ADDIE as my instructional design model. ADDIE allowed me to create a learning project that is structured and learner centered to provide an effective, interactive learning experience. (The ADDIE Learning Model for Instructional Designers, n.d.)
Analysis
I focused on what the needs of the military spouses were and identified the performance gap.
Design
I thought about how the learning project would be delivered and took into account that childcare and transportation are an issue for military spouses so I knew at this point that I wanted to create both an asynchronous version and an in-person session. The four learning objectives were also developed.
Development
I began setting up the modules and designing each section so that it flowed easily and contained all of the needed information. Interactive learning opportunities were developed here that allowed learners to test their knowledge.
Implement
Both the asynchronous and in-person sessions were completed and shared with peers to get feedback regarding the learning solution.
Evaluate
I was constantly reviewing my learning solutions to ensure that it followed a sequential order and that the assessments tied everything together well. Based on peer feedback and self-evaluation, I was able to notice areas for improvement.
Final Learrning Solution
A completed course that consisted of four modules in Rise 360 was created and an interact Kahoot presentation with a a PowerPoint presentation as well as accompanying reference material was created.
Tools & Technologies
Various tools were used to create this learning project. Please see them listed below.
01
Rise 360
Rise 360 was used to create the MYCAA course due to its various interactive elements and sleek design.
03
Microsoft Forms
Microsoft forms was used to create both the pre and post assessments.
02
Kahoot 360
Kahoot 360 which is for business presentations was used to embed the PowerPoint presentation for the live version to encourage interactive participation.
04
Canva
Canva was used to create informational flyers and edit advisor video.
05
Zoom
Zoom was used to record advisor informational video.
06
Loom
Loom was used for screen recordings of tutorials for accessing MYCAA website and submitting a tentative evaluation.
Final Deliverables
Rise 360 Learning Module
PowerPoint with Speaker Notes
Please view the attached PowerPoint to the right.
Reference Materials
Please view the attached reference materials.
Outcomes & Reflection
This project was something that I wanted to take on because I saw the need in our military community and have experienced first hand how difficult it can be to try to understand or navigate a process that can seem confusing or daunting. I provided my course to my leadership and they were amazed at how organized the information was and how I included the role of our academic advisors when it comes to the MYCAA process.
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Something that was difficult during this project was ensuring that the sequence of events were laid out in the correct order. Due to outdated UMGC in Europe materials and conflicting information amongst various site leads and advisors, I had to discuss with our advising team the proper steps while also researching on my own what the steps should be according to MYCAA. I wanted to ensure that everyone was on the same page to avoid causing confusion to learners.
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During this process I learned the importance of constantly evaluating your work and ensuring that the learning objectives align with the content and assessments. Everything ties back to the learning objectives which serves as an umbrella that everything falls under. I learned that it is okay to make adjustments and adjustments are needed to improve the overall learning experience. Being able to critique your own work is an important skill to have. Learners should be able to move through a course easily and effectively to achieve mastery of the content.
References
The ADDIE learning Model for instructional Designers. (n.d.). Digital Learning Institute. https://www.digitallearninginstitute.com/blog/the-digital-learning-design-process-addie-model-for-instructional-design
Unit 4 Assignment: Jacobs, Maria (2026). Learning Experience Content Outline and Resources. [Unpublished manuscript]. LDTC Program, University of Maryland Global Campus.
AI Statement: The Grammarly browser add-on was used for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Claude was used to assist in ensuring accurate citation of my Unit 4 assignment. All content is original, represents my own thinking, and was reviewed to ensure academic integrity.