Unless you’ve personally lived with a chronic illness, it’s hard to imagine how it affects every facet of your daily life. In this project, the learner assumes the character of Emma, a 19-year old college student who was diagnosed with a chronic genetic illness a few years ago that affects her body’s energy metabolism. At each decision point, the learner chooses actions that will make Emma’s day easier or more difficult, from a great day all the way up to a trip to the Emergency Room. The learner is encouraged to play the scenario multiple times to see how a seemingly small decision can make a big impact in Emma’s day.

The scenario uses the currency of “spoons” to gauge Emma’s energy level. This unit of measurement comes from the Spoon Theory, a popular metaphor that originated from a personal story by writer Christine Miserandino in 2003. Those with chronic illness use the Spoon Theory to communicate their energy and health level at any point in time. People with chronic pain, Miserandino says, start each day with a set number of proverbial spoons, each one representing the physical and mental energy it takes to complete a daily task or activity. Smaller tasks may take only one spoon, while larger tasks may take two or three. On days with increased pain, even smaller tasks may require multiple spoons. For those who are active and able-bodied, rationing your daily energy can be a difficult concept to grasp.

This project is designed to evoke empathy for Emma, and cause the learner to think about people in their own life who may be living with chronic pain and illness. It also encourages learners who have chronic illness to be gentle with themselves and self-advocate when needed. For medical providers, the scenario can be a way to reflect on their daily interactions with patients with chronic illness. It offers the chance to see the situation from the perspective of the patient.

In the future, I would like to build out a larger course around the topic of chronic illness and include the branching scenario as one facet of the project. To create the branching scenario, I used Miro (a visual mapping tool) to storyboard each slide and diagram the interaction between each slide. I created the project in Articulate Storyline 360 and used Canva, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to create and manage images. I used Microsoft Powerpoint to sketch out an idea for the project’s cover scene. 

Audience: Newly diagnosed patients with chronic illness and their caregivers, medical providers in training, general public (for awareness)

Roles: Origination, Research, Storyboarding, Copywriting, eLearning Development, Graphic Design

Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Miro, Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Powerpoint