Key Issue:
Learners may know how to create charts and dashboards, but may not know which chart is suitable, what insight matters, and how to communicate the story clearly to managers or C-suite stakeholders.
ELO 1 — SELECT the right visual
ELO 2 — IMPROVE the visual
ELO 3 — EXTRACT actionable insights
TLO — COMMUNICATE the complete business story
WireFlow
DDDLP 2.0 • LU6 • Conceptual Wireflow
From Chart to Decision
One continuous learner journey showing how the eLearning addresses the performance gap, develops each ELO and finally achieves the TLO. Click any laptop to inspect the instructional design behind that screen.
ELO 1 • SELECT
ELO 2 • IMPROVE
ELO 3 • EXTRACT
TLO • COMMUNICATE
1
SELECT the Right Visual
Start with the business question, then choose and justify the visual.
ELO 1 • SELECT
01
Workplace Problem
Manager asks: “So what?”→
02
QUESTION → VISUAL → STORY
Frame the Question
What decision must the audience make?leads to
D1 • Decision 1
Which visual best answers the business question?
A • Bar chart — compare categories
B • Pie chart — part-to-whole
C • Line chart — trend over time
↓ Immediate explanatory feedback: why the choice fits — or does not fit.
Correct reasoning → CONTINUE →
→
03
Explain & Justify
Why is this visual suitable?
Merrill's First Principles:
Problem-centred → Activation → Demonstration → Application.
The learner starts with a realistic management problem, recalls what different charts are for,
sees the reasoning behind an appropriate choice, then applies that reasoning in D1.
↓
2
IMPROVE the Visual
Spot what is wrong, then make the chart clearer and more trustworthy.
ELO 2 • IMPROVE
04
Inspect a Poor Visual
Clutter • colour • scale • weak messageinspect
D2 • Decision 2
What is the most important problem to fix?
A • Remove unnecessary clutter
B • Correct misleading scale / encoding
C • Strengthen title and visual emphasis
↓ Feedback explains the design principle and shows a better version.
Diagnose → improve → CONTINUE →
→
05
Improved Visual
Clearer hierarchy and less cognitive clutter.
Merrill — Demonstration → Application + Gagné — Practice & Feedback.
The learner first sees a flawed example, actively diagnoses it in D2,
receives immediate corrective feedback, and then sees how the same visual can be improved.
↓
3
EXTRACT Actionable Insights
Move beyond “what the chart shows” to “what the business should do”.
ELO 3 • EXTRACT
06
Read the Evidence
What pattern actually matters?interpret
D3 • Decision 3
Which statement is the strongest evidence-based insight?
A • Simply repeat a number
B • Identify the meaningful pattern
C • Make an unsupported causal claim
↓ Feedback separates DATA → INSIGHT → INTERPRETATION.
Evidence-based insight → CONTINUE →
→
07
Insight → Implication → Action
Explain what it means for the stakeholder.check
D4 • Decision 4
What should you communicate to management?
A • Insight only
B • Insight + implication + action
C • Claim certainty without limitations
↓ Feedback reinforces responsible interpretation and limitations.
Build the story → CONTINUE →
Merrill — Application → Integration + Gagné — Elicit Performance & Feedback.
Learners interpret evidence themselves rather than merely reading an explanation.
Feedback helps them distinguish observation from interpretation, and they then connect
the insight to a business implication and action.
↓
4
COMMUNICATE the Complete Business Story
Bring ELO 1 + ELO 2 + ELO 3 together in one workplace challenge.
TLO • COMMUNICATE
08
Management Scenario
New problem • new stakeholder • new data→
Integrated Branching Challenge
The learner must make a sequence of workplace decisions.
Branch A • SELECT the most suitable visual
Branch B • IMPROVE how the visual communicates
Branch C • EXTRACT the defensible insight
Branch D • COMMUNICATE recommendation + limitation
Choices produce different feedback/consequences before paths reconverge.
→
09
Final Business Story
Evidence → meaning → recommendationTerminal Learning Outcome
From Data to Decision
ELO 1
SELECT+ ELO 2
IMPROVE+ ELO 3
EXTRACT→ TLO
COMMUNICATE
SELECT+ ELO 2
IMPROVE+ ELO 3
EXTRACT→ TLO
COMMUNICATE
Given a business context, data and stakeholder needs, learners select and improve suitable visualisations, extract actionable insights and communicate a clear, evidence-based business story and recommendation.
Merrill — Problem-centred + Application + Integration.
The final challenge uses a new realistic workplace problem rather than repeating the
worked examples. Learners combine all three ELOs and transfer the learning into one
complete stakeholder communication task. This is where achievement of the TLO is demonstrated.
Laptop = learning screen (click it)
D1–D4 = learner decision
Choices = interaction / branching opportunity
Feedback = explanation and correction
Final challenge = integration of ELOs → TLO
STAGE 1 • ELO 1
Workplace Problem — Manager asks “So what?”
Create a realistic reason for learning before teaching chart rules.
Learners may know how to create charts but struggle to explain why the chart matters to a stakeholder.
Prepares the learner for ELO 1 — SELECT.
Merrill's First Principles — Problem-centred + ActivationThe course begins with a real workplace problem. This activates the learner's existing experience with charts and gives the later learning a clear purpose.
Read a short management situation and identify what decision is required.
The learner first understands the problem before being asked to choose a chart.
STAGE 1 • ELO 1
Frame the Business Question
Teach learners to start with the decision question instead of starting with a favourite chart.
Chart-first and software-first thinking.
ELO 1 — SELECT: choose a visual based on business context and data.
Merrill — Activation → DemonstrationActivation links the new task to what learners already know about business questions. Demonstration then shows the reasoning chain Question → Visual → Story before learners make their own selection.
Match the business question to the type of comparison required.
It establishes the decision logic needed immediately before D1.
STAGE 1 • ELO 1
Explain & Justify the Choice
Move beyond guessing the correct chart.
Learners may know chart names without understanding why one chart fits a particular question.
ELO 1 — SELECT and justify the selected visual.
Merrill — Application + Gagné — FeedbackThe learner applies the selection principle in D1. Immediate explanatory feedback confirms or corrects the reasoning rather than merely showing “right/wrong”.
Chart selected + reason for selection.
This completes ELO 1 before progressing to visual improvement.
STAGE 2 • ELO 2
Inspect a Poor Visual
Develop the learner's ability to spot visualisation problems.
Clutter, poor colour, misleading scales, weak hierarchy and unclear messages.
ELO 2 — IMPROVE existing charts and dashboards.
Merrill — Demonstration → ApplicationA flawed example makes the problem visible. The learner then applies visual-design principles by diagnosing what should be corrected.
Inspect the chart and identify design problems.
Learners must first recognise a problem before they can improve it.
STAGE 2 • ELO 2
Improved Visual
Show how specific corrections improve clarity.
ELO 2 — IMPROVE.
Gagné — Provide Feedback + Merrill — DemonstrationAfter the learner makes a correction decision, the improved example visually demonstrates the consequence of that decision.
Learner can explain what changed and why the revised visual is clearer.
STAGE 3 • ELO 3
Read the Evidence
Shift attention from chart construction to meaning.
Learners may describe numbers without identifying what matters to the business.
ELO 3 — EXTRACT actionable insights.
Merrill — ApplicationThe learner must interpret a visual and select the strongest evidence-based insight instead of passively receiving the answer.
Choose the strongest insight from competing statements.
It tests whether the learner can move from DATA to meaningful INSIGHT.
STAGE 3 • ELO 3
Insight → Implication → Action
Turn an analytical observation into useful business communication.
ELO 3 — EXTRACT: insight, implication, action and limitation.
Merrill — Application → IntegrationThe learner applies interpretation skills and then connects the result to a realistic stakeholder decision, preparing for transfer to the final challenge.
Observation → business meaning → recommendation → limitation.
FINAL CHALLENGE • TLO
Integrated Management Scenario
Combine all three ELOs in a new workplace problem.
TLO — COMMUNICATE the complete business story.
Merrill — Problem-centred + Application + IntegrationA new authentic problem requires learners to apply ELO 1, ELO 2 and ELO 3 together. This demonstrates transfer rather than memorisation.
Different learner decisions produce different feedback and consequences before reconverging.
FINAL • TLO
Communicate the Business Story
Demonstrate the complete performance expected at the end of the eLearning.
TLO — COMMUNICATE.
Merrill — IntegrationThe learner brings the selected visual, improved communication and extracted insight together into a recommendation for the stakeholder.
Suitable visual + clear message + defensible insight + stakeholder relevance + responsible interpretation.