Final Project

EDU 623
Anna Maria Demeter
Post University
December 13, 2019
 Introduction

Most Americans spend their day in the work force. Most work an eight hour day, every

weekday, thus they spend just as much time with their coworkers as much as their own families.

One would think there would be camaraderie and respect amongst each other, but this is not

necessarily so. Today’s society has an increase in violence- bullying, mass shootings, petitions,

etc. Let’s add the fact that there is so much evidence of people being easily offended. Politics

and religion, once taboos in communication are vigilantly spoken of, pushed on, or carried on

into other conversations. Expressing one’s opinions initiates others to retaliate negatively.

Expression of one’s opinion can lead to loss in friendships, harassment, gossip. These negative

deeds have trickled down into the workforce.

The term workplace drama is a combination of some of these behaviors (Chism, 2012) states,

“Drama manifests in various ways in the workplace: insubordination, backstabbing, petty

arguments, power struggles, and all manner of employee relationship issues”. Some companies

that once have had standards for disciplining employees have seemed to ignore enforcing the

standards when unruly behavior becomes evident in the workplace. Some supervisors have been

accused of being insensitive to culture, gender, and race after having to police bad behaviors.

Some supervisors have even been accused with sexual harassment or misconduct. Some of these

falsely accused supervisors have started to take softer approaches for disciplining employees, or

none at all, to protect themselves from the wrath of a disgruntled employee. When this happens,

the supervisor(s) lose merit and respect. It incites the perpetrator to continue with disruptive

behaviors because they know they are in control of the situation. The actions of these employees

cause problems amongst all others and makes the workplace setting a seemingly more difficult,

drama filled venue.

 Needs Analysis

There has been increased animosity and angst amongst employees over the course of this

past year in the Veteran’s Administration (VA) Dental Clinic. Surmises have been made as to

why, yet not discussed or determined. Blame has been directed to those indirectly in the form of

gossip, benevolence, and even disrespect. It has made for a highly difficult work situation.

Management has been somewhat ineffective in addressing these concerns which just adds to the

problems. There needs to be a way to deal with the situation at hand in a way as to not suggest

blame but provide constructive criticism, aid, and solutions to all employees involved. Training

on workplace drama and how to prevent it is necessary to provide these solutions. All employees

should be required to participate for it to be successful. Training should not be a lecture, which

would only cause to bore some employees and lose attention of others but should consist on role-

playing activities where employees can actively contribute. All employees, including

management, should discuss possible concerns as they arise in the scenario. Feedback should be

encouraged after the activity so relevant issues in the office can be discussed and worked on.

Learner Analysis

Participants are all dental staff who are currently employed at a Veteran’s Administration

(VA) Dental Clinic. The dental clinic is housed within a VA Hospital. There are six licensed

dentists, one whom is an Oral Surgeon and the Dental Chief and another General Practitioner

who is the Lead Supervisor. Both work during the week in clinical dentistry providing dental

care to patients besides their managerial duties. There are four licensed registered dental

hygienists. There are about twelve dental assistants that are either registered or certified in their

field, two certified expanded function dental assistants (EFDA), who perform more duties than

a dental assistant, like fillings, three lab technicians, three administrative assistants, and three
front desk staff. Most employees are licensed or certified in their area of study, besides the

administrative staff. There is a about five Veterans within the group. Many have worked in

private dental practices, so they have had experience elsewhere, but a few front desk and

administrative staff are new to working at a dental office setting. Staff has an age range of 30-

65. The training event will have to take into consideration the age gap. It will be important to

designing a lesson that’s easy to comprehend and an active lesson, not a passive one. Each age

group represents a different learning style and era; thus, the design should be straightforward to

prevent misunderstanding amongst differing age groups. The activity should also be comfortable,

fun, and interactive. The topic, workplace drama, is intense enough, the training should be done

in a manner where it is light and enjoyable to prevent the occurrence of inciting an occurrence.

Environmental Analysis

The activity training will be performed for the dental clinic employees of the Veteran’s

Administrative Hospital. The key stakeholders in the project would be the dental supervisor, the

Dental Chief, and the Director of the VA.. Since employment is through a Government entity,

there will be restrictions to training and/or guidelines to follow consulting Government

standards. The VA Dental Clinic can take on-site continuing education or development courses

which may help with team building. If the activity is presented to the Dental Chief in advance, it

may be approved as a training event. Since the Dental Chief is supportive in promoting harmony

amongst personnel, the probability to allow the training event to occur is high. There is a half-

day blocked out every four months for training. The activity can be set up on one of those days to

avoid rescheduling patients. The dental clinic has a conference room where the exercises can be

taught. Employees have access to computers, if there needs to be email reminders, or electronic

evaluation forms after the event. There is also access to Skype messaging, if there is a need to
pursue that form of technology for the training event in some way, but it’s unnecessary in this

instance. Online training would seem the best platform, but since many employees cannot be

trusted to partake in normal monthly webinar training, it wouldn’t be ideal. Employees

traditionally have dodge unsupervised training and use free time as break time thus full

involvement of staff would be unaccounted for, and in this training full participation and

supervision should be stressed to strive for resolve of workplace drama.

Task Analysis

Upon completion of the training event in workplace drama, learners will be knowledgeable of

the following :

• Learners will be able to define workplace drama and list at least three types of behavior

associated with it.

• Learners will be able to define the role players of the workplace drama cycle.

• Learners will be able to detect signs of workplace drama. Skills will teach how to detect

key words, actions, and behaviors that serve as the basis for it.

• Learners will establish ways to prevent workplace drama. Skills including conflict-

resolution will aid in developing ways to communicate ore effectively with coworkers to

prevent misunderstandings and tension.

• Learners will learn about the department’s policies on disagreements with one another

within the office setting.

• Learners will learn steps they need to take to report any volatile disputes beyond their

immediate supervisor to protect themselves from bullying and retaliation.

 Situational Analysis:

Training in workplace drama just might add to it. There will be some challenges, especially

from these individuals that are guilty of it. Effective training needs to come from the assistance

of the Dental Chief. There should be an announcement made of the learning event, either at the

next staff meeting or via email. Announcing the learning activity should be accompanied with

the current policies and procedures from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

(EEOC). These policies and procedures should be reviewed, along with an explanation of their

importance in the workplace setting and the consequences form noncompliance. Stating facts

will convey there is to be no tolerance for misguided behaviors in the office. It will give a direct

definition of what is acceptable and what is not. Using standard policies and procedures will also

show that it is a guideline employee are expected to follow. It will not suggest it was meant to

single out a specific individual. Those individuals that take everything personal or as a

punishment may be more receptive if it comes from above our immediate supervisor. (The

Dental Chief or Lead Supervisor may be scrutinized by an employee if they present the training

event themselves). Employees should sign off on paper register after the EEOC policies and

procedures are reviewed. This is proof that all employees are informed of the standards. If an

employee is absent, permit ample time for them to review the EEOC policy and procedures prior

to the training event. Ample time should be less than a month preferably, so the information is

fresh and can be expanded upon without hesitation or misunderstanding. When all have

completed the initial task, then the learning activity should follow soon afterwards.
 Media/Technology Analysis

Technology for this learning project will be needed more prior to the training event, for the

design and development and for the evaluation process. For example, technology, in the form of

computers, can be used for employees to read and review the initial policies and procedures and

to sign an electronic form stating the employee completed that task. Emails can ask for

suggestions from employees with their concerns and ideas to include in training. Online surveys

can be established so employees can use to evaluate the course content after training is given so

management can ascertain what employees felt was most important in the training activity. This

can also help determine if the training event either helped or harmed the situation at hand.

Webinars that are offered in office are often ignored or not completed by employees so an online

webinar wouldn’t be a choice for presentation of the activity. It could work if it was shown

during a staff meeting in the conference room in front of supervisors and peers, but it lacks active

participation. The emphasis should be on promoting the dental office staff to actively partake in

the training event. Contacting persons that have experience in workplace drama and/or conflict-

resolution activities to conduct the learning event is ideal. An outsider will give a non-biased

activity, and an experienced professional will command more respect than a fellow coworker

would, including supervisory staff. Using a sizeable room, like the conference room or larger,

employees can gather there to meet and participate with mock situations and scenarios that

exhibit workplace drama. It can allow for pauses for questions, clarification, and/or input to the

learning activity. Immediate questions allow for immediate corrections. The activity should be

done in manner to promote positivity so any adjunct that can assist in that will be a great asset to

this educational event.

 Developmental Schedule

The initial step of in the Developmental stage should be a meeting between the presenter and

management, which includes the supervisor and chief of the dental clinic. Since the dental clinic

staff is to be addressed and they are Federal employees, clearance may be needed by other

officers, including Hunan Resources, the Board of Directors, the director of the VA hospital, and

the EEOC office, if necessary. There may be a need for meeting or teleconference. Inviting the

director assures approval of the activity. Director approval may also prevent criticism from

employees. Meeting with dental clinic management isn’t too difficult to obtain, it may take a

week or two to get the direct supervisor the Dental chief, and Administrative Assistants to the

Dental Chief together at the same time. Planning a timeline for this initial phase should take two

weeks or less so the developmental process can move forward in an efficient manner.

Once that approval is established, the learning activity should be proposed to the Director.

Depending on the response of the Director, the conference amongst the upper echelon of the VA

hospital and the Board of Directors could be within a few weeks to a few months. For instance, if

the Director decided the Dental Clinic could use this leaning activity as a training course within

the dental staff, the project can go forward almost immediately. If the Director determines

involvement by other agencies within the VA Hospital, like the EEO office, HR and the Union,

then there may be many more months of planning to appease to each entity involved. A time

limit should be set to prevent it getting lost. Six months should be enough time for developing

ideas amongst other departments and directorial staff, but it should be stressed that it is an

immediate activity that will benefit employees.

Ideally, a one month time period should offer enough time for the design process to take place

in each ADDIE phase. One month intervals will keep information fresh. It will encourage quick
delivery of the training. Promotion of participating parties can be done so more efficiently and

effectively. Here’s details of the ADDIE model:

A- Analyze- Observation of findings regarding workplace drama. One month may be more

than enough time to record finings. Observation and Analyzation can be done by the

presenter of the project. The presenter may want to include others to observe and may

chose a small group to assist to help gather findings. These observations will help analyze

the current atmosphere in the dental clinic and the attitudes of the dental staff.

D- Design- Input from the observations will serve as the basis to constructing the learning

activity. The design should be appropriate to the work force yet caters to all employees

educational and interest level. Therefore, the presenter must find motivational tools, such as

multi-media, mixed-media, online resources, etc. to add to the design of the learning activity.

Considering every learner’s needs will help pique their interests and keep them motivated to

learn.

D- Development- The presenter approaches the immediate supervisory board, the dental

manager and the Dental Chief, with the learning activity. Upon approval, the Dental Chief

shall determine if the activity is adequate to be taught as an in-service training activity, or if it

needs to be sent to higher management, such as the VA Hospital Director. Since it is a

Federal Government agency, this step must be done in order to progress forward. The VA

follows the “Chain of Command” system, whereas ideas, issues, etc., starts at lower

management and if not settled, it continues upward to middle management, then ultimately

upper management for resolve.

 Resources should be gathered and presented to management to support the learning

activity. Data retrieved from observations at the Analyze phase can be used alongside

research from online sources that support the training.

I-Implement- Upon approval, the presenter must make any adjustments, and use any ideas,

input, and omissions by upper management and implement them into the activity. Doing so

shows respect for management. It also may promote cooperation from coworkers since it

shows involvement from superiors.

The training activity can be done on a Thursday afternoon course schedule, which is

12:00-3:30 pm. The course should be within that time frame, but not fill the whole slot. The

activity is meant to teach and inspire peers, not bore them. The presenter should try to

implement the presentation activity within a month from supervisory approval.

E- Evaluation- This stage should occur immediately following the activity. This will supply

the presenter with feedback fresh from the course. This feedback can be in the form of a

short survey asking questions about the content and quality of the course. The presenter

can take assessments made, whether positive or negative, to alter the activity for future

use. If possible, a refresher course within three months would be a great way to reiterate

skills learned from the training activity.

Course Learning Objectives

1) After the learning activity, learners should be able to identify three (3) signs of workplace

drama.
 2) After completing the learning module, coworkers will describe 80% of principles used to

eliminate workplace drama.

3) At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to collaborate in groups of three

to demonstrate acts to diffuse workplace drama.

4) At the end of the learning activity, employees will be able to manage communication

responses amongst peers 100% more effectively.

5) Upon completion of the learning module, employees will be able to modify their

responses to workplace stress 85% more effectively

6) At the completion of the learning activity, 100% employees will be able to identify the

drama triangle and the roles associated with it

Lesson Structure

The learning activity will address Diffusing Drama in the Dental Office and how to prevent

or avoid it. The office staff should be able to demonstrate effective ways to deter workplace

drama before it becomes an altercation or hindrance in the office setting. Assessment of the

needs of the office staff before beginning the design to get their input would be instrumental as

to what is important to them regarding the topic. A pre-test or survey may be given to assess

employees’ opinions on how disagreements, drama, and dissension in the office affects them.

This may be used also to determine as to how to format the design. Topics of the learning

activity may include:

• How to detect negative behaviors from a coworker – learners being aware of negativity

will learn to find ways to diffuse or ignore it

 • How to diffuse or ignore negative behaviors or drama from a coworker – learners will

learn in the training activity ways to prevent a reaction following negativity from a

confrontational coworker

• How to add a create a more positive workplace environment – the learning activity will

give suggestions for positivity in the work arena

• How to address conflict with a coworker to resolve issues (before they become a bigger

problem)- conflict/resolution training.

Activities

According to (Nokes & Sappinton, 2010), More than 80% of the information our brains

process is visual, so conclusions we draw about the validity of information are influenced by

how information is presented. Thus, the more appealing the design, the more it interests the

learner. One can even presume that it also will help a viewer with absorption of the learning

content.

A visual presentation, along with role-playing scenarios can give learners the opportunity to

practice effective methods to deter workplace drama. It will also give them a chance to

participate in the activity physically. During role-playing scenarios, pauses can made to address

issues, differences, and queries as they arise. Learners can also discuss their ideas, thoughts,

feelings, and questions to supplement or to alter the learning activity, so it fits their needs. It is

important to involve all aspects of the learning activity with the audience for whom it will be

constructed. It displays the audience’s importance in activity . It will help motivate them to be

more involved materially and mentally. It also will facilitate the designer to compose a more

cohesive and personalized instructional design plan to use in the learning activity.
 Assessment

As stated in the Activities paragraph above, during role-playing scenarios, pauses can made to

address issues, differences, and queries as they arise. This is indicative of formative assessment

where assessment is done during the learning activity. Larson (2014) states, “If done correctly,

formative assessment provides an opportunity to learn because a good assessment points out

gaps in knowledge and skills to be filled”. Allowing assessments during the activity also

permits learners to use their thought processes more constructively and contribute to

participation in the learning activity. Summative assessments, assessments after the course is

completed will also be presented. These will aid in determining how much has actually been

learned from the activity. Alternate assessments may be used over the traditional summative

assessments since the learner would create a response, not select a random multiple-choice

selection. These responses can be creative and expressive of the what they’ve actually learned by

asking open-ended questions in the assessments. Alternate assessments are ideal as they illustrate

participants ideas on the learning activity, displays the progress of the learner, and may

contribute to alterations, if need be.

For example, Basto (2014) describes some questions that may provoke deeper thinking by

individual learners. One example of an evaluation question asks, “What do you like or not like

about this piece of work”? Another example, an effort question, asks, “The work would have

been better if I spent more time on…”. These questions show the strengths and weaknesses of

both the learner who is performing the assessment and that of the learning activity itself.
 Implementation

A pilot test should be done to gain input in the design of the learning project. It is

recommended that participants in the pilot testing should not be involved in the design process.

Different assessors provide valuable feedback without bias. The feedback in the pilot study

should be used in modification of the learning project. Once the pilot test concludes other factors

can be determined to prepare for the learning project.

Determining the learning environment will be an important factor. Since this activity involves

the work environment, it is best to present the activity in that actual setting, here it is

comfortable. It should be a combination of face-to-face and mixed media, preferable a slide or

video presentation, along with pre- and post- tests can be done via the internet, if need be. Access

to the internet or WIFI, computer(s), and a slide projector will need to be requested for use by

contacting the IT department at the VA Hospital. The IT staff can also bring any necessary cords,

outlets, and other electronic equipment needed for the activity.

Space is another important environmental factor. There should be enough room for all employees

to have space without being crowded. If the training room has an insufficient space, a request a

conference room at the worksite with ample space should be made to establish a more

comfortable environment. For example, if the dental department conference room is at capacity

and crowded, a request should be made to reserve the multi-purpose room down the hall ahead of

time so there is no conflict at the time of the date of the training activity.

Training will be delivered by the Dental Chief. Establishing the Dental Chief as the trainer

encourages team participation. It prioritizes the training activity and gives it importance. Giving

the slide presentation ahead of the scheduled learning event would give the Dental Chief all
information needed for preparation so she can present the learning activity in an effective and

efficient fashion.

Plenty of communication occurs in the Implementation phase. Communication is key to plan

activity dates, plan lessons, prepare the learning activity, and constructing the design, but it’s

also a huge factor in edits, testing, and evaluations. Without communication, the learning activity

will fail to launch effectively.

Evaluation

Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation will be a guide used in the evaluation process of the

learning project. Here’s a list of some ideas to evaluate on each level:

Level One -Reaction: This helps to measure how participants react to the training program.

Design a pretest or survey questioning learners about the learning topic. Evaluating the results of

those pretests to decide if there is a positive or negative feel for the topic. Use that input in

initially establishing the design or redirecting and reformation of the design. This is also called a

smile sheet.

Level Two -Learning: This involves learner satisfaction and assesses the skills, knowledge and

abilities learned from the activity. Include mini quizzes during the presentation to review and

recall information discussed to promote retention of information. Short simple questions that can

be answered easily to facilitate this process.

Level Three-Behavior: This level measures the transfer of behavior of the knowledge, skills, and

abilities as a result of the activity. Observing the dental clinic can be a way to check on the status

of the behaviors learned and being applied after it is taught. If it is not, there can be collaboration
with manager staff for advice on continuing the learning activity in an alternate way to promote

success

Level Four- Results: This is also a measurement of the success of the leaning activity. Results

can be recorded by post-tests or surveys that ask learners about what they have learned, what

they felt was important/non-important to their learning, and what they liked or disliked about the

activity. The feedback can be used in the editing process.

The biggest challenge in attempting to apply these levels of evaluation may be in the behavior

level. Creating a learning activity that will incite interest and promote change is difficult when

the learners are employees that have been members of the work force for over 10+ years.

Seasoned employees may be rigid to the concept of change and not take well to the learning

activity. This would also be evident in the evaluation of the reaction, or the first stage. If

possible, adjust the learning activity at that initial stage if you can foresee it being uninteresting

to the learners.

Summary

In summary, creating a learning activity involving Workplace Drama can be a grueling task.

The initial ideas in the creation process can be thought out , planned, developed and designed by

using developer tools. Using tools such as ADDIE and Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation

and other methods of Instructional Design can assist one in the construction of the learning

project by guiding them along in a step by step method that covers all bounds of the fabrication

process. It includes all involved, from the stakeholders to the audience it is directed for. It can be

deconstructed if need be, edited or altered based on participant’s responses. Designing a learning

activity that addresses the issue and proposes solutions by performing hands-on activities and
allowing verbal input and written feedback from participants, will aid motivation, and in turn

reflect in behaviors .

If there is mandatory training that recognizes, discusses, and deters drama in the workplace,

employees will be more informed on their own behaviors and more apt to change. Management

must make a conscious effort to train employees of the risks, the reasons, and the remediation

needed to control discrepancies and to halt dilemmas when they are trivial, so it doesn’t cause

wide-spread drama and dissension in the work environment. Employee input and action should

factor into the training activity in order to make it a positive experience for all. “Ultimately, the

learner must be motivated to make the effort to learn”. ( Larson, 2014, p53.)
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Chisom, M. (2012). Workplace Drama: How to Define It and Identify It. Retrieved from
https://www.powermag.com/workplace-drama-how-to-define-it-and-identify-it/

Course Design on a Shoestring Budget. (2014, Dec 22). How to Write Learning Objectives Using
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Demeter, Anna M.(2019). EDU623- Designing Learning Environments.[Blog]. Retrieved from

https://annamariademeter.wordpress.com/edu623-design-learning-enviroments/

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Larson, M.B. (2014),. Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York:
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Nokes, J., & Sappington, E. (2010). At first sight: Improving your training with good visual
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