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Who it's for: Academic Advisors

Where it lives: Canvas, Onboarding Module 
The need: Simplifying FERPA guidelines for advisors in student-facing situations. 

 

This instructional video is part of the academic advisor onboarding process, designed to help advisors understand and apply FERPA guidelines in real student interactions.

While advisors may be familiar with FERPA, the challenge is applying it correctly in day-to-day conversations. This video addresses that gap by breaking down key concepts into clear, practical steps for real-time use.

 

The design uses scenario-based examples and guided explanations to model appropriate responses, supporting confident and compliant communication with students.

 

Learning Objective

Apply FERPA guidelines accurately in student-facing situations to ensure compliant and appropriate communication.

 

Design Technology

• Shot on an iPhone 12

• Post Production in Adobe Premiere 

• 3-point lighting 

• Sound Lav mic 

• Keynote for Storyboard 

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From Theory to Practice

 

When I began creating this FERPA instructional video, my focus was on advisors answering students' questions accurately and taking the right actions to support compliance. Most advisors understand FERPA well. The challenge is applying it to the FERPA form itself and to the process when the student arrives at the advising building. The gap between knowledge and practice defined my approach.

 

I followed backward design to structure the video. This design theory was chosen because the goal was to ensure the FERPA form was filed correctly at the end of the video. Rather than discussing policy step by step, I focused on understanding the FERPA form. The scenario demonstrates compliant communication, so advisors recognize the effective process for receiving the FAFSA form. 

 

I distilled key FERPA concepts into straightforward steps. My aim was to eliminate uncertainty and make guidance practical and timely. I kept the video brief, using Universal Design for Learning principles to enhance clarity, accessibility, and usability. All design decisions were guided by one goal: enabling advisors to respond confidently and communicate clearly while maintaining compliance.

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