Cybersecurity Dropout Issue
FRAMEWORKS: ADDIE, SAM, AND BACKWARD DESIGN
Goal: Reduce dropouts and increase pace to improve graduation rates
Outcome: A single strategic change significantly reduced dropouts and generated nearly $1 million in additional revenue.
This project is under NDA, so I can’t share deliverables. Below, I’ve outlined my role, process, and results.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Role
Lead Instructional Designer, Project Manager
Project
Cybersecurity Program Optimization: Dropout Issue at Capstone One
Program Length
6-9 months
Program Goal
Reskill beginners into job-ready cybersecurity professionals
Project Duration
2 weeks
Stakeholders
Head of Portfolio Management Office, Director of ID, Manager of ID, Content Manager, Editor, Program Manager, Student Support, Product Manager
Tools & Platforms
Custom LMS (Contentful), Infosec VM Environment, Tableau, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, screen recording + GIF tools, Jira
Accreditation Support
Maintained program documentation to support higher education accreditation standards
PROBLEM
ANALYSIS (ADDIE):
15% of students dropped out during Capstone One
Almost no one dropped out after that—so keeping students through Capstone One could significantly boost graduation rates and revenue
Initial assumptions incorrectly blamed a difficult assessment or poor curriculum alignment.
APPROACH
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT (Backward Design & SAM)
Reviewed the course and assessment from the learner’s perspective.
Conducted interviews with SMEs, student support staff, and recent learners.
Identified the core issue: the VM environment was confusing, making it unclear whether students had passed or completed tasks.
IMPLEMENTATION (SAM)
Created step-by-step guide to teach learners how to check their results.
Delivered content in multiple modalities to support different learning preferences: GIFs, screenshots, explainer videos, and plain-text guides.
EVALUATION (ADDIE)
Measured engagement and dropout rates post-implementation.
Students reported increased confidence in tracking progress and understanding requirements.
Drop-off at Capstone One was eliminated, contributing to a 14% increase in graduation rates and nearly $1M in additional revenue.
KEY INSIGHT
The blocker wasn’t content—it was clarity. Empowering students to self-check and self-correct removed friction and accelerated success.