I'm Just A Bill: How A Bill Becomes Law

Goals

Design Goal- Create an accessible, learner-centered experience that clarifies the sequence of the federal legislative process and supports independent review. 

Lesson Goal/Objective- After completing the course, learners will be able to explain the major stages of how a bill becomes federal law, with a target accuracy of 90%. 

Design Process

Needs Analysis- A formative quiz indicated that learners needed more detailed instruction on the legislative process. Follow-up discussion suggested that students would benefit from seeing the process organized into smaller, connected steps rather than receiving another whole-group explanation. 

Instructional Design- I used scaffolding to build from learners’ prior knowledge, introducing the process in a logical sequence. The self-paced format allows learners to revisit explanations and review unfamiliar steps before moving forward. A visual flowchart reinforces the relationship among the stages. 

Interactive Elements- Flipcards reinforce essential terminology, while multiple-choice knowledge checks provide opportunities to practice and check understanding throughout the course. 

Tone and Accessibility- The course uses clear academic language, defined key terms, and visual supports to make complex content easier to navigate. Images include captions, and learners can control their pace and revisit content as needed. 

Evaluation- The course was designed in response to formative assessment findings and includes embedded knowledge checks. The 90% figure is a learning target, not a claim of measured post-course performance. 

Authoring Tools- Articulate Rise 360 was used to develop the interactive course. I authored the instructional content and used ChatGPT to refine wording for clarity and concision and to assist with creating the legislative-process flowchart. Instructional decisions, content selection, and final review remained my responsibility.