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AI SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION
Client:
Services:
Gap/Needs Analysis, Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Script Writing, Video Development
Solution:
Role-based eLearning & Learner Presentation
Summary:
Redesigned AbbVie's underperforming AI Specialist Certification — closing 10 curriculum gaps and transforming a dense, one-size-fits-all program into a role-based learning path that certified 3,000 developers in daily AI fluency.
CHALLENGE
AbbVie had invested in an AI Specialist Certification program for Data Engineers, Software/Automation Engineers, and Systems Analysts — but the curriculum wasn't working. A thorough review uncovered 10 critical gaps: no measurable learning objectives, no performance feedback, no way to track skill retention, and content so dense it created cognitive overload. A pre-assessment existed but its results went completely unused, meaning an engineer already fluent in Claude Code sat through the same foundational content as a complete beginner. At a strategic level, AbbVie's AI adoption was inconsistent and ungoverned. The certification program was meant to close that gap — moving technical staff from passive awareness to confident, daily AI use — but in its current state, it couldn't deliver.
SOLUTION
I began with a formal Gap Analysis, applying backward design to establish six measurable learning objectives tied directly to on-the-job application. I then redesigned the entire curriculum — converting dense PDFs and MS Forms into standalone microlearning modules built in Articulate Rise and deployed individually to AbbVie's LMS for granular data capture. Pre-assessment results were used to place learners into Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced tracks, eliminating redundant content for experienced engineers. Activities were rewritten as narrative-driven workplace scenarios with built-in performance feedback and reflection prompts scaffolding toward a Shark Tank-style AI Capstone project. Content covered AbbVie's full proprietary AI ecosystem: PETRA, AVA, ILIAD, Claude Code, Agent SDK, and the ACTOR governance framework.
Articulate Rise, Camtasia, Claude Code, GenAI, Microsoft Word, PeopleSoft Precipio LMS, Synthesia
RESULTS
The redesigned curriculum launched with Software Developers across AbbVie, and the results validated the approach: 3,000 developers successfully completed certification, confirming both the modular design's scalability and its effectiveness at building real AI proficiency.
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Post-certification surveys showed 95% of learners reported increased confidence in daily AI tool usage.
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Stakeholder feedback: "The Gap Analysis is above and beyond what was asked. Great work Alex!"
To sustain momentum beyond the formal program, I established an AI Community of Practice — giving certified employees a permanent space to collaborate, share prompts, and surface emerging use cases.
WHAT I CREATED
For proprietary reasons, I cannot share the Rise eLearning course. However, these two deliverables show my process and approach:
Gap Analysis
Before redesigning anything, I conducted a systematic audit of the existing curriculum against instructional design best practices. This report documents the 10 critical gaps I identified — from missing learning objectives to unused assessment data — and outlines the evidence-based recommendations that shaped the redesign. It demonstrates how I diagnose learning problems before jumping to solutions.
Activities & Final Capstone
These hands-on activities replaced the original program's passive content with scenario-driven practice and built-in feedback. Each activity scaffolds toward the Final Capstone: a Shark Tank-style AI project where learners pitch a real workflow automation to a mock leadership panel. Together, they show how I design for application, not just comprehension.