Authentic Conversational Interviewing eLearning:
Best Practices from a Collaboration between Fredrickson Learning and the Minnesota Department of Human Services
By Michael Sunnarborg and Marisa Hubin
Originally posted: December 17, 2025
When was the last time you had a really good conversation? Conversations are essential for building authentic connections between people because they create space for genuine exchange where listening, sharing, and understanding happen.
The Power of Conversations
Conversations can be particularly powerful when there’s a need to gather information from an individual about their specific needs for services and support provided by state and federal agencies.
In Minnesota, the MnCHOICES assessment is a free, confidential, and person-centered assessment program that helps individuals determine their needs for long-term services and supports. It is used to assess eligibility for programs like home and community-based service waivers and helps people create a care plan to live in the community rather than in an institution.
Especially when looking at assessing the needs of individuals who live independently, the assessment process can be done in a more personalized and authentic way through conversational interviewing rather than filling out an impersonal survey.
Conversational interviewing is a person-centered activity, with the goal of discovering a fuller understanding of the person’s daily life experiences, aspirations, connections, values, and needs. It is a guided, yet flexible conversation led by a certified assessor during which the person shares their daily routines, challenges, relationships and personal experiences—in their own words and from their own perspective. This firsthand account is then used to inform the assessment.
Our Partnership
Beginning in 2024, we partnered with Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division (MN DHS DSD)—the client—to design training that equips MnCHOICES’ certified assessors with conversational interviewing skills and techniques. Previously, the client delivered this training in a classroom setting, but that approach ended when the COVID pandemic began. This necessitated and inspired the idea to have a digital approach to training in order to reach many organizations and locations with ease.
The instructor-led sessions went beyond techniques—they emphasized compassion, empathy, reflective listening, and strong communication skills, so the new online version would need to be just as powerful. To match the depth of the original training, we knew the eLearning version had to include real-world examples, stories, and authentic scenarios to bring the learning to life. This is where we could leverage the use of video.
The Co-Creative Process
One of the unique aspects of this project was the opportunity to not simply collaborate with the client, rather cocreate with them. Cocreation involved inviting various stakeholders, such as customers, employees, and community members, to participate actively in the process of developing new ideas, products, or solutions. Especially with this sensitive topic of personal health management, working co-creatively on this training mirrored the conversational style we were teaching which includes a more interactive and inclusive experience for both the assessor and the person being interviewed.
Creating Authentic Content
During the analysis phase, we met with the client in several sessions to review, discuss, and analyze the original facilitator notes from the classroom training. Listening to their insights gave us a clear view of their depth of knowledge and passion for the training program.
We then brought the SMEs and stakeholders into our offices for a Design Studio session where we outlined the topic flow and recommended different design approaches, including eLearning with video integration, using real situations and scenarios, and filming in authentic assessment environments such as homes and care facilities.
Early in the project, we invited a group of real-life assessors to be part of an advisory panel. Several times during the initial phase of the project, we solicited advice from the panel through Google Forms or Teams. The input they provided allowed us to hear firsthand assessment stories and learn more about their professional practice.
From these conversations, we created preliminary storyboards using Miro—an online virtual whiteboard—to organize content into sections and share our understanding back with the client. This cycle of listening and validating became the foundation for productive working sessions and strong collaboration.
Processing and Prototyping
While we were still refining the content, we started creating design prototypes. The client needed to see eLearning examples to explore options for design and interactivity that would bring their training to life. These prototypes gave the client a chance to react to how information might look and function—especially since the courses relied heavily on interactive video.
We prototyped content design in PowerPoint, created interactive video mockups in Adobe Premiere, and applied course branding and overall content structure in Articulate Rise. These various tools allowed us the opportunity to demonstrate to the client their options and our recommendations around design.
One challenge with prototypes is that they can be mistaken for final products, leading to confusion. We learned that ongoing, collaborative conversations were key to clarifying their purpose and ensuring we captured what the client truly wanted.
"Working co-creatively on this training mirrored the conversational style we were teaching which includes a more interactive and inclusive experience for both the assessor and the person being interviewed."
Filming with Authenticity
The courses included videos to demonstrate assessor skills and conversational interviewing techniques. As we organized content, we created a framework in Articulate Rise, which made it easy to share review links and gather feedback. Once the content was set in Rise, we moved to a major milestone: filming.
Pre-production for video filming included writing custom scripts with input from advisory panels, scouting locations, casting, and performing equipment checks. To keep the videos authentic, we cast real assessors and actors who have experienced MnCHOICES assessments. Our main actors were sourced from the Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which features theater and studio arts while embracing the entire spectrum of disabilities. And while we used scripts as a guide, we left room for improvisation—to capture real, authentic interactions between the actors and assessors.
"We cast real assessors and actors who have experienced MnCHOICES assessments."
Our team filmed at two locations including a residential home and a senior living center—the most common environments for conducting the MnCHOICES assessment.
The videos were edited and integrated into the eLearning modules to provide a seamless transition from content to live interactive examples—some videos even including branching scenarios and built-in assessment exercises for learners. This added interactivity provides opportunities for more “real life” scenarios that result from engaging in the conversational interviewing model. Like in real life, for every answer, there are variety of responses. Using interactive video within the eLearning modules allows learners to explore multiple realistic options that an Assessor might face.
Ongoing Collaboration and Review
Ongoing collaboration with the client was critical for alignment and expectation-setting for this long, complex project. Using an agile approach with multiple review cycles added to the success of the project. Review cycles gave reviewers space to provide actionable feedback, allowed us to make updates, and ensured regular check-ins to resolve open issues.
One key takeaway: every voice needs to feel heard. With a diverse client team and a project of this size, we made it a priority to check for understanding, invite questions, and sometimes move discussions into smaller groups for comfort and specialized expertise. This best practice could be useful in any large complex project, especially when the client group consists of multiple stakeholders from different teams and organizations, which is often the case with government clients.
Successful Collaboration Pays Off
Together with the client, we developed three interactive eLearning modules in Articulate Rise focused on conversational interviewing skills. The modules included eLearning content and interactive video, along with assessment to check for the learners’ understanding along the way. This robust program was possible thanks to close collaboration with the client team. Their feedback was invaluable, and we’re excited to see how the modules are received by the wider assessor community.
From the start, this project was all about people and conversation. After the modules launched, we hosted a watch party with Interact so the talent and their colleagues could see the final product. Our team and the client team joined in and had the privilege of watching the actors see themselves in the training.
Preliminary feedback about the courses has been overwhelmingly positive, and our clients feel that the project was a huge success! The content and stories truly resonated, and everyone who has completed the courses enjoyed them and learned from them. We learned how valuable it is to bring people together to celebrate. It gave everyone a chance to connect face to face, reflect on the project, and share the joy in its success.
