My Philosophy

Instructional Design

My decades of experience have helped to shape my philosophy and approach to instructional design and the creation of engaging learning experiences.

What led you to pursue a career in instructional design, and how has your experience shaped your approach?

I have been an educator for 30 years. When the college music program I had successfully built was shut down in 2015, I made the decision to change careers. It was an easy decision to switch to instructional design, with my extensive experience in curriculum design and development, learning management systems, program development and project management. As an educator, I worked to connect with each student, designing learning experiences that were effective and enjoyable. I loved the challenge of turning something as “dry” as music theory into a fun learning experience! When I returned to school for a second master’s degree in educational technology, I was gratified to learn that my instincts were in alignment with best practices in adult learning and instructional design.

My approach as an educator has always been to draw students in and turn the lesson around. What do I mean by that? I want to create a learning experience where the participant ends up telling me all of the key points, based on the activities and discussion(s). For music students, this is as simple as listening to a new piece of music and having them tell me what they hear. Instead of a dry lecture where I list the key points, we have a lively (guided) discussion where they call out what they are hearing (instruments, volume, speed, etc.).

When I made the switch to instructional design, I continued using this mindset. For example, when I designed a leadership course, instead of saying "here are the four essentials roles of leadership, let's talk about them", I designed a launch lesson where we watched a video that showed everything in action. The video told the story of Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Everest (I highly recommend this video - it is awe inspiring!). The question "How did this man and his team succeed in what so many have literally died trying to do?" generates a fantastic discussion and off you go! The students are able to work through a gently guided discussion and arrive at the foundational ideas on their own, without a boring lecture.

Can you describe your process for creating engaging and effective learning materials?

All instructional design projects begin with a conversation with the subject matter experts (SMEs) and key stakeholders. What do they want the learning outcomes to be? What do they envision? Who are learners? Will it be a synchronous, asynchronous or hybrid learning experience? Once those questions are answered, I go through the material and create an outline that aligns with the answers and the project timeline. Then I look over the topics/lessons to see where I can create interactive learning experiences, such as polls, word clouds, games, group activities, discussions, etc. My goal is not to use every tool in my toolkit, but to home in on key ideas and figure out how I can draw the learner in. Again, my goal is to help the learner arrive at the learning outcome with gentle guidance, rather than note-taking throughout a lecture. My design portfolio shows some of my projects, such as gamification, storyboarding and use of interactive software.

How do you collaborate with subject matter experts to develop content that aligns with learning objectives?

As mentioned above, I always kick off training by meeting with SMEs to ensure we are in alignment on learning outcomes. After that first meeting, I outline content and create an alignment table mapping specific objectives to lessons. Once this is done, I share the content plans/tables with SMEs, ensuring we are on the same page. Feedback in this stage is crucial! SMEs can help to tighten up plans and may have additional ideas for content alignment. Frequent meetings throughout the design and development project are the key to ensuring I am in alignment with their expectations, as well as with the learning objectives.

What strategies do you use to incorporate multimedia elements, such as videos or animations, into your designs?

When incorporating multimedia elements, I consider what they can add to the content. Do they incorporate Schema and/or Dual Coding Theory? Do they align with Mayer’s Multimedia Principles? Do they help break up the content into chunks (“chunking”)? Are they interactive in any way? Do they encourage higher-level thinking or problem-solving? Do they present the material in a new way? If the answer to these questions is generally “yes”, I’ll consider adding the video/animation into the design, being sure to frame it, either with text or discussion.

What tools and software do you use for instructional design, such as e-learning platforms or authoring tools?

My main design tools are a combination of Snagit, Camtasia, PowerPoint, the Adobe Creative Suite (including Illustrator, InDesign and Audition) and Articulate (Rise 360). I use a diverse collection of learning software, including Kahoot!, EdPuzzle, Mentimeter, Voice Thread and Practice Musica. Learning management systems (LMS) include Blackboard, Canvas and Workday Learning. For hybrid course delivery, I have used Blackboard and Adobe Connect.

How do you ensure that instructional materials meet the needs of diverse learners?

In those early meetings with stakeholders and SMEs, I create a list of users. In higher education, the first question is whether they are faculty, staff or students. In corporate settings, the first question might be whether they are high-level positions (leadership, directors, etc.), entry-level staff, retail workers, etc. Whatever the situation, it is important to create user-stories that cover all users. Once I start designing, I am guided by Schema Theory and Dual-Coding Theory. Schema Theory involves designing learning experiences that connect with a particular audience’s experiences. It can be as simple as tailoring language for Millennials vs. Gen X. Dual-Coding Theory is based on lessons that employ both verbal and non-verbal channels. These two methodologies used together ensure that the learning experiences “speaks” to a diverse group of learners.

Another important idea is simply to speak the language of the learner. Engaging a group of front-line retail workers is far different from engaging a group of corporate leaders. I work to understand the learner and I never make assumptions about who they are or why they are involved in the learning experience.

How do you measure the effectiveness of training programs or learning modules?

Measuring the effectiveness of training involves a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. This includes pre/post confidence surveys, learning quizzes, test scores, completion rates, feedback surveys and focus groups. In some situations, it can also include data mined from ticketing systems (i.e., if the user has absorbed the content, they don’t need help from customer support). Focus groups can also be invaluable when working on earlier iterations of learning content. In some situations, a “suggestion box” can be implemented, or you can have learners simply email their ideas.