Instructional Design

The speed of technology is changing how people learn in a big way, and the ability to access information related to pursuing individual goals is challenging the foundational value of educational institutions as we know it. This shift highlights not only the importance of reaching digital learners where they reside, but the newfound emphasis on converting, organizing, and understanding informal experiences to provide quality instructional outcomes as they relate to preparing one to become a contributing member of a rapidly changing workforce.

“Technology is best when it brings people together.” -Matt Mullenweg

Online learning increases the number of opportunities for personal development outside of traditional constructs, bringing with it a number of obstacles. Through the integration of Learning, Design & Technology, it is possible to ground these informal learning experiences within the context of established schemata in an attempt to elicit self-direction.

Over the course of my graduate studies at Penn State, I have been able to reflect on my own learning pursuits in order to better interpret the needs of individual learners as they relate to much larger systems. Learning through technology augments the potential to make meaningful connections that can be leveraged to confront the academic challenges of tomorrow, and it is with this integration that I have been able to develop a comprehensive understanding of activity theory, CMS integration, connected learning, course development, design thinking, informal learning, instructional design, needs assessment, qualitative research, technology integration, and workplace training.

Attached below are some of my favorite projects completed over my academic career at Penn State. These creations represent the culmination of personal experience and skill proficiency obtained through focusing on understanding my own learning behaviors, and how they may act as examples to empower others to achieve appreciation for their own journey through heightened awareness:

The ability to implement solutions that bring about a desired result, avert conflict, or move toward something more relevant, can be enhanced through developing one’s own perspectives as well as attempting to understand those of others. Just as every moment invariably leads into the next, the continuous nature of activity and the constructs of time provide the boundaries that we must learn to operate in order to ascribe meaning to our actions. While it is often necessary to compromise personal ambitions to complete objectives, every choice we make is deliberate and it is with this level of consciousness that one may achieve self-direction through the development of metacognitive perspectives that better allow for integration of personal aspirations within existing dynamics.

The connected nature of technology and the ability to reach users beyond constructs of time or location, further emphasizes the need to explore viable ways to harness the power of modern learning tools. These affordances grant the capacity to defy current limitations and move beyond them. Technology is fueling solutions by providing innovative ways to reinvent meaning by bringing people together from all walks of life on a shared platform. Whether reaching learners from across the street or across the globe, the freedom and convenience to communicate with others underpins the essence of our very existence.

Learning over the course of our lives is a journey, and the incorporation of technology allows one to better document the path that one paves toward a greater purpose. The recognition and acceptance of our unique experiences challenge us to take inventory of our personal skills and lead toward informing decision-making processes that grant one to move beyond what is known. Paired with passion, technology grants us the ability to explore new frontiers and examine unfamiliar perspectives for a more comprehensive view of the world and a deeper understanding of where we ultimately reside.