Instructional Designer

Learning that actually changes behavior.

I design scenario-based learning experiences that solve real performance problems. 23 years in the classroom taught me how people actually learn. Now I bring that to corporate L&D and EdTech.

What I bring
23
years designing curriculum that works
ADDIE Backward Design Scenario-Based Learning Instructional Coaching SAMR Model Articulate Rise 360 Storyline 360 Kirkpatrick Gamification SBI Model

Projects that show
how I think

Storyline 360
Scenario-Based
eLearning
Management Development Soft Skills ~12 min 6 Scenes

The Difficult Conversation

A six-scene branching scenario for managers at a fictional tech company. Learners practice the SBI feedback model through realistic decisions with real consequences. Built with deliberate practice loop-backs so wrong answers lead to learning, not dead ends.

  • Needs analysis identified behavior gap, not knowledge gap
  • SBI model introduced through failure, not upfront instruction
  • Two characters with expression-matched emotional arcs
  • Single earned outcome after deliberate practice loop-backs
Rise 360
eLearning
Module
DEI Training Corporate L&D ~10 min 5 Sections

Unconscious Bias: From Awareness to Action

A Rise 360 course for corporate managers that moves beyond awareness training. Opens with a reflective self-assessment scenario, teaches four bias types through an interactive accordion, then applies them to hiring and performance review decisions.

  • Self-assessment hook before any content is delivered
  • Labeled graphic interactions on real workplace scenarios
  • Three strategies grounded in behavior change research
  • Personal commitment activity closes the loop
Curriculum Architecture
Technical
Onboarding
Scaffolded Design 6 Units Differentiated Pacing

Creator Academy: Scaffolded Technical Curriculum

A 6-unit technical skills curriculum designed for learners with zero prior coding experience. Bronze, Silver, and Gold challenge tiers provide differentiated pacing so every learner progresses at the right level of challenge without separate lesson plans. Directly reframeable as corporate technical onboarding.

  • Backward design from a game portfolio capstone, not content coverage
  • Three-tier scaffolding supports mixed experience levels in one cohort
  • Structured self-testing protocol builds systematic debugging habits
  • Peer playtest phase mirrors industry QA and feedback workflows
Scenario-Based Curriculum
Digital Security
Training
Gamified Learning 90 Minutes Jigsaw + Forensics

Digital Crime Scene Investigation

A 90-minute cybersecurity lesson built around a fictional character named Alex with genuinely terrible digital security habits. Learners become digital forensics investigators, auditing Alex's vulnerabilities and presenting remediation recommendations. Translates directly to corporate cybersecurity onboarding.

  • Emotional hook via real victim stories before any content is introduced
  • Jigsaw expert groups distribute cognitive load across seven defense strategies
  • Four differentiated forensic roles support mixed ability levels
  • Private personal action plan drives behavior change over performance compliance

Design decisions,
not just deliverables.

01
Needs Analysis
Every project starts with the same question: is this a knowledge problem or a behavior problem? The answer determines everything that follows.
02
Objectives First
Learning objectives are written in observable, measurable terms before a single slide is built. What will learners do differently? How will we know?
03
Design with Intent
Every design choice connects to a learning principle. Scenario-based for behavior change. Accordion for cognitive load. Loop-backs for deliberate practice.
04
Measure Outcomes
Kirkpatrick's four levels guide every project. What did learners think, learn, do, and produce? Built in from the start, not added at the end.

Former educator.
Current designer.

I spent 23 years in K-8 education as a Gifted Facilitator and Technology Electives Teacher, designing curriculum that actually engaged learners. Escape rooms. Branching scenarios. Project-based units with real stakes. I just didn't have a name for what I was doing.

For seven of those years I worked as an embedded instructional coach, helping teachers across an entire district transform their practice during a 1:1 Chromebook rollout. I conducted needs analyses, designed professional development, co-taught alongside teachers, and ran observation and debrief cycles using the SAMR model. That's corporate L&D work. I just did it in schools.

Turns out, I've been doing instructional design for two decades. Now I'm bringing that experience to corporate L&D and EdTech, where the learners are adults and the performance problems are real.

I build learning experiences that treat adult learners with respect: no information dumps, no obvious wrong answers, no passive clicking through slides. Just well-designed practice that changes behavior.

Master of Arts in Education
Baker University
Graduate Certification in Gifted Education
Fort Hays State University
Google Certified Educator
Level 1 & 2
Seesaw Ambassador
EdTech Integration

Let's build something worth learning.

I'm currently open to remote instructional design and curriculum development roles in corporate L&D and EdTech. If you're building learning experiences that actually need to work, let's talk.