Humans are at the center of my work. I am driven by the desire to humanize formal and informal learning through careful user experience design. I believe that how you interact with the content you want to learn can be just as important as the content itself. For this reason, I use the term "learning experience" to encapsulate the wholistic nature of my designs: the accessibility, accuracy of content, ease of use, and overall engagement and enjoyment for the learner. We're all people, and people want to feel successful. I work hard to design and develop solutions to help people find success in their daily lives.

My designs are largely constructivist in nature. I value the active, collaborative creation of meaning over passive transfer/acquisition techniques. In other words, I strive to build learning experiences that allow learners to actively engage with the content at the heart of each design, build upon their current understanding, and reflect on how the content relates to their lived experience. I find that this methodology is much more effective at activating the cognitive processes of storing, recalling, and utilizing new information than transfer/acquisition techniques like lectures or passive reading.

I believe that trauma-informed methods are essential to creating safe space within all learning experiences. All of us experience emotions that affect our thoughts and behaviors every day. Now more than ever, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential to acknowledge and support the role that emotions play in our daily lives and how trauma impacts our cognitive ability to learn and adjust our behaviors. I utilize my experiential understanding of cognitive-behavioral theory to enhance the empathy work required when assessing learner needs and designing solutions that make positive behavior change more attainable.

My professional goal is to create "ah-ha!" moments for learners that support them in doing their best work. I'm driven by the belief that thoughtfully-designed learning solutions support learners' confidence in their own skills, which lowers daily stress, and improves overall quality of life.

I would love to talk to you about your project or answer any questions you may have. Please reach out using the Contact section of my website.

Education

Oregon State University (PACE)

Learning Experience Design Certificate

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Bachelor of Arts

Major in International Studies

Minor in Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology