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Background – Context
LaBrink Legal, P.C. is a small legal firm in La Porte, Indiana, offering legal services in La Porte County and Northwest Indiana. The firm specializes in medical malpractice, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, product liability, and nursing home negligence cases.
The owner, Amber LaBrink, recently noticed her legal assistant staff and partners were having issues with writing objectives and specific goals.
Challenge
Alex suggested that Amber use the Smart Goal Framework after consultation, as it is a simple five-frame method.
Solution
The SMART Goal Framework was suggested for use when designing the visual image. Amber wanted to ensure the staff understood the framework easily and desired the content to be simple.
Results – Reflection
After the training was deployed to the staff, Amber noted a 50% increase in goal development within the office. She is pleased with the progress as she knows goal writing is not an easy task to learn.
Amber noted her staff continually uses the worksheet on occasion.
Situation
Set the stage for your story and capture the interviewer’s attention. Remember, the purpose of this step is to paint a clear picture of the situation you were in so the interviewer fully understands the rest of your answer. Avoid elaborating on details that are not relevant to the question (Adam, 2023).
Describe the situation you faced and the background. The who/what/when/where/why.
Include details such as (Interview Genie, 2023):
Task
This part of the answer is where you would highlight the problem you were tasked to solve in the particular scenario and what your responsibilities were. Hold off on telling the interviewer exactly what you did, as you’ll dive into the details in the action portion of your answer (Adam, 2023).
Action
Dive into the specific actions you took to achieve a goal or solve a problem. This is your chance to showcase the skills and qualities that will make you stand out among other job applicants, so be sure to give enough details (Adam, 2023).
How did you solve the problem? What was involved in the execution?
Some things to include (Interview Genie, 2023):
Result
Explain the positive impact of your actions. If you’re sharing a story about how you failed or made a mistake, use the result portion to end your story on a high note by reflecting on what you’ve learned and how those lessons made you more competent in the workplace (Adam, 2023).
How did you measure success for this project? Quantify to understand volume, size, scale. You can give both absolute numbers and relative percentage.
Where was the impact (Interview Genie, 2023)?
Challenge
Explain the situation and give key background information (Dabell, 2021).
Action
Explain what actions you took and explain why you took them. Give clear reasons and evidence where necessary (Dabell, 2021).
Results
Explain what happened as a result of your actions. Talk about the outcomes in relation to aims and objectives. Focus on the level of success and the level of satisfaction (Dabell, 2021).
Learning
Identify what you have learned. Would you do the same again? Would you revise and refine anything (Dabell, 2021)?
Background – Context
Sacks Career Consulting is a small, woman-owned career consulting business located in Michiana Shores, Indiana; nestled in the Greater Michigan City, Indiana region of Northwest Indiana outside of Chicago. The business offers career consulting services to high school students, college graduates, entry-level corporate professionals, and C-suite-level executives.
The business recently expressed a need for training in the STAR and CARL interview methods for its clients.
Challenge
The owner, Jessica Sacks, recently became aware through her staff that clients were struggling with interviews. Jessica knew the business market had shifted considerably, and they had adjusted many of their business practices to meet those needs; however, it appeared they had not met the bar in terms of interviewing.
Jessica spoke with several clients confidentially and conducted mock interviews with them, discovering that they had trouble answering scenario-based questions. Jessica had several frameworks available to teach her clients, but she wanted to present this information in a concise manner.
She enlisted the assistance of Alex for training as she was a former client, and she knew they could brainstorm an easy solution for her clients.
Solution
It was proposed to consolidate the framework information into a single image for individuals to reference rather than reviewing separate documents. Although auxiliary resources were available, some clients wanted a simple one-stop-shop guide to refer to before going in an interview.
Jessica reviewed the STAR and CARL framework methods with Alex, and he suggested a simple image to convey the acronyms and information.
Results – Reflection
After the implementation of the training, Jessica received feedback from her clients, who reported that many received on-the-spot job offers after using the interview frameworks.
Clients were very pleased with this image and training as part of their learning package.
What Am I Known For?
I am highly regarded for my detail-oriented nature and the quality and innovation in my work. I am proficient in Learning Management Systems, eLearning authoring tools, and creative software.
Background – Context
Rip Ride Studio is a small physical fitness studio in Chesterton, Indiana. It offers indoor and outdoor cycling, physical fitness, and personal training classes.
Recently, the owner, Dana Huggies, was made aware from her participants that they were having trouble with the indoor cycling bikes.
Challenge
Dana questioned many of her members and discovered not only did they have difficulty understanding how to operate the bikes, but that they were having trouble understanding her cues within class in regards to speed and intensity. Dana had noticed in classes that many participants were not keeping up with drills, but she has a culture of “Your workout, Your style” – so she did not want to interfere with their workout and make them feel embarrassed about their inability to keep up with some of the cycling drills.
One of the members, Alex, is a cycling enthusiast. Dana reached out to Alex for assistance, knowing they could both discuss this challenge and come to a solution. Dana said to Alex that she has explained to members how speed and intensity work, but they seem to forget by the next class.
Solution
Alex suggested creating a graphic explaining how speed and intensity work, that way members could look at it before or after class. Dana could use it as a teaching tool for members who need extra coaching. Dana loved the idea.
Results – Reflection
After the graphic was created and posted at the studio, members began to become more engaged in class and keep up with the drills. Dana noted a 70% improvement in class participation after members began reviewing the instructional image and after receiving coaching.
High Priority Tasks
These are the tasks that must be done and cannot be ignored.
How to Identify These Tasks (Robert, 2023)
Examples (Holewa, 2023)
Tasks should be numbered in priority – A1, A2, A3 – with A1 being the most important.
Minor Consequences
These are necessary tasks but do not have critical consequences or an upcoming deadline.
How to Identify These Tasks (Robert, 2023)
Example
A-tasks should always be completed first before any B-tasks are started.
No Consequences
These tasks are nice to complete but are not critical to success and can be postponed until A and B tasks are completed.
Examples (Holewa, 2023)
How to Identify These Tasks (Robert, 2023)
Delegate
These tasks should be delegated to others. This allows more free time to complete A and B tasks.
How to Identify These Tasks (Robert, 2023)
Eliminate
These tasks can be eliminated.
How to Identify These Tasks (Robert, 2023)
Urgent and Important (TimeTrex, 2025)
Important but Not Urgent (TimeTrex, 2025)
Urgent but Not Important (TimeTrex, 2025)
Not Urgent and Not Important (TimeTrex, 2025)
Background – Context
Best PM Ever, LLC is a small Project Management firm located in Mokena, Illinois, a part of the Greater Chicagoland suburbs. The business services various clients and their associated projects, offering project management services.
The owner, Sara Frito, recently became aware through employee feedback surveys and meetings that her employees struggled with task prioritization.
Challenge
Sara tried to work with her staff independently to teach them about task prioritization. After all, they were project managers. However, things were just not sticking in their minds. Sara was becoming increasingly frustrated. She was an award-winning project manager – excellent at her craft and task management – yet her staff failed at the very task she mastered well.
Solution
Sara realized she is a great project manager, but is not very creative. She needed help getting her ideas into action and on paper. She contacted Alex for assistance with this.
Sara and Alex collaborated back and forth on the challenge and possible solutions. Eventually, Sara’s top choice, the Eisenhower Matrix was chosen as the item for training.
Sara needed a simple visual, explaining the details of the framework and a worksheet her project managers could use to identify what tasks could be organized in priority using the framework.
Alex felt creating an image of the framework would be best as it would be a great single visual for the project managers to view while Sara could review the framework.
Results – Reflection
After Sara conducted the training, she noted a 60% increase in task prioritization effectiveness. Her employees were consistently using the worksheet and able to ask her questions on specific tasks that needed further questions on proper priority.
Background – Context
LaBrink Legal, P.C. is a small legal firm in La Porte, Indiana., offering legal services in La Porte County and Northwest Indiana. The firm specializes in medical malpractice, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, product liability, and nursing home negligence cases.
The owner, Amber LaBrink, recently noticed her legal assistant staff and partners were having issues with time prioritization.
Challenge
Amber was frustrated as her associates expressed they felt they were going down rabbit holes when working on client cases and often spending too many hours on a specific case, leading to feeling burnt out and missing key details that other associates were later noticing in their peer reviews.
Alex suggested that Amber use the Pomodoro Time Prioritization Framework after consultation as it is a simple method and is rated as easy to use. Amber wanted an easy time method to use as she could not afford for her staff to keep missing key details in cases.
Given Amber is of Italian descent, she loved the idea of incorporating the Pomodoro Technique into her training.
Solution
The Pomodoro Time Prioritization Framework was suggested to be used when designing the visual image. Amber wanted to ensure the staff understood the time prioritization easily and desired the content to be simple.
Results – Reflection
After the training was deployed to the learners, Amber noted an immediate 90% increase in time prioritization within the office. Case details were being caught much easier as staff felt they were not burnt out.
Amber noted her staff continually uses the technique, especially when it is around crunch time, or times of trial (court).
Background – Context
LaBrink Legal, P.C. is a small legal firm in La Porte, Indiana., offering legal services in La Porte County and Northwest Indiana. The firm specializes in medical malpractice, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, product liability, and nursing home negligence cases.
The owner, Amber LaBrink, recently noticed her legal assistant staff and partners were having issues with task prioritization.
Challenge
Amber was becoming increasingly frustrated as her assistants prioritized the wrong cases for court dates and her associates prioritized the wrong details within court cases.
Alex suggested that Amber use the ABCDE Task Prioritization Framework after consultation as it is a simple five-frame method and is rated as easy to use. Amber wanted an easy framework for her staff to learn as cases were building up quickly and needed to be re-prioritized effectively.
Solution
The ABCDE Task Prioritization Framework was suggested to be used when designing the visual image. Amber wanted to ensure the staff understood the prioritization easily and desired the content to be simple. She was going to use each letter of the framework to describe specific legal tasks that aligned to each role for clarification to the staff.
Results – Reflection
After the training was deployed to the learners, Amber noted an immediate 75% increase in organization within the office. Case dates were being prioritized effectively and client information was being organized accurately.
Amber noted her staff continually uses the ABCDE worksheet on occasion to organize their tasks when they question which tasks are really needed at a specific moment.
Her staff has noted they are much happier and they enjoy the fact they actually have clean desks and case files after months of clutter and disorganization.
Background – Context
This video was created as a fulfillment for the Camtasia Skilled badge by IDOL courses.
Challenge
There was no performance challenge to solve in this case study. Perhaps merely syncing all media accurately on the timeline was challenging enough.
Solution
A video was created using existing voiceover audio. Other scenes, videos, and text were added by the videographer.
Results – Reflection
I have used Camtasia previously, but not in this capacity. It was definitely a learning experience to add new animations, transitions, and annotations beyond the typical walkthrough videos I was used to doing.
Populus Learning Group
Key Responsibilities
Ease Learning
Key Responsibilities
K16 Solutions
Key Responsibilities
K16 Solutions
Key Responsibilities
Adtalem Global Education
Key Responsibilities
Adtalem Global Education
Key Responsibilities
Adtalem Global Education
Key Responsibilities
Adtalem Global Education
Key Responsibilities
LaSalle Network
Key Responsibilities
Purdue University
Key Responsibilities
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant (Olive Garden Italian Kitchen)
Key Responsibilities
Hudson RPO Solutions
Key Responsibilities
Purdue University
Key Responsibilities
Purdue University
Key Responsibilities
TITLE: Managing Stress By Breathing
Topic: 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
Description: The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a mindful breathing exercise that has many benefits for stress reduction and relaxation, as well as reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure, better sleep, and improved concentration.
Source: Cuncic, A. (2021). What is 4-7-8 breathing? Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-4-7-8-breathing-5204438
TITLE: Communication Strategies for Remote Teams
Source: Phan, L. (2021). 12 proven communication strategies for remote teams. Compt. https://www.compt.io/hr-articles/communication-strategies-for-remote-teams
Background – Context
Hoosier County, Indiana (fictitious) is an established county in Northwest Indiana, approximately 87 miles from Chicago, Illinois. While Indiana is not part of Tornado Alley, the region still experiences enough inclement weather for the use of outdoor warning sirens on a frequent basis.
Challenge
A recent county study yielded that many residents were not well-prepared when needing to respond to outdoor warning siren alerts (‘siren alerts’). Many residents were not able to distinguish an outdoor warning siren accurately, or were even aware there are separate tones.
Solution
Hoosier County President, Ashley Renee, contacted Alex Criswell for design and education assistance. The county desired a simple resource citizens could quickly refer to in the event of need, as well as be able to learn from. An infographic was suggested as it would provide information in a simple and easy manner, which is also printable.
Results – Reflection
After the infographic was deployed to local citizens, positive feedback was received about the design and content within it. Citizens reported how easy it was to differentiate the types of siren sounds now that awareness was provided.
TITLE: OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS
The State of Indiana, in accordance with the National Weather Service, utilizes Civil Defense Sirens (Outdoor Warning Sirens) in the event of a public emergency or severe weather.
RECOGNIZE THE ALERTS
Attention/Alert Warning
Attack Warning
All Clear Alert
Monthly Testing
Designed By Alex B. Criswell – alexbcriswell.com
Background – Context
Tech Eddies is a group who design training and teaching courses for various clients. All members of the company were in-person employees who voted to telecommute for the new fiscal year. An infographic was developed to help management leaders of the company learn tips about effective virtual communication.
Challenge
In response to the noted employee dissatisfaction results, management of Tech Eddies deployed an anonymous survey to all employees to gather data about the communication practices. Management stated they seemed rather surprised that general employees were unhappy with the virtual business practices, especially since it was their choice to move remote and that several action plans were already put into place.
The results of the survey yielded these key items:
Solution
These results yielded to management that some of their current business communication processes were not as effective as they presumed. Given that this discovery was in the middle of the fiscal year, no major funds could be allocated for a large-scale training session for leadership. A small budget was set aside for the team to create a key resource that the leadership team could use as a discussion point during their own meetings to propose and enact solutions for business operations.
Research was conducted for effective virtual business communication strategies. The information was summarized and a graphic job aid was created for leadership to utilize across the team.
Results – Reflection
After the infographic was created and shared with the Tech Eddies leadership team, the team assembled and discussed the key points/research and outlined how these suggestions can be used to improve employee communication within the company. The management team held open forums with team members to gather their suggestions and developed action plans to further implement these communication suggestions. With the research and employee suggestions in mind, the management team updated all company communication policies and began to execute all developed action plans to improve the process.
Near the end of the fiscal year, employees were surveyed and the satisfaction regarding business communication had increased to 80%. Employees left the following comments:
LinkedIn Learning Courses
Courses completed in the following topics.
LinkedIn Learning Pathways
Learning Pathways and associated curriculum completed in the following subject-matter.
Online Learning Consortium
Quality Matters
Skillport Learning
IT University Online
Microsoft Office Suite
Competencies
Skills
Interests
Technologies
Background – Context
Bethel Native Medical Clinic is a small nursing clinic located in Bethel, Alaska which offers health services to the indigenous communities. The clinic desired an eye catching presentation regarding a topic from the Nursing Process.
Challenge
The business desired a presentation on the SBAR method given that this process is critical to the Nursing Process. The director wanted to ensure the staff understood the process in a uniform manner in order to effectively communicate needs across the clinic.
Solution
The SBAR Content, from Wikipedia, in the Public Domain, was suggested to be used when designing the presentation. Dr. Sabin desired the content to be eye-catching as she planned to use it during a live presentation.
Results – Reflection
Initially, a SBAR worksheet was not included, but after feedback was received, it was implemented. Dr. Sabin was happy with the change as she did plan to have a group activity regarding the SBAR process. This made the visual instructions easier for the group since it was already included in the presentation.
Background – Context
Customer Service, Inc. is a job preparation business located in La Porte, Indiana. Jose Lugo, Director of Customer Service, Inc., has worked with Alex Criswell previously. This is Alex’s second project with Customer Service, Inc. Customer Service, Inc. had much success with their previous course that Alex created and it caused a need for a new course in a very important topic. The business desired training on the interview process and wanted to provide success tips to ensure their candidates would have a higher chance at securing a job offer. The Interview Process Training, from OER Commons, in the Public Domain, was suggested to be used when designing custom training.
Challenge
Customer Service, Inc., offers job placement services alongside job training, such as course training. In a recent survey among their clients, their participants expressed some resources regarding the interview process. Many clients expressed they had inadequate knowledge of the interview process, which resulted in them experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear, and withdrawal when moving forward in a job placement process.
Solution
Given the previous success of their Project Management course, Customer Service, Inc., desired an Articulate Rise course to be consistent in their training practices. Alex agreed with this practice.
Alex began the design phase of the Interview Process course by analyzing the OER content and storyboarding it for approval. After approval from Jose Lugo, Alex began the development/build in Articulate Rise.
Upon building the initial shell, Alex realized some changes to the storyboard were needed. Much of the content was way too chunked and nested within the pages and needed to be brought out to the root structure/main menu. This resulted in a storyboard revision and a quick explanation of changes. Given the fact that Alex has established a good level of trust with the client, Jose Lugo had no issue with the need to re-approve with some changes mid-build.
Results – Reflection
As expected, Customer Service, Inc. was very pleased with the course. No revisions were requested.
A learning lesson: Remember to double check the outline and structure so you understand where all the content will be housed. This will avoid a possible storyboard change.
It was able to add much more media than originally expected from the first storyboard, either through stock image or embedded YouTube video. That really made the course pop out and shine.
Background – Context
Customer Service, Inc. is a job preparation business located in La Porte, Indiana. The business desired a course on project management to introduce their new team members to this topic. The Project Management module course, from OER Commons, in the Public Domain, was suggested to be used when designing custom training.
Challenge
Customer Service, Inc. desired a very generic overview of Project Management and it was difficult to find that type of content that was in the public domain already in that structure. There was a lot of content freely available, but nothing in a very generic or simple context. Alex presented the content to the director, Jose Lugo, who approved the content for production.
Solution
A Project Management course module in the OER commons was found as a base layer for a course and other resources were added to it for expansion, which made the course plump out rather well in regards to storyboarding and outline. The course was going to be built in Rise 360, as the company had chosen this platform for other training and liked the style of the system regarding design and delivery.
The original content from the OER commons was purely textual in nature with few auxiliary resources. With Alex’s Instructional Design skills, I chunked out the content into smaller pages and added extra online resources, such as news articles or YouTube videos, as needed. For pages that had no media, Alex added color for design, or stock imagery, as needed, to add some aesthetic to the course.
Results – Reflection
Even with the smaller size of this original text-based module, this was still a larger course, especially the checklist unit. Always try to outline subunits easier before building and storyboarding as it may help chunking sections or units easier.
While Mr. Lugo was pleased with the organization of the course; Alex may need to revisit and assess how the checklist unit is designed and organized in the future as that unit is longer than the rest of the units. It was too late in the development to do any major reorganization or a request for one. Alex will need to keep in mind the future of subunit organization to prevent longer units.
Of course, maybe this is Alex’s somewhat-OCD, and there is actually nothing wrong :). In the end, Mr. Lugo was pleased overall with the course and stated the participants have enjoyed learning foundational knowledge of project management.
Background – Context
Administrative Secretaries is a small online secretary business based out of Orlando, Florida. Dani Miller owns the company and wanted to congratulate one of her new managers for one year of service with the company. Alex Criswell was contracted to create a flyer congratulating the manager for their service, which would be sent out by Dani as an email communication.
Challenge
No challenge existed with this request.
Solution
Dani was rather specific in what she wanted so it was easy for Alex to narrow down the creative options and solutions for her request. Alex chose Canva as the creative platform to design the flyer. Dani and Alex collaborated with Microsoft Word Online to exchange notes and communicate important information.
Results and Reflection
Alex created a simple, single page flyer congratulating Mary, the new manager, for her time of service. The flyer utilized the company branding colors, per Dani’s request, and was tasteful in design. Dani was very pleased with the outcome of the flyer and intended to distribute the graphic via email on Mary’s one year of service.
Background – Context
Tech Eddies is a group who design training and teaching courses for various clients. The business utilizes Moodle for their own internal training and course storage needs. Given an expanding team, the LMS administrator requested learning material be created for new team members. An instructional guide for enrolling new administrators to the LMS was decided as a way to sample the skills of Alex Criswell, prospective Instructional Designer.
Challenge
Tech Eddies is a company that offers course design services for various corporate and education clients and is based out of Los Angeles, California, USA. The company primarily consists of software engineers, instructional designers, academic technologists, graphic designers, and project managers. The company is of startup size, but is expanding rapidly and the team needs training materials for some of the new team members joining the company. Tech Eddies contacted Alex Criswell to create sample Instructional Materials to determine if Alex would be a worthy candidate to work on all of their training materials. In response to the request from Tech Eddies, Alex was assigned a topic and provided appropriate access to their systems to create the learning material.
Solution
Given the variety of roles within the company, Alex knew one learning material would not be enough for all of the personalities and mixed learning styles. He decided to create an Instructional Guide as well as an Instructional Video. This would cover most of the learning styles in the learning audience, given that most learners prefer a text, audio, or video format for learning materials.
Alex was assigned the topic of “Adding a New User as a Site Administrator in Moodle” which is not an overly complex task to do; however, it requires two major steps in the system versus just one. In summary, it requires a user to be created and then to be enrolled as an administrator, which are in separate areas of the system.
Results – Reflection
After the instructional guide and video were created and shared with the Tech Eddies team, the team assembled and discussed the design, subject-matter, and management of the assignment by Alex. They felt Alex managed the assignment in very good timing and that both the instructional guide and video were professional-looking and satisfactory for their needs.
The Tech Eddies team felt Alex would likely return as a future contractor for their training and development needs when the instructional content was ready to be built.
Background – Context
Movement with Ramona is a boutique yoga studio who offer yoga classes to various clients. A job aide was created to educate clients on breathing practices in relation to yogic techniques.
Movement with Ramona is a boutique yoga business that offers life coaching services and yoga classes. The business is primarily located in Culver, Indiana; however, Movement with Ramona offers virtual sessions to clients in lieu of in-person sessions. In March 2020, the world came to a halt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were asked to shelter-in-place at their home to slow the spread of the virus. While businesses began to slowly open after several weeks of the “shutdown”, Movement with Ramona decided to remain closed at their physical location for several months until things felt safer again.
Challenges
Ramona Percazzo, the owner of Movement with Ramona, continually emailed clients suggestions to continue their practice at home. While clients were able to practice their techniques at home, many met with Ramona virtually for life coaching sessions to keep in touch and ensure they were on target with their overall goals. During these virtual discussions, clients yielded to Ramona that they were experiencing heightened stress and anxiety due to the changes in the world and their own lives. Ramona knew this was a problem as this was just not a few clients who expressed this information, but over 75% of her life coach client base.
Solution
Given that at around 75% of Ramona’s client base was suffering heightened stress and anxiety levels, the owner knew she needed to take action. Ramona researched countless resources in relation to yogic techniques to find a solution to this issue. After reviewing the 4-7-8 breathing technique, she knew this would work well with her client base. While many of the life coach clients were also yoga clients, she wanted to provide a technique to clients who are not familiar with yoga that could be easily understood, learned, and demonstrated.
Ramona knew she needed something simple and eye-catching for her clients to be able to grasp and reciprocate the technique.
After consulting with Alex, a creative job aide was chosen as the learning product as this was easy to distribute and within Ramona’s minimal budget for the project. Canva was chosen as the desired design platform given its simplicity to create an easy and eye-catching job aide. This also allowed easy updates for the ID or owner to complete, if necessary.
Given that 4-7-8 breathing technique is a step-by-step process, it made sense to design the job aide into separate sections or steps. This was done in a lateral format so clients would be able to read the design from top to bottom. Ramona desired more of a neutral color base as she wanted her clients to focus on the steps of breathing versus the flashy colors of the job aide; however, she still wanted it tastefully designed.
While there were no major challenges when building the solution, a couple iterations were developed. The initial product was acceptable, but some feedback from outside sources was delivered and corrections were made. Ramona herself also provided feedback on the design, so quick alterations were needed to the final product.
Results – Reflection
The most important lesson learned from this project was – Do not assume the first, nor second draft of an item is “the best.” Multiple iterations and corrections may be required for the right product.
The job aide was distributed to Ramona’s clients at the beginning of a week, as Ramona wanted to be available for several days on-call in case clients had questions about performing the technique on their own. Despite her anticipation of many emails, she barely had any, so she reached out to a few key clients for feedback on the job aide. Those clients reported that the job aide was easy to comprehend and that they had no issues performing the technique on their own. Ramona was pleased to hear this information and decided to follow up with more clients in a couple weeks to document their reflections on the breathing technique. Through the upcoming coaching sessions, Ramona’s clients stated the breathing technique has greatly calmed their stress and anxiety. Many clients expressed that the technique has helped them sleep better at night or help them manage acute anxiety episodes. Ramona estimated over a 50% improvement in stress and anxiety management amongst her clients.
Competencies
Skills
Accessibility, Consulting, Copyright & Fair Use, Course Design, Customer Service, Educational Technology, HTML/CSS, Interpersonal & Organizational Communication, Instructional Systems Design, OSCQR (OLC), Project Management, Quality Matters, Software Documentation, Technical Writing, Training Development
Technologies
Adobe CS6 & CC (Acrobat DC, Dreamweaver, Photoshop), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Articulate Rise 360, Canva, Camtasia & SnagIt, Cloud Storage Systems, Git, Google Suite/Workspace, H5P, HR Systems, Learning Management Systems, Microsoft Office Suite, Project Management Systems, SaaS, Survey Systems, Technical Content Systems, Virtual Meeting Platforms
Transcript text.
Instructional Design & Development
Project Management
Curriculum Development & Instruction
Training
Management & Organizational Development
Collaboration & Mentorship
Educational Technology
LMS Administration & Migration
A comparison of a photo taken by Alex B. Criswell in original and enhanced stages.
Example 2: Web Design Juxta Position A
Comparison of Home pages of my new and old website
Example 2: Web Design Juxta Position B
Comparison of About pages of my new and old website
Sample 1 – SafeAssign for Students – Blackboard Learn
Sample 2 – Installing Respondus Lockdown Browser – Blackboard Learn
Sample 3 – Adding a lecture video – Blackboard Learn
Sample 4 – Creating a menu item – Blackboard Learn
Sample 5 – Adding a Mashup to the text editor – Blackboard Learn
Sample 6 – Course Copy – Blackboard Learn
LMS Experience
Blackboard Learn
Proficiency
Highly Skilled
User Roles
System Administrator, Support Administrator, Professor, Student
Tasks Completed
Blackboard Ultra
Proficiency
Highly Skilled
User Roles
System Administrator, Professor, Student
Tasks Completed
Canvas LMS
Proficiency
Highly Skilled
User Roles
System Administrator – Account Admin (Root), Account Admin – Delegated, Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
Brightspace (D2L)
Proficiency
Skilled
User Roles
Super Administrator – (Root), Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
Moodle (OpenLMS)
Proficiency
Somewhat Skilled
User Roles
Site Administrator, Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
Schoology
Proficiency
Low Skill
User Roles
Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
Jenzabar
Proficiency
Low Skill
User Roles
Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
Sakai
Proficiency
Some Skill
User Roles
System Administrator, Teacher, Student
Tasks Completed
T369 Transcript
Introduction
Hello there! My name is Alex Criswell and I am a senior instructional designer from Adtalem Global Education. I am from the Strategy and Innovation division, and I will give you an overview of the course design process.
Now that you’ve seen what I look like and I’ve given my little introduction—just saying hello—and now I’m going to move my webcam out of the way.
Project Management Information
Let’s take a look at the perspective of Project Management before I begin. The process groups and knowledge areas are defined on the screen, which are broken down by our overall process and the artifact I will supply today.
Our course design process typically encompasses all the process groups as our entire process covers items from start (initiating) to end (closing).
The artifact to be supplied will focus on the Monitoring and Controlling process group.
In reference to knowledge areas, our course design process encompasses many of these processes, similar to the wholesome involvement of the process groups.
The artifact to be supplied will focus on the Project Quality Management knowledge area.
Who We Are
Before I provide an overview of our course design process, it is important that you understand who the stakeholders are involved within the process. The first individual is the intake manager who typically handles all the intake paperwork and pre-work of the process.
Once the projects are defined, that information is passed to the project manager, who handles all the project management related tasks of each project.
The instructional designer is provided the content from the client and they review it for instructional accuracy.
There is a digital media specialist who creates media for the course as well as an editor and technical writer who provide editing and creative writing services for the course.
Finally, there is an implementation specialist who implements the content within the course and manages the learning management system related tasks.
Who We Work With
We work with a variety of individuals but everyone typically knows them as subject matter experts.
This is the individual who provides the subject matter and content to us.
They are also known as the course lead for specific programs.
There is also a program dean or program contact often involved with the course design process as well as a curriculum technology manager.
That individual acts as the liaison between our team and the client and they essentially take over the project management aspects from the client point of view.
Course Design Process Overview
Now that I have identified the stakeholders of the course design process, I can provide an overview.
The overview includes pre-work, scheduling, templates, a media map, content implementation budget and time tracking, as well as auditing.
Prework (Scope)
The first portion of the course design process is the pre-work, or defining the scope of the project.
This is where a client fills out a document that we provide and they designate which services that they would like for the specific project.
Services can include instructional design review on content and media, media creation, full or selective editing, creative writing, as well as technical implementation.
Scheduling
Once the scope is defined, all of that information is transferred to a master schedule and that includes the estimated hours of the project, the timeframe, the rollout session, course information, the development type, client information as well as course design team roles and identification.
Content Templates
Once the schedule is sent out and we provide content templates to the subject matter expert, they begin to fill our content templates with their subject matter.
Our content templates are based on a unified structure, which was designed or agreed upon by the university itself.
The basic structure includes the introduction, readings, lesson content, discussions, assignments, and a wrap-up, or otherwise, student success plan.
The structure or content pages within each of the programs can vary.
Media Map
As the client fills out their content templates, they are also encouraged to complete a media map and this is basically a place for the subject matter expert to fill in their media ideas, suggestions, and links to storyboards about images, infographics, videos, test your knowledge items, and other media interactives that they would like to suggest to include in the course.
Technical Implementation
Once we receive the filled-out or completed content templates and media map, we begin with the content implementation portion of the course design process.
This is where the content is implemented into the learning management system itself.
It is implemented through an authoring tool that our software’s engineers built within our company and that tool is called Course Writer.
This software essentially communicates with our LMS, which is Canvas, and it loads all the pages—assignments, discussions, and other content items without having to edit the course within the system itself.
Budget and Time Tracking
Throughout the course design process and especially during content implementation, we track our time in a project management system.
This system is known as Easy Projects; the system is utilized to track project hours by individual projects, program projects, as well as individual course design roles.
The hours that are tracked within the system calculate our overall budget, which allows us to keep track of project spending.
To further assist this process, we have several subcategories within each of our course projects, and this varies by role.
Within the ID work area, there are subcategories called meetings, content, media, and review, and each of these subcategories has a specific number of hours allocated to them.
Audit and Review
Once we implement all the content within the course, it is essentially ready for audit and review. Each individual within the course design process, including the client, is responsible for the audit of the course.
For instance, the ID uses an ID client audit sheet to ensure that standards are met in reference to teaching and learning approaches.
Punch lists are used to address course fixes and concerns and typically, the punch list is populated with comments from this audit sheet.
Document Share
Speaking of the client course audit sheet, I’m going to give you a quick demonstration or visual overview of how our sheet works.
On the screen, you will see the client audit sheet template. It is universal in design and it is able to be used for any of our clients or any of our programs.
It is easy to complete as there are template sections, such as the bolded sections in the header, which are able to be filled in with the necessary information.
There are instructions for the user and then there are sections pertaining to specific course areas. Within each of these sections, there are audit standards pertaining to that specific category.
There is the ability to provide audit comments whether textual or media based within the right side of the document.
For instance, the course overview page has an audit comment about that it is still in copyedit status versus implementation specialist status.
As mentioned, there is an ability to also provide media comments.
In this example, I provided a comment stating that an exclamation point was missing in the Welcome to Week 5 Introduction page. This also can be used to show visual placement of some media if it was in the wrong spot.
These are just a few examples of how this audit sheet works, and there are so many tools that we use within our course design process.
While I would love to show you many more tools—I will just show you the client audit sheet.
Closing
I want to thank you for joining me for this overview of the course design process at Adtalem Global Education.
Slide 1
Design Thinking and Millennial Learning: Meeting the needs of today’s learner
Alex B. Criswell – Senior Instructional Designer: Adtalem Global Education
Slide 2
Today we will cover the following.
Slide 3
Our organization adopted the Design Thinking approach for Course Development. The Design Thinking concept is of IDEO, founded by David Kelley and operated by Tim Brown.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach involving the approaches of Feasibility, Desirability, and Viability. Innovation is formed when utilizing these three approaches consecutively.
Slide 4
The Design Thinking Approach involves the following phases:
Slide 5
Adtalem Global Education is stemmed from the Latin word Adtalem (to empower). Our name encapsulates our purpose and our commitment to our students, communities, and each other.
Through our Mission, Vision, and Purpose, we empower our students to (Adtalem Global Education, 2018):
Slide 6
Millennials, also known as Generation Y are individuals who were born from 1977-1996 (Generational Breakdown: Info About All of the Generations, 2018). Their parents are of the Baby Boomer generation or of the smaller generation known as Generation X.
Grandparents of Millennials are known as the Silent Generation.
Children of Millennials are currently known as Generation Z or the Centennial Generation. This spans from the end of the Millennial Generation timespan to today. There is a proposal to identify a new generation, Generation Alpha, as noted my Mark McCrindle. His rationale for a new identification of individuals is this rationale: Generation Alpha individuals were born with innovative technology and is considered to be the “most transformative generation ever.” (Sterbenz, 2015)
Slide 7
As noted by Learning Theories (2017), the ARCS model consists of the following categories, with a brief list of items to provide an overview
Attention
Relevance
Confidence
Satisfaction
Slide 8
Price (2009) noted five Rs for engaging millennials: 1) Relevance, 2) Rationale, 3) Relaxed, 4) Rapport, and 5) Research-based
methods.
These five Rs are the primary basis of my recommendations.
Slide 9
They require teaching methods that connect with their social and visual needs
Collaborative learning
Learning through service (community and social service)
Multimedia classroom – Social media (Snapchat, Reddit, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube)
Gamify the learning experience
They need to know that what they are learning is important and relevant to their culture and what is currently happening in society/the world
Millennial learners expect their teachers/leaders to be knowledgeable, as well as, caring
A connection is needed between the learner and their ‘mentor’
The instructor/coach must have a personal interest in their success
They need consistent and constant feedback on their progress, as they need to know they are improving
Offer flexible studying options
Slide 10
| The Five R’s | ||||||
| The ARCS Model | Research-based | Relevance | Rationale | Relaxed | Rapport | |
| Attention | Learners prefer research-based methods and active learning techniques. They have a short attention span and if the content is not relevant to them or is presented in a way they do not prefer or understand, they will not retain the information. | It is imperative to provide a rationale for any reasoning that can be prompted for discussion. Should a rationale not be provided or is not relevant to them, their attention span can greatly decrease with that particular subject. | Learning environments need to remain relaxed in nature where consistent and credible feedback is provided or the learner will lose interest in the item(s) discussed. | |||
| Relevance | Today’s learners prefer their instructors to provide a connection to the content and their current culture and/or lifestyle. These connections need to be through active-learning methods with less use of text and more multimedia and collaboration. | Providing a relaxed learning environment with relevant content, along with consistent feedback is what today learner desires. | ||||
| Confidence | Providing relevant material will assist the learner in understanding their success rate in the course. If the content is not relevant to them or active-learning techniques are not followed, they will not be motivated to continue. | Learners prefer structure, but also the ability to control their learning, which can boost their confidence and satisfaction. | A relaxed learning environment with consistent feedback and praise (rewards) make the learner feel more involved. Remember, do not over patronize their work, but provide constructive feedback they will understand. | Learners desire constant and consistent feedback, which requires reinforcement that is consistent in nature. | ||
| Satisfaction | Keeping up with current trends to provide relevance to the learner and the content will boost their satisfaction in learner and allow them to feel rewarded when they demonstrate their skills learned. | |||||
With these theories in mind, a cross-comparison table was created to show the comparison between the Five R’s (Price, 2009) and the ARCS model (Keller, 2009).
A list of suggestions includes.
Slide 11
I have followed the Design Thinking process I conducted my research and crafted these recommendations.
I formed my recommendations and research around following guiding questions.
Slide 12
Following are some recommendations based on the research on how millennials learn and other best practices related to the modern learning principles.
Slide 13
Incorporate various learning styles in the lectures. Include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (i.e., note taking, role playing, etc.) and other active learning strategies to engage students with varied learning styles. For example, current lectures could be restructured with short videos, scenario-based and role playing type activities along with some self-check. Using adaptive strategies can help institutions better connect with millennial students while keeping them engaged.
Supporting Research
4 ways your school can connect with better Millennials. (2016, July). Retrieved from http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/blog/millennial-student-recruitment
Lynch, M. (2016). Top Four Ways to Engage Millennials in Learning Environments. Retrieved from http://www.theedadvocate.org/top-four-ways-to-engage-millennials-in-learning-environments/
Pandey, A. (2016). 6 Strategies You Can Use to Design Effective eLearning For Your Millennial Workforce. Retrieved from https://www.eidesign.net/6-strategies-you-can-use-to-design-effective-elearning-for-your-millennial-workforce/
Sharma, A. (2016). Designing Learning for Millennials. 70(6), 60–65. Retrieved from https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/designing-learning-for-millennials
Slide 14
Provide constant feedback to foster progress in learning. Millennials and other adult learners want to know they are improving and moving in the right direction.
They prefer to receive clear and immediate feedback after completing any activity such as practice tests, reviews, and checkpoints.
Provide immediate, detailed for both correct and incorrect answers as an instructional strategy to instill and reinforce learning.
Supporting Research
Kotz, P. E. (2016). Reaching the Millennial Generation in the Classroom. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1163–1166. doi:10.13189
Slide 15
Create a learning environment that is more relaxed. Novotney (2010) notes “Millennials prefer a less formal learning environment that allows them to interact informally with the professor and other students.”
Supporting Research
Novotney, A. (2010). Engaging the millennial learner. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/03/undergraduates.aspx
Slide 16
Concepts are presented with a media focus (audio, video, and Test Your Knowledge interactives).
Content is chunked in small bites, using less text with more interactive activities.
Supporting Research
Pappas, C. (2015). 8 Tips to Engage and Inspire Millennials In eLearning. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/8-elearning-tips-to-engage-and-inspire-millennials-in-elearning
Slide 17
Millennials prefer to work on assignments that are more creative versus the long papers (Novotney, 2010). Some example assignments include the following.
Combining micro-learning with gamification will make learning more interactive and engaging (Pandey, 2016). Real-life scenario and problem-solving in game format will provide immediate feedback, provide rewards/incentives, and build motivation.
Example: Use scenario-based media designed using consistent format to present a real-life scenario and problem-solving to engage participants.
Multimedia game-like elements can be utilized (Sharma, 2016) to engage the participants. When game-like features are combined with relevant scenarios and challenges that individuals typically face on the job, it serves as an effective strategy to boost performance.
Supporting Research
Novotney, A. (2010). Engaging the millennial learner. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/03/undergraduates.aspx
Pandey, A. (2016). 6 Strategies You Can Use to Design Effective eLearning For Your Millennial Workforce. Retrieved from https://www.eidesign.net/6-strategies-you-can-use-to-design-effective-elearning-for-your-millennial-workforce/
Sharma, A. (2016). Designing Learning for Millennials. 70(6), 60–65. Retrieved from TD: https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/designing-learning-for-millennials
Slide 18
In summary, there are several design and technology recommendations to make courses more engaging for the millennial learners.
Price (2009) noted five Rs for engaging millennials: 1) Relevance, 2) Rationale, 3) Relaxed, 4) Rapport, and 5) Research-based
methods.
In reference to the ARCS model (Keller, 2009), the following recommendations are listed.
Attention:
Active participation techniques
Multimedia
Relevance
Create content relevant to learner in reference to experience, present worth, and variety.
Provide clear objectives
Confidence
Help students understand their likelihood for success
Provide constant feedback
Satisfaction
Make learning rewarding and demonstrate usefulness of the skills learned.
Slide 19
References
Generational Breakdown: Info About All of the Generations. (2018). Retrieved from The Center for Generational Kinetics: https://genhq.com/faq-info-about-generations/
Online Collaborative Learning Theory. (2017). Retrieved from Learning Theories: https://www.learning-theories.com/online-collaborative-learning-theory-harasim.html
4 ways your school can connect with better Millennials. (2016, July). Retrieved from http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/blog/millennial-student-recruitment
Fry, R., Ruth, I., & Patten, E. (2018). How Millennials today compare with their grandparents 50 years ago. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/16/how-millennials-compare-with-their-grandparents/
Adtalem Global Education. (2018). About Adtalem. Retrieved from https://www.adtalem.com/about-us.html
Keller, J. M. (2009). Motivational design for learning and performance: The ARCS model approach. Springer Science & Business Media.
Kotz, P. E. (2016). Reaching the Millennial Generation in the Classroom. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1163–1166. doi:10.13189
IDEO. (2018). Design Thinking. Retrieved from https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking
Lynch, M. (2016). Top Four Ways to Engage Millennials in Learning Environments. Retrieved from http://www.theedadvocate.org/top-four-ways-to-engage-millennials-in-learning-environments/
Novotney, A. (2010). Engaging the millennial learner. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/03/undergraduates.aspx
Pandey, A. (2016). 6 Strategies You Can Use to Design Effective eLearning For Your Millennial Workforce. Retrieved from https://www.eidesign.net/6-strategies-you-can-use-to-design-effective-elearning-for-your-millennial-workforce
Pappas, C. (2015). 8 Tips to Engage and Inspire Millennials In eLearning. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/8-elearning-tips-to-engage-and-inspire-millennials-in-elearning
Price, C. (2009). Why Don’t My Students Think I’m Groovy? The Teaching Professor, 23 (1), 7. Retrieved from http://www.drtomlifvendahl.com/Millennial%20Characturistics.pdf
Rocketfuel Productions Inc. (n.d.). The Accounted [Video Game]. Retrieved from https://www.trajectoryiq.com/project/the-accounted/
Sharma, A. (2016). Designing Learning for Millennials. 70(6), 60–65. Retrieved from TD: https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/designing-learning-for-millennials
Sterbenz, C. (2015, 12 5). Here’s who comes after Generation Z — and they’ll be the most transformative age group ever. Retrieved from Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/generation-alpha-2014-7-2.
| Content/Media Item | What is Needed | Tips for Success |
|---|---|---|
| Textual Content
(e.g. Text on the course page, not contained within an image, video, or interactive) |
Use the formatting bar within the text editor to format text appropriately. |
|
| Hyperlinks
(e.g. Weblinks) |
Hyperlink the appropriate descriptive text that describes the link. |
|
| Documents
(e.g. Office Documents and Adobe PDF) |
|
|
| Decorative Still Images
(e.g. Stock Images) |
Text Alternatives for Images
(i.e. Alt-tag) |
|
| Non-Decorative Still Images and Illustrations
(e.g. Image of a Communication Theory – Illustration of the Business Process) |
Text Alternative must be supplied.
(i.e. Image Description) |
NOTE: An image description is not needed if the image is described above/below the media within the section page, accompanied by an alt-tag; however, WCAG and recommends always providing a text alternative (image description) instead of this method. |
| Framed Media
(Interactives/iframe) |
Text Alternatives must be supplied
(i.e. Transcript, as well as Closed Captions for Video) |
Compose a word-for-word transcript to be used in the course.
NOTE: While a screen reader is supposed to read all content within an iframe, it realistically does not. Based on this condition, a text alternative is required. |
| Third-Party Videos/Pre-recorded Media
(e.g. YouTube/embedding through iframe) |
Text Alternatives must be supplied
(i.e. Closed Captions and Transcript) NOTE: WCAG 2.1 requires embedded/framed video to have Closed Captions AND a Transcript. |
|
| University-hosted Videos/Pre-recorded Media
(e.g. Blackboard Host) |
Text Alternatives must be supplied
(i.e. Closed Captions and Transcript) NOTE: The current Blackboard Host player supports Closed Captioning and Transcripts and must display both to be WCAG 2.1 Compliant. |
|
Screenshots of Website B and the associated accessibility report, yielding the website to be inaccessible.
Screenshots of Website A and the associated accessibility report, yielding the website to be accessible.
Rights of a Copyright Owner
Works Protected
Works Not Protected
Exceptions
Attribution
CC BY – This license lets others distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.
Attribution-ShareAlike
CC BY-SA – This license lets others remix, adapt, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. This license is often compared to “copyleft” free and open-source software licenses. All new works based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also allow commercial use. This is the license used by Wikipedia, and is recommended for materials that would benefit from incorporating content from Wikipedia and similarly licensed projects.
Attribution-NoDerivs
CC BY-ND – This license lets others reuse the work for any purpose, including commercially; however, it cannot be shared with others in adapted form, and credit must be provided to you.
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC – This license lets others remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
CC BY-NC-SA – This license lets others remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND – This license is the most restrictive of our six main licenses, only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.
Instructional Design & Development
Project Management
Curriculum Development & Instruction
Training
Management & Organizational Development
Collaboration & Mentorship
Educational Technology
LMS Administration & Migration
Experience: 12 years
Projects/Clients/Employers
Disciplines Developed
Business, Communication, Compliance, Education, Engineering, Finance, Health Information Technology, Hospitality, Humanities, Law, LMS Archiving & Migration, Management, Nursing, Public Health, Science, Social Sciences, Social Work, Technology, Tourism
Experience: 14 years
Projects/Clients/Employers
Individuals – Programs Consulted
Doctoral Level Graduate Education, High School, Hospitality Training, Master Level Graduate Education, Software Development, System Administration, Technical Consulting, Undergraduate Education, University Advising & Marketing Personnel
Experience: 16 years
Projects/Clients/Employers
Training Audiences
Administrative Assistants, Adult Learners (varying in age, culture, and ethnicity), Application Developers, Educational Technologists, Employees of Healthcare, Graphic Designers, Hospitality Employees, Instructional Designers, University Advising & Marketing Personnel, University Faculty & Students
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning Courses
LinkedIn Learning Pathways
Online Learning Consortium
Quality Matters (QM)
Skillsoft – Skillsport Learning
IT University Online
Microsoft Office Suite 2010
Blog Project – Development of Instructional Materials (PDF)
Website Project – Educational Applications of Hypermedia and Interactive Multimedia (PDF)
Instructional Design Project – Instructional Design and Communication (PDF)
Distance Learning Project – Foundations of Distance Learning (PDF)
Technology Issues Project – Human Issues in Technology (PDF)
Leadership Planning Project – Instructional Technology Leadership (PDF)
Technology Vision Project – Instructional Technology Leadership (PDF)
Leadership Disposition – Instructional Technology Leadership (PDF)
Practicum Project Evaluation (PDF)
Practicum Presentation Evaluation (PDF)
Practicum Supervisor Evaluation (PDF)
Conferences
Instructional Experience
Schlaak Family Graves
As well as a few family photos…
Created by Alex B. Criswell
Pictures taken by or given to Alex B. Criswell
My Mother, Elaine K. Criswell(Schlaak)
Married my father, Barry A. Criswell, June 17th, 1978.
Two Children:
Sara Beth Criswell
Myself, Alex B. Criswell
Parents:
Roger Albert Schlaak
Leona Mildred Heisman
Born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana
Ancestry Side:
Irish
German
Scot
English
Pictured:
Myself and my mother
My Maternal Grandparents
My Mother, & Her Family
Family Photo
Schlaak Family
Roger and Leona Schlaak
Future resting place (of course…not for a while though!)
Immanuel Congregation Church
Albert & Clara (Schendel) Schlaak
Albert Schlaak’s Draft Registration
Albert & Clara Schlaak (Schendel)
Schlaak Family Home
Charles/ “Chas.” Schlaak
Charles “Carl” Schlaak
Rosalie Statchel(Schlaak)
Emil Schendel
Emil Schendel & Family
Emil & Henrietta Schendel (Luther)
John(Johann) Luther
Caroline(Caroleine) Luther(Gaib)
‘Rudy’ Heisman
Rudolph(Rudy) Heisman
Rudolph & Laura Heisman(Dorsey)
Laura Baker(form. Heisman)(Dorsey)
Henry(Henrich) & Hulda(Rehbein) Heisman
Henry & Hulda Heisman
Henry Heisman cir. 1950
Henry & Hulda Heisman
Hulda Heisman cir. 1950
Heisman Family
Heisman Family Home
Miss Michigan City
Henry Heisman
Charles & Justina Rehbein
Henry Dorsey
Mildred Dorsey-Harris (Corey)
Henry & Mildred (Corey) Dorsey
John Dorsey
John Dorsey
Elizabeth Dorsey (Coggshall)
John & Elizabeth Dorsey
Elizabeth (Coggshall) Dorsey
Dorsey Family Home “Elizabeth House”
Elizabeth House & Lake Michigan
Dorsey Family Portraits
Dorsey Family C. 1888
Coggshall Family
William Coggshall
Margaret (Fisher) Coggshall
Dorsey Rock
Schlaak Plot
Coggeshall Plot & Family Book
Copyright
Alex B. Criswell
©2010
Criswell Family Graves
As well as a few family photos…
Created by Alex B. Criswell
Pictures taken by or given to Alex B. Criswell
My Father, Barry A. Criswell
My Paternal Grandparents
My father, and his family
Family Photo
Criswell Family
Thomas & Elizabeth Criswell
William & Amanda Criswell
William Criswell Family Photo
Michael & Catherine (Bogle) Criswell
James & Lydia Criswell
James S. Criswell
Lydia (Kyler) Criswell
Lydia (Kyler) Criswell
Criswell Grave
1870 Census Image: J.S. Criswell
1846 Bible of James S. Criswell
James S. Criswell Bible
Criswell Family Graves
Lydia Kyler Wardrobe
Lydia Arbra Criswell
Asa & Margaret Luse
Criswell & Luse
James S. Criswell Offspring
John(Phillip) & Maria Margaret (Catherine) Schneider
Howard Weisflog
Howard Weisflog Draft Registration
Martha Weisflog-Humphrey
Emiel Weisflog
Henrietta (Stump) Weisflog
Roy Weisflog
Herman Weisflog
Amelia Weisflog
“Eliza” Stump
William Timm
Frieda (Knaack) Timm
Frederick Timm
Christine Timm(Krauz)
Frederick Knaack
Wilhelmina Knaack
Sitka Baptist Church
Family Names
Copyright
Alex B. Criswell
©2009
Alex B. Criswell
©2010
Genealogy
A small script…
Alex
Barry and Elaine Criswell
Wedding Photo
My Family
Criswell Family
Schlaak Family
How It all began…
It was the year 2001. I was instructed in my English Class to write a paper on the “History of Michigan City.” I consulted my all of my grandparents and received most of my beginning genealogy information from my maternal grandmother, Leona Schlaak (Heisman). I found out that my ancestors helped shape Michigan City, Indiana, to what it is today. This intrigued me, and I yearned to know more information about my family. I was not at all interested into history or genealogy until this time. From then on, I began doing research on my family roots. I began by asking names and dates of direct descendant individuals. I began my research at the Michigan City Public Library, and from there it formed into a storm. From information from person to person, obituary to obituary, book to book, and city to city, I formed my report to what it is today. Thank you to all who contributed in making my report a success and masterpiece.- Alex B. Criswell
History…
Indiana Boundary
My location…
Michigan City
Greenwood Cemetery
Alex Bernard Criswell
Barry Allen Criswell
Elaine Kay Schlaak
How It Began
This small hobby began as a child, given my grandfather loved to take photos with his 35 mm camera. The inquisitive mind of a child latched onto that thought.
Evolution Of A Hobby
As I aged, and small digital cameras became more affordable, I began practicing playing with cameras – framing subjects or environments.
After finishing high school, my photography curiosity evolved into a hobby, where I began to document/take photos of my hometown and places I began to visit.
Continued Experimentation and Research
Throughout college, I practiced more with cameras, experimenting with the different settings beyond Auto to discover the how these affected the composition beyond what the camera thought was best.
This experimentation; however, required research on my behalf to research online resources – reading countless blogs, books, and watching videos.
My First Big Boy Camera
Near the end of my graduate school journey, I decided to “go big” and purchase my first DSLR. Upon taking my first photos – I was hooked.
I finally got to experiment in full with setting the camera with manual options. Over the years, I continued to experiment with these settings and began to master the art of exposure and composition within still images.
I have spent countless hours capturing many moments to continually practice my craft.
Where I Am Now
Now, several cameras later, thousands of photos taken, and an evolving handful of wonderful customers who have purchased portraits – I consider myself a Professional Photographer.
I’m a thinker
Analytical – Researcher
It’s evident I can research information – From even before I knew I’d be doing it as a profession. Aside from researching things – I’m one who loves to ask questions and think analytically. I yearn to learn new things, given proper time, resourcing, and interest.
I can do design
I like to make things look “pretty”.
I wanted to be able to provide pure evidence, beyond my other portfolio samples, to demonstrate how I’m able to research and determine solutions to enhance experiences or processes (i.e. Transform online learning experiences into something engaging and eye-catching).
I design with engagement
Who doesn’t love things to click on? View eye-catching interaction?
This very website being viewed now is a seedling/derivative of that original portfolio. Only, better – with more information and engagement. So much better than just “text on a page” – right?
I know tech
Knowledgeable of technical processes and programming languages.
This website is all in WordPress, if that hasn’t already been figured out. From the ground up with a manual install. It was pretty fun to learn – and experiment with until I found the right groove, template, and plugins to make this a stellar portfolio.
Did you see my note about my self-hosted Moodle?
I know my audience
Knowing target audiences is important.
Think as a Student? Check.
Think as Faculty? Check.
Think as a Designer? Check.
Think as a Subject-Matter Expert? Check.
Think as a Human? Check.
I strive to know all my audiences well.
Handled with care
Comments go a long way – They keep me going.
My full effort is given to my projects, as I care about the outcomes of my products. Nothing warms my heart more to hear a client overjoyed by a stellar project.
Faculty and Staff Training Course
This course was created as an assistantship project, based off my original practicum. This training course was deployed to Faculty and Staff of Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) and includes aspects on effective course design/delivery, course management, LMS and course navigation, grading, as well as instructional design practices for effective online and face-to-face instruction.
Student Orientation Course
This course was created as an assistantship project, based off my original practicum. This orientation course was deployed to students of Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) and includes aspects LMS and course navigation, as well as best practices for online learning.
Coach (Instructor) Training Course
This course was created as a practicum project, as required for my ID degree. This training course was deployed to a specific group of Faculty and Staff of Purdue University Calumet (now Purdue University Northwest) and includes aspects on effective course design/delivery, course management, grading, as well as instructional design practices for effective online and face-to-face instruction. These aspects and practices are specifically tailored to the College of Nursing Accelerated Partnerships online program for Registered Nurses.
Advisor Training
This course was created as part of a contract with the Center for Learning and Academic Success (CLAS) at Purdue University Calumet (now Purdue University Northwest). This training course was deployed to a select advisor group of the CLAS and includes training materials for newly hired advisors to review as part of the general employment orientation within the department.
Populus Learning Group
Ease Learning
K16 Solutions
K16 Solutions
Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education
LaSalle Network
Purdue University
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant (Olive Garden Italian Kitchen)
Hudson RPO Solutions
Purdue University
Purdue University
Experiential Learning
Community Service
Instructional Design and Technology
Broad experience within higher education and corporate business as an Instructional Designer and Technologist.
Consulting and Project Management
Years of experience with consulting stakeholders, faculty members and academic teams on best academic and design practices on associated projects.
Training Facilitation and User Experience
Skilled with the design and facilitation of curriculum and training materials in multiple modalities with the user experience in mind.
Professional Education
IDOL Courses
Certificate in Instructional Design – In Progress
Badges earned:
Graduate Education
Purdue University—Calumet Campus—Hammond, Indiana
Master of Science: Education (Instructional Design & Technology)
Master of Arts: Communication
Secondary Education
Purdue University—Calumet Campus—Hammond, Indiana
Bachelor of Science: Hospitality & Tourism Management
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana—Northwest Region
Associate of Applied Science: Hospitality Administration
Associate of Applied Science: Business Administration
Technical Certificate: Management
Secondary Education
Michigan City High School—Michigan City, Indiana
High School Diploma: Core 40 Standards
I get tech.
I’m a technologically savvy type of individual. I’m one of those “techies” as people call them. I have a laptop that acts as my tech-hub on my desk, as well as a tablet and smartphone, so I stay connected with the world. I’ve been experimenting with computers since younger years, which includes reformats, hard drive replacements, and OS installations/updates.
I think complex.
I like to think about things and ideate the solutions. While not always perfect in my thinking, I tend to use logic and analysis in my reasoning.
I take lots of photos.
I began taking photos over a decade ago for fun after being inspired by my grandparents. My photo hobby has exploded and I find that quite a few people enjoy my creative expression.
I stay in motion.
When I’m not holding a camera, I like to keep in motion, whether walking, or otherwise. Riding my bike is my “fun” time—I rode 50 miles in a single day in the summer of 2015, 80 miles in July of 2017, and 100 miles in August of 2017. My plan one day is to ride my bike farther than that and ride along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago on a sunny day.
I explore.
When I’m not cycling, I might be walking around Chicago, exploring the Indiana Dunes National Park, or enjoying the outside. Being outside or wandering about helps me disconnect from the home life as well as the digital world in some form.
Undergraduate Education
B.S., A.A.S., A.A.S, Certificate
My undergraduate education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, two Associate of Applied Science degrees in Hospitality and Business Administration, and a Technical Certificate in Management.
Graduate Education
M.A. & M.S. Ed.
My graduate studies include Communication (M.A.) with a focus on Organizational Communication and Training, as well as Education (M.S. Ed.), with a specialization in Instructional Design and Technology.
Skills
Interests
Technologies
Scottsdale, Arizona — July 2021-Present
Chicago, Illinois — July 2019-July 2021
Chamberlain University, LLC. is an Adtalem Global Education owned institution.
Chicago, Illinois — October 2020-December 2020
Chicago, Illinois — June 2018-July 2019
Chicago, Illinois — June 2016-June 2018
ATGE*/Integrated Education Solutions
*Adtalem Global Education was formerly named DeVry Education Group
Chicago, Illinois — September 2014-June 2016
DeVry Education Group/Integrated Education Solutions
Formerly contracted with LaSalle Network (LaSalle Staffing, Inc.) with DeVry Education Group
Hammond, Indiana — June 2015-August 2015
Formerly contracted with Academic Affairs as a Temporary Administrative Professional Staff Member
Chicago, Illinois — December 2013-July 2014
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
Developed Health Information Management (HIM) Courses in the Lectora Authoring Tool
Formerly contracted with Hudson and AHIMA
Hammond/Westville, Indiana — August 2011-July 2014
Michigan City, Indiana — June 2009–September 2014
Food Server: Blue Chip Casino—Michigan City, Indiana April 2009 – December 2009
VIP Server: Four Winds Casino Resort—New Buffalo, Michigan April 2008 – March 2009
Server / Banquet Server & Prep Cook:
Stampede Banquets— Michigan City, Indiana June 2007 – January 2010
Dietary Worker: Saint Anthony Memorial Hospital—Michigan City, Indiana February 2005 – July 2007
Childhood Dream
Wait – You’re in Education – where does hospitality and everything else come in? Fun Fact – As a child, I wanted to be a teacher. As I aged, that dream of teaching slowed in progress through my own self-exploration of life and college courses. Interestingly; however, it circled back around serendipitously.
Hospitality Discipline
I worked in restaurants through high school and my first couple years of college and enjoyed the career. Being a “foodie” this was right up my alley. I chose to pursue expertise in the Hospitality Industry given my love and experience within it. Through my years of experience in restaurants, I realized I wanted to go beyond entry-level positions and move into management/corporate-level jobs – which spurred my decision for Graduate School.
Communication Discipline
Upon entering graduate school, I began coursework for the Communication program after recommendations from professors and classmates. I knew the Communication program was a great fit because it began to help me understand the “why” of certain theories and processes within a training program. The Communication discipline helped me think quantitatively and outside the box.
Education Discipline
During my graduate studies, I met several professors and students from the Instructional Design program. Many of them saw a spark within me before I did – They recommended to apply for the Instructional Design (ID) program. It turned out to be a great fit. By the end of my graduate studies, I discovered the correlation between the two disciplines and how I could merge the two together. The education (ID) discipline provided me with “how” things could be done based on specific theories or processes within training. In fact, once I found that correlation, I was able to combine all three of my disciplines together and work on course projects that later became an awesome portfolio.
Professional Photography
I’ve been told I take some pretty good pictures. Determine for yourself! I’m sure you’ll see links/prototypes of my photography somewhere on this site.
Photography serves as one of my creative outlets outside of my education/training/process-based brain. I enjoy capturing these moments and have many happy clients and photo samples worldwide.