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Welcome!

I have 20 years experience in post-secondary education, working as a programming instructor, instructional technology specialist, and online learning administrator. In each of these roles my primary professional interest has focused on training, technical writing, and information design. I believe that the time taken to develop and deliver a well-crafted information and learning environment has a tremendous payoff, allowing students, faculty, business professionals, and employees to learn and work more effectively.

The quality of instructions really matters. As we all discover when we purchase a product that has "Some Assembly Required," bad things happen when instructions are inadequate or incorrect. I have seen students stumble significantly because of an ambiguously worded assignment or an unnecessarily complex course design. I have seen faculty give up on the application of technology for learning because of the lack of clear tutorials or just-in-time look-ups. And I have seen staff waste many person-hours as a result of poorly documented work flow procedures. The hidden cost of these inefficiencies in terms of lost person-hours is immeasurable. And these costs can also include a loss of confidence and trust, either in the individual or in the institution.

Every small improvement in any information and learning environment removes a block to effective work and individual creativity. Many improvements can be made simply by listening carefully to our user communities and delivering what is requested in the most efficient manner. This has been my central concern throughout my professional career, whether designing an online course, providing faculty/staff training, or developing documentation or Web resources.

In my work I strive to:

• Produce clearly written tutorials, user guides, procedures, manuals, reports, Web sites, and other publications, designed for easy reference to "must-have" information.
• Design, develop and deliver learning content (Blackboard, Moodle, ..) that meets required learning outcomes in a manner that engages students, utilizes online technology, facilitates individual and self-paced learning, and respects the student's time.
• Design and deliver effective just-in-time workshops and online resources.
• Identify and apply standards and common formats to ensure a consistent and familiar information environment.
• Integrate database, XML, and wiki resources with publication media (Web sites, learning management systems, printed documents, work processes, etc) to (a) eliminate duplication, (b) facilitate customization for select audiences, and (c) simplify maintenance and backup.
• Develop custom Web, video, PHP/MySql, Java, and Flash-based applications to meet specific needs of individual offices and services with regard to operational procedures, training tutorials, and reporting tools.
• Design effective processes to improve work flow within and between offices and departments.