Restaurant Group Training Module

Face-to-face training module to increase professional appearance

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Using an objectivist approach, this training module is a face-to-face training session for managers of a restaurant group that needed to standardize the appearance of their wait staff. Specifically, this module trains employees on how to tie the perfect Windsor knot for the most professional appearance when working. The module provides a step by step process, visual flashcard, and built-in practice in order to install a system that work across the company.

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DISC Personality Managerial Training

A training module for managers focused on DISC assessment

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This training module teaches corporate managers how to use Google Forms to survey employees, but it also teaches them how to calculate the results automatically for faster turn-around time on important issues within a company. In addition to those objectives, the module features a relevant backdrop for their learning because the example survey in the training module automatically calculates DISC personality types based on employee responses, and then discusses how to effectively group employees into efficient teams.

This module was created in conjunction with Mike Jacobs, and for me it was a pleasure to work with a partner on this assignment. Working with mike taught me how to effectively coordinate division of labor for maximum throughput.

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Problem-based College Course

A problem-based approach to a 101 class

Visit www.collabination.com.

This is a supplemental website that students now use in one of my college courses that I teach. This website was part of a complete course overhaul that converted the class from an objectivist lecture into a constructionist class. It went from rote pen and paper tests to a problem-based project class, and the results so far have been incredible. Students now work from an initial case-study examining a failed board game, and over the course of the class, completely redesign the game, all while learning the game design terminology they would need if they decide to become Computer Game Design majors.

When students use this resource, they are harnessing the power of the Learning by Design method, only the lingo of that process has been changed to appeal more to the college student. Still, the backbone of making design decisions, sharing out, and then making iterative design improvements is ever-present.

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LMS User Adoption Research

A research study that examines LMS adoption

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This research proposal is an in-depth look at the research that has already been done on the adoption, or lack thereof, of Learning Management Systems. This proposal navigates new territory, however, by hypothesizing that it is students' interactions with more professionally designed software that stop users from wanting to adopt educational software with poorly built user experiences.

One of the core articles in the literature review analyzed Dropbox with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and found that users preferred to use Dropbox over their company or university learning management systems – even if there were policies in place that mandated a piece of software over Dropbox.

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Web Accessibility Analysis

Accessibility analysis of a complex website

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This document features an executive summary and a detailed analytical breakdown of the accessibility problems associated with a website that uses complex HTML and Web 2.0 tools. The graphic organizer is oriented toward a web development team in order to make decisions with Universal Design in mind, while the executive summary is analysis of how these errors might affect the company's bottom line.

Providing this level of analysis of a website requires the right software tools, but it also requires someone with a mind for business, accessibility issues, and programming alike. I think my written analysis showcases my potential to act as a liaison between these different professional worlds because I can speak the language of them all.

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Reflection Database UX Prototype

A software system to solidify the process of reflection

Visit the prototype for this project: Reflection Tool Prototype.

This prototype of a web application seeks to provide scaffolding for informal learning environments, without removing the informal nature from the pedagogy. This software provides an easy way for students to create engineering projects and reflect on the process of their designs -- all with the mentality of sharing their reflections with the world...both their successes and failures.

For teachers feeling the pressure of state standards, the documentation generated by this prototype can act as the proof that informal learning environments have a role in public education, and that they can teach to state standards with the right framework for students.

Visit the fully-working prototype as a result of user testing in EDIT752: Reflection Tool Prototype Version 8.

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HTML5/CSS3 Class Portal Page

A standards-based re-design of a class website

Visit www.wordfight.org.

This website uses HTML5 and CSS3 to create an easy to use class webpage portal for students. Through surveying students, I pinpointed the problem with high school students not using the mandated county-wide learning management system, which was that they were too lazy (their words, not mine) to login to the system. This class portal features the three most sought-after features: calendar, micro news updates, and replacement documents. Creating this website has had the unintentional benefit of collaborating with teachers that have downloaded my teacher units for American Literature.

This website is compatible with mobile browsers, and features valid HTML5 as checked by the W3C tool.

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Reflection Tool for Makerspaces

The result of the iterative design process started in EDIT732

Visit Reflection Tool Version 8.

This is the 8th iteration of the Reflection Tool prototype that began in in EDIT732. As the programming lead on this project, working in a group, and testing with users, it has been an eye-opening learning experience that has made me interested more than ever in the field of UX design. This prototype perfectly marries my differing skillsets, and creating high-fidelity rapidly-deployed prototypes could be a niche role that utilizes both my education and programming backgrounds.

After the first round of testing with our target demographic, elementary school students, our group was buzzing with changes that we could make to improve the overall usability of our software. We added a easily recognizable color scheme, standardized each step, and removed extraneous or hard to use features.

This version is still in development, but is stable enough to play around in.

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Captivate Simulation Tutorial for Dropbox

A Dropbox software simulation complete with user quiz

Download the Captivate files: ZIP.

This project utilizes the mouse-click capture abilities of the software simulation functionality of Adobe Captivate. This software was new to me, but having experience in other products in the Adobe suite, I was able to learn it easily. This assignment allowed me to hone my animations, accessibility captioning, and voice-over timings which require the same meticulous crafting as most presentation software.

The true power of Adobe Captivate as an educational tool comes from the assessment options it offers, and I was able to experiment with hot-zone software test, as well as traditional quizzes.

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