From Advisor to Developer:
My Journey into Learning Experience Design
A Career Shift
Prior to entering MSU's Master of Arts in Learning Experience Design (MALXD) program, I had just experienced a major career change. For nearly 15 years, I worked as an academic advisor and recruiter in higher education, supporting undergraduate students directly and building long-term relationships rooted in trust, guidance, and advocacy, shaping much of my professional identity. However, in October 2023, I was ready for something new and I stepped into the role as Educational Developer for Academic Advisors at Michigan State University. The position was brand new to the university and would need to be built from the ground up. It was designed to dedicate a full-time employee to creating training experiences, professional development opportunities, and learning materials for undergraduate academic advisors across campus.
I entered this role with strong advising experience and supervisory knowledge, but I was entirely new to the field of learning experience and instructional design. While I had confidence in how to advise students and supervise a team, I knew I had much to learn about designing effective learning environments and materials that would serve academic advisors. My prior design experience consisted mainly of creating a few guides in Canva. Recognizing the gap between my existing skills and the demands of my new role, I sought to gain foundational knowledge. I completed a certificate program in instructional design through the Association for Talent Development (ATD), followed by Devlin Peck’s Articulate Storyline bootcamp to gain some technical understanding.
Around the same time, I completed a graduate certificate in Educational Psychology at MSU. Through CEP 800 (Psychology of Learning in Schools and Other Settings), I was introduced to learning theories and began defining my own personal learning philosophy. This course expanded my understanding of cognitive processes, motivation, and the barriers that learners encounter. It challenged me to think beyond content delivery and instead consider how learning is created, how prior knowledge influences understanding, and how context shapes engagement.
Before entering the MALXD program, I also considered a second graduate certificate in Online Teaching and Learning, which led me to CEP 813 (Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning). This course changed how I think about assessment. I learned how to design assessments that are aligned to learning objectives, developed my own assessment checklist that I continue to use in workshops and courses, and examined how bias and assumptions can shape assessment practices. I became more aware of how poorly designed assessments can disadvantage learners and how transparency of an assessment's purpose and impact is key to gaining participant buy-in and trust.
Similarly, CEP 820 (Teaching and Learning Online) provided me with an understanding of how to design instruction in online learning environments. The course emphasized not only effectiveness but engagement, how to leverage technology to support learning, how motivation changes in digital spaces, and how to make online experiences interactive and meaningful. In my new role, I knew I would be developing online courses and web-based materials to provide flexible options for advisors with packed schedules. This course challenged me to think creatively about asynchronous engagement, community building in virtual spaces, and designing for diverse learners.
These three graduate courses, along with two external certificate programs, were important to my start as a learning experience designer. They sparked a strong interest and a desire to learn more about learning experience design. This led me to connect with Brittany Dillman, MAET and MALXD Graduate Certificate Program Director, and learn about the brand new MALXD program that would be launching in Fall 2024. The program’s flexible format for working professionals and its focus on learning experience design aligned perfectly with my professional goals. I excitedly submitted my application and awaited to start the program.
Exploring Accessibility
As I entered the MALXD program, the first course I took and was incredibly impactful was UX 835 (Accessibility and Design). One of my primary goals for the program was to deepen my understanding of inclusive and accessible design principles to ensure my work was truly helpful for everyone, and UX 835 was strongly aligned with this goal. I learned about the creation and evolution of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the development of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and how both have evolved along with technological advancements.
The course was not just theoretical or text based, it required hands-on exploration of assistive technologies. I used screen readers on both my computer and cellphone, experimented with screen magnifiers, and engaged with closed captioning tools. Experiencing websites and documents through these technologies highlighted the significant barriers that occur when digital materials are not designed with accessibility in mind. Through a website audit using the WAVE Chrome extension, I identified common accessibility errors in color contrast, heading structure, and alternative text. More importantly, I learned that automated accessibility tools only capture part of the picture and I need to also rely on my knowledge of accessible design as well.
Since completing UX 835, accessibility has become embedded in my work. I regularly use WAVE and built-in accessibility checkers as a first review but also conduct manual reviews. I test materials with screen readers, ensure clear heading structures, and confirm that all videos include closed captioning. The course also introduced learning design for neurodivergent individuals, reminding me to be mindful of lighting, sound, pacing, and overstimulation in both online and in-person learning environments. Accessibility is no longer an afterthought, it's a core design principle in all of my work.
Designing for Adult Learnings
EAD 861 (Adult Learning) was another transformative course. Before taking it, I was familiar with pedagogy but was not as familiar with andragogy. Because my primary audience is adult learners (academic advisors) this course was very relevant. I learned that adult learners are often motivated by career advancement, skill gaps, and intrinsic interest. They bring prior experiences and prefer learning that is problem-centered and directly applicable to their work.
Two theories resonated with me from this course: self-directed learning and situated learning. Self-directed learning emphasizes autonomy and choice, while situated learning highlights the importance of social, cultural, and environmental contexts. I have integrated both into my work. I helped establish learning communities and topic talks where advisors can collaboratively explore different issues impacting student success. I contributed to the creation of a mentoring committee that connects newer advisors with experienced advisors across campus. I have also developed microlearning modules that allow advisors to engage with content flexibly, respecting their full schedules and want for more autonomous learning.
Prior to this course, I viewed learning primarily through the lens of live workshops and classroom settings. EAD 861 helped to broaden that perspective. I now recognize that adult learning happens in formal and informal contexts and that understanding motivation is central to improving engagement.
Leadership in Learning Design
CEP 856 (Learning Design Leadership) changed how I viewed myself as a leader. Prior to this course, I considered leadership as more of a managerial function, someone that supervised a team and was expected to make important decisions while also taking on administrative responsibilities. After taking CEP 856, I learned that leaders come in many different forms and do not necessarily lead a team and leadership is not synonymous with managing people. I also learned how leadership fits into learning design and created my own global vision of leadership design that included a five-year vision for learning for academic advising, considered stakeholder involvement, addressed a specific learning challenge (time constraints and lack of motivation), and used the Matrix of Change Elements. The Matrix helped to identify how different stakeholders are part of the overall vision, what skills they bring, incentives for participation, resources required to proceed, and actions steps for moving the learning design vision forward.
One of the most impactful portions of CEP 856 was creating a project scope statement and learning about project management, particularly Agile. I had led team projects in my various roles before, but it often felt disjointed or lacked follow through. The project scope statement was highly comprehensive and taught me how to outline all aspects of a project plan, from budget requirements and stakeholder inclusion to timelines and feedback implementation. When launching a new mentoring committee, I used the same project scope statement document to outline all aspects of the project, emphasizing outcomes and deliverables, required subcommittee tasks, and adhering to milestones and deadlines throughout. This project scope statement has been highly impactful and has allowed our committee to make incredible progress, with a goal of launching in Fall 2026.
Liberatory Design
When evaluating what I’ve learned throughout the program, I have met the MALXD program learning outcome of engaging in a cycle of continuous improvement and project management, including researching, planning, implementing, tracking, evaluating the success of initiatives, and improving the product. Across nearly every course, there was an emphasis on self-reflection and revision, with instructors encouraging creativity and iteration rather than a single submission that could not be enhanced over time.
I feel that this is most strongly reflected in CEP 857 (Current Topics and Trends in Learning Design) and using the Liberatory Design framework (see flipbook on the right) throughout the course to ideate, create, launch, and evaluate different solutions to challenges I was experiencing in my learning contexts. It emphasized empathy and awareness of bias, and understanding who is being directly impacted by the problem the design is trying to address. Liberatory Design uses co-designing processes, inviting ideas and perspectives of the individuals most impacted to ensure their voice is integrated throughout the design process. Finally, it uses prototyping through mockups, outlines, pilots, and wireframes along with frequent evaluation and reflection to ensure design solutions are directly impacting the problem and the end user. Overall, Liberatory Design is a cycle that engages ongoing reflection, feedback, and improvement while engaging empathy and inclusion for the planning and design process
In my role, this has translated into involving advisors directly in shaping professional development offerings. Instead of designing in isolation, I gather input, pilot ideas, and revise based on their feedback. This approach has strengthened trust and increased engagement because advisors see their voices reflected in the final design. Liberatory Design reinforces that effective learning experiences are human-centered.
Transformed Perspective
As I reflect on my journey, I can clearly see how I have evolved. I began as a practitioner with expertise in advising but limited understanding or training in learning design. Through the MALXD program, I have developed a strong understanding in adult learning theory, technical knowledge, leadership skills, and a commitment to inclusive and accessible design. I no longer see myself as someone who simply creates workshops or resources. I now see myself as a learning experience designer who embeds accessibility, user feedback, learning theory, ongoing improvement into every project.
The MALXD program has not only strengthened my skills but has also transformed my professional identity. It has allowed me to look at learning challenges differently and approach design with deep consideration to learner needs. As I continue in my role as an Educational Developer, I will carry with me the knowledge gained and a commitment to design with empathy, lead from a collective approach, and continue gather feedback and make improvements to ensure my designs are effective, meaningful, and engaging.
