Hello! I'm Alex.
I look at the world through the lens of my Christian faith, and my third-culture-kid upbringing. As an instructional designer, this helps me to collaborate with just about anyone, anywhere, and brings an international perspective to my work. Building on over two decades of experience designing and developing multimedia content, I've established WorldWise Curriculum Design as a natural evolution of my commitment to helping clients deliver effective and globally-relevant learning solutions.
Let’s see how my expertise can help you.
My Skill set
Instructional Design and Curriculum Development
Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Community Engagement
Instructional Design and Curriculum Development
Leveraging my expertise in adult learning theory and instructional design methodologies, I am adept at building dynamic, interactive learning experiences that empower professionals to achieve their educational and professional goals. I am skilled in developing comprehensive instructional materials, including course outlines, learning objectives, assessments, rubrics, and multimedia resources.
Project Management and Quality Assurance
Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Community Engagement
Instructional Design and Curriculum Development
I have successfully planned, managed, and implemented various learning interventions, including corporate online programs and youth engagement initiatives. My strong communication skills facilitate seamless collaboration with cross-functional teams, while my meticulous approach ensures the accuracy and consistency of instructional materials.
Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Community Engagement
Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Community Engagement
Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Community Engagement
My education and experience in international settings has honed my ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams. My proficiency in various applications and tools further enhances my ability to develop innovative solutions for diverse audiences.
My Qualifications
Online Graduate Certificate
Instructional Design & Technology
Earning a graduate certificate allowed me to take the classes I wanted without having to earn a second masters degree. I focused on instructional design and learning theory.
Masters of Art
Third World Development Support Communication
This was a degree tailored by two professors who worked on UN and USAID development projects in what were then called “Third World” countries. They needed people who could go into the field by themselves with little equipment and a shoestring budget to work with communities, government organizations, aid organizations, and non-governmental organizations to diagnose community needs and challenges, then create and implement communication solutions that would support inter-organizational development projects.
I studied instructional design, video and multimedia production, graphic design, communication strategy, and related subjects. I did my thesis research in Malawi and my internship in Zimbabwe. Thesis completed in: “Participatory Decision-Making in Wildlife Management in Malawi."
Bachelors of Art
Journalism & Mass Communication
I studied writing, photography, and communication. For my honor's project, I conducted field research on Mozambican refugee women, culminating in a paper and multimedia project. I studied abroad in London and completed a paper on 'Third World Producers in British Media.'
My Story
Growing up in Malawi, I had international schooling and traveled widely with my family, exposing me to the great diversity of world cultures. This globally rich background, however, stood in stark contrast to my complete lack of digital literacy. When I arrived in the US at 17, I didn't even know how to type!
Despite this, just three and a half years later, when I earned my bachelor’s degree, I had not only mastered typing but also worked at the university's cutting edge computer center, assisting faculty with multimedia resources, and introducing the nascent internet and email to hundreds of freshmen and their parents. My master's studies further immersed me in the digital world as a graduate assistant for a networking and website building course, and as assistant to the university webmaster – a significant leap from my tech-free beginnings!
Nearing graduation and seeking international work, I chose the US Peace Corps. When offered a placement in Bulgaria – a region new to me – I readily accepted. If the US had felt foreign, Bulgaria felt like a new home. I embraced learning the language and Cyrillic alphabet, and at the Rila Park Directorate, I found supportive colleagues and made a tangible impact through grant writing and project management. The beauty of the park, the delicious local cuisine, and the warmth of my host and landlord families enriched my experience.
My passion for writing and multimedia continued to flourish in the years that followed - at the University of Minnesota, through grant writing, event organization, and managing the Institute of Technology Center for Educational Programs' online and print presence; at home, through creating multimedia presentations for church and family events, writing for the church newsletter, and becoming an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). While a stay-at-home mom in Antigua and Oklahoma, I dedicated time to writing several children's book scripts. I still hope to publish them one day.
My eleven years at Thunderbird School of Global Management involved diverse responsibilities, from being the main contact for corporate online Executive Education participants and providing technical support, to managing program facilitators and supporting client teams. I was also integral in the transition of Executive Education online content to Arizona State University. For the last eight years, my focus sharpened to designing, developing, and managing online instructional content for an international business audience.