Meet your DEU ID

In the third of four DEU Instructional Designer profiles, we’re pleased to introduce you to JR Dingwall!

A JOURNEY OF LIFELONG LEARNING

Looking for a high-level overview of my education and experience? My LinkedIn profile is for you.

I have a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from the University of Saskatchewan and began my career as many young graduates do, as a substitute teacher. I had the privilege of working in many communities, mostly teaching math, industrial arts, and science. When it came time to have a classroom of my own, I primarily taught industrial arts and media production. Through my time in public schools, I regularly found myself in the position of learning technologies consultant for both students and colleagues. This led me to pursue a graduate degree (M.Ed) focusing on Educational Technology and Design.

As a lifelong learner I seek out opportunities to learn new skills wherever I can. From participating in online communities, enrolling in MOOCs, volunteering with the Canadian Association of Instructional Designers (ACCP-CAID), acquiring a certificate in User Experience Design (OCADu), and even traveling to Finland to learn about teacher education abroad (Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki). Outside of higher education contexts, I direct my passion for learning towards judo and karate.

Since completing the M.Ed program in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan, I have had the opportunity to serve in a wide range of roles in a variety of contexts and organizations that fall into two main categories: instructional design, and educational development.

DESIGNING INSTRUCTION

Whether I am teaching, consulting, learning something myself, or working as an ID, my approach is rooted in the foundational principles and ideas of instructional design. I enjoy collaborating with subject matter experts to plan, implement, and evaluate instruction. Whether designing larger projects (e.g., courses and books), or small targeted instruction (e.g., job aids, videos, and interactive learning objects) I begin with investigating the problem, and determine whether and how instruction can be of use. I have applied this process in face-to-face and blended learning environments, but my real passion, and most of my experience, resides within online learning. Whether it is self-paced, cohort-based, synchronous, or asynchronous, I find online learning contexts the most interesting for creating instruction.

COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

Are you working on a teaching and learning project? Just a few examples of how collaborating with me can help you to achieve your goals include:

• Online course development – whether you are developing an entire course or adjusting a particular element, I can help you to work through the tasks, process, and technology needed.
• Open textbooks – drawing on my experience as an author and designer of a widely distributed open textbook, I can help you to plan and publish your open textbook including designing interactives and assist with using USask’s OpenPress publishing platform.
• Interactive content – opportunities to practice and receive timely, specific, and actionable feedback is critical for learning. From simple activities, to scenario-based learning, I can help you through the process and with the technology needed to create interactive learning activities.
• Reviews and recommendations – if you have an online course or activity and feel it could be improved but don’t quite know where to start, I can provide an initial review and recommendations. From there we can create something that achieves your goals