This month, "Meet the
Experts" features Penny Ralston-Berg, UW-Learning Innovation's representative
to the Learning Technology Development Council.
TTT: Please describe
your work at UW-Extension's Learning Innovations.
PR: I spend most of my time working with subject matter experts
to design and develop e-learning. Daily tasks could include anything from
instructional design, HTML and multimedia production, graphics production
or technical writing to working in D2L. Above and beyond specific projects,
I am also involved with higher level design issues. This means promoting
best practices in instructional design and serving as a design consultant
for the team. I also work to create and refine design models for effective
and efficient development of online learning as well as the support materials
that serve online learners. Overall, I try to use my experience to improve
the quality of our courses for the learners and clients we serve. Or,
you can use my mother's definition of my job: I work on a computer all
day.
TTT: How long have you
been in your current position?
PR: I've been at Learning Innovations--and in Wisconsin--four years
this month.
TTT: What do you enjoy
most about your job?
PR: I really enjoy the wide variety of clients and subject matter.
We have the opportunity to work on a combination of projects including
semester-long university courses as part of degree programs, corporate
training, K-12 professional development, UW systemwide training programs,
state agency training programs, internal professional development pieces,
and research projects. I also facilitate online or face-to-face workshops
from time to time. Never a dull moment! The only constant is that all
our projects are delivered online.
TTT: What's the most
memorable thing that has happened to you at this job?
PR: I don't think I can narrow this down to a single event. The
thing that stands out most in my mind is our development team and how
well we work together. Everyone has a variety of experience and expertise.
We constantly consult, share, and learn from each other. I appreciate
the opportunity to work with such a talented, professional, and diverse
group of people.
TTT: What do you enjoy
doing in your free time? Any hobbies, recent trips or hidden talents you'd
care to tell our readers about?
PR: Call me a
geek, but I also like working with technology in my spare time. I just
finished helping my grandmother publish a cookbook of her "secret"
family recipes and I also research my family history online. I have also
been known to buy a Pez dispenser or two through online auctions. My
husband and I enjoy flea markets, experiencing new restaurants, and traveling
abroad. Our most recent trips were to the fjords of Norway and the rain
forests of Costa Rica.
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