Penny Ralston-Berg


Meet Penny Ralston-Berg
,
Instructional Designer,
UW-Extension, Learning Innovations

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.


Thanks, Penny!

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