Introduction

This is the professional instructional design portfolio of Evan Jernagan. This portfolio contains evidence of page layout and design, systematic design of instruction, knowledge of instructional technology concepts, project management, and project evaluation expertise. This portfolio was prepared as part of the requirements for a master's degree in the instructional technology major at San José State University.

Area of Expertise

During my studies for this program, I have focused primarily in the area of eLearning in Higher Education. I have worked as an Instructional Technologist at the Distributed Learning Resource Center (DLRC) under the Office of Continuous Learning (OCL) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA for over three years and have used class projects as an opportunity to apply concepts from class to real-world problems.

As with any group, there are projects at the DLRC and OCL that are a low priority, resources do not exist for, or otherwise would not normally be done. These projects became an opportunity for me to practice the concepts and face the challenges encountered during my studies.

Though the area of eLearning in Higher Ed may sound narrow, I found that there are many different challenges that are encountered on a daily basis. Everything from developing marketing materials, job aids for staff, tutorials for students and faculty, workshop planning and design, and course design and development were projects that I would and do normally encounter on a day-to-day basis in the DLRC and OCL at NPS.

Application of Projects

Almost all projects presented in this portfolio were designed with the purpose of attempting to solve work-related instructional issues, though all are consistent in that I was the lead designer and developer. DLRC, OCL, and NPS resources were used only when appropriate and necessary. These projects were done “on the clock” only in proper circumstances, such as review meetings and other times when absolutely essential. All other work was completed on my own time.

Very few of the projects presented in this portfolio were ultimately used at work in the format presented here. Some were presented as prototypes, others used as starting points for further revision, and some provided lessons learned that a certain direction might not be the most appropriate at that time for the client. However, all provided valuable opportunity for discussion and review of my solutions to the given problem.

I used a much more independent process for the development of these projects than I normally would at work. I still had colleagues review materials, asked for help when I became stuck, and utilized instructor and other client comments, suggestions, and feedback. However, my goal with these projects was to tackle the problems encountered head on. One of the greatest strengths of working with the tremendous and talented team of Instructional Designers, Project Managers, Graphic Designers, Programmers, Managers, and technology gurus at the DLRC and OCL is that I always have someone to turn to when I have a question. They all have been wonderful and invaluable mentors. However, I made a point of approaching these projects as a challenge to see how far I can go before I became stuck or needed help and an opportunity to discover what solutions to problems I would choose. With that criteria stated, all of these projects provided important learning and growth experiences.