This portfolio serves the purpose of providing an effective and efficient means of presenting evidence of major assessments for the Master of Science in Education: Instructional Design and Technology degree pursued by Christopher Dean.

As a lifelong learner, I am always looking to improve my knowledge and understanding in my career environment in an effort to make myself more desirable in potential future undertakings. With a background in art and graphic design, as well as an aptitude for analytical approaches toward learning, the transition to a career in Instructional Design, while unintentional, was natural.

Fresh out of college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art, I accepted a position as a graphic designer performing production work for a large, local corporation where I acquired a great deal of graphic design knowledge and skills. Throughout nearly seven years of employment, I continuously welcomed additional responsibilities and eventually moved into the position of Senior Graphic Designer. The new position put me in charge of training fellow employees and new hires in a variety of tasks. Although my employment provided great experience and learning opportunities, the opportunity for future advancement seemed limited. As a result, when I became aware of an opening for the position for an Instructional Designer/Flash Developer I quickly applied.

The transition to Instructional Designer was seamless. While my current title is that of Instructional Designer, I am technically simply a designer. I develop Flash training by making the content more user-friendly and interactive. It was this introduction to instructional design, while restricted to the design and development areas, which led me to pursue a masters degree in Instructional Design to further my knowledge of the Instructional Design field.

Outside of work and school, I enjoy simply spending time with my two sons, ages 4 and 15. We like to stay active with a variety of outdoor activities including sports, boating, fishing, camping, and more.