Welcome

About

Hi there, I'm Katie!

My journey began as a kid with a VHS camcorder, sparking a lifelong passion for all types of media that has shaped my career and led me to my current role as an Instructional Designer at UGA's College of Pharmacy. It’s a role I adore, blending creativity with impactful education. On top of that, I'm working toward my master’s in Emerging Media. The program has given me new tools to navigate both design and technology, helping me push the envelope as an instructional designer. This dual track of working and learning keeps me right at the cutting edge, always aiming to make every project both engaging and enriching.

My Story: From Camera to Classroom

My career path started with a degree in video production. I wanted to use media to educate and inspire, and dreamed of working with the team at Sesame Workshop. That dream steered my early career choices, taking me from a formative internship at Thirteen in New York City to the turbulent production scene in LA. But eventually, I craved a deeper meaning in my work, so I headed back to Athens to get a master's in Instructional Design. After that, I found myself out West again, this time working for KNPB, where I juggled roles as a videographer, editor, and producer while enjoying Nevada's unique and stunning landscapes every chance I got.

A Homecoming

Drawn by the warmth of family and the comfort of familiar faces, I decided to return to Athens, where, for over a decade now, I've been working at the College of Pharmacy. I'm passionate about creating learning experiences that are effective and engaging, whether that means crafting individual lesson tools or designing larger educational interventions with a focus on meaningful results. My career has seen me wear various hats, reflecting my adaptability and reinforcing my love for the instructional design process, teamwork, and the creation of impactful learning experiences.

Philosophy and Passions

For me, it's all about making meaningful connections with the world. When I'm not working, you'll find me outdoors, cycling, or rewatching any one of David Lynch's films. I love soaking up nature, hitting the tennis courts, and hunting for mid-century modern gems in Athens with my family.

Looking Ahead

Continuing my educational journey in Emerging Media, I'm excited about merging my experiences to innovate and improve instructional design practices. This website is a testament to my dedication to crafting and sharing effective learning experiences, with a keen eye on projects that align with my UX/UI design and educational development skills.

Let's Collaborate

Looking for a partner in creating meaningful educational experiences? Let's chat and see how we can make a difference together.

Portfolio

All
Instructional Design
UX/UI
Project Management
Multimedia
Case Studies
Art

Explore

Random Patient Generator

Tools: HTML/CSS/Javascript

Project Overview

Product Description: The Random Patient Generator (RPG) is a dynamic instructional design tool that generates diverse patient cases in real-time, enhancing clinical reasoning and decision-making skills in pharmacy education.

My Role: Instructional Designer and Developer, responsible for the conceptual design, technical development, and integration of instructional principles into the RPG.

Tools Used: HTML, JavaScript for development

Team Members: Office of Instructional Innovation and Research, Collaboration with faculty expert

Project Length: Ongoing development with the first phase completed; plans for broader implementation in the 2024-2025 academic year.

Methods Used: Situated cognition, cognitive task analysis, iterative design

Problem Addressed: The need for a more authentic, flexible, and varied approach to case-based learning in pharmacy education to prevent knowledge stagnation and enhance transferability.

Exploration/Discovery

Partial Cognitive Task Analysis

The cognitive task analysis was conducted on a partial basis, focusing specifically on our faculty partner who analyzed his own decision-making process while working through clinical cases. This self-analysis helped identify key patient characteristics that are crucial for effective clinical reasoning. The insights gained from this partial CTA were instrumental in defining the variables included in the RPG, ensuring that the tool supports the development of nuanced clinical assessment skills in students.

Faculty-Driven Gap Analysis

Instead of a formal needs assessment, the identification of educational gaps was driven by our faculty partner's direct experience in the classroom and interactions with students. He recognized the limitations of existing case-based teaching methods, particularly the lack of diversity and dynamism in patient cases presented to students. This first-hand observation was fundamental in shaping the RPG's development, guiding us to create a tool that could generate a wide array of patient scenarios, thereby enriching the learning experience and better preparing students for real-world applications.

Iterative Design Process

The RPG's development continued through an iterative design process where initial versions of the tool were refined based on ongoing input from our faculty partner and trial sessions in classroom settings. This responsive approach allowed us to make critical adjustments that enhanced both the functionality and user experience of the RPG. Feedback from these sessions led to improvements such as the ability to shuffle individual characteristics, thereby increasing the tool’s educational value and versatility.

Instructional Design Process

Application of Situated Cognition and Cognitive Apprenticeship

The RPG was conceptualized and developed with a strong foundation in situated cognition, a theory that posits learning occurs best when it is contextualized. This approach was complemented by cognitive apprenticeship methods, which involve teaching the processes that experts use to handle complex tasks. In the RPG, these theories materialize through real-time generation of patient cases, allowing faculty to model and articulate their thought processes as they navigate clinical decisions, thereby making expert strategies visible and accessible to students.

Designing for Real-Time Interaction and Flexibility

A core feature of the RPG is its ability to dynamically generate patient cases with varied characteristics at the click of a button. This functionality was designed to emulate the unpredictability and complexity of real clinical environments, thereby challenging students to apply their knowledge in diverse scenarios. The tool's interface allows faculty and students to alter specific patient characteristics instantly, facilitating an interactive and flexible learning environment that encourages critical thinking and adaptive learning.

Facilitating Reflective Practice and Feedback

Incorporating features that promote reflection was a key aspect of the RPG’s instructional design. After engaging with the generated patient cases, students are encouraged to reflect on their decision-making processes and the outcomes of their actions. This reflective practice is supported by feedback mechanisms within the RPG, allowing students to receive immediate input from faculty during and after their case assessments. This continuous loop of action and feedback is crucial for developing clinical reasoning skills and for fostering a deeper understanding of pharmacotherapy.

Iterative Testing and User-Centric Design

Throughout the development of the RPG, iterative testing played a critical role in refining the tool's design and functionality. Initial prototypes were introduced in classroom settings, where both student usability and instructional efficacy were evaluated. Feedback from these sessions informed subsequent revisions, focusing on enhancing the user interface and the educational impact of the tool. This iterative process ensured that the RPG not only met the technical requirements of a digital tool but also effectively addressed the pedagogical needs of pharmacy education.

Anticipated Final Design and Implementation

Final Design Features

The RPG is designed to be an intuitive and flexible educational tool, integrating core functionalities that support dynamic and interactive learning experiences. Anticipated features include:

Customizability: Instructors will be able to customize the tool to fit various teaching scenarios by selectively shuffling patient characteristics to create new cases.
Real-Time Generation: The tool will allow for the generation of patient cases with the click of a button, facilitating spontaneous case discussions and modeling of clinical reasoning without pre-preparation.
User Interface: A clean, straightforward user interface is planned, ensuring that both faculty and students can easily navigate and utilize the tool during lessons or independent study sessions.

Goals for Final Design

The primary goals for the final design of the RPG include:

Enhancing Educational Flexibility: The tool aims to support a wide range of teaching strategies, from lecture-based demonstrations to student-driven exploration and hypothesis testing.
Supporting Diverse Learning Objectives: The RPG will cater to varying levels of pharmacy education, from novice learners needing guided scenarios to advanced students handling complex case analyses.
Facilitating Engagement and Interaction: By allowing students and faculty to modify patient cases on the fly, the RPG aims to increase engagement and encourage active participation in the learning process.

Implementation Strategy

The implementation strategy for the RPG is designed to ensure a smooth integration into pharmacy education, with specific plans including:

Pilot Testing: Initial implementation will involve pilot testing in select courses, such as the pharmacotherapy sequence, to gather real-time feedback and assess the tool’s effectiveness in enhancing student learning.
Faculty Training: Comprehensive training sessions will be conducted to familiarize faculty with the RPG’s functionalities and best practices for integrating the tool into their teaching.
Iterative Feedback and Refinement: Continuous feedback from both students and faculty will be sought after initial implementation. This feedback will be crucial for making iterative improvements to the RPG, ensuring that it meets the evolving needs of pharmacy education.
Broader Rollout: Following successful pilot testing and refinements, a broader rollout is planned across additional courses and possibly other departments that could benefit from the tool.

Potential Impacts

Enhanced Clinical Reasoning Skills

One of the primary impacts anticipated from the RPG is the enhancement of clinical reasoning skills among pharmacy students. By exposing students to a variety of patient cases and requiring them to apply their knowledge dynamically, the RPG aims to simulate real-world conditions that improve their ability to make quick and informed decisions. Projected outcomes might include improved performance on assessments that measure clinical reasoning and decision-making capabilities.

Increased Engagement and Participation

The RPG is expected to significantly increase student engagement and participation in class activities. By incorporating an interactive tool that allows for real-time generation and modification of patient cases, students are likely to be more involved in the learning process, actively engaging with the material and participating in discussions. This could be measured through student surveys and feedback, indicating higher levels of satisfaction and involvement in courses that utilize the RPG.

Flexibility in Learning and Teaching

The RPG's ability to generate diverse and complex patient cases with ease is anticipated to provide faculty with a flexible teaching tool that adapts to various instructional needs and styles. This flexibility can enhance the overall teaching experience by allowing instructors to more effectively tailor their lessons to the specific learning objectives and student needs of each class. Feedback from faculty, including their perceived ease of integrating the RPG into their curriculum and the tool's adaptability to different teaching scenarios, will be key metrics of success.

Broader Educational Implications

Looking beyond immediate classroom use, the RPG has the potential to impact broader educational practices within the College of Pharmacy and possibly other medical and health education fields. By providing a scalable and adaptable tool for case-based learning, the RPG could serve as a model for other departments seeking to innovate their instructional methodologies. Long-term impacts might include the adoption of the RPG or similar tools across different disciplines, contributing to an overall enhancement of health education.

Metrics for Evaluating Impact

To assess the impact of the RPG, several metrics will be considered:

Student Performance: Comparisons of exam scores and clinical reasoning assessments before and after the implementation of the RPG.
Faculty and Student Feedback: Surveys and interviews to gauge the usability of the tool and its effectiveness in enhancing learning and teaching experiences.
Engagement Metrics: Analysis of class participation rates and engagement levels during sessions that utilize the RPG.
Adoption Rates: Monitoring the adoption of the RPG across different courses

Lessons Learned

Insights on Situated Learning and Cognitive Apprenticeship

Reflecting on the project, one of the major learnings has been the practical application and benefits of using situated learning and cognitive apprenticeship models in educational technology. These approaches have proven effective in making complex clinical reasoning more accessible to students, thereby facilitating deeper understanding and engagement.

Challenges in Implementation

The implementation phase highlighted several challenges, particularly in integrating technology seamlessly into existing educational workflows. Overcoming these challenges involved continuous dialogue with faculty and iterative technical adjustments, emphasizing the need for flexibility and adaptability in educational tool development.

Required Enhancements

Learnings from the initial deployments of the RPG suggest several enhancements for future iterations, including more sophisticated data analytics to provide personalized feedback to students and expanded case variability to cover a broader range of clinical scenarios.

Broader Implications for Instrucitonal Design

The project has underscored the importance of closely aligning instructional design with educational technology to ensure that digital tools genuinely enhance learning. This integration is crucial not just in pharmacy education but could be applied across various disciplines to improve educational outcomes.