Executive Summary

The purpose of this portfolio is to highlight the many skills and competencies I have gained as an educator and instructional designer.  Throughout my tenure in higher education, I have had the opportunity, via coursework, training, conferences, and work experiences, to publish, create products, projects, and presentations that showcase my proficiencies.

I have grown tremendously as an associate professor and department chair at Florida A&M University. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to learn new technologies and understand systematic approaches to student learning, instructional design, and faculty development. Most importantly, I have extensive training and experience as a faculty member that can offer positive feedback, constructive criticism, and provide a very supportive environment for student learning and collaborative research.

This web-based portfolio is separated into five major sections. In addition to these pages, you will find a Portfolio Home page, Contact page and Blog. The five major sections of the portfolio are:

  • Professional Goals
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Executive Summary
  • Artifacts, and
  • Syllabi

These sections are organized based on FSU’s ISLT Performance Portfolio and it is a comprehensive assessment of the competencies listed below. The Artifacts page will illuminate a few of the many designs and documents I have completed. Each artifact listed will have a summary of the project, and a synopsis of the alignment of skills and competencies presented. Of the competencies listed below, I thrive in the following areas:

  • Teaching
  • Communication
  • Analysis
  • Design
  • Technology and Media
  • Evaluation
  • Digital Humanities
  • Management
  • Personal and Interpersonal Skills, and
  • Research

As someone who has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, I appreciate the Florida A&M University’s persistence in promoting theoretical approaches to the learning and instruction of faculty and students. As a professor of African Diaspora Literature and an instructional designer I have the unique ability to synthesize appropriate instructional models and human performance technology with African Diaspora Studies especially in the realm of Digital Humanities. I am also immersed in the current literature and practices surrounding AI and higher ed.

List of Competencies

Communication Skills

Communicate effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.

Produce clear, concise, and grammatically correct messages.

Produce visuals that adhere to the principles of message design.

Deliver effective and engaging presentations.

Facilitate meetings to achieve agenda and goals.

Use appropriate tools to communicate with learners, and other university stakeholders.

Apply effective questioning and facilitation techniques.

Practice active listening. 

Analysis Skills

Analyze learning and performance problems to recommend appropriate solutions.

Use a variety of analysis practices such as performance system analysis, needs assessment, goal, task, learner, and context analysis.

Use appropriate data collection methods and tools to conduct analyses.

Determine subordinate and prerequisite knowledge and skills.

Analyze content from a variety of human and non-human sources.

Use analytics to address learning and performance questions.

Estimate costs and benefits for proposed solutions.

Write analysis reports and disseminate findings to stakeholders.

Design Skills

Apply learning theory and systems thinking to design practice.

Design interventions to address learning and performance.

Design a curriculum, program, or learning solution.

Work with subject-matter experts and other team members to design interventions.

Align outcomes, strategies, and assessments.

Generate appropriate instructional strategies and activities.

Apply interaction design principles.

Design assessments to measure learning and performance.

Identify the scope and sequence for instructional solutions.

Use visual design principles appropriately.

Generate design documents and disseminate findings to stakeholders.

Select, modify or create effective learning models.

Provide a rationale for instructional design decisions.

Technology and Media Skills

Select and use appropriate technology and media for specific learning outcomes.

Develop instructional materials using a variety of media (e.g., print, audio-visual, multimedia).

Develop and use web-based instruction, e-learning, social media, and content management tools.

Analyze the characteristics of existing and emerging technology.

Use technology correctly for professional communication purposes.

Use technology tools in the instructional design process.

Analyze the cost and benefit of technology and media use.

Provide a rationale for technology and media decisions.

Evaluation and Research Skills

Design and develop formative and summative evaluation plans.

Conduct a formative evaluation of an instructional intervention.

Write a proposal for a program evaluation.

Apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.

Construct valid & reliable data collection tools.

Collect, analyze, and summarize data.

Develop a communication, implementation, and monitoring plan.

Manage the evaluation process.

Generate evaluation reports and disseminate findings to stakeholders.

Provide a rationale for evaluation decisions.

Management Skills

Develop a management plan.

Generate a budget.

Allocate resources.

Establish project scope and goals.

Write proposals to obtain resources.

Identify and resolve management issues

Manage project personnel.

Collaborate with team members, clients, and stakeholders.

Use appropriate management tools.

Personal & Interpersonal Skills

Collaborate effectively with others.

Give and receive constructive feedback.

Build positive relationships with students, faculty, and other university stakeholders

Recognize and accommodate individual and cultural differences.

Adhere to legal guidelines and ethical standards of the profession.

Stay current about advances in African Diaspora Studies, instructional systems and learning technology.