I am founder of Media Learning Systems Inc (MLS), and have been with the company since its early days as a small University-based distance education unit all the way back in 1996.
In addition to serving as President of Media Learning Systems, I am a Learning Specialist on-site consultant with a variety of Toronto-based companies, and enjoy helping organizations shift from a face-to-face to online learning mode of delivery.
I received my PhD in Educational Technology from the University of Calgary in 2000, studying how adult learning attributes such as cognitive style, personality preferences and subject matter knowledge impact learning at a distance with technology. I have published my research worldwide in refereed academic journals, and I have taught adult learning theory for over 12 years at Mount Royal University.
My thesis research discovered that structuring effective online course environments requires first reaching and then teaching the elearning student. This means we must take into account learning styles and other individual preferences in how we develop eLearning applications, and vary instructional approaches so all users can feel accommodated. What seems like a "no-brainer" today was quite novel back in the late 90s, and my findings helped guide the strategic direction I chose to take with Media Learning Systems.
My commitment to the learner remains strong after all of these years; MLS continues to create multimedia-rich applications that ask students to apply knowledge from their eLearning experiences to their real-world jobs using simulation-based applications and decision tree analysis. This deep learning approach is one reason why we have been so successful. I am very proud of what my company and our talented team of developers have accomplished, including twelve awards for eLearning excellence. I look forward to many more years of service to the eLearning profession!
