Welcome to the Designing with Love Blog

Motivation lies at the heart of effective adult learning. As instructional designers and educators, we often focus heavily on content development while overlooking the psychological aspects that drive engagement and knowledge retention. This is where John Keller's ARCS model, introduced in 1983, offers a structured approach to creating learning experiences that truly resonate with adult learners.

Understanding the principles of adult learning is crucial for any instructional designer or educator working with mature students. In episode 41 of the Designing with Love podcast, we explore the foundational aspects of adult learning theory and its practical applications in creating effective learning experiences. This comprehensive overview serves as both a primer for newcomers and a refresher for experienced professionals in the field of educational design.

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the art of course design has never been more critical. The latest episode of Designing with Love podcast features an illuminating conversation with Dr. Catrina Mitchum, founder of Catrina Mitchum Learning Design, who shares invaluable insights about effective course creation and instructional design principles that can transform learning experiences.

Tommy Kilpatrick's journey from California to the Philippines represents a profound transformation in faith and purpose that offers valuable lessons for all of us. As a guest on Designing with Love podcast, Tommy shared his remarkable life story and the spiritual principles that guide his work today.

In a recent episode of the Designing with Love podcast, host Jackie Pelegrin interviews Shane Strand, an instructional designer working in higher education. The conversation illuminates the journey many educators take when transitioning into instructional design and offers valuable insights for those considering or currently pursuing this growing field.

The instructional design field continues to evolve rapidly, creating exciting opportunities for professionals willing to bridge the gap between education and corporate training. In a recent episode of the Designing with Love podcast, host Jackie Pelegrin interviewed Sakina Brandford, who completed her master's degree in instructional design at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in January 2025 and successfully transitioned from K-12 teaching to a corporate instructional design role.

Dr. Craig Hane, known to his students as Dr. Dell, is revolutionizing mathematics education with a practical, real-world approach that challenges decades of traditional teaching methods. In a recent conversation on the Designing with Love podcast, Dr. Hane shared his transformative journey from being told he wasn't "college material" to becoming a mathematics professor, entrepreneur, and educational innovator.

The SAM (Successive Approximation Model) instructional design approach represents a significant shift from traditional, linear design methodologies. Developed by Dr. Michael Allen, founder of Allen Interactions and a renowned expert in instructional design, SAM was created to address the limitations of sequential models like ADDIE. While ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) has been the go-to framework for many instructional designers, its linear structure often leads to discovering design flaws too late in the process, resulting in costly and time-consuming revisions.

The education landscape is undergoing a seismic shift due to artificial intelligence, and educators who adapt quickly will best serve their students. In a recent conversation with Dr. Matthew Metzger, Clinical Professor of Economics at UNC Charlotte and author of "The Overnight Educator: Transform Your Courses in 24 Hours," we explored how AI is revolutionizing higher education and what instructors can do to embrace this change effectively.

In a recent episode of the Designing with Love podcast, host Jackie Pelegrin welcomed Naveen Krishnan, an AI Solutions Architect at Microsoft, to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence across various industries, with special focus on its applications in instructional design and workplace productivity.

The landscape of e-learning is rapidly evolving, and instructional designers must adapt to stay relevant. In a recent episode of the Designing with Love podcast, Jackie had the pleasure of interviewing Nathalie Doremieux, co-founder of Podcast Lead Flow, who shared invaluable insights about creating effective online learning experiences and leveraging AI as a powerful tool in instructional design.

Caroline Amberson's journey through instructional design education exemplifies how experienced educators can enhance their careers while maintaining their passion for teaching. As she shared in her interview on the Designing with Love podcast, Caroline has spent 22 years as a classroom educator with San Bernardino City Unified, currently teaching a fifth and sixth-grade combination class. What makes her story particularly intriguing is her simultaneous 12-year role as a program specialist and demonstration teacher—opening her classroom to observers while creating instructional content for her district and mentoring new teachers.