About
Hi! I'm Ally Thorpe. Thanks for visiting my site. I'm a learning professional and mom who strives to bring creativity, kindness, and strong communication to the table.
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My Career in a Nutshell
I began my ID career in the Academic Technology Department at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis. Working with a skilled team, I led teachers in course design and Academic Technology integration, served as point person and lead trainer for various Academic Tech, provided LMS support, analyzed and reported on departmental data, and collaboratively designed and developed IT and HR compliance training.
Before that, I taught in middle school and elementary classrooms, where I worked to build inclusive, engaging environments that empowered my students to constructively learn. Years of work designing district-level curriculum and integrating academic technology eventually led to my career transition to Instructional Design.
Models & Theories
My favorite analogy of learning theories and models compares them to tools in a belt: there are some you'll use in every project and some, only sparingly. Being a good designer requires that we figure out when it is the best time to use which tools.
I have the most experience with ADDIE with integration of UDL principles, and my time in the classroom gave me a strong background with Backward Design. However, I use a flexible, iterative interplay between preparation, design, and development from Agile models such as SAM. On the evaluation end, Kirkpatrick's Model has driven my design and analysis of assessments, surveys, poll and formative question data, panel interview data, and technology use data.
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Theories that I integrate often are:
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Cognitive Load Theory to guide design principles
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McClusky’s Theory of Margin to consider training delivery methods and scope
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Constructivism for active learning
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Humanism for differentiation and engagement
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Behaviorism for tutored feedback
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Cognitivism for foundations, scope, and scaffolding
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Social Learning Theory for curriculum development, LMS course construction, and synchronous training
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The great joy of design is collaborating with SMEs and colleagues to employ the most effective combination of these strategies for our target audience.
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