Emily Walton

Meet Emily: ID and Human-Centered Learning Advocate

Hi there! I’m Emily, and I’ve worn many hats in life. I’ve been a rowing coach, camp counselor, copywriter, teacher, international pet sitter, and instructional designer. What ties all my experiences together is my genuine love for understanding people and their needs.

As an instructional designer, I am passionate about creating learning experiences that empower individuals to feel confident in their skills and abilities. How do I achieve this? By immersing myself in research and empathizing with learners' goals and obstacles on their unique learning journey.

Off hours, you can find me traveling and exploring the great outdoors. Just last year, I hiked all over Spain and learned to surf in Portugal! I carry this sense of adventure and passion to learn new things throughout everything I do. 

Let’s find new ways to bring life to your learners’ experience and remind them just why they chose you. Whether they’re just beginning their journey or are seasoned learners, my designs will help them feel confident and successful every step of the way.

Freelance Copywriter 
Self-Employed - Remote    
9/2022 - Current

• Builds relationships with stakeholders including marketing teams, managers, and small business owners to ensure the vision and marketing materials are aligned with overall company goals. 
• Crafts engaging content focused on meeting consumers' needs and proactively providing solutions to their problems based on market research insights. 

Instructional Designer
Johnson & Wales University - Providence, RI
7/2021 - 10/2022

• Managed collaborative teams through the course development, redevelopment, and textbook update processes.
• Trained and provided individualized guidance to faculty on LMS and online teaching best practices.
• Identified performance gaps, learner needs, and university requirements to design goal aligned and engaging digital learning experiences.
• Collaborated with faculty subject matter experts (SMEs), instructional technologists, academic directors and other stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of online courses and identify areas of improvement.

Student Support Team Lead and Social Studies Teacher
Katharine Drexel Academy - San Diego, CA
11/ 2019 - 8/2021

• Implemented instructional design best practices to align the hybrid learner journey with state standards through thoughtfully designed assessments, learning objectives and activities. 
• Managed all virtual learning content and developed interactive quizzes, discussion boards, and collaborative tech tool activities.

Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Instructional Design
Western Governors University
4/2020 - 1/2021

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Communication
San Diego State University
8/2010 - 5/2014