About Me

Hello! I’m Ashley Dresser. I’m driven by the desire to connect people with the fresh ideas and skills that allow us to learn fast and live better.

As a kid, I’ll never forget my first lesson on the power of external motivation. My local library had a special program: for every five books you read, you would get a coupon for a free pizza from the local pizzeria. I quickly became a super user and even today, I’m not sure what came first: my love of pizza or my love of books. I only know that I must never enjoy these activities simultaneously or my dear librarian will cry.

I am certified in instructional design and e-learning development through the IDOL Academy. I have a masters in Language Acquisition in Multilingual Settings from the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and an undergraduate degree in Global Studies and Sustainability from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (USA).

I live in Bilbao with my husband, where the pintxos make us swoon and the beautiful Basque coast calls us out to surf.

about

My Skills

Tools

Languages

My Values

Quality

First things first.

Creativity

There is more than one way
to skin a cat.

Collaboration

I believe in kind,
lasting relationships.

My Values

Quality

First things first.

Creativity

There is more than one way
to skin a cat.

Collaboration

I believe in kind,
lasting relationships.

My Design Process

Analysis

Before we get our feet wet, I ask all the right questions. I meet with stakeholders and SMEs to listen to their needs and identify any gaps in knowledge and skills that can be solved with a learning solution. This conversation is crucial because not every problem requires a learning solution. Resource scarcity, lack of motivation, or environment are problems that can be better addressed in other ways. Regardless of your case, I set you on the right path.

Design

Now I turn on the lightbulb. I select the best learning strategy, delivery, and assessment to achieve your learning objectives and meet your budget and timeline requirements. I apply  instructional design models and learning theories to my process in order to create a prototype. An initial testing phase ensures that we’re all on the same page.

Development

This is the fun part. I play with the visual appeal and flow of your content in order to catch and keep the learner. My canvas might be an online course, an instructor-led training, a game, a podcast, an explainer video or something entirely new. This is an iterative process that helps us to polish the learning experience until it shines.

Implementation

All systems go! I launch your course or deliver your learning experience to the learner. I establish and closely monitor enrollment, timelines, assessment criteria, and feedback collection.

Evaluation

What have we learned? I couldn’t call myself a learning designer if I didn’t ask myself that question. As a final step, I analyze the feedback on the learning experience and evaluate the outcomes. I prepare a report that includes actionable changes for current and future learning experiences and then I get ready for the next challenge!

Let’s work together