About Me
I am a master’s student in the M.A Technical Communication program at Sam Houston State University. Also, I work as a writing center tutor at Blinn College. After graduating with my degree, I would like to pursue a career in instructional design in higher education. This career choice gives me the opportunity to ensure that materials are accessible to a wide audience. Whenever I design materials, I am compassionate towards individuals with disabilities as they may require a different format of learning.
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In spring of 2026, I interned with the SHSU instructional design team. During my internship, I was able to learn more about the learning management system (LMS) Blackboard from an instructor perspective. For instance, I learned how to create tests, assignments, journals, and other materials with Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant. In addition, I was able to conduct a webinar with my supervisor on how to use Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant tool for instructors.Â
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Furthermore, the deliverables I made during my internship added to my learning experience. I created and designed several resources for instructors such as a course copying handout, a sandbox course discussing a variety of topics, and a handout on how to make materials accessible using Adobe Acrobat. Since completing my internship I have continued to stay up to date with Blackboard as I receive monthly emails about updates to the system. Also, I review webinars discussing the field of instructional design through platforms such as Deque, Articulate 360, and Quality Matters. I am also a member of the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). My goal is to continue to evolve and become a knowledgeable individual in the field of instructional design to better support those with disabilities.Â
ArtifactsÂ
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Blackboard course copying handoutÂ
This artifact was designed and created for Sam Houston State faculty to use when course copying. Working with a digital tool like Blackboard allowed me to identify what issues may arise when a user copies an entire course or specific modules. Course copying is an action that is done by faculty that allows them to duplicate an existing course into a new one. Whenever a user copies a course, it is easy for them to forget to change certain items that align with their current semester. After consulting with my internship supervisor, I decided to provide these specific tasks. As a student, I personally experienced a course having incorrect due dates on assignments, so I wanted to include it to avoid similar instances. I created this handout as a reference guide to help users through this process and ensure accuracy and professionalism. When designing this artifact, I made sure to align each QR code and link to written instructions to the correct task and repeated this process to avoid confusion.
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After providing a survey to SHSU faculty for feedback based on my handout, I was inspired to create an additional way that users could access it. One of the faculty members recommended that I include a link or PDF of written instructions rather than solely rely on QR codes to perform tasks on my handout. I incorporated a link for each task that includes instructions and screenshots on how to perform each task, while keeping the QR codes for individuals that prefer this learning style. Through collaborating with faculty members, I learned to put myself in the shoes of others and create different learning pathways for individuals. I assumed that implementing QR codes to view instruction was a great way for everyone to learn the information I provided. Developing this handout gave me invaluable experience into how instructional designers create materials for faculty.
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This experience revealed my commitment to making accessible and effective learning materials as I implemented suggestions that faculty believed were needed. From the initial design process, to receiving feedback on how I could make improvements, this was a great experience.
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Tools used: Canva, Blackboard
Competencies: Collaboration and digital tools
Upswing handout Â
This artifact handout was created for users to effectively navigate Blinn’s online tutoring platform, Upswing. This online tutoring platform is a great option for students, and it is important that they understand how to use it. As a writing center tutor, I noticed students often questioned how to receive tutoring assistance through Upswing.
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​Furthermore, I decided to collaborate with my colleagues about how I should make this handout. I incorporated multiple suggestions that they recommended. For example, including reading tutoring as part of the first statement I provide in my handout. This highlights to students that reading tutoring is a valuable service that we offer along with writing tutoring. When designing this handout, not only did I provide instructions, but screenshots to go along with them. I designed my handout this way to give users a visual representation of what their computer screen should look like through various steps of using Upswing.
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Also, this artifact includes alternative text and headings for individuals that use screen readers. The alt text that I provided represents the screenshots I used, allowing people who use screen readers to hear the information I supplied. The headings I incorporated will allow screen readers to announce what section of the handout a user is in. Creating this handout strengthened my ability to create a user-friendly document for various audiences. I discovered the accessibility tool on the learning management system, Blackboard and it informed me about the importance of alternative text and headings. Familiarizing myself with accessibility tools like this will help me with my desired career as an instructional designer because they will notify me of any accessibility barriers in my documents. Designing this handout taught me the importance of audience analysis and why creating accessible materials is important.
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Tools used: Microsoft word, UpswingÂ
Competencies: Collaboration, digital tools, accessibilityÂ
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Adobe Acrobat handout
 I decided to design this handout to address the problem of an existing Adobe Acrobat webpage that is lengthy and utilizes technical language. When interning with Sam Houston State University Online, I noticed in the resources section for instructors, there was a link that led to a webpage on how to create and verify PDF accessibility using Adobe Acrobat Pro. The webpage caught my attention due to its length and word usage, so I decided to make the webpage into a user-friendly handout.
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I chose to include QR codes and hyperlinks relating to each task because some users may prefer written instructions, a video walkthrough, or both. I wanted faculty to have different options to learn how to perform a task. The handout is only three pages to avoid users from feeling overwhelmed by all the things that could be done in Adobe Acrobat. The first two pages consist of some of the most common queries and the third page is solely a QR code that leads to other common concerns in Adobe Acrobat. Creating this handout allowed me to enhance my skills with a digital tool like Adobe Acrobat as I am now aware of the numerous accessibility factors such as logical reading order, security settings, and how to tag a PDF.
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The document showcases my empathy-driven approach to making items more accessible. I value creating easier learning experiences, so all users can succeed in the task they are performing. Creating this handout strengthened my ability to simplify complex language for audiences and make it accessible and engaging. This experience has certainly helped me prepare for my desired career as an instructional designer as it will be expected that I make accessible materials for different audiences.
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Tools used: Adobe Express, Adobe AcrobatÂ
Competencies: Digital tools, accessibilityÂ
Blackboard Video Presentation
This video presentation is intended for faculty and students who use the digital tool, Blackboard. I created this artifact to discuss the new updates that have been applied to Blackboard since May 2026. I elaborated on multiple topics in my video. One of the topics I highlighted for students is Blackboard’s focus state. This feature is meant to minimize navigation elements and visual distractions for students whenever they are working on a test or assignment. For instructors, I discussed how instructors can now check which announcements students have read or not read with the new update in Blackboard. Every month, Blackboard presents new updates that have been applied to the learning management system. I wanted to make this recording for faculty and students to educate them on new information that impacts their experience with Blackboard.
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Also, I chose to create a recording of new features in Blackboard to not only state what they are but display visual communication by using screenshots of them on Blackboard’s website as well. This approach will show instructors and students where to locate each feature. When creating my presentation, I wanted to design it to be informative and user centered. For example, I presented student only updates together before transitioning into instructor only updates. By organizing my presentation this way, it gives viewers the option to go back and view sections related to them instead of viewing unapplicable information.
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Starting and completing this artifact allowed me to discover a helpful resource that will help educate me in my future career as an instructional designer. The monthly emails I will receive from Blackboard about new updates will keep me informed with all of their new features.Creating this presentation reminded me to be clear and specific when speaking on certain topics since some apply to different audiences. This artifact helped me understand how to introduce information to various audiences in a concise, understandable manner, which is something that I will have to do in my future career.
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Tools used: Blackboard, GeniallyÂ
Competencies: Digital tools
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Sandbox Course
During my internship with SHSU Online, I created a sandbox course for faculty. In this course, I designed and developed video walkthroughs on a variety of actions that can be done in Blackboard. For example, I created modules explaining ways to communicate with students in Blackboard, how to use Blackboard’s accessibility report tool, and course design. The reason I made this sandbox course is to provide new faculty members with a demonstration on how to perform certain tasks and to provide existing faculty members with a course refresher if needed.Â
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In each module, I have included a video walkthrough and written instructions with screenshots, discussing how to accomplish each task. I decided to include video walkthroughs so users can follow along in real time, while written instructions could appeal to those who prefer self-paced learning. As I stated earlier, in my course I created modules to address topics on ways faculty can communicate with students, how to use Blackboard’s accessibility report tool, and course design. The reason I chose these topics is because they each serve an important role for faculty. For instance, knowing how to get in touch with students or making sure that course content is accessible is paramount. I uploaded each video that I created through a video technology platform called Kaltura. One of the reasons I used Kaltura is because it automatically provides captions and a transcript. These are both essential because they give individuals with disabilities a different way to engage with the content.
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When creating this sandbox course, I wanted to make sure that users could navigate my course effectively. To avoid confusing users, I provided a title for each module while organizing them the same way. For example, I designed each module similarly by providing my video walkthrough with a link of written instructions underneath. I decided to design it this way to show consistency throughout each module and reduce confusion. As I created each video walkthrough, I learned how aware instructors have to be when uploading content on Blackboard. Some materials may display a low score according to the accessibility tool, which is why I provided a video about this tool to display its importance. This sandbox course educated me on how and why materials need to be accessible to all users in Blackboard. Knowing how to upload documents to Blackboard is good, but making them user friendly is even better. I gained invaluable experience creating this sandbox course as I was able to engage with Blackboard on a deeper level, which is a tool that many instructional designers work with at universities. This artifact demonstrates the instructional designer I want to become which is empathy-driven and compassionate.
