I am an independent instructional designer (ID) and e-learning developer based in Chennai, India. My instructional design philosophy has been shaped by e-learning leaders like Julie Dirksen, Michael Allen and Cathy Moore. As a signatory of the serious e-learning manifesto, it is my endeavour to create learning experiences that focus on performance and drive deep engagement.
My entry to ID was in 2012. Before that, I had worked in different roles, from managing databases and data warehouses as a trained software engineer to volunteering for a UN project on indigenous tribes. Past experiences have shaped my current path and I am enjoying every moment of the ID journey.
As I help others learn, I am constantly learning new things myself. Some of my early, most memorable e-learning courses were on legal education and advanced oenology for a leading culinary school, soft skills training for rural and semi-urban Indian youth and a series of microlearning modules on workplace processes for an international insurance firm.
In 2014, I decided to fly solo because the company I was working for suddenly went under. I started out freelancing not knowing how it would turn out. But now, I am certain that it’s the only way I want to work. As a one-person business, there are many challenges, but I keep learning. There’s also a helpful ID community that I can turn to. I take up only those projects where I can truly make a difference. What I love about independent work is that I get to work on a wide variety of projects. I also get to choose what I work on, where I work from, and whom I team up with on different projects.
On a personal note, I am a nature lover who delights in nature travel and dabbles in gardening. You can read my old posts on gardening at www.redripetomatoes.blogspot.in. I also love art and admire good design. Although I no longer spend hours painting like I used to, I still love working on creative projects with my child.
Anita Kumar 