My name is Tatiana Piatanova, and I am Instructional Designer at Pacific University Oregon, Center for Educational Technology and Curricular Innovation. I have a background in art and graphic design and have been an instructional designer for over seven years. I also teach “Implementing Internet Tools and Technologies” — an asynchronous online course at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When I am not working, I enjoy hiking and running with my dog, knitting, reading, and making art.
I have entered the ONID program for personal and professional growth. The Instructional Design field is still relatively new and thus offers exciting opportunities for experimenting with pedagogy and educational technology. I am interested in Open Education and Social Learning concepts. I believe that education should be accessible to everyone. Open Education is a step towards achieving that goal. Many universities have Open Courses available to students now — the MIT Open Course Ware is a good example. As far as Social Learning goes, as an online educator and Instructional Designer, I see a tremendous potential in using social technology as a vehicle for learning activities, interaction with a cohort, instruction, and most importantly active participation in a learning experience. I hope to test and implement Social Learning concepts and Open Education practices in my thesis project for this program.