Meet Alex Corbett
At the University of Virginia, I explored my interests with my project-oriented work style.
Whether it be collecting survey data to write about student political opinion in undergrad, or making an interactive intro to homebrewing course in grad school; the research, development, and execution of projects engaged me.
When studying for my Masters in Educational Psychology, I learned about adult learning theory, and different approaches to design and development. This program emphasized the influence environmental context has on the learner.
I continued to use my project-oriented characteristic in my extracurricular life as well.
My time as a member of the D1 cross country/track & field team presented me with a couple of project opportunities.
First, I volunteered to find a charity for a team sponsored charity event, and act as the liaison between the charity and the event organizers. Second, upon seeing the need for continued team contact during the pandemic, I created an online platform to facilitate the continued building of team culture amidst the lockdown. With these two projects, I was able to try my new skills with some real-world impact as I pursued my passion for running.
I continued to leverage skills I learned from my education after my time at UVA.
As a Relationship Banker at Bank of America, I used needs analysis and partner collaboration to help clients pursue their financial goals. I looked at every client interaction as a project with unique problems and solutions.
I am currently working at a running shoe store as I make my transition into my instructional design career. As I continue to help meet customer needs with shoe related solutions, I have also enjoyed educating new hires on how to excel at doing the same. I especially focus on managing cognitive load so the information presented to the learner is relevant to specific outcomes within the context of the shoe store.
As I’ve taken the deep dive into the world of instructional design, I’ve been honing my design philosophy.
My research and practice has made me realize the importance of keeping the learner’s needs and context in mind throughout the entire design process. To solidify my understanding of this insight and to ensure its implementation, I made a learning experience design I call “Body and Soul.”