• Analyzed functional and business requirements.
• Developed functional specifications and architecture frameworks.
• Helped define learning technology standards strategies.
• Negotiated with various stakeholders for the definition and adoption of standards.
• Increased ROI of eLearning without sacrificing instructional design effectiveness.
• Trained diverse audiences, using a variety of techniques.
• Designed and built powerful authoring tools and utilities.
• Cut cost and time for content integration through a simple standards based approach.
• Frequently formulated "out of the box" innovative solutions.
• Developed a web site to explain SCORM.
• Active contributor to major learning technology standards such as ADL SCORM, IEEE, IMS
• Expert in areas such as learning object metadata, content packaging, APIs, learning management tracking data, competency definitions, etc.

• American Society for Training & Development (ASTD)
• American Society for Training & Development, Puget Sound Chapter
• ADL SCORM Technical Working Group
• IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA)
• IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (IEEE LTSC)
  Chair, Working Group 20

May 2004 - Present: Ostyn Consulting — Kirkland, WA, USA (Owner)

• Independent Learning Technology Consultant

  Projects include

  • Research and development on competency data standardization and registries to support large scale personalized learning management.
  • SCORM conformance strategy reviews and development for large scale content development projects.
  • Technical consultation on adapting legacy content for SCORM conformance.
  • SCORM conformance strategy for learning management system development.
  • Affordable performance system design for a small business
  • etc.

  Engagement have ranged in scope from a few hours to long term recurring engagements, for customers such as Bank of America, BBC (London, UK), Institute for Defense Analyses, Intellum, Ken Cook Co., Knowledge Anywhere, Planning Matters Inc., Saranjan Tours, Siemens Business Services, SumTotal Systems, Synergetics NV (Belgium), techniques.org, Thomson Learning for customers ranging in size from small content developers to media or business services giants.

1986 - April 2004: SumTotal Systems, Inc. — Bellevue, WA, USA
SumTotal was formed by the merger of Click2learn and Docent. Click2learn was originally Asymetrix

• Learning Systems Strategist

  • Managed learning technology standards strategy and analyzed requirements and priorities.
  • Trimmed the cost of technical support for content integration with the company's learning management system by providing customers and the tech support team with documentation and tools to ensure conformance with SCORM, the de facto standard for e-Learning content.
  • Represented the company as active contributor in international learning technology standards initiatives such as the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee, Advanced Distributed Learning SCORM, IMS Global Learning Consortium, HR-XML.
  • Developed expertise in the areas of learning object metadata, content packaging, learning content APIs, competency management, enterprise interfaces. Monitored standards activities for learning architecture, repositories, and web services related to learning.
  • Developed prototypes, data models and technical documents, both for internal use and to support proposals or validate ideas in standards initiatives.
  • Designed and built the content of the Click2learn/SumTotal Systems SCORM 1.2 Resource Kit, including the web briefings, tutorials, demonstrations and samples.
  • Briefed and consulted with customers, product support, and development teams, to ascertain requirements as well as to help leverage existing and upcoming standards.
  • Daily tasks ranged from participation in strategic planning for technology roadmaps, down to hand holding of tech support and developers to resolve small, detailed technical issues.

• Previous responsibilities - Software design and program management

  • Revitalized the waning ToolBook product by turning it into an innovative learning content authoring tool: ToolBook CBT Edition, which begat the current ToolBook Instructor.
  • Designed and led the tech team for a large-scale multimedia content R&D project.
  • Designed and built some of the first ever interactive multimedia widgets for the Windows platform, which were later integrated into ToolBook and widely imitated by other vendors.
  • Managed design and implementation of help and tutorials for the first Asymetrix products.

1975 - 1985 — Ostyn Associates — Ketchikan, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska

• Multimedia Consultant & Video Producer

  • Independent video producer - documentaries, commercials, instructional, ethnographic.
  • Consultant on application of multimedia technologies in schools and businesses.
  • Artist in the schools — Several residencies as film, video or photo artist in bush schools.

• Computer Consultant (1982-1985)

  • Microcomputer hardware and software integration for video production support.
  • Custom software development for small businesses and social service agencies.

1975 - 1984 University of Alaska - Southeast — Ketchikan, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska

• Part time instructor: Taught adult courses in video production, media for instruction, and basic computer skills.

1975 — National Film Board of Canada — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• Designed and taught initiation workshops for French-speaking filmmakers in BC.

1973 - 1974 — Military — Belgium

• Logistics specialist ("if it exists, I can find it"). Trainer in logistics procedures.

• 1986 — MA, Interactive Educational Technology, Stanford
• 1972 — BA, Film/Television Production/Direction, Belgian National Film School (INSAS)

• Designed, managed, built and/or contributed to over a dozen commercial software products.
• Attentive to real world business objectives, ROI and learning requirements; careful with details but mindful of the big picture.
• Functional software design and specifications; user interface design and usability evaluation
• Sensitive to accessibility and internationalization requirements and related technical issues.
• Pragmatic and details oriented, but maintains a broad strategic vision.
• Familiar with common computer hardware, networks, languages such as HTML, XML, C#.
• Experienced public speaker; experienced with online conferencing, video, video editing, digital media.
• Bilingual English/French.

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