Claude Ostyn, Consultant
Experience
- 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.
Memberships
- 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
Work history
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.
Education
- 1986 — MA, Interactive Educational Technology,
Stanford
- 1972 — BA, Film/Television
Production/Direction, Belgian National Film School
(INSAS)
Skills profile
- 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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