Résumé

	Brett Bixler

2814 Zion Rd. • Bellefonte, PA 16823 • 814-383-2537
E-mail: bxb11@psu.edu
Portfolio: http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/

PDF copy of this Résumé - Short Version | Full Version

Objective

To contribute strong leadership and learning design skills to your organization.

Profile

• A leader seasoned in the use of quality interpersonal skills for providing vision to diverse teams.
• A goal-oriented learning design professional with significant curriculum development experience.
• An excellent communicator with attentive listening and effective speaking skills.
• An exceptional troubleshooter and problem solver.
• Both creative and practical. Able to meld vision with reality.

Experiences

2010 - Today	Lead Instructional Designer, ITS Training Services, Penn State University
2010 - Today	Educational Gaming Commons Evangelist, Penn State University
2007 - Today	Penn State Online Instructional Design and Instructional Technology committee member
2001-2010	Lead Instructional Designer, Educational Technology Services, Penn State University
2005-2007	Manager, Instructional Support and Research, Educational Technology Services, Penn State University
2004	Interim Project Manager, ANGEL Learning Management System, Penn State University
2002-2011	e-Education Council Board membe
1998-2007	Instructional Designer and Instructor, Information Sciences and Technology Degree, Penn State University
1998-2001	Educational Technology Services Advisory Board member
1997-2001	Senior Instructional Designer, Bachelor of Science in Business Degree, Commonwealth College, Penn State University
1996-2001	Senior Instructional Designer, Center for Learning and Academic Technologies, Penn State University
2001	Learning Management System for Penn State Committee Member
1996-99	Project Manager, The General Education Modules. Development of print-based, computer-based, and web-based instructional material for students new to college
1985-99	Guest lecturer at Instructional Systems courses at The Pennsylvania State University
1999	Instructional Designer and Multimedia Developer, Pennsylvania Math Standards Connection, a project coordinated by WPSX - TV to integrate the PBS Mathline series into Pennsylvania school systems
1997-98	Instructional Designer, Human Development and Family Services Degree, Commonwealth College, Penn State University
1985-96	Senior Instructional Designer, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy
1995-96	Web Master, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State
1995-96	Project Manager, Training and Technology Needs Assessment, American Telephone and Telegraph Company/Microelectronics. (Co-P.I.'s E. N. Askov, B. Bixler, P. Carman). 10/1/95-1/31/96. Project to assess existing education/training programs and technology platforms in AT&T/Microelectronics plants and make recommendations
1995-96	Project Manager, National Workforce Assistant Collaborative (NWAC) project, establishing and maintaining a listserv, gopher server, and world wide web site for NWAC, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State
1995	Multimedia Developer, From Land to Landfill, Module 3 - Hunger, The Penn State Nutrition Center, Penn State
1994-95	Project Manager, Developing Customizable Software for Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Programs project, a 353 Pennsylvania grant to work with ABLE programs to customize software for their needs, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State
1994-95	Multimedia Developer, Vocabulary Maker project, a customizable vocabulary program for elementary, secondary, and adult students, TEST PREP, State College, PA
1993-95	Project Manager and Multimedia Developer, A Day in the Life . . . Assessment project, workplace literacy software that assesses basic skills in five job domains, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State
1992-94	Project Manager and Multimedia Developer,  Sales and Customer Service Occupational Readiness Education Project (S.C.O.R.E.), a collaborative computerized workplace literacy effort between the AT&T Corporate Human Resources Division, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State. Coordinated nine team members and budgets in excess of $1,000,000
1992-94	Project Manager and Multimedia Developer, Pennsylvania Blue Shield Job Linked Skills Program, a collaborative computerized workplace literacy effort between Pennsylvania Blue Shield, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State. Coordinated three team members and a budget in excess of $700,000
1991-94	Project Manager and Multimedia Developer, A Day in the Life . . . Instruction project, workplace literacy software that teaches basic skills in five job domains, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State. Coordinated nine team members and a budget in excess of $500,000
1986-94	Database Developer for the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy.
1984-94	Computer Manager for The Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy
1989-91	Project Manager and Multimedia Developer, R.O.A.D. (Real Opportunities for Advancement and Development) to Success Project, a collaborative computerized workplace literacy effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State. Coordinated eight team members and a budget in excess of $800,000
1989-91	Instructional Designer, computerized assessment of job-specific basic skills, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission
1985-91	Developer of computer-assisted instruction for low literate adults, including planning, development, implementation, field testing, and revision
1984-91	Designer of instructional manuals for computer-assisted instruction
1988	Project Coordinator, Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction with Volunteer Tutors and Displaced Workers
1987-88	Technical Coordinator for the Annual Penn State Adult Literacy and Technology Conference
1986-87	Developer and Editor for Courseware News, a desktop-published newsletter
1985 (Winter)	Consultant in computerized curriculum development to The Pennsylvania State University Library
1985 (Summer)	Programmer for courseware conversion and development of the Cornell Learning and Study Skills Inventory, used by The Pennsylvania State University
1984   (Fall)	Courseware Developer of instruction in music. Used as reference material by the Instructional Systems program, The Pennsylvania State University
1984  (Spring)	Database Developer of a database for information tracking of graduates of the Instructional Systems program at The Pennsylvania State University
1984  (Spring)	Designer of instructional courses for the Curriculum and Instruction program, including text materials and manuals, The Pennsylvania State University

Selected Publications and Presentations

Bixler, B. (2011). Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds for Educators. In K. G. Mastrian & D. McGonigal (Eds.), Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (2nd ed.). 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mastrian, K. G., McGonigal, D., Mahan, W., & Bixler, B. (2010). Integrating technology in nursing education: Tools for the knowledge era. 40 Tall Pine Dr., Sudbury, MA 01776: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Bixler, B., & Land, S. (2010). Supporting college students' ill-structured problem solving in a web-based learning environment. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 39(1), 3-15.

Bixler, B., Cady, D., Ohmberger, M., Huang, W., Joosten, T., & Karakus, T. (2010). All I Really Needed to Know I Learned by Playing Games. In S. Dikkers, E. Zimmerman, K. Squire & C. Steinkuehler (Eds.), Real Time Research: Improvisational Game Scholarship. 700 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219: ETC Press.

Bixler, B., & Land, S. (2008). The Effects of Scaffolding Student's Problem-Solving Process via Question Prompts on Problem Solving and Intrinsic Motivation in an Online Learning Environment. Paper presented at the American Education and Research Association 2008 Conference, New York City, NY.

Bixler, B. (2008). Serious Games and Virtual Worlds: Potentials and Pitfalls. Paper presented at the The Penn State 2008 Web Conference, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Bixler, B. (2008). Motivation and the Design of Educational Games. Paper presented at the Playing to Win Conference, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Bixler, B. (2006). Games and Motivation: Implications for Instructional Design. Paper presented at the New Media Consortium 2006 Summer Conference, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

Bixler, B., & Spotts, J. (1998). Screen Design and Levels of Interactivity in Web-based Training. Paper presented at the 1998 International Visual Literacy Association Conference.

Askov, E., & Bixler, B. (1998). Transforming adult literacy instruction through computer-assisted instruction. In D. Reinking (Ed.), Literacy & Technology for the 21st Century (pp. 167-184). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Bixler, B., & Spotts, J. (1997). Instructional Graphics: Revisiting Challenges Presented By The World Wide Web. Paper presented at the 1997 International Visual Literacy Association Conference.

Bixler, B., & Bergman, T. (1997). Selecting and implementing computer-based training.  1201 New York Ave., NW, Ste. 700, Washington, DC 20005: National Alliance of Business.

Bixler, B., & Askov, E. (1996). You Just Received a Windfall for Technology! So How Do You Select the Best CAI Software? . Adult Learning, 8(2).

Bixler, B., & Spotts, J. (1994). SCORE Courseware Offers Model for Adult Learners. THE Journal, 21(11).

Bixler, B., & Askov, E. (1994). Characteristics of Effective Instructional Technology. Mosaic: Research Notes on Literacy, 4(2).

Bixler, B. (1994). Preparing Yourself for Customizable Software. Mosaic: Research Notes on Literacy, 4(2).

Askov, E., Maclay, C., & Bixler, B. (1992). An intergenerational study of the impact of computer-assisted reading instruction with low-literate parents. In T. G. Sticht, B. A. McDonald & M. J. Beeler (Eds.), The intergenerational transfer of cognitive skills (Vol. 1, pp. 149-158). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Bixler, B. (1991). Computer-Assisted Instruction Design Techniques for the Low-Literate Adult. Computers in Adult Education and Training, 2(1).

Fleischman, J., & Bixler, B. (1988). HyperCard: Potential for Literacy. Adult Literacy and Technology Newsletter, 2(1).

Bixler, B., & Askov, E. (1988). Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction with Displaced Workers and Volunteer Tutors (Final Report) (P. D. o. Education, Trans.).

Bixler, B. (1987). New Advances in Interactive Audio. Adult Literacy and Technology Newsletter, 1(2).

Bixler, B. (1987). Speech Synthesizers. Learning and Media, 14(3).

Askov, E., Maclay, C., & Bixler, B. (1987). Penn State Adult Literacy Courseware: Impact on Parents and Children (Final Report) (P. D. o. Education, Trans.).

Askov, E., Maclay, C., & Bixler, B. (1986). Evaluation of Computer Courseware for Adult Beginning Reading Instruction in a Correctional Setting (Final Report) (P. D. o. Education, Trans.).

Employment History

Lead Instructional Designer, ITS Training Services, Penn State University. Responsibilities include program outreach, university committee work, project and staff management, design and development of educational multimedia, in-service training and assistance, curriculum development, and data analysis.

Educational Gaming Commons Evangelist, Penn State University. Responsibilities include fostering physical infrastructures and community connections in order to promote the broad impact of educational gaming, virtual worlds, and simulations within the Penn State teaching, learning, and research environment and beyond.

Lead Instructional Designer, Educational Technology Services, Penn State University. Responsibilities included project and staff management, program outreach, university committee work, design and development of educational multimedia, in-service training and assistance, curriculum development, data analysis, and conference coordination. Founder and manager of the Educational Gaming Commons at Penn State. Director of Training and Development for Penn State's Course Management System - ANGEL, including coordination of instructional designers, editors, and training personnel. Director of the Faculty Steering Committee for ANGEL. Liaison for all ANGEL sub-groups, including technical, clerical, and academic personnel. Manager of the eLearning Support Specialists at Penn State.

Senior Instructional Designer, Center for Learning and Academic Technologies, Penn State University. Responsibilities included project and staff management, program outreach, university committee work, design and development of educational multimedia, staff development, training, in-service training and assistance; curriculum development; data analysis; software programming; formative and summative evaluation of projects.

Senior Instructional Designer, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, Penn State University. Responsibilities included grant writing, project management, program outreach, design and development of educational software, staff development (computers), teacher training, in-service training and assistance; curriculum development; database development and management; data analysis; software programming; courseware development; formative and summative evaluation of projects, and frequent presentations on computer-based education materials.

Education

2007	Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Systems, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
1985	Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
1982	Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA.

References

Dr. Marilynne Stout. Former Director, Educational Technology Services, The Pennsylvania State University. Tele. 814-863-2271. E-mail mbf@psu.edu .

Dr. Eunice Askov.  Former Director, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, The Pennsylvania State University. Tele. 814-863-3777. E-mail ena1@psu.edu .

Dr. Ann Deden. General Manager, Academic Products and Services, Open Universities Australia. Tele. 61 + (03) 8628 2520. E-mail:   ann.deden@open.edu.au  .

Written references are available upon request.