Getting a Pants-Free Education: E-Learning and Instructional Design

Over the last year, I decided that my long-term life goal was to be a teacher. To get all touchy-feely on you: I wanted to elevate our sagging education system and help engage young people to be lifelong learners.

The only snag: teachers are underpaid. Oh, and I don't really like babysitting other people's kids.

So I discovered instructional design, which takes my interest in education and melds it with my experience in web technology. Instructional Design -- the study of incorporating technology and learning -- promises to change the way education works and enable new ways to engage users. I'm currently pursuing a Master's in Instructional Design through San Diego State University.

I'll discuss the ups and downs of my experience as an e-learning student, share some of the platforms and technologies used in the field, and ruminate (hell yeah -- rumination!) on some of the places e-learning can take us -- both in society and in business.

Also: I promise I'll wear pants.