Learning Experience Designer | Researcher | Facilitator
"I design research-backed learning experiences that integrate adult learning theory, behavioral science, and transformational education principles to support meaningful learner growth."
View My Work
I came to learning and development not through a linear path, but through lived inquiry. With a background rooted in psychology and leadership, I've spent over 17 years studying how people grow — how they resist, integrate, and ultimately transform through learning encounters designed with intention.
My philosophy begins where most instructional design ends: with the learner as a whole person. I believe the most powerful curricula don't simply transfer information — they create the conditions for identity-level shifts. Every framework I build integrates adult learning theory (Mezirow, Knowles, hooks), behavioral science, and real-world facilitation practice.
Whether I'm developing a 25-module audio program, running a live virtual cohort, or synthesizing a decade of autoethnographic data into actionable frameworks — my work holds one consistent question: What does this learner need to become?
Audience: High-capacity Black Women
A 25-module audio instructional program built on a 4-phase developmental framework. Research-backed curriculum integrating adult learning theory, behavioral science, and identity development to support professional and personal transformation. Each module carries structured learning objectives, intentional pacing, and reflection architecture.
Audience: Academic & Practitioner Communities
A 17-year longitudinal autoethnographic study examining identity development, self-suppression, and behavioral substitution in high-achieving Black women. Generated an original suppression-vs-substitution framework with direct implications for adult learning design, organizational development, and therapeutic practice.
Audience: Adult Learners in Career Transition
Facilitated 4 live virtual educational sessions for cohorts ranging from 5–20+ adult learners enrolled in a digital marketing upskilling program, ensuring alignment with program learning objectives and competency frameworks. Delivered structured curriculum content including session scripts, learner activities, and discussion prompts to support skill acquisition and professional development outcomes. Supported learner retention and community engagement as Welcome Fellow through cohort onboarding, peer mentorship, and ongoing learner support.
Audience: Broad Public & Community Learners
Podcast episodes, newsletter editions, video scripts, and long-form written research content extending adult learning reach across digital platforms. Bridges the gap between academic research and accessible, applied learning experiences — translating complex frameworks into content that meets learners where they are.
A six-phase framework for research-informed learning design
Deep inquiry into learner identity, context, and prior knowledge. Who are they? What do they carry? What do they need to become?
Translating learning intent into measurable, learner-centered objectives anchored in Bloom's taxonomy and transformative outcomes.
Sequencing content for scaffolded progression — building from awareness through integration to application and identity shift.
Writing, scripting, and producing instructional content across formats — audio, written, video, facilitated — with intentional voice and rigor.
Live and asynchronous delivery grounded in psychological safety, cultural responsiveness, and adaptive facilitation technique.
Systematic evaluation through learner feedback, data analysis, and personal reflection — treating the curriculum as a living document.
Or reach me directly at shaethomas@essentflowbyshae.com