无码专区

Jack Schofield channels his lifelong passion for art into groundbreaking learning design, making online learning at 无码专区 engaging and relevant for today鈥檚 students. 

From creating hand-drawn zines, or small magazines, to developing immersive 3D animations and computer graphics, Schofield鈥檚 focus on art and design 鈥� as much as course content 鈥� fuels his innovative approach to learning design, shaping online courses into dynamic, visually engaging experiences for students.

Schofield began his professional journey teaching 3D animation and visual effects at Full Sail University, where he soon discovered fulfillment in watching students grow. 鈥淪eeing students鈥� skills develop was incredibly rewarding,鈥� he said. 

When the 2008 economic crash hit, Schofield reevaluated his path. He realized he wanted a role that combined design and creativity with educating students. 

鈥淚 liked teaching, but I wanted to create as well,鈥� he said. 鈥淟earning design seemed like the best of both worlds.鈥�

To move toward this goal, Schofield enrolled in 无码专区鈥檚 MS in Learning Design and Technology. Shortly after completing his degree, he landed a role in the 无码专区 College of Nursing, designing courses to enhance the learning experience for nursing students.  

In 2022, he embarked on a new challenge as a learning designer on the Innovative Education Digital Learning team at 无码专区鈥檚 St. Petersburg campus 鈥� a position that perfectly blends his artistic expression and passion for education. 

FAVORITE PROJECTS

Since joining the Digital Learning team, Schofield has enjoyed working on a wide range of courses across the university. In 鈥極ceanography for the Blue Economy,鈥� Schofield brought learning to life by designing assignments where students role-played as resort managers tackling real-world challenges like hurricanes and red tide, preparing them for marine-focused careers with practical skills. That course is part of the online Master of Business Administration鈥檚 optional Blue Economy concentration for students interested in marine-related careers.

鈥淲e developed a semester-long assignment where students role-play as managers at a resort and are given real-world challenges to address, such as a hurricane or red tide,鈥� Schofield said. 鈥淭his made the learning feel relevant, providing immediately applicable skills.鈥� 

Another one of his recent favorites is a course on data visualization, which taught students how to analyze data and use tools to present it for easy interpretation. 

鈥淲e created animated gifs that walked students through importing data into different software, showing them how to use tools such as Tableau and Power BI,鈥� Schofield said. 鈥淚t made the material much more digestible and visually engaging.鈥�

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

 Schofield takes pride in helping faculty bring their ideas to life and opening their eyes to creative solutions they never knew were possible.  

Often, faculty come to Schofield with a concept they鈥檙e unsure how to execute. That鈥檚 where he shines 鈥� transforming ideas into animated, visually dynamic course materials that push the boundaries of digital learning.

鈥淲hen I give them my ideas, I see their faces light up as they realize the endless possibilities for their courses.鈥�

Once faculty share their ideas for visual elements and the course layout, Schofield creates a theme that aligns with their vision and the overall concept of the course.

鈥淎s the course development progresses and we refine our ideas, I create animations using custom artwork, storyboard out lectures, and scaffold the content to build a cohesive narrative that aligns with the course and the faculty member鈥檚 goals,鈥� he said. 

Schofield customizes his approach for each course based on the topic and the objectives of the faculty member or subject matter expert. Whether he鈥檚 using the Adobe Creative Suite to create graphics, Articulate Storyline and Rise to create interactive guides and gamification lessons, or Blender to create 3D animations, every piece of content is tailored to the specific needs of each course. 

He enjoys being able to flex his creative skills to help enhance course content. 

鈥淚 get to use my artistic background and focus a lot on creating animations, vector artworks, and things like that to make the content pop.鈥� 

LIFE BEYOND WORK

Outside of work, Schofield channels his creativity through sketching and making zines, a personal project that reflects his love for storytelling and innovation 鈥� qualities he brings to every course he designs.  

鈥淢y wife, Tina, and I started just drawing things that happened during the day. It鈥檚 kind of like journaling with art,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t made me realize that I don鈥檛 have to be perfect at everything, and sometimes it鈥檚 just about getting the ideas down.鈥� 

Schofield also has dreams of scenic travel excursions, particularly a train ride up the East Coast from Florida to Maine. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to experience the coastline from a new perspective, in a way you can鈥檛 fully appreciate from driving by car,鈥� he said. 

A LIFELONG LEARNER

After relocating from Pennsylvania to Florida as a teenager, he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Central Florida, setting the stage for a dynamic career in learning design and education. Schofield launched a career that would fuse art and education in dynamic ways by teaching 3D animation and visual effects at Full Sail University. Then he earned the MS in Learning Design and Technology from 无码专区. 

While those degrees helped start his career, Schofield says he might pursue an additional one, once again looking at 无码专区 for his continuing education. He is contemplating a PhD in Curriculum and Design at 无码专区. 

鈥淚 hope to gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively conduct research that will contribute to the growth of learning design,鈥� Schofield said. 鈥淏y examining past and present practices, I can identify what is working and what needs to change to meet the evolving needs of the field.鈥�

Wherever his journey leads, he鈥檚 eager to continue shaping the future of online education and optimizing the learning experience for students across the university.