M.Ed. Instructional Technology and Design, Kent State University (KSU) BA, Mars Hill University, North Carolina
Experience
Nestor Education LLC, Ashland, OH, 1990–2022
I stepped into the world of education by working with publishers of educational content. My job as a compositor was to take the editorial content, the design, and the images and place them into a document that when finished, would go straight to press as a textbook. In this position, I learned the importance of detail, the power of great customer service, and the diligence of a strong work ethic.
Used comprehensive knowledge of graphic design for print, digital and press publishing processes, concepts, and techniques, such as digital page makeup, style sheets, image scanning, digital photo manipulation, clipping paths, pre-press preparation of files as a preferred vendor for the McGraw-Hill Companies. Led other vendors working as a team to produce a complete line of math textbooks for the McGraw-Hill Companies.
As a McGraw-Hill preferred vendor I was commissioned to conduct an Adobe InDesign workshop for the faculty at the University of Michigan in conjunction with the National Science Foundation.
Designed and developed books and catalogs for Bookmasters Distributing.
Produced brochures, mall directories, and other marketing materials for malls nationwide in the United States.
Designed and developed the Maritime Magazine, published by the Virginia Port Authority.
Instructional Designer, Kent State University January 2014 to September 2019
My experience at Kent has been creative and broad. I worked with faculty and subject matter experts (SMEs) to design and develop Online courses for master’s degree programs and undergraduate courses. In addition, I reach students beyond traditional courses through individual modules, such as First Year Experience (FYE), library modules on plagiarism, and Online orientations that are offered online to thousands of students.
Course Design and Development
I redesigned a grammar course taking it from the list of courses tagged as problematic into a course that now has an average letter grade increase. Practice exercises were created in Storyline providing tools for success.
Designed and developed 4 learning sections (shorter than modules) on Learning Foundations with Dr. John Dunlosky, Kent’s world-renowned scholar on learning. The College of Arts and Sciences implemented these sections within all First Year Experience (FYE) courses. These sections are also available to the entire university’s faculty to use in their courses. In 2017 this module is offered via Blackboard to all FYE instructors.
Produced an Online Student Orientation for the University College FYE available to all faculty. In this extensive project developed in Blackboard, I directed video shoots, developed content, worked with many Kent faculty, and supervised the entire course design. It required liaison with many faculty and staff throughout the Kent campus.
Produced a module on How to Create a Literature Review with a subject matter expert (SME) and other stakeholders in the university. This module is available via Blackboard for all Kent State faculty.
Plagiarism is a problem in most academic subjects. Along with the SMEs from the KSU library, I produced a module on Plagiarism. This module via Blackboard discusses how to avoid plagiarism, citations, policy and consequences. It also includes self-testing and is available for all Kent State faculty to use in their courses.
Along with the transfer Kent State director, I produced an orientation (flipped model) for transfer students. This orientation developed in Blackboard is used as an orientation for incoming transfer students prior to their arrival at Kent for the face-to-face orientation. This extensive project required liaison with the Bursar’s office, Financial Aid, GPS, Advising and others.
I facilitated developers by helping them bringing their courses Online, often including course development and content development. My specialty is creating authentic assessments including examples, templates, rubrics, etc.
I have also created orientations for Academic Diversity Outreach, Academic Engagement and Degree Completion, College Credit Plus, Adult and Veteran Services, Global Education Office, among others.
Awards
Assisted five developers to design and submit their courses to the Blackboard Exemplary Course program for the College of Public Health. Six courses attained the Exemplary Course Award.
Implemented a badge system for Human Resources program, Institute for Excellence.
Stark joined Kent’s badge program in early 2017.
Kent’s Center for Corporate and Professional Development joined our badge program in February 2019.
Teaching
Taught Designing Your Online Course online workshop
Taught 15week Instructional Technology course to pre-service teachers. This class was a traditional face to face course with many components within Blackboard, Kent’s learning management system (LMS).
Facilitated discussion on “flipped classroom” and “Designing PowerPoints for Learning” for the Center of Teaching and Learning.
Assisted with FYE exploratory class and Common Reading Program.
Sr. Instructional Designer, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Cleveland, OH, 2012–Jan 2014
At Tri-C I led initiatives for designing MOOCS and created faculty training, such as course accessibility. I worked with instructors to make interesting and well-designed courses, both face to face and online. I also worked with staff to spread their reach online.
Lead for the design, development, and delivery of one of the first massive open online courses (MOOC) ever designed and delivered by a community college and for a community college audience. Tri-C’s MOOC was also the first MOOC in the nation to earn Quality MattersTM (QM) recognition through QM’s Continuing & Professional Education Program.
Assisted faculty in designing and developing courses for enhanced student-centered learning. For example, the instructor for the Veterinary Medicine course and I redesigned his class into a “flipped” classroom When the instructor came to me, he said it was so boring that even he didn’t like to go to class. Yet the content is mandated by the test students have to take to dispense veterinary medicine. The instructor, Dr. John Thomas, said, “The classroom environment was so vibrant as to be almost unrecognizable. Student outcomes on course exams were significantly improved, and overall, student evaluations indicated a high level of satisfaction with the experience. So this collaboration truly transformed and revitalized this class in a way that could not have been achieved otherwise.”
Designed and developed a resume course and a test prep course that creatively used an outside learning management system (CourseSites) in order for the community to be able to take the course. Branded and designed all collateral materials for ease of use with online learning.
Designed and developed an Accessibility workshop and a Teaching for Online Learning workshop for faculty in Blackboard. From one of the instructors taking the course, “The Accessibility Course has opened my eyes to the importance of assistive technology and universal design best practices. I have gained a greater appreciation for ways to adapt individual courses with these concepts in mind. Overall, it was an experience that far surpassed my expectations!”
Oakley, B., Poole, D., & Nestor, M. (2016). Creating a sticky MOOC. Journal Of Asynchronous Learning Network, 20(1), 12p.
Professional Certifications, Certificates, and Training
Institute for Excellence: (2016/2017) Kent State’s leadership program is one of the top fifteen in the country and offers a unique curriculum for administrators and individual contributors to develop the social/emotional skills deemed most important for leaders by the Center for Creative Leadership.
Peer Reviewer Course: This certificate is for Quality Matters training, specifically practicing critiques and writing helpful recommendations.
Continuing and Professional Education Reviewer Certification: This certification allows me to review continuing and professional courses for QM
Crucial Conversations: This two-day workshop dealt with relationships and having important conversations with others.
MaryAnne Nestor 
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