Megan Kohler

Lecturer/Learning Designer

2217 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2042
msm26@psu.edu

Office: 424 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building

Website: megankohler.org

Please contact me for a copy of my Curriculum Vitae.

About:

Megan Kohler is a Learning Designer with the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn State. She has served in the role of Program Co-chair for the Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate conference in 2019. Other key leadership roles have included Chair Presenter Services (OLC) and Director of Networking for the eDesign Collaborative (UPCEA). She has also served on the editorial review board for IGI Global, a publishing company for information science and technology.

Megan has presented at international conferences, such as Open Ed 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, the International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Online Learning Consortium in Orlando, Florida. Megan relies on her training and experience as a professional actor to create a fun and engaging experience within her presentations and design work.

Among her professional accomplishments, she is recognized for her work as the lead instructional designer and project manager on Penn State’s highly-rated Epidemics MOOC. She conceptualized the MOOCs by Design Webinar series and served as the pedagogical lead for the Penn State Digital Badges Initiative. She continues to explore interesting opportunities focused on improving the online learning experience for higher education. 

Recent Publications (2020 - present):

*Corbeil, Joseph Rene; Corbeil, Maria Elena; Khan, Badrul H. Khan Microlearning in the Digital Age: The Design and Delivery of Learning in Snippets (2021) Routledge.

Gratz, E., Bouchey, B., Kohler, M., Simonsen, M. L., & Knott, J. L. (2021). Creating Authentic Learning Through Online Personal Learning Networks. International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD), 11(2), 31-47. doi:10.4018/IJOPCD.2021040103

Shearer, R.; Aldemir, T.; Hitchcock, J.; Resig, J.; Driver, J.; Kohler, M. (2019) What Students Want: A Vision of a Future Online Learning Experience Grounded in Distance Education Theory. American Journal of Distance Education. Vol. 34, (1), 36-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1706019

*Winner of the 2021 DDL Distance Education Book Award by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT).

Recent Presentations and Workshops (2020 - present):

  • Keynote - Conscious Leadership with Tina Rettler-Pagel. Toastmasters International District 13 Spring Conference (April 2021)
  • Agile Leadership with Heart with Amanda Major, Bettyjo Bouchey, Carl Moore, Garvey Pyke. Online Learning Consortium – Innovate (March 2021)
  • Collaborative Content Design: An Ideal Vision for Course Creation with Penny Ralston-Berg. University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) (February 2021)
  • Collaborative Content Design: An Ideal Vision for Course Creation with Penny Ralston-Berg. ITLC Lilly Online Conference (November – December 2020)
  • Featured Session - Creating Impactful Learning Experiences with the LXD Framework. Online Learning Consortium – Accelerate (November 2020)
  • Conscious Leadership for Online Leaders — Reprise with Bettyjo Bouchey and Tina Rettler-Pagel. Online Learning Consortium – Accelerate (November 2020)
  • Collaborative Content Design: An Ideal Vision for Course Creation with Penny Ralston-Berg. Online Learning Consortium – Accelerate (November 2020)
  • Bridging the Gap Between User Experience and Learning Experience Design with Heidi Watson-Held. Online Learning Consortium – Innovate (July 2020)
  • What A Personal Learning Network Can Tell You About PLNs & Why You Need One Now with Bettyjo Bouchey, Erin Gratz, Jessica L. Knott, Monica Simonsen. Online Learning Consortium – Innovate (July 2020)
  • Building Bridges Of Collaboration For Successful Course Design with Penny Ralston-Berg. Online Learning Consortium – Innovate (July 2020)

Professional Service:

  • Overall Conference Co-Chair for Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference (2021)
  • Overall Conference Co-Chair for Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference (2020)
  • Program Co-Chair for Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference (2019)
  • Chair Presenter Services for Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference (2018)
  • Director of Networking for UPCEA’s eDesign Collaborative (2015-2016)
  • Serve as session chair for Online Learning Consortium (2012, 2017)
  • Serve as Online Learning Consortium Field Guide (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
  • Online Learning Consortium Accelerate Steering Committee (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
  • Visionary of the MOOCs by Design Webinar Series (2014)