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I was asked to write about the relationship between graphic design and instructional design… and believe me, I’ve got a few thoughts to share. I haven’t always felt like a great graphic designer. When I took my first job in the field back in 2000, I didn't have a formal design education; at that point, I was probably the most helpless designer ever. Later, I learned a lot and received decent training – first in my home city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, and then in Boston afte

Quite often, my students complain that online lessons, YouTube videos, or book instructions can be extremely overwhelming. They find it difficult to follow the steps without either getting bored or becoming unable to proceed. That frustrating feeling is cognitive load  in action. As an instructional designer or art educator – whether you are teaching an online class on still lifes with acrylics or a masterclass on oil techniques – it is essential to avoid this instructional m

Richard Mayer’s work on multimedia learning is foundational for anyone designing instruction that combines text, images, audio, or video. His theory explains not just that multimedia can improve learning, but why and how it works when designed thoughtfully. Mayer’s multimedia learning theory is built on three major assumptions: the dual-channel assumption (people process visual and auditory information through separate channels), the limited-capacity assumption (each channel

Here’s my look back at the experience through the classic 4Ls: Loved, Loathed, Learned, and Longed For.

How can you tell that the students learn something in your class? – That was an interview question that I was asked when I applied for a teaching position at a prestigious private school in Boston. (… Well, they were not satisfied with my answer, and because of that or for whatever other reason, I was not moved forward with my application.) However, now, several years later, I can share more about that topic. And not only about the evidence of learning, but also about how I

In my MSMU course, Technology for Access, Assessment, Teaching, and Learning, I was asked to take an Agile-inspired retrospective look at my own learning. The prompt was: evaluate the first half of the course using the 4Ls method—what I Loved, Loathed, Learned, and Longed for. Our assignments centered on combining technological tools with both online and offline teaching methods to better assess students’ needs and design more effective learning strategies. So, below is my

Recent photo from my studio: free painting Teaching art has uncovered for me a fundamental truth: creativity isn’t limited to the moment when paint touches paper and does not stay within the borders of your paper or canvas.  It’s a process that develops through exploration, questioning, and discovery. In my classes, I blend project-based learning with a process-oriented approach, supported by frameworks like Backward Design  and the Flipped Classroom , to help students not on

Drawing by Mark Loring In my humble opinion, what makes an assessment  effective  is that it should accurately reflect learning. Not just the grades-and-scores kind of truth – but the deeper one that reveals what a learner can truly do  with their knowledge. Recently, I had the privilege of working with Russian School Erudite and a Russian-Jewish Center “Shalom” ,  two cultural and educational centers in Montgomery County, Maryland, that serve preschool through high school st

Conducting a needs assessment is a crucial first step in both instructional design and teaching practice because it offers an understanding of learners’ starting points, challenges, and goals. It is the process that enables an educator to identify the gap between what learners currently know or can do and what they need to achieve through instruction. In my work as an art educator and instructional designer – through my studio and online teaching practice – I find that this p