Andrea Robin — Learning Design Specialist
I design learning systems that help organizations close the gap between what they intend and what their environments produce — coherently, equitably, and with lasting effect.
I came to learning design through neurobiology, visual arts, and public health, and more than fifteen years of applied work across higher education, research, and the public sector. Those paths converged on a single observation that now anchors everything I do: how people learn is inseparable from how people are treated, how they feel, and whether the systems around them were built with them in mind.
My practice draws on adult learning theory, the science of learning and instruction, Universal Design for Learning, and evidence from the cognitive, motivational, and sociocultural dimensions of learning. I apply this knowledge at the level of organizational systems — diagnosing what isn't working, building the conditions for change, and designing for sustainability from the outset.
I work with higher education institutions, research organizations, and public sector bodies ready to close that gap.
What I Do
Learning Systems Design
I diagnose the gaps between what an organization values and what its learning environments actually produce, then design the architecture that brings them into alignment — resulting in learning that is more coherent, more equitable, and more measurably effective. This includes needs analysis, logic modeling, evaluation framework design, and systemic recommendations grounded in learning science.
Curriculum and Program Development
I design learning programs built on adult learning theory, evidence-based instructional strategies, and Universal Design for Learning — programs that develop genuine capability rather than deliver content, and that remain effective long after the project ends. Work in this area spans full course and program design, learning outcome development, assessment design, and facilitated co-design processes with subject matter experts and learners.
Facilitation and Capacity Building
I design and lead workshops, stakeholder engagement processes, and coaching engagements grounded in the conditions that make learning possible: psychological safety, belonging, and trust. I also work as a wellness liaison — supporting organizations in recognizing and responding to the relationship between well-being and learning capacity, and in building cultures where both are taken seriously.
Equity and Inclusion Integration
I integrate equity and inclusion at the structural level — in how learning goals are set, how participation is designed, how assessments are constructed, and how outcomes are evaluated. This is not a compliance practice; it is a design practice, and it produces learning that is more accessible, more rigorous, and more effective for a broader range of people.
Inclusive Design and Accessibility
I apply Universal Design for Learning as a systemic framework — not a checklist applied at the end of a project — identifying and addressing barriers at the point of design, in collaboration with subject matter experts and with learners themselves where possible.
Image Description: A grid of eight organization logos on a white background, representing former workplaces. Top row, left to right: TRIUMF (cyan text with a pinwheel icon), UBC — University of British Columbia (navy shield crest), ICBC (cyan speech-bubble style icon with white lettering), and Emily Carr University of Art and Design (a multicoloured arc in pink, green and teal alongside black text). Bottom row, left to right: Nova Scotia (circular logo with a blue and yellow shield featuring a golden lion), Science World (bold black text with a geodesic sphere icon), ArtStarts (grey and red lowercase text with a speech bubble dot), and Lighthouse Labs (dark text with a lighthouse icon and a small arrow).
Projects
Selected case studies from higher education, research, and the public sector. All projects are anonymized in accordance with confidentiality obligations.
Portfolio available on request.
Living and working on the traditional, ancestral, unceded, and occupied territory of the Coast Salish peoples including the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (Hunkameanumn) speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.