Open to opportunities

Andrew Nielsen

@andrewnielsen

Senior instructional designer building scalable learning experiences (eLearning, video, ILT) that drive adoption and measurable performance.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to build scalable, measurable learning experiences—partnering with stakeholders and SMEs to close performance gaps. I want to own learning strategy through eLearning, video, and ILT, leveraging learning systems and AI-assisted production to drive adoption.

I’m a Senior Instructional Designer and Learning Strategist with 20+ years designing and developing multimodal learning solutions across eLearning, video, and live instruction. I bring an adult-learning and instructional-science lens, pairing research with practical production and clear learning-objective design.

I specialize in identifying performance gaps with stakeholders and SMEs, translating business goals into measurable outcomes, and building training programs that drive adoption. My work includes research-backed learning models (d = 0.94 in content mastery) and modular curricula adopted by 50+ schools and institutions.

Recently, I led onboarding and learning systems at AR.IO / PERMANENT DATA SOLUTIONS—designing learning for 875,000+ users, producing explainer video and tutorials at massive platform scale, and building content lifecycle systems (intake, templates, governance, reuse). I’ve also used AI-assisted creation tools to accelerate development and created gamified onboarding that grew participation and community adoption substantially.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Founder & Instructional Content Producer

Current

MC Lars LLC

Jan 2004 - Present (22 years 5 months)

Designed and delivered educational content through music, video, and live instruction for global audiences. Translated complex literary and cultural concepts into accessible, narrative-driven multimedia learning to improve retention and comprehension.

Live Instruction Multimedia Production Performance Improvement

Creative Director & Education Lead

AR.IO / Permanent Data Solutions

Jan 2021 - Jan 2025 (4 years)

Designed and developed onboarding learning experiences for 875,000+ users, including video tutorials and modular learning paths to improve adoption of complex technical systems. Produced explainer media at platform scale (24B+ transactions, 100+ PB stored data) and built content lifecycle systems to enable scalable reuse.

Instructional Design Storyboarding Multimedia Production

Instructional Designer / Consultant

New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Jan 2015 - Jan 2017 (2 years)

Designed and implemented standards-aligned curricula, including lesson plans, assessments, and instructional materials. Applied user-centered design and partnered with faculty to integrate storytelling while aligning content to learning objectives and measurable performance outcomes.

Instructional Design Assessment Design User Centered Design Performance Improvement

Instructional Designer (PLAY! Program)

USC Annenberg Innovation Lab

Jan 2012 - Present (14 years 5 months)

Coordinated a transmedia learning program using participatory learning methods and managed development of a mobile learning application. Designed interactive learning experiences to support mastery of complex concepts.

Instructional Design Mobile Learning User Flows Engagement Strategy Project Management