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Kirsten AlburgLearning Experience Designer

About

Learning begins with understanding the person behind the process.

Learning Experience Designer specializing in transforming complex information into clear, engaging learning experiences — with a unique background in science communication, higher education, and field-based learning.

Throughout my career, I have focused on one question: How do we help people understand complex information and apply what they learn? Whether working with students, educators, faculty, scientists, or professional teams, my work has centered on creating learning experiences that are clear, meaningful, and useful.

I approach each project through The Clarity Learning Framework™ — moving from complexity to clarity by understanding the learner, defining the outcome, and designing experiences that support understanding and application. Technology supports that process; it never replaces the human judgment at the center of good design.

Portrait of Kirsten Alburg, Learning Experience Designer

My design approach

The Clarity Learning Framework™

Kirsten's background in science education, higher education, and instructional design has centered around one consistent challenge: how do we help people understand complex ideas?

The Clarity Learning Framework™ reflects her approach to creating learning experiences that make information accessible, meaningful, and actionable.

Explore My Approach

  1. 01

    Understand

  2. 02

    Clarify

  3. 03

    Design

  4. 04

    Engage

  5. 05

    Improve

A career built across very different learners

Kirsten has worked across diverse learning environments, from rural Alaska communities to higher education, designing learning experiences for different audiences and learning needs. That range is the reason her design work travels well: a course written for a tribal college student, a tenured faculty member, and a corporate new hire all fail for the same reasons — unclear performance expectations, content that outruns practice, and assessment that measures the wrong thing.

Her work has moved from science education and curriculum design into higher education instructional design and educational technology, where she partnered directly with faculty to build online courses, administer a Moodle environment, and raise the quality of digital learning. Alongside that, she directed federally funded education programs — work that required managing stakeholders, budgets, reporting, and evaluation at scale.

Today she designs immersive professional learning through Odyssey Discovery and works across corporate learning and development, science and conservation education, customer education, and higher education. Technology — including AI — supports that work by speeding up research, prototyping, and iteration; it never replaces the human judgment about what people need to understand.

Professional experience

Where the work has happened

Founder

Odyssey Discovery

Designed immersive professional learning experiences that connect educators with scientists, researchers, and organizations.

  • Designed immersive professional learning experiences connecting educators with scientists, researchers, and organizations.
  • Developed curriculum and learning experiences from concept through delivery.
  • Created virtual and experiential learning opportunities for professional audiences.
  • Managed partnerships, logistics, communications, and program delivery.
  • Designed educator resources that extended learning beyond the experience itself.
  • Used AI tools to improve instructional design workflows and iteration speed.
  • Managed a complete learning experience from concept through implementation.

Instructional Designer & Educational Technology Specialist

Iḷisaġvik College

Partnered with faculty to design, build, and improve online college courses in a Moodle environment.

  • Designed and supported online college courses across disciplines.
  • Worked with faculty subject matter experts to structure content into learning experiences.
  • Built and maintained Moodle LMS courses.
  • Supported online learning quality across the course catalog.
  • Assisted faculty with instructional technology adoption and troubleshooting.
  • Improved learner experience through clearer structure, navigation, and assessment alignment.
  • Supported digital learning development at the institutional level.
  • Helped faculty transition to and improve their online instruction.

Federal Grant Director

Federally funded education programs

Led large-scale education initiatives with responsibility for design, delivery, compliance, and evaluation.

  • Managed federally funded education programs.
  • Coordinated large-scale educational initiatives across stakeholders.
  • Developed professional learning opportunities for educators.
  • Managed timelines, budgets, reporting, and stakeholder communication.
  • Evaluated program effectiveness and reported outcomes.
  • Collaborated with educators and partner organizations.

Science Educator

K–12 and community education settings

Nearly 28 years designing learning — the foundation of every instructional design decision that followed.

  • Curriculum development and unit design across grade levels.
  • Writing learning objectives and aligning instruction to them.
  • Assessment design, including formative checks and performance assessment.
  • Inquiry-based and project-based learning design.
  • Differentiated instruction for varied learner needs.
  • Educational technology integration.
  • Experiential learning design in field and community settings.
  • Student engagement strategy and professional collaboration.

See how the thinking shows up in the work

Interactive coursesView resume