AWS Coursera — Python Developer Fundamentals

via IDOL Talent | Articulate Rise | Coursera | 2023–2024

AWS commissioned a Python programming course — Developer Fundamentals 2 — for Coursera, targeting learners building foundational computer science skills. I was selected as part of a small team of instructional designers to develop content for this course.

The Challenge :

The content required translating highly complex computer science concepts — sorting algorithms, time complexity, Big-O notation, data structures, and graph algorithms — into engaging, accessible eLearning for learners with no prior programming background. Each team member was given only a vague high-level outline with no scripts, no content, and no instructional guidance.

What I Did:

Working entirely from scratch, I independently developed 2 complete Rise modules — researching subject matter, writing original scripts, designing storyboards, creating visual diagrams, and building the full Rise module structure, including pre-assessments, knowledge checks, tab interactions, flashcard grids, and code blocks.

To make abstract computer science concepts accessible, I developed an original color-coded visual diagram system — showing algorithmic state changes step by step, with pink for unsorted elements, dark purple for pivot or key elements, and blue for sorted elements.

I also developed original real-world analogies for every concept — explaining exponential complexity through viral infection patterns, logarithmic complexity through a number guessing game, and quadratic complexity through a Christmas gift exchange.

Original visual learning sequence — Selection Sort algorithm designed for AWS Coursera module

Quick Sort algorithm — color-coded step-by-step visual sequence showing pivot selection and array partitioning

On the first round of quality review by the AWS content team, my draft was the only submission to pass. It was subsequently shared with the entire team as the quality benchmark — all other contributors were asked to revise their drafts to match my standard.

While the rest of the team was revising their work, I was assigned an additional module — Module 5 — which had failed quality review. Starting again from zero, I delivered a complete module within 1-2 weeks. This received appreciation from both my project manager and the AWS content team directly.

What I Delivered:

• 2 complete Rise modules for AWS Coursera — developed entirely from scratch

• Rescue delivery of 1 additional failed module in 1-2 weeks

• Original color-coded visual diagram system for algorithm teaching

• 7+ Vyond animation videos — scripts, storyboards, and production

• Original real-world analogies for every complex concept

• Multi-format assessments — MCQ, multiple response, match-the-following

• Quality standard set as benchmark for entire project team

Recognition:

First draft passed AWS quality review and was adopted as the team benchmark. Appreciation received from project manager and AWS content team for both module delivery and rescue performance.

Merge Sort algorithm — tree diagram showing recursive array division and reconstruction

IBM — Internal Training Courses

via IDOL Talent | Articulate Rise | 2024

IBM required two internal training courses for experienced technical professionals, both covering IBM mainframe security migration. Both courses were built in Articulate Rise and independently developed through IDOL Talent, working with different SMEs and under very different conditions.

Course 1 — SMPO Pre-Sales Security Migration

Audience: Experienced Sales Technical Migration Specialists

Duration: 150 minutes | Tool: Articulate Rise

The Challenge:

This was among the most difficult content development projects I have encountered. The only source material provided was 11 audio recordings — each approximately one hour long — of casual, unstructured SME conversations with extremely poor audio quality. No structured content. No written materials. SME availability was restricted, and responses to clarification requests were limited.

I listened to each recording four to five times — over 44 hours of listening to extract usable information. The recordings were largely redundant and poorly structured.

Working entirely from these recordings and one supplementary PDF, I built the complete Rise course from scratch — identifying the instructional structure, writing the learning objectives, organising the content across four lessons, and designing all assessments independently.

What I Did:

I developed a full 150-minute Articulate Rise course for IBM internal deployment covering:

• Sales and Technical Due Diligence Process

• Roles and responsibilities of the Sales Technical Migration Specialist

• Data collection using security questionnaires and conversion tools

• Qualification process and red flag identification

• Project estimation — duration, cost, resources, and assumptions

I structured the Rise course with clean lesson-by-lesson navigation, embedded knowledge checks throughout each lesson, and a comprehensive final assessment — all built within Rise's modern mobile-responsive format suitable for IBM's internal learning platform.

Every knowledge check and final assessment question included both correct and incorrect answer feedback — explaining precisely why each answer was right or wrong — turning assessments into active learning moments rather than just evaluation tools.

What I Delivered:

• Complete 150-minute Articulate Rise course for IBM internal deployment

• 4-lesson instructional structure built entirely from unstructured audio source material

• 9 learning objectives mapped across all lessons

• Scenario-based assessments — MCQ, True/False, multi-select, application scenarios

• Detailed correct and incorrect feedback for every assessment question

• Final knowledge check with 10 questions covering full course content

• Mobile-responsive Rise format suitable for IBM's internal learning platform

What This Project Proved:

When source material is poor, SME availability is restricted, and timelines are tight — the quality of the output depends entirely on the ID's judgment, persistence, and craft. This project delivered all three.

Course 2 — SMPO Project Management Security Migration

Audience: Senior-level Project Managers — IBM employees and IBM Partner organizations

Duration: 150 minutes | Tool: Articulate Rise

The Challenge:

This course required developing a complete project management curriculum at the intersection of IBM mainframe technology and PMBOK-aligned project management methodology — for a senior audience who would immediately recognise any inaccuracy. Source material came entirely from structured SME calls with IBM mainframe expert Eric Konieczny.

What I Did:

Working collaboratively with IBM SME Eric Konieczny through structured calls, I developed a complete 150-minute Articulate Rise course covering the full project management lifecycle — Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, and Closure — applied specifically to IBM RACF security migration.

Throughout the outline development process, I actively identified content gaps, questioned process assumptions, and pushed back on ambiguous or incomplete information — asking precise clarifying questions that shaped the final instructional structure. This consultative approach to SME engagement ensured the course reflected real-world IBM project management practice rather than generic PM theory.

I structured the Rise course with topic-by-topic navigation, process flow diagrams, role comparison tables, embedded knowledge checks, and a comprehensive 10-question final assessment — all built within Rise's modern mobile-responsive format.

The course covered:

• Security migration process — Broadcom Top Secret to RACF and ACF2 to RACF

• Complete project management phases with security-migration-specific activities

• Stakeholder roles and responsibilities across IBM, client, and third-party suppliers

• Data extraction, conversion tool usage, and database building and testing

• Risk identification, issue tracking, and change management

• Project estimation and resource planning

• Post-migration support, client sign-off, and retrospective processes

What I Delivered

• Complete 7-lesson Articulate Rise course — 90 minutes eLearning + 60 minutes downloadable materials

• Full PMBOK-aligned instructional structure applied to IBM mainframe security migration

• Learning objectives mapped across all 7 lessons

• Technically precise instructional prose covering Introduction, Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, and Closure

• Role comparison tables — IBM, client, and third-party supplier responsibilities

• Process flow diagrams and visual stakeholder maps embedded in Rise

• 10-question final assessment — scenario-based, multi-select, and best-practice judgment questions

• Consultative SME engagement — identifying gaps and shaping content through structured questioning

• Mobile-responsive Rise format suitable for IBM's internal learning platform

Recognition:

Upon reviewing the completed course, IBM SME Eric Konieczny expressed that he couldn't believe what had been produced from the information he had provided — confirming both technical accuracy and instructional quality.

What These Two Courses Together Demonstrate

Delivered two IBM-grade internal Articulate Rise courses back to back — one with restricted SME availability and unusable source material, one with a highly collaborative SME and structured calls. Both were delivered to publication standard. Both technically accurate for senior IBM audiences.

"I can work with any SME, in any conditions, and deliver IBM-quality output."

Dashlabs — US Law eLearning Series

Articulate Storyline 360 & Vyond | 2022–2025

Dashlabs required a comprehensive US law eLearning series covering nine legal subject areas — Antitrust, Media Law, Business Associations, Contracts, Federal Tax Law, Constitutional Law, Conflict of Laws, Secured Transactions, and Orientation. The series was designed for learners studying US legal concepts through interactive, video-based eLearning modules. Additionally, Dashlabs engaged me for a visual redesign of a multi-day Instructor-Led Training program for the US Department of State.

What I Did:

Over a sustained three-year engagement, I served as both Vyond animator and Articulate Storyline developer — contributing across the full production pipeline depending on project requirements.

As Vyond Animator, I produced 80-plus animation videos across all nine legal subject areas — working from provided scripts and audio to create polished, professionally branded animations for each topic.

As Storyline Developer, I built complete interactive modules — embedding talking head teaching videos, synchronizing on-screen text highlighting to match audio every 30 seconds or less, and integrating quiz questions throughout each module to maintain learner engagement and formative assessment. This synchronized text highlighting technique — timed precisely to spoken content — required meticulous attention to detail sustained across 15+ courses over three years.

Throughout the engagement, I maintained consistent quality, met client guidelines, and adapted to varying scope — sometimes delivering animation only, sometimes owning the full module development pipeline end to end.

For the US Department of State project, I completed a full visual redesign of a multi-day Strategic Planning and Performance Management ILT program — covering 4 sessions across a 5-day facilitated training program for US federal employees. The redesign modernised the look, feel, and visual consistency of all session decks while maintaining full instructional integrity.

Vyond animation — First Amendment Right, US Constitutional Law module

Vyond animation — Media Law module explaining the two elements of piracy

Vyond animation — Conflict of Laws module showing jurisdictional inefficiencies

What I Delivered:

• 81 Vyond animation videos across 9 US legal subject areas

• 15+ Articulate Storyline modules — fully interactive with embedded video

• Synchronized text highlighting — timed to audio every 30 seconds or less

• Formative quiz questions integrated throughout each module

• Visual redesign of 4 ILT session decks — US Department of State Strategic Planning and Performance Management program

• Consistent quality maintained across a 3-year sustained engagement

• Flexible contribution — animation-only and full end-to-end development as required

Client Recognition:

"I have enjoyed working with Devolina for the last year. Devolina is a highly-qualified Instructional Designer and experienced e-Learning Developer. She is a supportive team player and always does her part in an efficient and effective manner to ensure that deliverables are done within scope, budget, and deadlines. What I really enjoy about Devolina is her bright personality. She is a true team player and EdTech professional!" — Brooke Gamble, Instructional Designer, Dashlabs (managed Devolina directly, October 2023)

Upwork Client Reviews — Dashlabs:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 | Aug 2023 – Jan 2024 "Devolina is a great asset and welcome to rejoin to work with us whenever her workload clears to allow it." — Mina Johan, Owner, Dashlabs Tags: Committed to Quality · Collaborative

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8 | Oct 2022 – Aug 2023 "Experienced, fast, and reliable instructional designer and animator." — Mina Johan, Owner, Dashlabs Tag: Reliable

8 Rules of Love Online Course — Jay Shetty, 108 Coaching LLC

Freelance Script Writing | 2022

Jay Shetty — bestselling author, #1 podcast host of On Purpose, and global mindfulness thought leader with 40 million social media followers — required video scripts for his flagship online course based on his book 8 Rules of Love. The course was delivered via Kajabi as a self-paced program comprising 16 video lessons, 8 meditations, 30 relationship coaching tools, and interactive workbooks.

The Challenge:

Writing in someone else's voice — especially a globally recognised thought leader — requires a rare combination of skills. The scripts had to sound authentically like Jay Shetty, blend Vedic wisdom with modern relationship psychology, cite academic research accurately, and maintain an instructional structure while feeling warm, conversational, and emotionally resonant. The source material was Jay Shetty's book and a high-level course outline — the rest was creative and instructional judgment.

What I Did:

Working from Jay Shetty's published book and course outline, I wrote complete video scripts across 4 modules and 16 lessons — capturing Jay Shetty's distinctive voice and blending Vedic philosophy, scientific research, and practical relationship coaching into scripts designed for him to read directly on camera.

Each script followed a clear instructional structure — opening hook, concept introduction, research citation, real-world analogy, practical application, and recap — while maintaining the conversational warmth and philosophical depth that defines Jay Shetty's communication style.

Topics covered across the 4 modules:

• Module 1 — Solitude: Fear of loneliness, the glory of being alone, 3 stages from loneliness to solitude, karma cycle, conditioned beliefs

• Module 2 — Compatibility: Defining love, 4 phases of love, partner as guru, purpose and dharma

• Module 3 — Healing: Winning together, conflict resolution, breakups, karmic lessons

• Module 4 — Connection: Expanding capacity for love, giving love to community and the world

What I Delivered:

• Complete video scripts for 16 lessons across 4 modules

• Scripts written in Jay Shetty's authentic voice — blending Vedic wisdom, academic research, and conversational warmth

• Instructional structure embedded throughout — hooks, concept builds, research citations, analogies, recaps

• Content sourced and synthesized from Jay Shetty's published book and course outline

• Scripts designed for direct on-camera delivery by Jay Shetty

What This Project Demonstrates:

The ability to write in someone else's voice — at a globally recognised thought leader level — while maintaining instructional integrity is among the most specialized skills in learning content development. This project proves that capability.

IDOL Talent — AI for Instructional Designers

4-Level Curriculum | Canva Video Production | 2025

IDOL Talent commissioned a comprehensive AI literacy curriculum specifically designed for instructional designers — covering everything from AI fundamentals to advanced automation. No equivalent curriculum existed in the market. This was original curriculum architecture in an emerging field.

The Challenge:

The client originally requested a 7-level course structure. After reviewing the brief, I pushed back — restructuring the entire curriculum to 4 levels based on instructional judgment about learner progression, cognitive load, and logical skill sequencing. The client accepted the restructure. That decision alone demonstrates curriculum architecture at a senior level.

The curriculum had to be technically accurate about AI while remaining accessible to IDs with no prior technical background — a delicate balance requiring both subject matter research and sophisticated instructional design.

The 4-Level Architecture

Level 1 — Beginner: Master Prompt Combinations to Optimize AI Outputs. Foundation level covering AI fundamentals, understanding AI-generated content, crafting effective prompts using the original S.C.E.F.A.C.T framework, and mastering advanced prompt engineering techniques including few-shot learning, chain-of-thought prompting, role prompting, and prompt chaining.

Level 2 — User: Integrating Prompts Into Your ID Workflow. Application level teaching IDs to use AI across the full instructional design workflow — creating learning objectives, course outlines, assessment items, instructional strategies, eLearning scripts, storyboards, and AI-generated visuals. Built around a real case study — ByteNova Solutions — with hands-on activities after every lesson.

Level 3 — Advanced: Custom GPTs for Instructional Design. Advanced level covering the design and deployment of Custom GPTs specifically built for ID tasks — enabling IDs to create their own AI-powered design tools.

Level 4 — Expert: Automation for Instructional Designers. Expert level covering AI automation workflows for end-to-end instructional design processes. Scripts and foundational work completed — level not deployed due to client payment dispute.

What I Did:

I independently designed and produced the entire curriculum — restructuring the client's original 7-level brief, developing all learning objectives, lesson outlines, scripts, hands-on activities, downloadable resources, and assessment strategies across all four levels.

All course content was produced as Canva videos — multi-layered productions combining text, shapes, stock images, animations, and video-within-video techniques. Every visual element, every transition, every on-screen graphic was designed and produced by me independently.

Original frameworks developed for the curriculum include the S.C.E.F.A.C.T formula for effective prompt writing — an original instructional tool created specifically for this course.

The curriculum also included:

• Hands-on practice workbooks for every lesson

• Downloadable cheatsheets and quick reference guides

• Badge certification system with graded final assignments per level

• Real-world case studies as learning anchors

AI for IDs curriculum — designing aligned assessments using AI

AI for IDs curriculum — instructional strategy workflow module

What I Delivered:

• Complete 4-level AI literacy curriculum — original architecture, no existing framework to reference

• Restructured from client's 7-level brief based on instructional judgment

• Full Canva video production — scripts, visuals, animations across all lessons

• Hands-on activity workbooks for every lesson

• Downloadable resources — cheatsheets, tool lists, reference guides

• Original S.C.E.F.A.C.T prompt engineering framework

• Badge certification system with graded assessments

• 3 complete levels delivered and deployed — Level 4 scripted and foundational work completed

Recognition:

"Our professional relationship has since evolved, and I now have the privilege of serving as Devolina's intern, supporting her in the design and development of a new course on AI for instructional designers. She is remarkably receptive to constructive feedback, innately collaborative, and constantly seeking opportunities for improvement. Any team would be fortunate to have a colleague with Devolina's talent, integrity, and commitment to excellence." — Mark Allen Hoffman, Instructional Designer, IDOL Academy (worked directly with Devolina on this course, July 2025)

IDOL Academy — Coach & Facilitator

Instructional Design Coaching & Mentoring | 2022–2025

IDOL Academy is one of the leading instructional design training institutions globally — producing hundreds of professional IDs annually. Being invited back as a Coach and Facilitator after completing my own training there is a distinction very few IDs earn.

What I Did:

I taught and mentored aspiring instructional designers across multiple cohorts — delivering sessions on storyboarding, needs analysis, Articulate Storyline development, and instructional design fundamentals. I reviewed student work weekly — assessing quality, identifying gaps, providing structured feedback, and determining badge eligibility upon successful completion.

The role required me to hold a high standard while remaining patient and nurturing — a combination one of my students described as "a rare ability to combine patient, nurturing guidance with a consistent expectation for excellence."

When one of my students later became my intern on the AI for IDs project, it completed a full circle that speaks to the lasting impact of the mentoring relationship.

What This Role Demonstrates:

Teaching instructional design requires mastering it first. Being trusted to develop the next generation of IDs — by the same institution that trained me — is one of the strongest endorsements of my expertise.

What A Student Said:

"She expertly delivered training on a range of instructional design topics and provided meticulous evaluations of our work. I was immediately impressed by Devolina's profound knowledge and skill. Whether leading a technical workshop on Articulate Storyline or giving detailed feedback on a storyboard, she possessed a rare ability to combine patient, nurturing guidance with a consistent expectation for excellence." — Mark Allen Hoffman, Instructional Designer, IDOL Academy (July 2025)

Devolina Deshmukh

Learning systems that move people from confusion to competence.

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devolinad@gmail.com

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(C) 2026 Devolina Deshmukh

Senior Learning Experience Designer