Meet Andrew Sheppard
Instructional Designer
Tell us something about yourself!
Hi, I’m Andy Sheppard and I’m excited
to be joining the Instructional Design
time at the Center for Academic
Technologies. I’ve spent the previous
fifteen years supporting online
instruction at the University of Florida. I
am looking forward to supporting both
online and face-to-face instruction here
at Santa Fe College.
What was your prior instructional
design experience like?
In my prior work at UF, we were
pioneers in every sense of the word.
The world of online learning was new
to higher education. We made great
advances, but we also made some
missteps as we ventured into that new
instructional environment. Ultimately,
we were able to learn from our
challenges and enjoy many successes.
I am hopeful that my experiences with
UF will aid in Santa Fe’s increasing
utilization of online resources to
enhance instruction.
What role do you see for yourself
at Santa Fe as a member of the
ID team?
As a collaborative member of the ID
team, I see opportunities to leverage
the strengths from my fellow IDs and
our faculty. The best online courses
and programs I’ve been fortunate to be
a part of were the result of
collaborative efforts.
Have you taught in the classroom/
online, and if so, how has the
experience helped you?
The most rewarding teaching
experience I have is as a Community
Educator here at Santa Fe College. I
teach a technology class to adult
learners. This instructional experience
has been incredibly beneficial in
keeping the student experience at the
forefront in everything that I do. I am
often reminded that each of us is
increasing our technology skills and
awareness at varying paces. And, as
the expansive growth of digital tools
continues, we all benefit from each
other’s experiences. It’s impossible
today for one single person to be
“Instructor-student and peer-topeer interaction are essential to
providing students with a quality
online experience.”