Two days prior to the Ides of June 2015, The University of Cincinnati welcomed a new employee. Elicia Flom, who holds an MS in Instructional Design and Learning, a BS in Administration and Computer Information Systems, and who is working toward a PhD in Teaching and Learning, began dividing her work between main campus and UC Clermont on September 22nd this year.
She was able to do this as a result of a partnership between two organizations—The Center for Excellence at Main Campus and UC Clermont—and she intends to help faculty improve their courses. As an Instructional Design consultant, Elicia will help faculty and professors improve their teaching technology, create and present workshops to discuss the development of technology to help student learning, attend informative conferences, and be responsible for researching and assessing modern technology. When asked why she chose to pursue a job at the University of Cincinnati, Flom replied that she “seized the opportunity to work with people who value instructional design.” Her goal at the University of Cincinnati is ultimately to “help faculty develop instruction that helps students achieve their educational goals.” Elicia is an ideal employee at UC due to her tremendous amount of previous work experience.
In 1990 Elicia founded a consulting company that serves several organizations, intended to “facilitate training and support integrating voice recognition software,” as Flom stated. The objective of the company is to develop software training programs for government organizations at a local, state, and even federal level. These training courses help disabled people to return to the workforce after their injuries, and help individuals of various fields to receive quality educations through courses, seminars, and workshops.
Flom worked as a computer adjunct in 1993 for the Adult Workforce Development division of Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools, where she designed courses for working adults. She was ultimately promoted to Coordinator of the same school. Shortly after this, Flom began creating hybrid (and entirely online) courses, a project which she says prompted her return to school to earn her Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology.
Now, Elicia is employed at the University of Cincinnati. She has discovered what she loves to do and is doing it every day at UC. “Fewer things give me greater satisfaction,” she says, “than helping someone else improve a learning activity.” According to Flom, eLearning is experiencing an influx of interest; because of this, Instructional Design professionals are becoming highly valued at universities, and their talents are being used to improve the quality of college courses. Instructional Design consultants like Elicia Flom are changing the course of teaching, and the course of learning. Based on her research, the programs being designed by practitioners are increasing the effectiveness of teaching and resulting in better absorption of information by students.
Flom is very academically active as well, and co-authored a peer-reviewed article that was published last July called “A Review of the Instructional Practices for Promoting Online Learning Communities.” It was published in The Journal of Interactive Learning Research. She is also currently working toward a PhD in Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Additionally, Elicia is an entrepreneur; she and her husband own a computer consulting practice. This practice is managed by her husband, who is an Educational Technologist. Together they have raised two sons. They also own two dogs: a collie and a Blue Merle Shetland Sheepdog named Dakota and Shadow, respectively.
If you would like to meet Elicia Flom, you can find her in room 260A of Snyder at UC Clermont or in room 410B Zimmer at Main Campus. Or, you can call her at (513)-556-6599.
