Otis Lee,
Instructional Designer
Anyone can create instructional content.
The real question is: are people actually learning?
I bring education, experience, and a deep understanding of how adults learn to every training solution I design. With a Master’s degree in Instructional Design & Technology and an MBA focused on Organizational Learning & Leadership, I bridge the gap between learning science and real-world business performance.
I don’t just design courses, I design learning experiences. Experiences grounded in adult learning theory, memory and retention science, and organizational strategy. My work ensures that education isn’t just delivered, but understood, retained, and applied on the job.
An instructional designer is not a content builder, it is a systems thinker who aligns training to strategic outcomes, collaborates across engineering and leadership teams, manages deadlines and complexity, applies cognitive science and performance methodology, and drives measurable operational impact. Design is only one tool, excellence comes from owning the full ecosystem, from analysis to execution.
Over the years, I’ve supported healthcare systems, public-sector organizations, and technology companies by transforming complex information into clear, engaging, and actionable learning. I bring voracious curiosity, practical execution, and strategic thinking to every project, bringing education, content, and training to life in ways that drive real outcomes.
Because learning should do more than check a box.
It should change how people think, perform, and succeed.
Otis L. Lee III, MBA, M.Ed
LinkedIn Profile
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I design and build high performance technical training systems that accelerate time to proficiency and reduce operational error.My work is engineered for speed, precision, and measurable impact, especially in fast moving, technical environments.I intentionally design for cognitive efficiency, integrating video narration, motion graphics, scenario based branching, and structured chunking to reduce cognitive load and increase retention.
I’m fluent across Articulate 360, advanced mediaproduction tools, and custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript when bespoke solutions are needed, and I have extensive experiencedeploying at scale across enterprise LMS platforms.I’ve supported 300 to 500 course builds annually, often moving from SME handoff to production ready delivery in one to threeweeks while maintaining strong QA and stakeholder alignment.After ten years in the field, I completed a second Master’s in Instructional Design to deepen my expertise in cognitive scienceand performance methodology. I’m most energized when building technical learning ecosystems from the ground up,aligning training to mission critical outcomes, and turning complex engineering content into clear, high impact execution systems.
Feedback from Projects
EVENT REPORTING SYSTEM- ELEARNING MODULE, ANIMATED VIDEOS, SCREENCASTS
Carolina Espinoza Strelec (cespinozastrelec@ascension.org) said:
Otis, thank you so much for the time and support you have provided our Quality team. Reki shared the following cheers with me and asked that I send your way since her last day was last Friday. We look forward to working with you and again, Thank You for all you do! - Carolina
The amount of time I spent working with Otis has been great on multiple affronts. He was so timely and thorough throughout the process of creating this module. The extent of research he conducted to get up to speed on the topic was very impressive. Lastly, the process of creating this module was very collaborative which I greatly appreciated. I am thankful for his hard work and the ultimate creation of such a great product. - Reki
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PROGRAM
Brooke Coleman (bcoleman@ascension.org) said:
Otis! Thank you so much for the hard work, long hours, and attention to detail you have brought to the My Learning Module for Language Access. This is a huge win for the ministry and a way to educate staff at every level. This could have never happened without you! I am so grateful we have met and we have been able to work together. I cannot say thank you enough!
THANK YOU FOR EXTENDING YOUR TIME, EXPERTISE, MATERIALS, TALENT AND CARE TO OUR MY LEARNING PROJECT. Whether you were helping behind the scenes, or upfront and center, thank you for every detail, for great energy and for being flexible. Otis, thank you for directing our group and for having a vision for this. I'm excited to see the outcome and where this takes our team within Ascension.
More than anything, I hope this solves the need for "how do I use an interpreter" and "what tools do I have?"... One step at a time, one step forward- here we go!
You all rock!!
AGILE METHODOLOGY VIDEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE.
Tiana Paulsen (tiana.paulsen@ascension.org) said:
I wanted to take a moment and thank you for allowing Otis to help the Agile Transformation team. I know to give him the opportunity to create videos around why Ascension is becoming agile for the Ascension Technology peers was a demand on his available time but the results are obvious labor of love. By allowing Otis to support our request for the creation of these videos, you have allowed Otis to help our team impact double the number of teams we've trained within FY19 (88 to date, or approx. 1000 people). In FY20, our goal as a team is to increase the number of enabled (trained and coached) teams from 80 to 300 (ie. 1000 people to 4500 people approx.). Otis' work on these videos is absolutely instrumental in capturing the spirit and meaning behind why we are moving forward with an Agile transformation. Not only is Otis' impact on my team so valuable and critical, but his videos are expected to impact an additional 3000 people in the coming fiscal year. Additionally, these videos are going to be hallmarks to my team and the Mission Inspired Transformation teams to help in the year to come when the moral gets a little lower and our friends have a harder time seeing the benefit of what they do.
I know my words may sound slavish, but I am genuinely appreciative of everything Otis has done in the regard of these Why Agile videos? He has amazing talent and a giving spirit.
Thank you for sharing his gift.
B-TEAM VIDEO
Kirsten Mason (kirsten.mason@ascension.org) said: Otis has been invaluable in helping the B Team develop a video to share with patients, providers, and hospital administrators. Otis has worked tirelessly to create a perfect final product for our team. He was a pleasure to work with and Ascension is lucky to have such a valuable resource in Otis. Thank you!
Elise Carper (ecarper@ascension.org) said: I'm part of the B Team. Thank you for very much for doing the video for our group! It's great! and I'm sure will help staff understand our mission.
Evan Solice (evan.solice@ascension.org) said: Thank you so much for helping us make the awesome B-Team video!
GLOBAL ROLL OUT ON AGILE METHODOLOGY BLENDED LEARNING
Christina Tuiasosopo (christina.tuiasosopo@ascension.org) said: Otis, wanted to take the time to tell you how grateful I am for your help, collaboration and partnership in getting the Agile modules completed for AT. Could not have kept this work on track without. Excited to see the final product and have so impressed with your work. Thank you for sharing your gifts and talents with us!
COPY AND PASTE FUNCTIONALITY NATIONAL COURSE
Charles Wenck Ii (ccwenck@ascension.org) said: Otis, thank you for helping Compliance develop the MyLearning education module for the new Copy Paste Functionality Policy. You produced a great learning module and helped us identify and develop a RedCap Survey as an option for rolling out education to providers that are not employed. I appreciate all the hard work!
SETON COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT- GENERAL COMMENTS
Otis, you've been such a pleasure to work with! Your eye for detail and your video talent is remarkable. I appreciate the time you took to help me with the ATN video. I really couldn't have done it without your help!
COMPASS SCENARIO TRAINING VIDEO
Donna Radford-dalton (dmradford-dalton@ascension.org) said: Thanks for such an amazing job on our COMPASS video. It is turning out better than I had hoped!!
GENERAL TESTIMONIAL SNIPPETS
Hi Otis, thanks for sharing your story. It was truly inspiring and we are blessed to have you as a team member of the Cerner EHR Products group and Ascension. Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents! Linda Mazur-Director at Ascension.
Wow, Otis, I’m blown away. This is fantastic. I’m going to forward this around to some other leaders. Your video was very inspiring to me personally and I’m sure others will feel the same way. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Dan Stross- Sr. Director at Ascension
Otis -This is so good - something you threw together? Unpolished? You’re kidding me, right? Thanks for sharing - I loved the way you broke it down into themes. Kudos to you!!! Jane Terrian- Director at Ascension
Otis - Your video is a hit! We are going to play it on an upcoming leadership call. Dan Stross- Sr. Director at Ascension
An Austin based associate (Otis Lee) on my team took that message to heart and created some videos on his own. I’m very impressed with what he put together without any guidance.
Awesome! Great job, Otis! I watched all 3 and was thoroughly impressed with what you put together. I think we should tap your video making talent for more public service announcements for our team. Kathy Ramirez- Director at Ascension
Dan, Thanks for sharing…great work by Otis! Completely agree we should show this at the synch call! Well done and definitely the culture we need to embrace in order to fix our reliability issues. Michail Huerter- Vice President of Operations at Ascension
Dell Technologies Instructional Design
At Dell Technologies, I entered an important period of growth in my career, one focused on mastering the craft of instructional design and learning experience design. I strengthened my ability to take complex technical and engineering information, understand what learners actually needed from it, and transform it into clear, engaging, performance-focused learning experiences.
During my five years with Dell, I expanded my capabilities across the full learning-development lifecycle: needs analysis, instructional design, storyboarding, eLearning development, visual and graphic design, multimedia production, video and audio, assessment design, facilitation support, and performance resources. I also became increasingly proficient with the tools and technologies that allowed me to turn an instructional concept into a polished learning product, while learning how to select the right medium and approach for the audience rather than simply using technology for technology's sake.
Dell was also where I became particularly skilled at translating complexity into simplicity. Working with technical products, systems, sales enablement, and subject-matter experts taught me how to take dense specifications and technical concepts and turn them into visual, accessible learning that non-technical audiences could confidently understand and apply.
Those years gave me a strong technical and creative foundation. I left Dell knowing that I could analyze, design, develop, and deliver high-quality learning solutions from beginning to end. The next stage of my career would teach me something equally important: that great design alone is not enough. At Ascension, I began sharpening the collaboration, communication, influence, and relationship-building skills required to bring people together around those solutions and enable change at a much larger organizational level.
Ascension Instructional Design
At Ascension, I had the opportunity to deepen both my technical expertise and the way I worked with people.Building on my earlier experiences with the City of New York and Dell Technologies, I collaborated closely with highly skilled SMEs across hardware, software, clinical technology, mechanics, and engineering to create precise, technically sound learning solutions designed for real-world application.
Over my seven years with Ascension, I also became increasingly intentional about the skills that exist beyond instructional design, cross-functional collaboration, teamwork, clear communication, stakeholder alignment, persistence, and the ability to build trust and move people toward a shared outcome. I came to understand that even the strongest learning solution succeeds only when the people, processes, and systems around it are aligned.
That realization fundamentally shaped the professional I am today. I don't simply deliver instructional design or training deliverables; I help build the systems, relationships, and pathways that enable people to succeed. I bring the technical craft together with respect, communication, persistence, determination, and continuous collaboration to move complex work from an idea to an adopted, sustainable solution.
CONSULTING GRAPHIC DESIGN
Instructionally Integrated Media
As mentioned earlier, I have independently developed advanced skills in multimedia production, including video animation, motion graphics, narration, and audio editing, to enhance the quality and engagement of my e-learning solutions. I continue to expand these capabilities because I am passionate about transforming dense, highly technical content into clear, digestible learning experiences.
Below are examples of multimedia videos and animations that have been intentionally integrated into instructional design courses to reduce cognitive load, increase engagement, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. These assets are not created for visual appeal alone, they are strategically designed to support performance, align with organizational goals, and ensure that objectives for employees, customers, and partners are not only met, but exceeded.
ASCENSION ELEARNING
At Ascension, I had the opportunity to deepen both my technical expertise and the way I worked with people.Building on my earlier experiences with the City of New York and Dell Technologies, I collaborated closely with highly skilled SMEs across hardware, software, clinical technology, mechanics, and engineering to create precise, technically sound learning solutions designed for real-world application.
Over my seven years with Ascension, I also became increasingly intentional about the skills that exist beyond instructional design, cross-functional collaboration, teamwork, clear communication, stakeholder alignment, persistence, and the ability to build trust and move people toward a shared outcome. I came to understand that even the strongest learning solution succeeds only when the people, processes, and systems around it are aligned.
That realization fundamentally shaped the professional I am today. I don't simply deliver instructional design or training deliverables; I help build the systems, relationships, and pathways that enable people to succeed. I bring the technical craft together with respect, communication, persistence, determination, and continuous collaboration to move complex work from an idea to an adopted, sustainable solution.
