Vita–Welcome

Hi! I’m Stasia Weston, though many people may know me as Aevalle Galicia or Aeval Fae through my research and work in Second Life. This site is meant to be a professional area to house my vita, research, and other pursuits.

My Ongoing Journey:

My position with Transformco/Sears was recently (as of October 2024) cut due to restructuring, so I am currently seeking new opportunities.

While at Transformco, I was the Senior Instructional Designer of the Member Services Organization training and curriculum team. That meant I not only handled instructional design assignments but also upskilled and onboarded new IDs who were transferred in from other areas of the company and who had no design experience.

The position initially allowed me to work remotely, connected to the MSO call center in Round Rock, TX. As with so many other industries, COVID turned our business on its head, and the company made the decision to close the call center, keeping several teams of agents and allowing them to work remotely as well. It was a bit of an adjustment, but we soon learned how to alter training plans so that they could either be facilitated by an in-person trainer or over a web conference. (Unfortunately, though I believe in the feeling of presence virtual worlds can afford, I could never convince Transformco to try it as a training platform.)

Before Transformco, I was employed at the University of South Alabama’s Innovation in Learning Center while working on my Ph.D. in Instructional Design.  I found the experience tremendously valuable–working closely with faculty members, training in technology that I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise, and discovering multiple ways in which to integrate my previous creative experience with instructional design and educational technology.

My commitment to innovative learning is unwavering. I consider myself a ‘low-tech ed-techer,’ always on the lookout for easy-to-use free or low-cost technologies that offer educators (and trainers) big rewards. Since my internship with the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference in 2012, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to integrating gaming and simulations into training and teaching. The bottom line, however, remains the same–enhancing the learning experience and making it more enjoyable, while providing real-life practical scenarios.

My research interests include simulations, problem-based learning, microlearning, multi-modality training, storytelling in training, edugaming, social media in the learning process, emerging technologies, university redesign, virtual education, accessibility in online instruction, positive psychology, motivation, creativity and problem-solving, distance education, open education, the usage of open source software in education, guided imagery as a learning strategy, technophobia, test anxiety, immersive learning, and building both living and online learning communities (using technologies from webinar platforms to Second Life and OpenSim).

More is certainly to come because learning never stops (even after schooling ends!).