Robert’s Story

Photo of Robert Hickey in woods with woman and infantMy name is Robert Hickey, and I am in the final stretch of achieving my M.Ed. in Instructional Technology through the University of Maine. I sought out this program in hopes of changing my career trajectory from classroom teacher to instructional designer, and as of April 25th, 2022 I will officially be joining the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine as an Instructional Design Specialist. While my background in teaching laid the foundation for my skills, the work I completed through the University of Maine Instructional Technology program was directly responsible for the job offer I received.

Through the EDT courses, I have been exposed to a variety of tools, ideas, and novel uses of technology that have expanded my knowledge of how to best leverage technology in the pursuit of effective learning. Specifically, the projects I designed in EDT 540 (Instructional Design) & EDT 541 (Advanced Instructional Design) gave me the edge I needed to beat out other candidates for this role. I truly believe that I would not have been prepared to even interview for this position, let alone get offered the job, had it not been for the coursework, professors, and peers I had the opportunity to interact with through the Instructional Technology Program at the University of Maine.

– Robert Hickey