People Make Pathways
Karen Chan
For over six years, Karen Chan has been working with Pathways Training and eLearning as one of our Product Programmers. Karen holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University and a Diploma in Concept Art from Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art and Design. Today, we caught up with Karen to talk about her Pathways journey, newest podcast obsessions, and sharing her workspace with furry friends.
Hi Karen! You’ve been working with Pathways for six years now… what’s been your favourite project so far?
I like all the projects we work on so it was difficult to choose — but I’d have to say The Trimble TerraFlex module for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. We helped users develop field user expertise with the TerraFlex data app by replicating the experience of using a phone app, as well as relevant smartphone functions such as enabling wifi in order to sign in.
This project was really enjoyable and seeing it be successful made it all the more rewarding.
Very cool! Being in the field that you’re in, you’re very familiar with the world of eLearning. What changes or developments do you anticipate in this space now that more and more people are transitioning to working and studying online?
It’s been very interesting watching that shift over the past year. I expect there to be more built-in learner connectivity for communicating with other learners or trainers.
I think eLearning development should also move towards introducing accessibility earlier in the development process to properly integrate accessible features into the final product.
Definitely! Speaking of changes… how has your work life changed now that you’re working from home?
My day-to-day has stayed mostly the same and it definitely feels like “the new normal” now. There is, however, a bit of a challenge to stay focused when my two cats demand attention by walking on my desk between me and the keyboard…
I think everyone who shares their workspace with a feline friend can sympathize with that. Have you discovered any new media obsessions during lockdown? Podcasts, books, TV shows?
I wasn't much of a podcast listener in general before the pandemic, but now that I’ve developed a daily routine of late night walks, I've been listening to podcasts during those. So far I've finished the official podcast for The Good Place and look forward to listening to the official podcast for Brooklyn 99.
Podcasts certainly took off in 2020! What are you looking forward to in 2021?
In 2021, I'm looking forward to helping out with more social justice issues which have been intensified and highlighted by the pandemic in the hope that I can contribute to a better future. I’m also hoping for less cat-related interruptions throughout my work day… but my hopes aren’t high for that one.
Thanks for catching up with us, Karen! You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn here to see more of what she’s up to at Pathways.
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