Teacher for 13 years. Instructional designer for life.
I’m Jordan Waplington — an educator who fell in love with the craft of designing how people learn, and decided to make it my work.
Why I design learning.
For 13 years, I taught in real classrooms — and I learned what every great teacher knows: people don’t learn from information, they learn from experiences. The clearer and more human you make those experiences, the more they stick.
Along the way, Purdue’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I) named me a Teacher of the Year — an honor I’m endlessly proud of. But I kept being drawn to the design behind the teaching: how a course is structured, how an assessment really measures understanding, how technology can make learning better instead of just busier.
So I’m channeling all of it into instructional design. I’m currently completing my M.S. in Learning Design & Technology at Purdue and building a portfolio that reflects how I think — clear, evidence-based, and genuinely useful.
A few things I believe about good learning design.
These principles shape every project I take on.
Learner-centered
I start with the people who’ll actually use the learning — their goals, context, and constraints — not a content dump.
Evidence-based
Real instructional design models and learning science, not guesswork. ADDIE, Backward Design, cognitive load — applied, not name-dropped.
Clear & human
Plain language, thoughtful structure, and a little warmth. If learners are confused or bored, the design has failed.
Outcomes-driven
Every lesson ties back to what someone should be able to do. We measure that — and improve.
From the classroom to the design studio.
13 Years Teaching
More than a decade in the classroom learning how people really learn.
GER²I Teacher of the Year
Recognized by Purdue’s GER²I for excellence in teaching.
M.S. at Purdue
Studying Learning Design & Technology — instructional design, done right.
Building My Practice
Bringing it all together as an instructional designer — and helping you.
Teacher, designer, and proud parent.
When I’m not designing learning experiences, I’m being taught a few lessons of my own — by my kids. They’re a daily reminder of why clear, patient, joyful learning matters so much.
Thirteen years in education shaped how I see the world: everyone can learn anything, with the right design and a little encouragement. That belief is at the heart of everything I make.
Like how I think? Let's talk.
Tell me about your project, your learners, and what success looks like. I’ll bring the design.