Welcome to episode 40 of the Designing with Love podcast! In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Catrina Mitchum, an educator, instructional designer, and the founder of Catrina Mitchum Learning Design.

Ever wondered why so many online courses fail to deliver meaningful learning experiences? In this enlightening conversation with Dr. Catrina Mitchum, founder of Catrina Mitchum Learning Design, we uncover the critical mistakes that derail course creators and the powerful solutions that can transform digital learning.
Dr. Mitchum shares her journey from higher education professor to course design specialist, revealing how she became an "accidental instructional designer" when her community college lacked these crucial professionals. Her insights stem from both academic expertise and hands-on experience helping course creators avoid the pitfalls of poor design.
The conversation explores why content-focused approaches almost always fail, the importance of validation before course creation, and why so many digital courses end up "collecting dust on the digital shelf." You'll discover why proper feedback systems matter more than testimonial hunting, how to design logical learning paths, and why a good "Start Here" module can make or break the learning experience.
For those transitioning from one-on-one teaching to group formats, Dr. Mitchum offers practical advice on creating hybrid models that maintain personal connection while scaling effectively. She also shares her favorite AI tools that support the course creation process without replacing the human element of instructional design.
Whether you're an aspiring instructional designer, a course creator looking to improve your offerings, or an educator seeking to enhance your teaching approach, this episode delivers actionable strategies to create learning experiences that truly transform knowledge into application. As Dr. Mitchum powerfully states, "Information without application is useless."

🔗Website and Social Links

Please visit Dr. Catrina Mitchum’s website and social media links below.

Catrina Mitchum’s Website

Catrina Mitchum’s LinkedIn Page

Catrina Mitchum’s YouTube Channel

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