About Me
My name is Owen Hayes
I'm a Learning Designer with more than 15 years of experience designing curriculum, assessment, online learning and professional development across schools, government, startups and large corporate organizations.
I co-design learning with SMEs and stakeholders to create practical, performance-based experiences that translate to real work. I’m comfortable working across authoring tools and LMS platforms (including Articulate, Moodle, Canvas and Coassemble).
I bring a mix of educational rigour and technical capability — including building interactive learning activities and simulations with AI tools, HTML, CSS and JavaScript — and I’m always looking for ways to improve clarity, consistency and learner outcomes.
My Experience
Learning Designer — WiseTech Global
Co-design curriculum and assessments with SMEs and build practical, performance-based learning for global teams.
- Design role-based courseware and structured learning pathways across LMS and internal tooling.
- Create interactive learning activities and simulations (including web-based interactions) to support authentic practice.
- Establish templates, style guides and repeatable processes to improve consistency and production efficiency.
- Use analytics and reporting to monitor learner progress and support stakeholder visibility.
Training Manager / Customer Success Manager — Tes Global
Led customer education and digital learning programs, partnering with SMEs to deliver scalable training and support adoption.
- Designed curriculum, learning pathways and assessment to support role-based capability.
- Created job aids, handbooks, in-product guidance, videos and knowledge-base content.
- Facilitated workshops and webinars for expert adult learners and system partners.
- Led the transition from primarily face-to-face training to a customer academy learning ecosystem.
Teaching, Leadership & Curriculum Roles — NSW Department of Education
Designed curriculum programs, assessment structures and professional learning to support strong teaching practice and system-level improvement.
- Led curriculum and assessment design aligned to standards and evidence-based improvement.
- Designed and delivered professional learning for teachers and school leaders.
- Contributed to cross-school initiatives and system support work.
Services
Curriculum & Assessment Design
Co-design structured learning programs and assessment with SMEs to support real-world capability.
Digital Learning & Courseware
Build online learning experiences, job aids and resources that are practical, clear and learner-friendly.
Learning Systems & Enablement
Design learning journeys that work within LMS ecosystems and support adoption through facilitation and change.
Tools & Technologies
Articulate Storyline
Articulate Rise
Camtasia
Synthesia
Adobe
Coassemble
Canva
Pendo
WalkMe
Canvas
Moodle
Markdown
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
GitHub
My Approach
The choice of learning experience is always driven by the specific performance outcome and the environment where the skill will be applied. It is common to feel pressure to rush into building courseware in response to external demands, but I believe in first evaluating if training is the best solution for the problem.
For instance, if a customer service team is struggling with a new policy, a 30-minute course might be less effective than a job aid such as a PDF flowchart.
My goal is to identify the most efficient tool for the job, so the final solution provides real value without adding unnecessary friction to the learner's day.
I view SMEs as essential partners, and I work to build a strong relationship so they feel supported rather than interrogated. That usually means bringing high emotional intelligence, clear communication and a structured process to the collaboration.
I guide our work using a methodology like Action Mapping or a Training Needs Analysis: we start by identifying the business problem or performance issue, then map the specific on-the-job behaviours that will solve it, and finally design targeted practice activities.
This approach helps us move beyond sharing information and instead distil expertise into actionable steps that result in measurable performance improvement.
I align evaluation to the original business goals by defining outcomes before any content is built. Kirkpatrick’s model can be useful, but I’m careful not to over-rely on end-of-course “smile sheets” as evidence of impact.
Instead, I focus on measures that predict and support transfer, inspired by research such as Dr. Will Thalheimer’s work. For example, I replace generic satisfaction questions with performance-focused items about confidence to perform and intent to apply.
This produces more actionable feedback that connects the learning experience to real workplace outcomes.
Many learning projects fail because they become information dumps rather than genuine learning experiences. Organisations often optimise for content coverage instead of memory, practice and application.
To fix that, we have to shift the focus from what learners should know to what we need them to do on the job.
By designing for practice, feedback and realistic decision-making, learning sticks — and performance improves.
For me, engagement comes from research-backed practice and respect for the learner’s time. Tools and interactivity matter, but they should serve the learning goal — not distract from it.
I rely on established learning theory (for example Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Learning and Julie Dirksen’s work) to keep experiences focused, clear and effective.
The aim is purposeful practice: learners spend as much time as possible doing authentic tasks rather than passively consuming content.