Jacquelynn Sims
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER & TECHNICAL WRITER
01 about
I'm an Instructional Designer, Technical Writer, and avid learner. I enjoy not only learning, but using pedagogically proven instructional methods to grow adult learners through effective, engaging training experiences while encouraging instruction outcomes and business results.
03 resume
Key Skills
Creative problem-solving | Analytical | Independent | Empathy | Flexible | Growth mindset | Collaborative | Attention to detail | Innovative | Thoughtful questioning | Communication | Time management | Simplifying complexities
Design Experience & Expertise
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ADDIE
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Adult Learning Theories
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Content Development
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Curriculum Development
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Graphic Design
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Instructional Design
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Learning and Development
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Learning Experience Design
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Needs Analysis
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Project Management
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Technical Documentation. (SOPs, job aids, user manuals, FAQs, how-to's, software documentation, etc.)
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Training Documentation (training guides, learner guides, etc.)
Professional Expertise
Senior Editor
NeighborWorks America
September 2023 - September 2025
• Conducted quantitative and qualitative needs analyses with 45+ SMEs and 70+ end users, identifying skills gaps and integrating findings into workflows to strengthen clarity, accessibility, training requirements, and multi-team coordination across complex initiatives, improving data completeness and increasing end-user adoption by 15%.
• Employed ADDIE and adult learning principles in facilitating recurring vILT/ILT training and capacity-building sessions—both synchronous and asynchronous—to communicate documentation standards, analytical requirements, and regulatory concepts to 45+ stakeholders across 11 teams.
• Integrated SME and stakeholder feedback into documentation and reporting workflows, improving usability by 35% and reducing revision frequency.
• Analyzed and improved existing material, aligning new Senior Editor role to training content and improving editing and documentation strategies, content, and assessment
• Oversaw document-control and knowledge-management operations (version control, metadata, naming conventions), improving retrieval efficiency by 20% and ensuring audit-ready repositories for internal and external stakeholders.
Student Teacher
Kansas City Teacher Residency
November 2018 - January 2020
• Developed weekly lesson plans using backward design and universal design methods with digital instructional materials and assessments aligned with learning objectives, demonstrating strong planning, sequencing, and evaluation skills.
• Designed and facilitated integrated instructor-led financial literacy and creative writing content for blended learning environments, enhancing engagement by incorporating activities, simulations to evaluate applied decision-making and analytical reasoning.
Instructor, English Composition I & II
Western Baptist Bible College
May 2017 - May 2018
• Designed and delivered integrated structured curricula, syllabi, and lesson plans for two 16-week courses with backward design methods, ensuring clear learning pathways and consistent student engagement.
• Delivered in-person and virtual instruction on academic writing, formatting, and citation standards (MLA, APA), ensuring mastery of foundational skills essential for high-quality written outputs.
• Facilitated collaborative discussions, guided critical analysis of texts, and created inclusive learning environments that encouraged peer engagement and diverse perspectives in adult learning environment.
• Ensure all materials align with adult learning principles to improve real-world performance and graduate student teaching methods
English Teacher, Instructional Assistant, Special Education
Raytown Quality Schools
February 2013 - May 2017
• Facilitated collaborative discussions, guided critical analysis of texts and exercises for targeted learning goals.
• Assessed students to identify teaching and training needs, develop assessments instruments, and learner content relevancy.
• Prepare training materials and strategies to increase knowledge retention.
• Worked with SPED team to support development, design, and implementation and evaluation of instructional materials, employing universal design methods to guide teaching and instruction.
Tools & Platforms
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ADA/508 Compliance
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Adobe Suite (Acrobat, Captivate, InDesign, Photoshop)
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Articulate 360 (Rise, Storyline)
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Atlassian Confluence
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Audiate
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Camtasia
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Canva
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Figma
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Final Cut Pro
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GitHub
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Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Calendar)
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LucidChart
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Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint)
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Oxygen XML
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Postman
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SCORM
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Slack
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SnagIt
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Tableau
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WCAG
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xAPI
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Zoom
Education
Instructional Design Certification
Teacher Transition (in progress)
Learning Experience Design Certificate
University of Michigan/Coursera (in progress)
Technical Writing Certification
Oregon State University Professional & Continuing Education
English and Creative Writing, Master of Arts
Southern New Hampshire University
Communications and Film/Sports Administration, Bachelors of Science
University of Miami/Griffith University
