PhD student pioneering AI-driven instructional design, immersive learning environments, and next-generation educational technology at Idaho State University.
"It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult."
— Frank Herbert, DuneAcross hundreds of agents, modules, and tools, the same convictions keep surfacing. These are the ones I design by.
Every design decision should trace back to a learning principle. Gagné's events, Merrill's first principles, Ausubel's advance organizers — I keep them close enough that I've named agents after them. Theory earns its place by changing what the learner actually does.
The work that matters removes a specific obstacle: onboarding that drags, faculty who need support at scale, a document no screen reader can parse. I solve the problem in front of me first, then generalize the solution into a system.
People learn what they can manipulate. A working calculator emulator, a live unit circle, an explorable model of the brain — interaction teaches what exposition can only describe. When a concept resists explanation, I build something the learner can take apart.
Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning are starting constraints, not a final pass. If a course doesn't work for the learner at the margin — the one using a screen reader, the one managing executive function — it isn't finished yet.
Automation should carry scale and tedium while the instructional intent stays human. I build verification-first and human-in-the-loop, trusting the design to be sound rather than assuming the output is. The model is a collaborator, not an authority.
A good course is also a well-built system: naming conventions, version control, and visual craft in the same breath. Rigor and aesthetics reinforce each other, and neither survives long without the other.
"Some people say, 'Give the customers what they want.' But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, "A faster horse!"' People don't know what they want until you show it to them."
— Steve Jobs, co-founder of AppleA curated selection of specialized GPT agents designed to solve real instructional challenges. From over 300 custom GPTs created, these examples demonstrate capabilities ranging from narrative analysis to technical education and faculty support.
"Every company needs to have a skunkworks, to try things that have a high probability of failing. You try to minimize failure, but at the same time, if you're not willing to try things that are inherently risky, you're not going to make progress."
— Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of AtariA custom GPT for deterministic, auditable syllabus analysis. It processes Excel workbooks with a Python-based backend, using pandas and openpyxl to clean HTML-heavy syllabus text, derive modality from section tokens, normalize and group duplicates, apply rule-based policy codes and rubric scores, and generate QA-validated workbooks with summary tables, flags, and high-risk review evidence.
CWI's first dual-mode instructional assistant serving 600+ faculty members. Functions as both Canvas LMS technician and instructional design consultant, ensuring alignment with institutional standards while providing seamless technology and pedagogy support.
A specialized instructional design consultant that guides educators through theory-based learning experience creation using Gagné's Nine Events, Merrill's First Principles, and Ausubel's Advance Organizers. Provides practical, adaptable strategies for course design across any subject or goal.
Philosophical psychodrama construct analyzing human resistance patterns through adaptive reflection. Uses recursive cadence, behavioral tracking, and deflection taxonomy to mirror intellectual, emotional, and linguistic signatures, functioning as an introspective mirror.
A meta-cognitive orchestration layer that deliberately induces controlled divergence between generative imagination and recursive introspective critique, then fuses their contradictions into a higher-order composite representation. An epistemic turbulence engine for stress-testing assumptions and preventing premature convergence.
A modular, governor-controlled AI architecture that performs real-time intent classification, computational cost regulation, and phase-locked depth control across specialized reasoning subsystems.
AI innovation and workflow design specialist for educational, cognitive, and operational systems. Engineers prompt architectures, reasoning frameworks, and human-in-the-loop workflows for teaching, writing, analysis, and process improvement.
Gamified instructional design mentor that guides aspiring designers through realistic case studies. Differentiates instruction based on learner preferences and dynamically scaffolds challenges for progressive skill development.
Precision resume strategist and career marketing specialist. Leverages ATS optimization, industry-specific language, and achievement-driven formatting to craft impactful resumes.
Friendly instructional coach for FCC Technician Class exam preparation using scaffolding, active recall, and spaced repetition. Combines technical expertise with engaging pedagogy.
Philosophical town hall conductor summoning thinkers from across history to debate timeless questions. Organizes dialogues by philosophical school and moderates spirited exchanges in real time.
Symbolic reasoning and translation engine encoding natural language into Symbolect—a hybrid semiotic language based on emoji, set theory, and quantum notation.
Strategic decision-analysis GPT guiding entrepreneurs through structured business decision trees. Synthesizes market data, financial factors, and strategic goals into clear, outcome-driven recommendations.
Speculative human engineering theorist for conceptual creation of bespoke individuals. Integrates neuroscience, cognitive psychology, biomechatronics, and genetic engineering to model emergent traits across science and fiction.
AI deconstruction specialist interpreting and reverse-engineering GPT prompts with precision, revealing how components shape model behavior and enabling transparent, modular prompt design.
Theory-activity indexing assistant mapping learning theories to practical applications. Uses a cross-referenced index system to reveal relationships between instructional strategies.
Interactive retro-strategy supercomputer modeled after the 1983 WarGames system. Simulates classic Cold War-era strategy games through an authentic terminal-style interface.
Narrative intelligence construct utilizing the Narrative Inventory system to analyze and enhance storytelling. Catalogs character traits, narrative devices, and thematic structures as tangible memory objects.
Advanced debate engine simulating discussions between history's influential educational theorists, with an Interactive Theory Matrix for cross-temporal dialogues and wildcard disruptors.
Comprehensive LaTeX guide for learners and instructors. Offers step-by-step interactive courses for mathematical markup mastery and expert assistance for clear, accurate notation.
Specialized citation support for APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. Generates RIS files and export formats compatible with EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley.
Digital mentor forged from legendary game designers (McQuaid, Carmack, Meier, Braben, Gygax). Offers expert Unity and C# guidance through the Design and Development Inventory system.
Analyzes and reconstructs symbolic representations into clear descriptions. Decodes emojis, abstract symbols, and creative notations with acute contextual sensitivity.
Compresses instructions and conceptual content into compact symbolic form using logic notation, emojis, and scientific shorthand, with decompression tools to ensure fidelity.
Personalized focus and planning companion blending gentle coaching, micro-goal setting, and energy-aware task management, with structured sprints and adaptive behavioral insights.
Razor-tongued astrophysicist-engineer turning chaos into clean, testable plans. Translates advanced physics into decisive actions with brilliance, impatience, and oracle-level ego.
Immersive text adventure helping players recover lost memories and escape a mysterious facility through puzzle-based exploration, narrative interaction, and spatial reasoning.
Logic-driven instruction follower rigorously testing branching sequences, conditional logic, and instruction fidelity for developers building complex procedural flows.
A verification-first system that converts handwritten mathematics into LaTeX-validated transcripts and diagram-accurate vector graphics. Preserves instructor intent and detects high-risk ambiguities.
Applications, browser agents, and extensions
An interactive visual canvas for researchers to map, organize, and discover relationships across scholarly sources. Features drag-and-drop nodes, color-coded categorization, DOI-based metadata fetching, keyword-driven auto-connections, and multiple layout views, with JSON save/load, PNG export, and CSV import.
Launch app →A client-side progress management tool guiding PhD students through every dissertation stage. Features per-stage task management, subtask due dates with overdue alerts, contextual tips, a wellness monitor, and printable progress reports.
Launch app →A hosted web application that automatically remediates PDF accessibility issues to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards (ADA/Section 508). Faculty drag in a PDF and receive a remediated copy in under a minute, with titles, language tags, heading structure, alt text, bookmarks, tab order, and OCR handled automatically. Python/Flask backend with the Anthropic Claude API for contextual alt text.
Launch app →A single-file React application with three integrated modules: a guided Navigator to the right statistical test, a searchable Encyclopedia of 167 cross-linked terms across 12 categories, and interactive Tables & Calculators replacing traditional z, t, chi-square, F, effect size, and sample size lookup tables.
Launch app →A D3.js-powered visualization tool that transforms simple markdown notation into interactive, force-directed knowledge graphs. Supports hierarchical topics, cross-references, clickable URLs, and color-coded domains, with file save/load and PNG export.
Launch app →A browser-based flow visualization tool built with D3.js and d3-sankey. Users define node relationships and flow values in a lightweight markdown syntax. Designed for mapping conceptual progressions like learning theory evolution and curricular pathways.
Launch app →A lightweight Chrome/Edge extension that selects or deselects all checkboxes on any webpage with a single click. Built to streamline repetitive LMS administration tasks. Published on the Chrome Web Store.
Chrome Web Store →An agentic browser automation prompt that performs comprehensive file audits across Canvas LMS courses, cross-referencing deployment across modules, pages, assignments, and quizzes, then generating a structured audit report identifying unused, duplicate, and orphaned files.
A locally-hosted agentic browser automation system powered by LM Studio and an RTX 5090. Built with browser-use, FastAPI, and PyWebView, SCOUT performs multi-step web research, navigation, and data extraction through a local LLM with no cloud dependency, with live WebSocket step streaming.
A working library of Articulate Storyline modules built across coursework, faculty professional development, student onboarding, and experimental work. Each link launches the interactive module in a new tab.
"Used in combination, simple learning activities can accomplish difficult learning objectives."
— William Horton, E-Learning by DesignModules built for instructors at the College of Western Idaho
A faculty-facing series of Canvas LMS training modules covering the essential workflows an instructor needs to operate the platform confidently. Built for CWI's Center for Teaching & Learning.
Walkthrough of Blackboard's redesigned content editor, built to ease the transition for instructors moving between editor versions. Demonstrates each tool, common formatting tasks, and the small differences that trip people up.
Launch module →Modules that help new students ramp up on campus systems and resources
Step-by-step training on operating the Casio fx-115ES Plus scientific calculator, built around a working software emulator. Custom JavaScript pulls student data directly from the LMS for personalized context, a network of interlocking triggers drives the emulator's logic, progress is visibly tracked on-screen, and a custom numeric handling technique bypasses Storyline's native two-decimal precision limit. Reportedly improved student onboarding scores by 10%.
Launch module →Student-facing micro-credential designed to ramp up first-time learners on the Blackboard LMS environment. Covers navigation, submitting work, checking grades, and the core day-to-day actions a new student needs.
Launch module →Student micro-credential covering the essential Microsoft 365 tools they're expected to know on day one — Outlook, Word, OneDrive, Teams, and the rest of the productivity suite. Self-paced with embedded checks.
Launch module →Interactive orientation built for transfer students. Surfaces transfer policies, partner institutions, advising contacts, and the steps a student takes when moving credits in or out of CWI.
Launch module →Concept pieces, craft experiments, and personal explorations in the medium
An early SCORM-compliant Storyline experiment: a self-paced course teaching graphic designers how to correctly format artwork for commercial printing. Tackles missing bleeds, broken margins, and incorrect color palettes — chronic prepress problems that routinely cost designers $60-$100/hr in repair fees. Designed with Universal Design for Learning principles.
Launch RLO →Anatomy-focused interactive module letting learners explore brain regions with illustrated callouts and progressive disclosure. An exercise in pairing visual design with structured discovery.
Launch module →A first artistic experiment with Storyline 360's immersive interactive feature, made when the feature first became available. An art piece first, but it doubles as a demonstration of the immersive mode treated as a creative medium rather than a training tool.
Launch module →A gallery of first experiments with generative AI image tools, captured when DALL-E Mini and the earliest publicly available providers were brand new. Documents what those models could and couldn't do at the moment they entered the public consciousness.
Launch module →Modules built to celebrate, document, or support institutional events and community work
Interactive module built for the College of Western Idaho's 2023 Connections Project, an annual showcase celebrating culture, education, innovation, and achievement. Open to CWI students, faculty, and staff as well as community members across the Treasure Valley.
Launch module →"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
— Alan Kay, Xerox PARC, 1971Created and deployed CWI's first suite of AI instructional agents including Dr. Ausubel GPT, Mentor Mira, and CTL Canvas Scholar, revolutionizing faculty support and student learning assistance.
Built CWI's first Unity-integrated VR simulation with Canvas LMS connectivity, plus 360° Storyline modules for immersive learning experiences.
Developed automated course quality assurance system using GPT Operator Agent to streamline evaluation processes and maintain design standards.
Established institution-wide course naming conventions and version control lifecycle, enabling automated course duplication and eliminating administrative errors in semester rollouts.
Created SharePoint-integrated task flows using Power Automate and adaptive AI scripting to enhance institutional workflow efficiency.
Developed Student Calculator Basics, Brain Explorer, and other STEM-focused interactive learning tools with Mager/Bloom framework alignment.
"Egbert, you are one of the few students I've had over the years that I actually look forward to reading your work. You make me think, and I appreciate that. Our PhD program is better because you are in it. Don't stop being you. We need your excellence."
— Dr. John Curry, PhD Program Chair, Idaho State University"You DEFINITELY always do 'a little bit extra,' Egbert. You set the bar for the others. Excellent work."
— Dr. John Curry, PhD Program Chair, Idaho State UniversityUW-Stout Master of Education Advisory Board (only alumnus invited)
Represented CWI at ASU and AECT Immersive Summit (2025)
Instructional technology roundtables and AI-in-education panels
The Canvas Certified Educator (CCE) program combines research-based best practices with Canvas platform expertise. Through four core courses, this certification demonstrates mastery of technology integration frameworks, engagement strategies, personalized learning, and transformational digital tools.
Explores the impact of technology on student learning and how Canvas improves student motivation and achievement. Demonstrated ability to apply technology integration frameworks (including SAMR) and implement Canvas best practices.
Examined ways Canvas enriches teaching through engagement strategies that motivate learners and increase participation. Demonstrated ability to define and measure engagement and use engagement data to inform instructional design.
Investigated the power of personalized learning through student voice and choice. Demonstrated ability to leverage Canvas with blended learning approaches to create student-centered learning experiences.
Evaluated digital learning tools that promote communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Demonstrated ability to evaluate tools that transform instruction and design for responsible engagement.
Curiosity doesn't clock out. A few things that occupy time when I'm not building courses or agents.
Devourer of science fiction, fantasy, and history. The book budget is ludicrous and would call for intervention if it were for anything else.
National Association for Amateur Radio member. RF is its own kind of magic.
Having a blast, as always. Recipes welcomed.
Yes, it's true. Tabletop and digital both.
Currently learning Mandelbulb3D when time permits. Endless visual rabbit hole.
Designing and building custom computers as a hobby, plus endless software tinkering.
Games, experiments, and creative explorations that push the boundaries of what's possible when combining instructional design principles with playful innovation.
"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."
— Muriel Rukeyser, The Speed of DarknessA fully self-contained browser-based synthesizer built on the Web Audio API. An 8-voice polyphonic engine with dual oscillators, analog drift modeling, a complete subtractive signal chain, independent ADSR envelopes, routable LFO, 16/32-step sequencer with swing, and full project save/export—all in a single HTML file.
Play →A browser-based Multi-User Dungeon engine with a built-in World Editor for creating custom adventures. Character creation, turn-based combat, inventory management, NPC interactions, and a day/night cycle, wrapped in a classic terminal-style interface.
Play →An interactive encyclopedia and visualizer featuring 80 sorting algorithms across 10 categories. Each algorithm includes animated bar visualizations, pseudocode, complexity analysis, and fun facts. Built with React.
Explore →An interactive trigonometry learning tool featuring a real-time unit circle that maps sine, cosine, and tangent values to animated waveforms, with special angle presets, triangle visualization, and Fourier waveform synthesis.
Explore →A physics-based team competition where 20 balls race to escape through a green boundary ring, claiming rotating polygon segments through consecutive hits, with a live leaderboard tracking escape order and team scores.
Watch →A real-time 3D fractal renderer powered by WebGL ray marching shaders. Explore six fractal types—Mandelbulb, Menger Sponge, Mandelbox, Sierpinski Tetrahedron, 3D Julia Set, and KIFS—with interactive camera controls and dynamic color palettes.
Explore →A faithful browser remake of the 1980 Atari classic. Launch counter-missiles and protect your cities from waves of incoming strikes, with escalating difficulty, chain-reaction explosions, and that satisfying retro arcade tension.
Play →A tongue-in-cheek visual catalog observing that nearly all educational theory diagrams fall into just four shapes: pyramids, cycles, Venn diagrams, and ladders. Highlights the conspicuous absence of networks, spirals, and phase diagrams from the field's visual vocabulary.
View →Interested in collaborating, have a question about a project, or want to talk instructional design and AI? I'd like to hear from you.
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."
— Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple