Brandon Carson

Current

• Sr. Training Program Manager at NetApp

Past

• Chief Learning Architect at Sun Microsystems
• Manager, Media Design Services at Sun Microsystems, Inc.
• Principal at Carson Learning Services

• Production at Wadsworth Publishing

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Education

• Jones International University
• ISPI
• Jones International University

Recommended

6 people have recommended Brandon

Connections

181 connections

Industry

E-Learning

Brandon Carson’s Summary

Brandon Carson leads Sun Learning Service's efforts around eLearning, and the integration of social media into learning initiatives at Sun. He manages the team responsible for media design and also serves as the Chief Learning Architect for Cloud Computing. He brings to his position more than 15 years of instructional technology and education experience.

Brandon started with Sun in 2007 as an instructional designer working on a re-design of Sun's New Hire Orientation program. The result was the award-winning "New Hire Experience".

Most recently, Brandon has been responsible for designing curriculum supporting Sun's Cloud Computing business. The Media Design team that Brandon leads has been charged with establishing standards for the design and development of eLearning, and for the strategic implementation of a new eLearning course delivery framework.

Prior to joining Sun, Brandon operated a consultancy focused on the design and development of eLearning for various organizations, including Oracle, eBay, Intel, Siemens, and others. Brandon serves on the board of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association, and is a frequent facilitator and presenter at industry conferences.

Brandon holds an M.Ed. in Educational Technology and a B.A. in business communications as well as advanced ISPI certification in analysis. He and his family reside in the San Francisco Bay area.

Brandon Carson’s Specialties:

eLearning strategy, design and development; instructional design; adult education application and theory; corporate learning implementation; learning standards.

Brandon Carson’s Experience

• Sr. Training Program Manager

  NetApp

  (Public Company; NTAP; Information Technology and Services industry)

  October 2009 — Present (3 months)

  I am driving the Dynamic Data Center (Cloud) curriculum for Sales and Partner training.

• Chief Learning Architect

  Sun Microsystems

  (Public Company; JAVA; Information Technology and Services industry)

  January 2009 — October 2009 (10 months)

  As Chief Learning Architect for Cloud Computing, Brandon is responsible for the curriculum design supporting the cloud computing business and its audiences. The first course design in this emerging field is based on cloud computing concepts, and is a blended design with self-paced eLearning and live-virtual class components.

• Manager, Media Design Services

  Sun Microsystems, Inc.

  (Public Company; JAVA; Information Technology and Services industry)

  February 2007 — October 2009 (2 years 9 months)

  Pioneered the use of collaborative learning at Sun by leveraging wikis and game-based learning for Sun’s award-winning New Hire Experience. Other achievements include:
  
  Wrote an instructional model for designing collaborative learning environments.
  
  Managed a cross-functional team of learning designers and developers, including 12 full time staff, and multiple contractors and vendors. Negotiated vendor contract deals for large-scale development projects.
  
  Created the Standards and Processes for the Design and Development of eLearning at Sun.
  
  Directed the implementation of a full-service onsite Media Lab for audio and video production.
  
  Designed the Sun Open Learning Center for System Administrators, bringing game-based prescriptive learning to new online Solaris training.
  
  Managed a team of instructional designers and vendors to implement a 10-course online program in a modified version of Thiagi’s “4-Door ID Model” for eLearning.

• Principal

  Carson Learning Services

  (E-Learning industry)

  January 1997 — January 2007 (10 years 1 month)

  I collaborate with companies and individuals to create interactive learning programs. My company also builds internet-based software programs and offers professional services based on those programs.

• Production

  Wadsworth Publishing

  (E-Learning industry)

  1993 — 1996 (3 years )

Additional Information

Brandon Carson’s Groups:

Member of ISPI (International Society for Performance Improvement)

Board member of NASAGA (North American Simulation and Gaming Association)

Member of ASTD

•    Learning, Education and Training Professionals Group
•    Mac Users
•    Social Media Software Group
•    Cloud Computing
•    Sun Microsystems, Inc.
•    The eLearning Guild
•    Instructional Design & E-Learning Professionals' Group
•    Thomson Alumni
•    Serious Games Research
•    E-Learning Advocates
•    E-Learning HEADS
•    eworld
•    National Organization of Online Educators (NOOE)
•    Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning Group
•    Linked San Francisco Bay Area
•    Linked Local Belmont, CA
•    Social Game Developers
•    Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT)
•    Game-Based Learning

Brandon Carson’s Honors:

eGames Generator: eLearning Guild 2007 Gold Award Recipient

People's Choice Award 2007: Best Synchronous Learning Event

2008 Brandon Hall Gold Award for Best Use of Blogs and Wikis in Learning