Sheelagh Semper, PhD

Learning and Development / Instructional Design

Sit right back and I'll tell you a tale...

I am a learning and development specialist and an ACCP-CAID certified instructional designer. My work focuses on practical, performance based solutions that respect how people actually live, learn, and work.

Typically, that means that I prefer to

  • Design learning and performance support that start from a clear goal and real constraints, not a one size fits all model.
  • Use models as tools and choose methods that fit the problem, rather than forcing every project through the same framework.
  • Build accessibility into learning experiences and research from the start, informed by doctoral work on online learning with students with acquired brain injuries.
  • Partner with others using a structured, inclusive framework so design decisions reflect lived experience, not assumptions.
  • Recognise that training is not always the answer and helps teams choose better levers when performance problems need something else.
Graphic source:
Avery Cole character by Tom Kuhlmann.
Tom has generously granted free personal and commercial use of his character design.

How I work and what drives me

Over the course of my career, I have worked in public, private, and academic sectors across instructional design, learning and development, facilitation, and digital learning support. One thing connects all of that work: a focus on practice. I start from the outcome we are trying to achieve, look closely at the context we are working in, and choose the mix of tools that will actually move the needle.

My doctoral research explored what it means to learn online while living with an acquired brain injury, and what happens when fatigue, cognitive overload, and system barriers pile up. That research, and my own lived experience with disability, inform how I think about learning environments, cognitive and sensory load, and access. Because disability is part of my daily life, it keeps me focused on designing learning and research that people can realistically participate in.

I am naturally curious and always learning. I do not believe there is one true way to design good learning. I am comfortable saying that training is not the right lever and shifting toward coaching, process changes, job aids, or other supports when that is what the problem calls for.

When I work with people, whether learners, co-researchers, subject matter experts, or leadership teams, I aim for inclusive partnership, clear expectations, and honest conversation. I meet you where you are and work with you to get where you want to go.

Adventures of the misfiring brain

I hold a PhD in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning from Lancaster University and a MEd in Educational Technology and Design from the University of Saskatchewan.

After a car accident in my late teens, I did not follow a traditional route to post-secondary education. I completed my MEd and PhD later in life, having already been immersed in the field of adult learning, eLearning development, and instructional design. This provides additional perspective in barriers to learning experienced by non-traditional, disabled, and adult learners.

Conferences, publications & research

Research outputs and related publications, including my work as a primary author and co‑researcher, are typically available through my ORCID and ResearchGate profiles.

  • Semper, S. (2025). “I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say”: Exploring the online learning experiences of higher education students with acquired brain injury [Doctoral dissertation, Lancaster University]. Lancaster EPrints. https://doi.org/10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2931
  • Semper, S. (2020). Strategies for success: An autoethnographical study of adult online masters degree recipients. International Journal of Online Graduate Education, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4147667
  • Semper, S. (2019, June 24–27). Participation in a community of practice: Lessons learned at the elearning café [Paper presentation]. Canadian International Conference in Education 2019, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • Reid, D., Ostachewski, N., Semper, S., Allen, C., Ewing, J., & Nilsson, T. (2010, May 16–20). Evolution of instructional design processes for a technology degree program [Paper presentation]. Canadian Network for Innovation in Education 2010, Saint John, NB, Canada.
  • Reid, D., Allen, C., Ostashewski, N., Rhodes, M., Ewing, J., Bryce, D., & Semper, S. (2008, October 16–19). Building connections at a technical institute: Designing a technology degree program with a vision towards interactions [Conference presentation abstract]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2008, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
  • Reid, D., Semper, S., Ralston, A., Rhodes, M., Ewing, J., & Bryce, D. (2008, April 27–30). Designing for a new baccalaureate program: Integrating stakeholders in the development process [Conference presentation abstract]. Canadian Network for Innovation in Education 2008, Banff, AB, Canada.
  • Reid, D., Bryce, D., Ewing, J., Ralston, A., Rhodes, M., & Semper, S. (2008, March 3–7). Paradigm shifts at a technical institute: Designing for a technology degree program [Paper presentation]. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education 2008, Las Vegas, NV, United States.