In late 2023, Robin Baker transitioned from assistant professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health to learning designer at Dartmouth College. I asked Robin if she would share some thoughts on her career path, and she graciously agreed.
Q: What prompted you to transition from a traditional teacher position to the role of a learning designer? What preparation and background did you have to learn to work as a designer? What advantages and challenges does taking on a teaching role bring?
one: After thinking hard about what I wanted my work and life to look like, I decided to transition from a traditional teacher role to a learning designer role. I am in a soft-funding position where success is often tied to research output and securing funding. But in practice, much of my energy is devoted to teaching and supporting students, which is the part of the job that is truly important to me. Over time, I began to realize that the pace and structure of this academic role was not sustainable for me in the long term. As I thought more deeply about what aspects of my job I find most valuable, I realized that, in addition to teaching and mentoring, I gain tremendous satisfaction from designing learning experiences that are inclusive, authentic, and relevant. I often spend a lot of time redesigning assignments and activities to make them more engaging and meaningful to my students. Learning design provides a way to stay connected to the core of what I value: teaching, learning, and student success.
Through years of deliberate reflection on teaching, I developed a solid foundation in pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum design. Whenever I see a strategy failing, I delve into the literature and try new approaches, refining my practice based on evidence and observation. Another advantage that my previous life as a faculty member gave me was that I developed empathy and practical insight into the challenges faculty face when trying to create powerful learning experiences, provide meaningful feedback, and maintain work-life balance. I have found that acknowledging these realities and having open, honest conversations helps build trust and lead to more creative and effective solutions. My background as a teacher allows me to be a bridge between teaching practice and design strategy.
At the same time, this shift also brings some challenges. In my faculty role, I was used to being the sole decision-maker for my courses, so it was a big transition to adapt to a highly collaborative environment where I needed to influence others without formal authority. In this case, I had to develop strong project management skills, work within structured timelines and production workflows, and communicate clearly between teams. Learning to navigate these processes and make meaningful contributions without guiding every decision was initially difficult, but it strengthened my ability to work strategically, build consensus, and collaborate with others to support high-quality learning experiences.
Q: Now that you have experienced life as a full-time professor and a full-time learning designer, how do these two roles compare and contrast? For someone who was trained in research and primarily taught (as most PhDs are), what advice would you give to others considering a similar career path?
one: Having experienced life as a full-time professor and now a full-time learning designer, I believe both roles are connected by a shared commitment to improving student learning, although they differ in scope and type of impact. As a teacher, I have a very direct connection with my students: teaching, mentoring, and witnessing their growth in real time. This kind of direct involvement can be very rewarding and energizing, but it also comes with heavy workloads, management pressure, and blurred boundaries. Over time, I found this intensity difficult to maintain, which prompted me to reflect on the work-life balance I wanted and the long-term impact.
As a learning designer, the work feels broader and more strategic. Rather than focusing on one group of students, I now work with faculty across disciplines to design lessons and learning environments that enhance teaching and learning for a larger number of students. The impact is less direct but often larger in scale because it shapes the systems and supports that enable effective teaching and learning.
At the same time, I think it’s important to acknowledge that losing direct contact with students can be a real adjustment. Witnessing a student’s aha moment and seeing the direct results of teaching is unique. As a learning designer, the feedback loop is more indirect. Teachers are often very grateful for our collaboration, but it doesn’t bring the same emotional resonance as seeing students thrive firsthand. For anyone considering this transition, it is worth reflecting on how important this direct involvement is to their sense of purpose, and whether there are other ways, such as mentoring colleagues, participating in professional development, or contributing to the wider learning community, to fill this gap.
Another concern I often hear from teachers considering this path is the fear of losing autonomy, especially the flexibility to organize their lives or pursue creative ideas. In my experience, a lot depends on the team and organizational culture. My current role is primarily remote and hybrid and I have a real appreciation for the whole person. We are trusted to manage our time and energy, and autonomy remains.
The difference is, I now have healthier control. I set realistic goals for what I can achieve on a given day, while being careful not to let work interfere with personal or family time. This structure allows me to work efficiently and with purpose and gives me space to reconnect with family, friends, community, and nature. For anyone considering making this transition, it pays to have open conversations about team expectations, workflow, and culture. Understanding these aspects upfront can help you determine whether the position is a good fit and provide you with long-term satisfaction.
Q: Recently, you took over a Additional role as course co-director vertex Dartmouth MHA Program. How does this work fit into your learning design role, and how do you balance the two responsibilities?
one: In many ways, my role as course co-director is a meaningful complement to my work as a learning designer. In this position, I serve as one of the faculty members for the capstone course, guiding students to integrate what they learn throughout the course and apply it to complex real-world challenges. It was very rewarding to reconnect directly with students, something I missed after leaving a full-time teaching position.
What makes this role even more meaningful is that I am one of the learning designers who helps faculty develop many of the courses in the MHA program. Now I see the work coming full circle. It provided me with a unique perspective on how to implement our strategies in practice and highlighted opportunities to further refine the learning experience.
I also appreciate how this teaching role complements rather than competes with my work in learning design. My design experience taught me how to approach the top, helping me think carefully about scaffolding, alignment, and authentic assessment. At the same time, teaching keeps me connected to my students’ perspectives and gives me first-hand knowledge of how learners experience our courses. This insight flows directly back into my design work and strengthens my collaboration with faculty.
Balancing these two roles does require intentional structure and realistic expectations. I learned to be aware of what I could reasonably accomplish each week and allow time for rest, family, and personal commitments. I rely on block scheduling to focus on design projects, faculty consultations, and capstone instruction while ensuring that these blocks don’t spill into evenings or weekends. Maintaining these boundaries is critical to maintaining quality and balance.
I am also fortunate to have supportive leadership within the Learning Design team and the MHA program who recognize the value of these complementary roles. This culture of trust and flexibility makes it possible to do both well.
In many ways, this dual role gives me the best of both worlds: a broader, systems perspective on learning design and a direct, human connection to teaching. Together, they teach me the importance of this work and allow me to contribute to teacher and student success in meaningful, sustainable ways.
