Last month, I had the privilege to attend and keynote at the TESOL 2026 International Convention and Expo! It was such an amazing experience!
I have already blogged about getting an invite to do the keynote at the conference in this post: Looking forward to #TESOL26 and also shared the slides: TESOL 2026 Keynote (Shorter) and references that I used for the keynote: TESOL 2026 Keynote: Enilda Romero-Hall, Ph.D. But I have not have an opportunity to reflect on the experience in my blog, which I often like to do after attending a conference.
I would like to start by saying that from the moment I agreed to be a keynote for the conference, I worked with Sarah Sahr (who was the Head of Education and Events at TESOL). Sarah is based out of Tunisia, which immediately made us bond as I have a lot of love for Tunisia due to my visit back in 2019: Photo Blog: IFDS in Tunisia. NOTE TO SELF: Go back to Tunisia!
Sarah is one of the most organized professionals I have met in my life. There a handful of people who I have met in my professional life that “get things done.” Sarah is one of them. There were very specific deadlines for the keynote speakers that she outlined once the contract was signed and she was on top of it at all times. Even the day of the keynote, when decided to make one final change 2-hours before the session. She make sure to have a meeting to go over the content of the keynote, give feedback, request a video for promotion of the session, see the final draft of the slides, and secure all the logistics.
You should definitely connect with her! Sarah Sahr
I also worked closely with Micheal Ennis who is in Switzerland and is a TESOL member. Both Sarah and Mike were wonderful to work with!
Since it was my first time at TESOL I was encouraged, by my former student Adriana Vianna, to attend the first-timers session. It was a lot of fun! I met people from different walks of life that engage in English language teaching and/or support English language learners: teachers, social workers, administrators, researchers, entrepreneurs, faculty, graduate students, etc. Their passion for their field was palpable. As an English Language Learner, myself, I felt grateful that there are people who care about immigrants, refugees, and people around the world that have a passion for learning a different language. If you have never work on learning a different language, I am here to tell you that it is hard and it requires a lot of dedication from the learner but also a ton of support!
The other amazing part about the conference was that I was able to connect several colleagues who are part of the TESOL community that are also connected to the learning design and technology field.
One aspect of the conference that I was not expecting and I mentioned this in the LinkedIn post: “Last week while I was delivering a keynote at TESOL 2026 I was thinking about how I represented my work and how I represented my institution but the reality was that I was also representing people who have similar identities to me! I did not know it while I was presenting but in the audience there was a group of members from TESOL Panama who had come to present and participate in the conference. They cheered loudly as I mentioned to the audience that I was born and raised in Panama and that Panama is much more than a Canal. After the keynote, they came to the front of the room to congratulate me and in their words they felt so proud to see me as keynote speaker.”
I did not mentioned in the post, there there were many attendees that came to the front of the room after the keynote who were not Panamanian but identified at Latinx or Black and who identified with the message of the keynote. It was such an overwhelming positive experience!
Since the keynote was at the 8am session (TESOLers really know how to show up early!), I had an opportunity to change outfits and return to the conference venue to explore the expo. I could not count the number of times I was stopped by someone who had attended the keynote and they shared their gratitude. It honestly felt good to know that the amount of time, energy, and work that I had put into this keynote was so deeply appreciated. I left Salt Lake City feeling like: (a) Wow! I need to return to Utah because it has such a beautiful landscape and (b) glad that I accepted the invitation and that the message was so well received.
Here are some photos capture by the photographer of the conference and shared by the former student, Adriana Vianna (who is now a doctoral student at University of South Florida):
Isabel, a learning design professional in Peru’s government sector, transitioned into instructional design 20 years ago while working as an agronomist on a multidisciplinary team. Her initial role involved improving technical training for farmers to produce export-quality coffee by simplifying dense content and technical jargon. Isabel later pursued roles in non-profit organizations, driven by her passion for social development.
I’m Peruvian! Right now, I’m working in an urban environment that is quite different from the rural environment, in which I worked for many years. For 15 years, I was working with people in rural areas in Peru where there is low quality of life and a lack of quality education. When I started that job, the people I used to train had some elementary education and some others had some secondary education. Today, I am in a different type of organization where the majority of the learners have a master’s degree. Some even have master’s degrees from abroad. So, as a learning designer I have shifted from working with different learner populations.
Key takeaways emphasize the importance of strong analysis skills in instructional design, particularly during the ADDIE framework’s analysis phase. Competencies include needs analysis, contextual understanding, and task analysis to transform complex content into digestible learning materials. Isabel also highlights leveraging cultural insights from diverse regions to tailor education for urban and rural learners. Her experiences underscore how instructional designers can bridge technical expertise with learner-centric approaches to create impactful training solutions across varied contexts.
There were other forms of culture represented in my work as a learning designer in the rural zone. For example, many women have authority at home. However, it is a public authority too. Many men trusted their wives so much when it came to making decisions. But in public, it is not acceptable that a woman would raise her voice or give her opinion. That behavior was reserved for the house. It made me realize that I also had to address the woman, even though the community leader was a man. So, it made me realize that we [the project team] had to work on two fronts. On the one hand, we worked creating training materials for the men but I also had to build confidence that change was important in the female group with the wives. It was very important to me when I arrived in a new rural community to understand the rules and that is why I took anthropology, because I learned that the performance changes that I wanted to do were not exclusively educational or learning issues, they were also cultural issues. Anthropology gave me some tools to identify the power players that were inside the community, sometimes, disguised.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Huge thanks to the folks at The eLearning Consortium of Colorado (formerly Colorado TELECOOP) for the invite to give a keynote during the 2026 Annual eLCC Conference! The eLCC is a coalition of public and private colleges, universities, K-12 education, private sector business and public television stations dedicated to the enhancement of educational opportunities through distance learning. I had been holding on to a few copies of the book and I am happy I was to have a small giveaway at the end!
The keynote was titled: Context Matters! Learning Design Practice ThroughGlobal South Perspectives
Abstract: How do learning designers in the Global South transform challenges into opportunities for innovation? This keynote invites you on a journey across higher education, corporate, non-profit, and government sectors, where practitioners adapt to rapidly changing environments by drawing on local knowledge, cultural traditions, and resourcefulness. Through vivid real-world examples, we’ll explore how learning designers respond to diverse needs—navigating unique demographics, traditions, and policy landscapes—to create meaningful educational experiences. We will discuss the creative strategies, emerging competencies, and organizational models that are shaping learning design in contexts often overlooked by mainstream narratives. Whether you’re a designer, educator, or leader, this session will spark fresh perspectives on what it means to build impactful learning experiences in a complex world.
Luna, based in Santiago, Chile, is a seasoned professional in education and e-learning. She holds degrees in English-Spanish interpretation and pedagogy, transitioning from teaching English to instructional design after earning a master’s in educational technology from Arizona State University in 2017. Luna has worked at institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, contributing to virtual course design. Currently, she leads distance education at Universidad de los Andes.
What is my day-to-day? I work on a project that has four objectives and I am in charge of the third objective that has to do with the training of teachers in distance education. I do training, or look for training for teachers, on how to transfer face-to-face courses to e-learning with instructional design. I was looking for the [name of course] training and I have been motivated to get the professors enrolled in these courses. The other element of my job is the design aspect. I have to design a manual of good practices in distance education. I’m already in the part of collecting literature and looking for books that we buy on Amazon. All the literature is in English and there is almost nothing in Spanish. In the manual, I divided it into 10 sections. I have five chapters, they are not large chapters but five topics developed.
Key takeaways from this interview emphasize the importance of proficiency in authoring tools, multimedia, and project management for instructional designers. Luna advocates for building trust with faculty who are resistant to change. Luna’s leadership highlights the potential of instructional design to transform education through collaboration, evidence-based practices, and innovative technologies.
At my institution it is difficult as the professors are reluctant to change. For example, the university is implementing the HyFlex instructional modality and I did the training. I read the book from Dr. Brian Beatty. I took a five-day workshop with Dr. Beatty and I felt that I had knowledge needed. One day, I sat down with a professor who had researched some papers, then he talked to me about Hyflex and there were many things he (the professor) said that challenged the information I had shared from Dr. Beatty. I didn’t say anything to him (the professor) and I let it go. But, that part is kind of difficult. I don’t like working with the instructors because of that, their ego is so big that they don’t realize that they know their subject but they don’t know how to deliver that subject online and they might not even know how to do it in-person. I said that in a meeting and the director of accreditation told me: but Luna we (the instructors) have been here for so many years and I don’t think we have done it (teaching) so badly. I agree, but they could do it better.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Kito, a learning design professional from Tanzania, earned a degree in ICT with an emphasis on instructional design in 2016. After interning at Tanzania’s largest bank in Dar es Salaam, he transitioned to a full-time role focused on e-learning and in-person training. His responsibilities include needs assessment, program development, training implementation, and calculating return on investment.
The bank regularly has to introduce new products and that knowledge needs to get distributed across the entire staff network in Tanzania. The bank has almost 600 branches. It is costly to collect knowledge, from subject matter experts, from the same area [across branches] for learning purposes. So, if a need arises, then the owner of the product [subject area] sits with the learning and development team, and in particular myself, to work on an e-learning product. Then, we go through the content to create a course curriculum, we agree on the timelines, and all the resources.
Key takeaways from this interview emphasize collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) to create effective learning products, strong project management skills for large-scale e-learning solutions, and proficiency in mobile learning design. Challenges include navigating cultural resistance to online education and addressing language barriers by integrating Swahili and English.
Yes, we have a younger generation who have no problem with using technology. We have learners who have been with the company since it was established at medium age and those who are about to retire. These last two age categories have a bit more challenges with the technology and we have even moved the training to a mobile app, to make it easier to access and encourage them to complete the training. Part of the struggle is that we all have different digital literacy, different backgrounds, and our national language is not English is Swahili. For language in particular, depending on the type of background, the learners may have more proficiency with other languages. Sometimes we mix the language of the instruction. We use English and, for some complex explanations, we use the native language for each and everyone to understand. That has motivated them a little bit to complete the online training.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
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Cherelle, a learning design professional from Trinidad and Tobago, holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems and management, a postgraduate diploma in education, and a master’s in instructional design and technology. She is currently pursuing a PhD in teaching, learning, and emerging technologies at the University of the West Indies Open Campus.
To be honest, when I started instructional design and technology, I didn’t know what I was doing. I remember signing up and someone said to me: you have a degree in computer science education. All right, instructional design is good for you [laugh]. So, I was like: I’m getting this degree! Then, I got an “A” in a course, but I asked myself: What am I doing? It was not until about the third semester, I realized that I am designing instruction to basically guarantee that learning takes place. I needed to understand all the learning theories. I needed to understand all of the instructional design models and how I could apply all of this to basically guarantee that learning is taking place within my students in the classroom. So, I’m now using those theories and the models. I incorporate them into my lesson planning to guarantee that that learning is taking place. So, I have to basically utilize what I know from instructional design to assist me in the classroom.
In her interview, Cherelle emphasizes the importance of mastering instructional design competencies, including applying learning theories and models to create effective instructional materials. Other key takeaways highlight challenges in Trinidad’s slow adoption of online learning due to cultural traditions and limited recognition of instructional design as a distinct field. Cherelle advocates for Indigenous and Caribbean-specific resources to address gaps in culturally relevant materials. Despite reliance on big tech companies, she sees online education as a democratizing force for K-12 learners, especially during crises like natural disasters or pandemics.
If I have to design, let’s say, a video for my doctoral studies, I think the person watching the video needs me to know how to incorporate the various cultures of the Caribbean. If I’m designing a video for my students, then I’m looking for something that is uniquely Trinidadian or has a Caribbean blend. But, we recognize that when we use certain programs and software, it’s difficult. I could tell you as a teacher and as someone who creates content, it’s difficult to find an Indo Trinidadian student animation or something similar. It’s really difficult. Most of the time you may have to pay some exorbitant prices for them [learning resources]. You do not really get free Caribbean influenced [learning] content.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Camila, an instructional designer based in Lima, Peru, who has a background in literature and a passion for e-learning. She earned her bachelor’s degree in literature from the National University of San Marcos and transitioned from editorial work to instructional design through scriptwriting for e-learning courses.
Culture is always present both, on the side of the client and on my side. As the designer, I think of the user and examples that we may connect with the daily activities that the user is familiar with. We consider culture starting with knowing the user and the target audience. What are their activities and habits? In certain ways, also knowing how to interpret it to a Peruvian context.
Currently, she designs corporate e-learning experiences and is pursuing a master’s degree in ICT integration at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Key takeaways of this interview highlight the importance of pedagogy, andragogy, digital skills, and cultural inclusivity for instructional designers in Peru. Challenges include poor Internet connectivity in rural areas and limited recognition of the profession. Despite these obstacles, Camila emphasizes the need for creativity and evidence-based practices to improve learning outcomes and competency-based performance.
So, what recommendations would I give to a person who wants to know about this and dedicate themselves to this activity? It would be mainly that they should want to learn and want to use their knowledge so that other people can also learn and transform. So, this means they have to improve their skills and they have to use creativity skills. Because it is not only about transferring information or knowledge, but also about how to transfer that information through different modalities. So, the recommendation would be to have a critical spirit of continuous learning.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Celia, based in Puerto Rico’s metropolitan area, directs the Online Education Unit at the University of Puerto Rico’s Río Piedras Campus. She holds degrees in office administration, digital graphic design, and a doctorate in education specializing in curriculum and learning technologies.
Because instructional design is an area that continues to grow and even though now there is more demand, still there are not enough instructional designers. Personally, I think there are not enough good instructional designs. So, I tell those who work with me, if you really learn, you really do quality work, well, you are going to have opportunities to continue growing and doors will continue to open in the future to keep working in this field. I think many companies have transitioned to e-learning and the COVID-19 pandemic expedited the process. Companies realized that e-learning is cost effective and beneficial for the employee, so they are out there looking for instructional designers. So instructional designers have to keep improving their skills to have job opportunities.
Her team develops online courses, supported by instructional designers, multimedia specialists, and quality experts. Key takeaways from our conversation emphasize continuous learning for instructional designers, proficiency in e-learning tools, strategic planning, and collaboration with stakeholders. Challenges include cultural nuances like infrastructure instability. Distance education offers transformative opportunities for Puerto Rico, especially for rural students and those balancing family or work commitments, despite resistance to change and resource limitations.
A few years ago Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico and that was very devastating in the island. Most of the population was for many months (i.e., six or seven months) without electric power service, without Internet service. The hurricane affected the electric power service so much that even today we continue with these problems. Prior to the hurricane, there were no service problems with the electric power service in the island. After the hurricane, these problems began and now the light constantly goes out in the country. For example, last week almost every day our electricity service went out and there were protests from the students requesting their time to be extended for them to give exams because they did not have service. It is being a limitation in Puerto Rico because the electric power service is very unstable and it is a challenge that we are facing. Fortunately, the area where I work in the institution has not been affected. However, the other parts of the campus have been without electricity service many times and this is a challenge that we have.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Lorena, based in Puebla, Mexico has cultivated a career in graphic design but emphasizing functionality over aesthetics. Her professional journey began in advertising and marketing, designing materials for clothing and sportswear brands. Seeking growth, she transitioned to PROVIDENT, where she leads an instructional design team comprising instructional designers, multimedia specialists, and graphic designers.
My role is focused on revisions. I get to ask: Why don’t we do this differently? I tend to question a lot: Why did you choose this material? Why did you choose this resource? Why a video? Or, did you consider the target audience? So, that’s basically my role right now. The search for the best solutions for the project to meet the learning objective.
As a team lead, Lorena manages project distribution, quality assurance, and workload balance while revising materials to meet learning objectives. Key competencies highlighted by Lorena in her interview include ADDIE framework expertise, hybrid/online format design, multimedia skills, and e-learning tools proficiency. Cultural adaptability and behavioral traits like humility and courage are also vital for addressing unique instructional design challenges.
I think that also something I look for and we look at a lot in the team is humility. Because humility allows you to know and understand that you don’t know everything, that you should always keep yourself in a constant search for learning. That, not because you already have master’s degrees or diplomas, you already know everything.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Design Goodiness 
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