OHIO graduate utilizes her experience to improve educational spaces for current students

Audrey Komey

Audrey Komey received her Master of Science in Environmental Studies from ��ý’s in 2015. Since then, she has stayed close to OHIO, cultivating unique educational spaces for students across campus.

Originally from Ghana, Komey came to Athens in 2010 to pursue a graduate degree in international studies. By 2012, she was working toward a Master of Science in Environmental Studies through the Voinovich School.

“My background, my undergrad in Ghana, was in city planning,” Komey said. “That’s why I was drawn to environmental studies.”

Komey’s thesis at OHIO, combined her two disciplines. This study analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of Ghana’s 10-year “National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy,” finding that poor access, coordination and resources hindered the plan’s implementation and placed responsibility on local leaders.

Exploring learning environments to help students succeed

After completing the Environmental Studies program in 2015, Komey pursued doctoral research that explored learning environments through the lens of makerspaces. At this time, she hoped to reconnect to her undergraduate degree in city planning.

“Transitioning into my PhD, it was a whole new field, and I still wanted to bring in city planning,” Komey said. “My dissertation was on how we design learning spaces; how we design spaces that help with learning and informing that’s not a traditional classroom.”

Komey became a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Technology at OHIO in 2022. Her dissertation, examined how individual components, social interactions and the physical design of a space collectively shape student learning experiences and outcomes.

“This research reinforced my belief that a learning environment, much like a natural ecosystem, is a complex and interconnected system where every element plays a role,” Komey said.

Developing and designing OHIO courses

Komey currently works for OHIO as an instructional designer with the Office of Instructional Design. In this position, she works with faculty to develop and design online courses.

“I specialize in designing courses that are collaborative, hands-on and engaging, with an emphasis on aligning pedagogy, technology and environment to support diverse learners,” Komey said.

Having been enrolled at OHIO herself, Komey has an insider look into how students respond to different learning experiences, especially when it comes to online courses.

“I was a student in some courses and thought, ‘I think they should redesign this course,’ as I was taking it,” Komey said. “Because you go to class and it's lecture based, and then after a few minutes, you just switch off. If nothing breaks the momentum, you lose interest.”

To avoid this, Komey will break up online lectures into shorter videos and implement quizzes to keep students involved. She also highlighted the CoLab, an alternative study and working space in Alden Library. At the CoLab, there are chairs meant to wobble that allow students to fidget while working and other unique aspects to promote learning.

“It helps students’ brains, and it helps them be more attentive,” Komey said. “So, looking at that, and then how best we can design courses around that, it's creating a design that is inclusive of everyone.”

'You can make it'

Komey’s approach to instructional design is shaped by her own academic journey, from city planning to environmental studies; each aspect allows her to continue to excel at OHIO.

“I always picked something from one phase of my educational journey into the next one,” Komey said. “I think all my classes, my dissertation and my thesis have all helped transition into what I currently do.”

Komey’s advice for current students is simple but well-earned after over a decade of work: “You can make it.”

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