Brent Michael Espineda — a working notebook
vol. 01 / scottsdale, az
est. 2026 on view now

masthead

Learning
is the pinnacle
of human
existence.

Instructional Designer directing AI to build production-grade course-development tools and automated quality-assurance systems. Learning science across high-rigor disciplines — law, data science — translated into infrastructure that ships.

fig. 01 Outcomes — selected

65%
fewer manual QA cycles
audit coverage 40% → 100% across 5,000+ courses
50%
faster course delivery
100+ courses shipped in 2–3 months instead of 6
$50K
saved annually at Amazon
80+ hours of manual work eliminated per teammate, per quarter

§ 02
field notes

Where the work happened.

● now
EdPlus at ASU
Instructional Designer · Scottsdale, AZ
Nov 2025 — Present

Sole ID for the MS in Applied Statistics & Data Science. Hand-selected for the Juris Doctor program team.

01
problem
Batch Course Evaluation System

A 5,000+ course catalog with a multi-year QA backlog and only 40% audit coverage.

approach

Architected an automated evaluation pipeline using Codex, Claude, and Python — graded against WCAG 2.1 AA and instructional-design rubrics, surfaced findings to reviewers.

result

Manual review cycles cut by 65%. Audit coverage expanded to 100%. Backlog eliminated.

02
problem
AI Course Builder

Course delivery taking ~6 months per cohort across the org.

approach

Built an AI-assisted authoring tool with embedded WCAG and ID-standards checks, plumbed into Canvas and faculty workflows.

result

Delivery cycle halved. 100+ courses shipped in 2–3 months across EdPlus.

03
problem
Audit-to-Remediation Pipeline

Review → fix → verify cycles consumed thousands of labor hours each year.

approach

End-to-end pipeline: automated audit findings flow into remediation queues with verification checks on the way out.

result

Manual cycle reduced 70%. ~5,000+ labor hours saved annually across 800+ courses.

Amazon
Learning Trainer · Tempe, AZ
Dec 2024 — Nov 2025
01
problem
Project TIES — Training Impact Evaluation System

Amazon Delivery Central Operations had no technical infrastructure for Kirkpatrick L3/L4 measurement — costly retraining cycles, anecdotal decisions.

approach

Architected an end-to-end evaluation system on Python + Slack webhooks + Asana workflow + Amazon Quick Suite, bypassing VBA limits for robust data collection and AI-powered analysis.

result

Survey participation +56% (44.49% → 69.17%). Pinpointed 20% outdated SOPs. ~$50K saved annually; 80+ hours of manual collection eliminated per teammate per quarter.

02
problem
AI-Integrated Learning Simulations

Static training material wasn't producing strong first-attempt outcomes on critical content.

approach

Built variable-based branching simulations in Articulate 360 with AI-driven scenario logic.

result

5/5 facilitator feedback. Trained 300+ associates with on-time delivery across all L&D submissions.

Amazon
Logistics Specialist · Tempe, AZ
Jul 2024 — Dec 2024
01
summary

Owned 6,500+ escalation cases end-to-end at a 3% defect rate — among the top performance metrics on the shift.

Mechanic On-The-Go
Co-Owner · Saipan, MP
Dec 2022 — Apr 2024
01
summary

Stood up business operations and financial tracking systems from scratch for a retail automotive service.

CNMI Public School System
School Counselor · Saipan, MP
Jul 2023 — Apr 2024
01
summary

Authored a data-driven grant proposal grounded in program outcomes — secured a 20% budget increase.

§ 03
plates

Selected projects.

AI Tool · Claude 3.7 Sonnet

SOP-GPT

Chatbot that ingests an uploaded Standard Operating Procedure and answers complex process questions against it. Most-used tool I've shipped on the floor.

+30% performance on complex processes after release.

AI Tool · Claude 3.7 Sonnet

LearnOps

Reads an SOP and generates Mager-style learning objectives + assessment questions aligned to Amazon's HPI standards. Streamlined material creation without losing rigor or stakeholder alignment.

+30% workflow efficiency for the L&D team.

AI Simulation · Storyline 360 · Gemini

The Trainer Experience Series

De-escalation simulation with unscripted natural-language conversation against a Gemini-powered AI character. WCAG-compliant, with just-in-time performance support.

Proof-of-concept for behavioral skills training beyond multiple choice.

Gamified e-Learning · Storyline 360

Handling Difficult Conversations

Branching scenario for new managers — every decision changes the story, ten unique endings, only one is the best one. Built around Amazon Leadership Principles.

Used in cohort training across the building.

Microlearning · Articulate 360

AI Fundamentals — Prompt Engineering

Module that gets L&D peers from zero to functional prompt engineering, drawn from my IBM Data Analyst coursework.

Internal upskill for teammates entering AI-assisted workflows.

§ 04
apparatus

Stack & practice.

Systems

Automated QA pipelines · Audit-to-remediation workflows · AI course builders · Training evaluation frameworks · Canvas API integrations · Regression testing

Design

Backward Design · Bloom's Taxonomy · UDL · WCAG 2.1 AA · Assessment architecture · HPI / BEM · Curriculum development

Stack

Python · Claude · Codex · Canvas · Articulate 360 · SQL · PowerBI · Airtable · Railway · Cloudflare · AWS

Operations

Faculty partnership · Cross-functional collaboration · Data-driven process improvement · SOP development

§ 05
credentials

Education & certifications.

MS, Organizational Performance & Workplace Learning
Boise State · Coursework
BS, Education
Northern Marianas College · Summa Cum Laude
AA, Education
Northern Marianas College · Magna Cum Laude
  • Applied AI Foundations (Pilot) — OpenAI · 2026
  • Data Analyst Professional — IBM
  • Workflow Specialist — Asana
§ 06
colophon

Let's build something.