Dr. Bruce McDonald, Ed.D.

He earned his doctorate in Vocational and Adult Education in 1976. He has been involved full time since then in preparing and certifying classroom and OJT trainers, and instructor-trainers, for the government, universities, business and industry.

Since 1960, he has been a training officer in the US Air Force, an instructor-trainer in the USAF Air University's Academic Instructor School, a professor at Southern Illinois University, a training manager at GE Nuclear Training, a training quality assurance manager and designer trainer at Applied Learning, a computer-based training designer

at Wink, and a custom training designer and manager at VASCO (details below).  He established Paradigm Training Systems Inc in 1986 and has been wholly involved in it since 1996.

He developed the proprietary teaching and testing processes that serve as the bases of our instructor training courses.  These include the Instructor Selection Test ®, Content-Free Microteaching ®, and Content-Free Coaching™.

He has developed and delivered training for organizations in government, nuclear power, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, medical,  publishing, airline, distribution, and customer service.  His clients and customers include: 

Abbott Laboratories, American Airlines, American Electric Power, Ameritech, Amoco, Ameren, Amergen, Andrew Corp, Arthur Andersen, Atmos Energy, Ballard Medical Products, BlueCross of Northeast Pennsylvania, Boston Edison, Budget Rent a Car, Caremark RX, Central Connecticut State University, Chemical Waste Management, Chicago Finished Metals, ComEd, Entergy Northwest, Entergy Nuclear, Entre, First Energy, GE Appliances, GE Consumer Services, GE Nuclear, Globe Ground, Governors State University, Honeywell, IBM, Idaho State University, Integrated Dealer Systems, Intel, Johnson Controls, Kamehameha Schools,  Kansas City Kansas Community College, Keebler Cookies, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Lefebure, Long Island Lighting Co, Medtronic, Moore Business Forms, National Casting, Network Equipment Technologies, New York Power Authority, Ohio Community Colleges, Public Service Electric and Gas Co, Niagara Mohawk Power Co, Northern Illinois University, Pennsylvania Power & Light Co, Philadelphia Electric, Pitney-Bowes, Rittenhouse, Security Link, Solo Cup, Southern Illinois University, Square D, St Jude Medical, Tellabs, TDS WorldLink, United Airlines, the University of the West Indies, UOP, Videojet, Virginia Union University, Washington Mutual Bank, Waste Management, Wave Technologies, Wesley Jessen, Witco, Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Co, the University of Washington, the US Mint, and the US Dept of Agriculture.

Details of his work experience from 1963 are as follows: 

96-09  President, Paradigm Training Systems Inc, Pensacola, Florida

Design and deliver customized training skills and certification courses worldwide.

91-95  Senior Project Manager, VASCO Corp, Lombard, Illinois

Coordinated training staff activities. Designed customized instructor-led courses for sales force automation, on-the-job training, classroom instruction, and management subjects.  In addition:

- Delivered staff development and customer train-the-trainer courses. 
- Wrote proposals to develop and deliver custom training. 
- Designed internal systems for instructional and performance technology. 
- Provided quality control during all phases of production and delivery.

90-91  Director - Instructional Technology, WINK Systems, North Aurora, Illinois 

Designed custom instructor-led and computer-based training courses for sales, engineering, management and supervision, insurance, and telecommunications clients.  In addition:

- Developed proposals to develop and deliver customized training. 
- Provided instruction on performance technology subjects. 
- Developed prototype performance and instructional technology materials.

Adjunct Professor, Southern Illinois University and Northern Illinois University 

Training Systems Management, Assessing Vocational Student Progress, Principles of Vocational Education, and Performance Technology 

88-89  Manager - Quality Assurance, Applied Learning Int'l, Naperville, Illinois

Conducted and managed the new-hire and continuing training for the staff of 45 instructional developers in the development and production of interactive videodisk and computer-based training products.  In addition:

- Managed the Governors State University M.S. in Instructional Technology degree program at the Applied Learning extension center.  
- Provided quality assurance reviews and consultation on instructional design to the development staff. 
- Redesigned the development process and the product architecture for the mainframe computer-based training and linear video product lines.

Adjunct Professor, Governors State University and Southern Illinois University

Taught Advanced Product Design; Assessing Vocational Student Progress

84-88  Program Manager, General Electric Nuclear Training Services,           Morris, Illinois

Managed training development projects for engineer, operator, tech staff, and maintenance courses.  Supervised instructional staff for delivery of basic and advanced classroom instructor courses.  (l988 GE staff development budget was $285,000.)  Delivered instructional skills certification courses for GE and customers. Provided expertise and coordination for INPO accreditation activities.  In addition:

- Provided development and evaluation training to GE and customer staffs. 
- Designed and taught courses in classroom instructor, simulator instructor, and teamwork & diagnostics for GE and utility customer staffs.  
- Evaluated utility customer boiling-water reactor training programs and designed remediation to meet INPO and NRC criteria. 
- Prepared budgets for assigned business and service activities. Prepared business proposals and cost quotations.     
- Proposed and managed Northern Illinois University's M.S. in Instructional Technology program at the GE Extension Center.

Adjunct Professor, Southern Illinois University and Northern Illinois University

Taught Computer-Based Training Authoring Workshop; Analysis and Curriculum Development; Training Systems Management; Student and Program Evaluation; Instructional Design

76-83  Assistant Professor, Dept of Voc Ed Studies, Southern Illinois University  

As the Department's full-time curriculum developer, developed courseware for the VES military program, a BS degree in Education, Training and Development, offered at 16 military bases nationwide.  Products included instructor guides and all student materials for the program's four instructional skills courses, independent study, and internship courses.  In addition:

- Trained university and adjunct faculty to teach the skill instructional skill courses for the Vocational Education Studies military program.
- Developed and managed the faculty evaluation program.
- Developed annual schedules for 12 courses, 100 instructors, and over 1000 students. 
- Taught undergraduate and doctoral courses, including analysis and curriculum development, teaching methods, student evaluation, and competency-based teacher education.
- Designed and managed a two-year research project on career change as part of an international program conducted by Donald Super of Columbia University.
- Wrote proposals for and managed materials development projects for the Illinois Department of Adult, Vocational and Technical Education. (Awarded $50,000 for projects each year for four years.)

75-76  Research Assistant, Alabama Advisory Council for Vocational Education

Evaluated secondary education vocational programs throughout Alabama.  Wrote reports and presented findings.  (This took place during his doctoral program at Auburn University.)

70-74  Instructor, Academic Instructor School, Air University, Maxwell AFB,           Alabama

During the first two years, taught general instructor skills in the five-week-long course, seven times annually. Concurrently, taught the 20-hour Creative Problem Solving workshop for one year and the Tests and Measurements workshop for the second year. Oriented and trained all new faculty.

During the second two years, developed and taught a new version of the course, a separate track for selected managers, developers and modifiers of instructional systems, using the new Instructional System Development (ISD) processes.  Was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for the above.  In addition: 

- Trained other faculty to teach ISD and wrote the instructor guide and handouts for the new AF Curriculum Developer course. 
- Designed the conversion of the general instructor course's focus from presentation skills to the performance-based format.
- Continued to train all new faculty in   the regular program.

67-70  Assistant Professor, Air Force ROTC, South Dakota State University,           Brookings

Recruited, counseled, and taught Air Force subjects to freshman students.  In addition, wrote the Air Force ROTC manual for teaching drill and ceremonies at summer camp.

66-67  Chief, Training Plans Div., USAF Mil. Asst. and Advisory Group, Vietnam

Advisor to the Chief of Personnel, South Vietnamese Air Force.  Developed annual training requirements plans for the Vietnamese Air Force.  Cancelled ill-conceived training plans, closing two USAF bases and saving tens of millions of dollars.  Received the VNAF Meritorious Service Medal, and was designated "midwife" of the A-37 project.

63-66  Training Officer, USAF English Language School, Lackland AFB, Texas 

Supervised 30 civil service instructors in English language training for military trainees from 32 allied countries.  Designated training plans officer.