About Us

our VISION

building a framework for collaborations

We utilize the power of professional networks to create a framework for matching people with the right opportunities. For instructional design projects, IT services, specialized consulting and to provide or supplement faculty support services within institutions, ATTECS forms and provides remote teams with the pre-screened sets of skills. And, for professional development, we index, map, promote and facilitate sessions by experienced and established faculty/professional developers.

what we do

flexible and affordable support for education-related projects

We work with colleges, universities, and non-profits to supplement existing instructional design, faculty support and IT services during periods of growth, digital toolkit changes, or staffing transitions. Depending on the needs of our clients, our services may include course and content development (instructional design), quality assurance, and usage analytics. We also help research and implement relevant tools for teaching, and train and support faculty to maximize adoption.

We provide hands-on training and support to individual faculty, who need help developing their online or technology enhanced courses. Such support is provided through individual live working sessions in a low-stress environment. Training and professional development is available in a variety of formats, including self-help tutorials, individual or group live sessions, and/or fully online courses.

We help new aspiring entrepreneurs in teaching and learning - such as faculty, and higher education professionals, develop their working portfolios as part of the ATTECS network. By joining our network, they receive guidance and support in setting up their online personas in the higher education entrepreneurial space - while maintaining their independence and individuality. 

MEET THE FOUNDER

“I want to bring together what I see as one of the most important resources - people. I want to create an environment that is collaborative, rich with expertise, and utterly unique. ”

Having worked in higher education for most of my career, I have found that collaborative institutional cultures made my work environment a lot more enjoyable than those with siloed missions and autocratic administrative decisions. I was also inspired by the many professional forums in the teaching and learning space. Even when part of a siloed workplace, I was never alone—there was always a vast network of colleagues all over the world, ready to offer answers, and share ideas and resources.

Over the years, as I used multiple listservs, discussion boards, and social media forums, I noticed a few interesting themes...

Higher education institutions were frequently looking for help to supplement existing services on a temporary or part-time basis, perhaps due to a project or an institutional initiative. At the same time, colleagues who were retiring or needed a more flexible work schedule were reporting having a hard time locating such opportunities at the right time.

So, in 2019, I left my full-time job as an instructional designer at a globally recognized prestigious university—a job that came with more than livable wages, healthcare benefits, a retirement account, and heavily discounted future tuition for my children, to start my own company—ATTECS, an independent center for teaching and learning.

Although the core services of ATTECS - educational technology consulting, instructional design, support, and professional development, are primarily aligned with my professional experience, the underlying mission is to create a framework for matching the right people with the right projects at the right time.

Ella epshteyn, EdD

CEO, Principal Consultant, Instructional Designer

Areas of focus: instructional design, project management, technology ecosystems consulting. 

OUR TEAM

Our employees and contractors are experienced instructional designers, technologists, faculty developers, librarians, project managers and others, currently or recently employed at higher education institutions in the US. Some of us also have current faculty appointments. We are actively engaged with the network of higher education professionals in our respective fields.