Learning Curriculum Architect Daniel Castillo has been instrumental in bringing a brand new learning format to the VMware Learning Zone. The VLZ recently released Daniel’s five-minute interactive, click-through, infographic “NSX: Key Benefits of Micro-Segmentation.” This engaging, audio-visual learning tool–with reference links–delivers high-level tips (or steps) for key VMware solutions, making important information instantly accessible and easy to understand. This exciting new “micro-learning” format will enhance the VLZ experience for learners overall.
Daniel put in a considerable amount of effort creating this new methodology. He then worked hand-in-hand with the VLZ publishing team to test the new format on the staging environment and worked diligently to provide the exact types of files and formats required for proper playback. Kudos to Daniel for his persistence and patience in getting this cool feature up and running. This type of innovation is exactly the kind of technology that will help the VLZ become a world-class leader in technical education.
What is your background? / How long have you worked in IT?
My background is in technical and sales training. I began my career more than 20 years ago as a computer networking engineer, then gradually moved into software training.
What do you think makes for a great testing/online learning experience?
What makes for a great testing experience? That you feel the test is a fair gauge of your expertise and that the resulting certification is a valuable asset in your career. What makes for a great online learning experience? That you become so engaged with and focused on the content that it’s like finding a great treasure. You forget that it’s supposed to be “educational.”
You have been involved in both exam and VLZ content development. What about each format is appealing to you as an Education Contributor?
Exam Development: Certifications played a crucial role in starting my own career in computer networking, so I’m very aware of the importance that they have in the lives of technology professionals and the companies that employ them. I’m happy to contribute to the value of VMware certification exams because I know how important they are to professionals and to the industry. VLZ Content Development: I think the VLZ has opened up an exciting panorama of possibilities. With the VLZ, we can deliver learning of all shapes and sizes in a way that’s appealing and intuitive to our learners. I’m glad to be able to be a part of the learning innovation that the VLZ enables.
Why did you get involved in the VMware Certification Contributor program?
If there’s anything I can do to help anyone in VMware, whether within my own team or outside it, I’m happy to do it.
What is the most desirable aspect of the Education Contributor program?
We all have so much that we can contribute to helping VMware customers and partners through education. But most of our activities usually take place within a limited area inside the organization. The Education Contributor program allows us to transcend those boundaries and contribute with our expertise to areas that we otherwise would not be interacting with.
How have you benefited from the program?
It’s given me the opportunity to get to know other great people outside my immediate team and work together with them. Through the VLZ, the program also gives me the ability to touch the lives of our learners in ways that hadn’t been possible before.
Fun Fact
Having been exposed to video gaming through my children, I’ve been attempting to provide a game-like feel to some of the micro-learning formats that we’ve been experimenting with. There are two formats in particular that we’ve been working on with gaming in mind– the Learning Gym (a gamified assessment) and the Learning Arcade (a gamified simulation). Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide our internal users, customers, and partners with these and other types of learning that can change training into a transformative experience.
Thank you, Daniel!
If you want to join this clever community of experts, submit your enrollment to the VMware Education Contributor program today!
