Rhizome Learning was established by two creative individuals – Lena and Tomasz. We’re not simply video producers. Our technical expertise is complemented by industry experience.
Our mission is to produce engaging and accessible digital learning content that improves the learning experience.
Before focusing on e-learning, Rhizome Learning had provided more general video production services. That means we’ve worked with a variety of clients – from online language schools to business learning platforms and completed a wide range of projects – from social media videos for influencers to visual pitches for start-up investors. This helped us not only to develop media production expertise but also crosspollinate ideas from different industries and countries.
When it comes to learning and development, we both bring distinct experiences of improving the learning experience. However, our areas of expertise differ – one of us comes from the formal education sector and the other from a career in the third sector. Working together makes our productions more creative.
Tomasz Muszynski
Areas of specialism: training delivery, media production, instructional design, CPD, accessibility
My professional experience combines media production, team and programme management and training design and delivery. I’ve moved to learning and development quite accidentally, I simply realised I enjoyed delivering induction training for new staff. In my career in the non-profit sector, I’ve been responsible for designing materials for in person and digital training sessions. As part of my managerial responsibilities, I supported the professional development of my team, which involved creating personal development plans. Developing a motivational workshop programme for the vulnerable clients of our charity has made me committed to making the learning content and delivery accessible and user-friendly.
I continue to work in the charity sector, currently being responsible for designing, producing, reviewing and publishing training content for our clients – community groups that resettle refugees in the UK. As much as I enjoy producing digital content, I would really miss delivering training in person and online, so I love that I still have a chance to do that.
My role in Rhizome Videos is centred on the creation of audio-visual assets using Adobe Creative Suite, including video editing and motion graphic design. I use these skills to both modify clients’ material to work online and produce new visual e-learning content.
The last area of my expertise is managing programmes, which involves advising communities, charity organisations, and local authorities. This requires liaising with different stakeholders and monitoring evaluation systems. These experiences inform my approach to improving the learning experience, as e-learning production needs to understand the range of expectations and limitations of educational providers; including those of senior management teams, budget holders, administrators and last but not least teachers, tutors and trainers.
My somewhat eclectic professional history has provided me with experiences of developing and implementing a variety of learning assets; from resources for classroom-based customer training to self-teach online videos to structured digital courses. I’d love to hear what I could do for you and your organisation – so if you want to pick my brain, leave a message using the form below.
Dr Lena Karlin
Areas of specialism: education system, young people and students, HE sector, educational resources, ed-tech, learning process
My reasons for establishing Rhizome Videos go back to my education in social anthropology and the interest in using visual methods to understand society. I started doing freelance media production as a creative side project when writing my PhD in Sociology. I’m still connected to the education system, conducting social and market research within the educational sector for an award-winning London-based research agency. That means I not only stay on top of recent research into emerging industry trends and new technologies, but I also add to it.
I’ve worked on a wide range of research projects, including: ed-tech platforms, learning journeys, educational product development, user experience, impact studies, curriculum evaluation, student experience, teaching resources use, delivery methods and assessment approaches. This has given me a deeper understanding of what learners, teachers, educational publishers and institutional providers need and want.
Before that, I worked at different universities for 8 years, giving me an insider knowledge of the Higher Education system. This expertise was built in various roles, which included interviewing students and graduates to research transitions from school to work as well as teaching first year students. I also have experience of working in three different university libraries, which has showed me how students engage with learning resources, digital and in print, as well as the challenges they face throughout their learning journeys. I still work directly with adult and young learners and educators, not only in my research role, but also as a volunteer with an educational charity Literacy Pirates, which teaches underprivileged kids to love learning.
All these strands of my professional experience inform my role in Rhizome Videos, where I’ve post-produced various types of audio-visual learning content for university departments and as well as private education providers who deliver courses online. With one foot in media production, and another in educational research, I’ve been witnessing how quickly learning was becoming more reliant on technology. But it’s not enough to produce glossy content or have a high-tech platform to publish it on. We need to really understand what learners need and expect, how they learn and what barriers they face. If you think I could help you and your organisation, please get in touch using the form below.