Oksana Komarenko, DA (she\/her), is an Instructional Consultant and Quality Matters Coordinator in Ball State University\u2019s Division of Online and Strategic Learning, but her path to instructional design began long before Canvas dashboards and course maps. Trained as a classical singer and educator, Oksana spent years performing on international stages, teaching students from all over the world, and studying how people learn and thrive under pressure.<\/p>\r\n
That journey sparked a question that continues to guide her work today: How can structured rituals, clear design, and supportive environments help learners feel confident, focused, and emotionally grounded?\u00a0Oksana pursued that question through her doctoral research on pre-performance rituals and emotional regulation. Her findings, now published in Psychology of Music<\/em> and the International Journal of Music Education<\/em>, offer one of the first research-driven frameworks for understanding how routines and intentional practices reduce anxiety and enhance resilience in learning environments. Her work has been supported by SEMPRE and the Indiana Arts Commission and shared at conferences across the world.<\/p>\r\n In DOSL, she brings this blend of artistry, research, and instructional design to her collaborations with faculty\u2014helping them create courses that are structurally clear, mentally supportive, and rooted in student success. Known for her innovative problem-solving and her talent for translating complex standards into actionable practices, she supports faculty through Quality Matters reviews, course design partnerships, and strategic teaching consultations.<\/p>\r\n Beyond her work with faculty, Oksana is an award-winning performer who has sung leading operatic roles in Europe and the United States and appeared at venues such as the Dubai Jazz Festival and the Ukrainian Embassy in the UAE. Her teaching philosophy reflects her artistic life: holistic, emotionally aware, culturally responsive, and grounded in the belief that education\u2014like music\u2014builds community and empowers human connection.<\/p>\r\n Whether on stage or in the classroom, Oksana is driven by the same mission: to help people learn, express themselves authentically, and succeed with confidence.<\/p>","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/author\/oksana\/","slug":"oksana","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/72cabeae414b5daaeab24f759b5af57972d79d330e9b355bedc11293c5be6125?s=24&d=mm&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/72cabeae414b5daaeab24f759b5af57972d79d330e9b355bedc11293c5be6125?s=48&d=mm&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/72cabeae414b5daaeab24f759b5af57972d79d330e9b355bedc11293c5be6125?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"meta":{"jetpack_donation_warning_dismissed":false},"yoast_head":"\n