Danielle Safonte, Ed.D.DMGS Digital Education Consulting Submit an inquiry

Digital courses · Training & speaking · Apps & AI

Digital courses, faculty training and AI tools that help programs improve.

I build online courses, lead workshops and keynotes, and create small productivity apps with AI reporting for colleges, training teams and small organizations. 20+ years in higher ed, an Ed.D., and a background as a university IT director.

Ed.D. · M.I.S.QM Certified Peer Reviewer2024 OSU Ecampus Excellence AwardFormer CUNY IT Director
20+years teaching and designing in higher ed
QMcertified course developer and peer reviewer
2024OSU Ecampus Excellence in Online Teaching award
CS+ITengineering depth most course designers don't have

Why clients choose DMGS

One partner for teaching, training and technology

Courses

Built on evidence

Measurable objectives, Bloom's-aligned assessments and QM standards from the first outline. Every course meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility by default.

Training

Taught by a teacher

Workshops and talks draw on two decades in the online classroom. Participants leave with something they can use the next week.

Apps & AI

Tools that fit the work

Small apps and AI reporting built by a former university IT director who has also taught. You talk directly to the person building it.

Service sheets · 2026 rates

Services and pricing

Published ranges so you can budget before we talk. Final quotes follow a short scoping conversation and are fixed-fee unless noted.

Advisory and fractional work$175/hr advisory. Fractional instructional designer $5,200/mo for 30 hours, 3-month minimum.
Paid discovery, creditedA $2,500 discovery sprint is credited in full toward any app build.
Payment and timelines40% deposit to schedule, balance by milestone. Priority adds 15%, rush (under 6 weeks) adds 25%. Speaking travel is billed at cost.
Combine services into an estimate

Need something today?

Ready-made course packages, Canvas shells, rubric bundles and AI literacy modules are available for instant download.

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Digital course development

You bring the expertise. I build the course around it.

Course development is a partnership with your subject matter expert. They supply the subject content; I supply the design, structure and quality process that turn it into a course that teaches well and passes review.

Your subject matter expert provides
  • All subject matter content: lecture material, readings, examples and data
  • Technical content for assignments, labs, quizzes and exams, with answer keys
  • Approved course learning objectives, or the goals the course must meet
  • Timely review of drafts at each milestone
  • Final sign-off on accuracy
DMGS provides
  • A development plan and milestone schedule, from preparation to launch
  • Measurable module objectives aligned to course objectives
  • Course structure, module templates and a consistent LMS layout
  • Assessment, rubric and activity design matched to each objective
  • Syllabus setup, including a generative AI use policy
  • An alignment map linking objectives, content and assessments
  • Accessibility, quality and AI-resilience checks before launch
  • A first-term improvement plan and one-year review

Training, workshops and speaking

Workshops and talks that change what people do on Monday

For faculty development centers, conferences, leadership retreats and corporate training teams. In person or virtual, with recordings and take-home guides included.

Popular topics

AI in the online classroom

What to automate, what to keep human, and how to redesign assignments and policies so AI supports learning instead of replacing it.

Using AI to analyze course data

Hands-on: turning gradebooks, evaluations and LMS reports into clear findings and an improvement plan, with privacy built in.

Designing for adult and nontraditional learners

Course structures, pacing and feedback that keep working adults enrolled, drawn from 20 years of teaching them.

Accessible course design in practice

The WCAG 2.1 AA habits every instructor can apply to pages, documents and video, without waiting for a full audit.

Formats and fees

Productivity web apps

Small web apps that replace the spreadsheet, the email chain and the manual report

One focused tool for one job your team does every week, built in 8 to 12 weeks. It's accessible, secure and documented, and you own all of the code.

Fixed-scope package

Launch

$14k–$35k

A focused tool or first version of a product: 1–2 user roles, one core workflow, delivered in 8–12 weeks.

Included

  • One focused workflowBuilt for 1–2 user roles, such as staff and admin
  • Sign-in and admin screenUser management and settings without touching code
  • Data and reportingDashboards, filters and exports to Excel or CSV
  • AI-assisted analysisBuilt-in prompts that summarize data, spot trends and draft reports
  • LMS integration where permittedCanvas, D2L or Moodle via LTI or API, subject to your institution's approval
  • WCAG 2.1 AA accessibilityTested with keyboard, screen readers and contrast checks
  • Security reviewAccess controls, data handling and dependency checks before launch
  • HandoverTraining, documentation and full ownership of the code

Styled to your brand: colors, fonts and logo. Optional: a maintenance and improvement plan from $1,250/mo keeps the app updated and improving after launch.

AI for reporting, analysis and improvement

Turn the data you already have into a plan

Most programs collect gradebooks, course evaluations and LMS reports that nobody has time to read. I set up AI tools and processes that summarize them, find patterns and produce improvement guides your team can act on.

Privacy first: student data is analyzed only with tools your institution has approved, de-identified where possible, and never used to train outside AI models.

Sample apps · Built by DMGS

Two working samples, one approach

Both apps turn a person's real constraints into a clear, tailored plan, track progress over time, and stay accessible and private. Try them live, then picture the same approach built around your team's process.

For education teams

Course Development Hub

Guides instructors and designers through building or redeveloping an online course, from preparation to the one-year review.

  • Phase-by-phase timeline linked to module content checklists
  • Searchable resource hub and accessibility compliance check
  • Separate saved progress for each course and term
  • Review reports and checklists that export to Word
For individual planning

RecompBuilder

Builds a personalized week of strength and fat-loss workouts around each person's equipment, schedule and physical limits.

  • Rules engine that filters by injury, impact and available gear
  • Three training styles with their own reps and rest times
  • Lift log with progress charts and built-in calculators
  • One-click profile summary to paste into an AI assistant
Constraints in, plan outRules turn each person's situation into specific next steps, the same pattern behind advising and pathway tools.
Progress that persistsSaved work, progress tracking and reports people can export or share.
Accessible by defaultKeyboard-friendly, screen-reader tested, with light and dark modes.
Private by designData stays on the device unless the user chooses to export or sync it.
Your brand, your colors

Every app is styled to your branding guidelines: colors, fonts, logo and wording. The two samples use different palettes to show the range.

Course hub
DMGS
Your brand

Ideas for your team

Apps clients ask for

Course review trackers

Track every course through design, QM review and revision, with owners, due dates and status reports.

LMS add-ons

Small activities, checklists or dashboards that launch inside Canvas or D2L, where your institution allows it.

Student success dashboards

Early-alert views built on LMS activity, with AI summaries so advisors know who to contact first.

Intake and request forms

Replace email requests with a form, a review queue and automatic updates to the requester.

Training and workshop portals

Registration, materials, attendance and certificates in one place for a training team.

Spreadsheet replacements

Turn a fragile shared spreadsheet into a real app with user roles, history and reports.

Process

How a build runs

  1. Discovery2 weeks. Users, data, requirements and a fixed quote.
  2. PrototypeClickable screens tested with real users before any code.
  3. BuildTwo-week sprints with a working demo at the end of each.
  4. LaunchAccessibility and security review, training and handover.
  5. ImproveOngoing maintenance and improvements on a monthly plan.

Course quality · WCAG 2.1 AA

Is your online program ready for the ADA Title II deadline?

Public colleges serving 50,000 or more people must make websites, LMS content and apps meet WCAG 2.1 AA by April 26, 2027; smaller ones by April 26, 2028. Accessibility audits and remediation are available as their own service.

—
days until April 26, 2027

Full-program audits and remediation usually take 3 to 6 months.

Quick readiness check

Six questions, about one minute. Your answers stay in your browser.

Your result

Project estimator

Build your estimate

Start from a common project or pick services yourself. Send it to me and you'll get a fixed quote within two business days.

Start from:

Danielle Safonte, Ed.D.

Ed.D. · M.I.S. · B.S. Information Technology

I spent the first part of my career running university systems and the second part teaching on them. DMGS brings both together: digital courses and training from an award-winning online instructor, and practical apps and AI tools from someone who knows how campus IT actually works.

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Experience

  • Senior Instructor, Oregon State University Ecampus
  • Adjunct Professor, CUNY New York City College of Technology
  • Quality Matters Peer Reviewer and Certified Online Instructor
  • Instructional Design Consultant, Agate Publishing
  • Former IT Director and Database Administrator, CUNY

Recognition

  1. 2024Ecampus Excellence in Online Teaching & Student Engagement, OSU College of Engineering
  2. 2024Celebrate Excellence Award, Online Teaching
  3. 2023Emerging Scholar Award

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Who writes the course content?

Your subject matter expert. They provide the lectures, readings, examples and technical content for assessments. DMGS provides the course design, structure, objectives, alignment, assessment design and quality review that turn that content into a finished course.

How long does it take to develop a full online course?

A 3-credit course usually takes one to two terms from kickoff to a reviewed, LMS-ready build, depending on how quickly your subject matter expert delivers content and reviews drafts. Courses are built for Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Blackboard or Moodle.

Do you speak at conferences and run virtual workshops?

Yes. Keynotes, breakouts, half-day and full-day workshops, and multi-week faculty cohorts are available in person or online. Virtual sessions include a recording and take-home guide; travel for in-person events is billed at cost.

What is an AI improvement guide?

A written report built from your course or program data, such as grades, completion rates and evaluations. AI tools help find the patterns; I review every finding and turn it into a prioritized list of changes with examples.

Is our data safe when you use AI tools?

Student data is analyzed only with tools your institution has approved, de-identified where possible, and never used to train outside AI models. We agree on data handling in writing before any work starts.

What counts as a small productivity web app?

A tool that does one job well for one team: a request tracker, an intake form with a review queue, a reporting dashboard or a replacement for a shared spreadsheet. Larger requests are scoped as phases.

Who owns the web app after it's built?

You do. The code and documentation are yours from day one. A monthly maintenance and improvement plan is optional.

Do you work with organizations outside higher education?

Yes. Training companies, edtech startups, nonprofits and small businesses hire DMGS for course development, training, productivity apps and AI reporting.

Start a project

Submit an inquiry

Tell me about your course, event or project. You'll hear back within two business days with next steps or a fixed quote.

What happens next

A short conversation about your goals, then a written scope with a fixed price, timeline and milestones. No obligation.