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Meaningful Work That Matters
Spotlight on Colin McEwan, Learning Technology Consultant
Over 30 years, eCom has delivered hundreds of projects, but for Learning Technology Consultant Colin McEwan, the most impactful are those shaped by subject matter experts and grounded in real lived experience. Since joining eCom in 2013, he has been drawn to its supportive, flexible culture and its alignment with his own values - an ethos he sees reflected in the organisation’s client relationships, built on openness, respect, and genuine partnership.
Posted 28 May 2026
For Colin, this focus on real-world understanding is deeply personal. Growing up with his grandfather, who used a wheelchair, he witnessed everyday barriers that others often overlooked - from inaccessible shop entrances to practical limitations that shaped daily life. These early experiences shaped his belief that:
“ learning should reflect real human experience and be designed to make a tangible difference. ”
That belief runs through his work at eCom, which has partnered with organisations including Public Services Delivery Scotland (formerly NHS Education for Scotland), Children’s Hearings Scotland, RNIB, Scottish Women’s Aid, Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government, as well as private sector organisations such as William Grant and Devro.
Across these collaborations, the most effective learning has emerged when subject matter experts are central to shaping content. Colin highlights programmes such as the National Trauma Transformation Programme and the NHS Autism initiative as strong examples. In both cases, experts were not simply contributors but active partners, ensuring content reflected lived experience and real-world practice.
The NHS Autism project, commissioned by NHS Education for Scotland, is a clear illustration. eCom was tasked with transforming extensive online resources into an interactive learning programme for primary care professionals. Working closely with subject matter experts, Colin and the team distilled complex information into clear learning objectives, structured modules, and applied scenarios designed to support better patient care. The result was not just a training course, but a practical tool rooted in real clinical experience.
Looking across these projects, Colin sees a consistent theme:
“ The most meaningful learning happens when it reflects real lives, not abstract theory. ”
Whether in trauma training, autism education, or accessibility-focused work, realistic scenarios and lived experience help learners understand not just what to do, but why it matters.
The eCom journey through the years: Colin speaking at the eCom Conference in Edinburgh (2020); Colin showcasing an eLearning project created for Children's Health Scotland at an NHS event (2018)
