Background

“In the Winter Term 2024, the Ecampus Research Unit conducted a survey study of 669 students who had taken online courses at OSU. The 40-item survey was designed to assess students’ knowledge and use of generative AI tools, as well as their perceptions of their use in their courses and careers. A full report of this study is available on the Ecampus Research Unit website. Based on the results of this study, several recommendations were developed to guide decision making about generative AI tools in online courses.”
Dello Stritto, Underhill, & Aguiar (2024).

This recent study highlighted three key recommendations for faculty seeking to integrate generative AI into their courses effectively:

Recommendation 1
- Write a course policy about generative AI that is clearly explained.
Recommendation 2
- Consider a wide range of student emotions and concerns when integrating generative AI in your online courses.
Recommendation 3
- Educate students on generative AI tools.

Applying data to design

To apply these recommendations in practice, we can reorganize them into instructional design categories that foster AI resiliency in course design: Course Learning Outcomes, Learner Profiles, Learning Materials, Activities and Assessments, and Course Policies. These categories offer a comprehensive framework for integrating AI while addressing students’ concerns and enhancing learning experiences.

Course Policies: Establish Clear Guidelines for AI Usage

Reflecting Recommendation 1, developing a clear, transparent policy on AI usage is key. Faculty should articulate when and how students can use AI tools, providing specific examples of ethical use. By defining these expectations early in the course, instructors help students understand the role AI can play in their learning process, promoting academic integrity.

Learner Profiles: Address Emotional and Academic Concerns

In line with Recommendation 2, it is essential to consider students’ diverse reactions to AI—ranging from excitement to anxiety—when designing a course. This is where understanding Learner Profiles becomes critical.

Learning Materials and Activities: Ensure Relevance and Adaptability with AI

Recommendation 3 emphasizes the importance of educating students about generative AI, which can be achieved through thoughtful integration into learning materials, activities, and assessments.

Course Learning Outcomes: Integrate AI with Intentional Learning Design

The integration of generative AI tools into course design necessitates an examination of their impact on student mastery of the Course Learning Outcomes. It is vital to ensure that student use of AI tools supplement and enhance the learning process rather than bypass cognitive engagement.

With these four considerations in mind, we can now introduce a tool to help assess and improve course resilience against generative AI, while providing learners with clear policy decisions and explanations.

Introducing CART: Course AI Resiliency Tracker

In response to the clear need for effective integration of generative AI in educational settings, a new tool has been developed (as part of a wider suite of artificial intelligence tools) to assist faculty in navigating this complex landscape. This tool is designed to support instructors in evaluating how generative AI could respond to their course learning outcomes by highlighting its current capabilities to address and complete these outcomes. It facilitates a detailed understanding of learner profiles to ensure that AI applications are relevant and accessible to all students. Additionally, the tool encourages faculty to reflect on the currency and relevance of their learning materials and to assess how AI might be incorporated into activities and assignments. By examining existing course policies on AI usage and offering actionable steps for course development, this resource aims to demystify generative AI for both educators and students, promoting a thoughtful and strategic approach to its integration or decision to restrict AI.

Getting Started

Upon accessing the landing page, you will be prompted to input your Course ID, after which you may proceed by selecting the “Start” button.

Learning Outcomes

The first step in the tool involves a reflection on your Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs). At this stage, you will have the option to choose from a list of commonly used learning outcome verbs, organized by the general categories of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Note that there is a current selection limit of five CLOs at one time, and faculty with verbs absent from this list are encouraged at this time to select verbs that are most like those in their own CLOs to get feedback that will feel the most transferable.

After selecting the appropriate verbs that align with your outcomes, click on the “Test Resiliency” button. This will display feedback on how generative AI may already be able to meet expectations for common tasks associated with those action verbs.

Your Learners

Following the assessment of CLOs, the next step encourages you to consider your learners. In this section, you are invited to input relevant details about your students, including their backgrounds, career aspirations, prior knowledge, or any other contextual information that could inform your generative AI course policies. We are aware that this question might feel challenging, especially for faculty who teach all kinds of learners as part of a general education course. In this case, consider this as a more general introduction to the wide variety of learner profiles that may take the course, and how generative AI may be used from their perspective.

Your responses here, as with all inputs in the tool, will be temporarily stored and displayed on the Summary Page for your future reference.

Course AI Resilience Tracker Your Learners Page

Learning Materials

Next, the tool asks you to evaluate the relevance and adaptability of your learning materials. You may choose from the pre-set options provided, or alternatively, you can select “Other” to add customized choices based on your specific course materials.

Activities and Assessments

Next, you will be prompted to reflect on your course activities and assessments. This section includes three key questions. Two of the questions are straightforward yes-or-no inquiries, while the third invites you to select one or more methods that you currently employ to promote academic integrity in your assessments. Including this information alongside activities and assessments bolsters understanding for your learners about expected Gen AI usage, why the choice has been made, and enhances academic integrity across the entire course.

Course Policies

You will then be prompted to consider an important question: does your syllabus currently include a policy on generative AI? This reflection is crucial for ensuring transparency and consistency in how AI is addressed throughout your course design. After choosing one of the answers, you will be able to select from some key elements to include in your AI usage policy.

Next Steps

Finally, the tool concludes by prompting you to consider the next steps in your course development, offering guidance on how to proceed with integrating generative AI effectively. Each choice offers different recommendations as automatic feedback, and you are encouraged to read through them all before moving onto the final summary.

Summary Page

At the conclusion of the tool, you will be directed to a Summary Page that consolidates all your previous inputs, along with the guidance and recommendations provided throughout the process. This comprehensive summary can be printed or saved as a PDF for future reference and review.

The benefits of using the tool

Recommendation 1: A clearly explained course policy

The new tool supports this recommendation by guiding instructors to design course policies that offer clear instructions to learners on what is allowed and disallowed, and most importantly to give rationales behind these policy decisions.

Recommendation 2: Considering learner profiles

The tool helps instructors map these profiles to ensure that generative AI is integrated in ways that are accessible, equitable, and aligned with the emotional and cognitive needs of different students. By anticipating student concerns, instructors can provide thoughtful guidance on how AI will or will not be used in various course activities and assessments.

Recommendation 3: Ensure Relevance and Adaptability with AI

The tool helps instructors evaluate the relevance and adaptability of their current materials by offering pre-set options or the ability to add customized choices. This process ensures that course content remains up-to-date and flexible enough to incorporate generative AI effectively or alternatively, provides avenues to secure assessments against AI generated content.

Course Learning Outcomes: Integrate AI with Intentional Learning Design

The tool supports this by guiding instructors through a reflection on their CLOs, offering a selection of commonly used learning outcome verbs categorized by Bloom’s Taxonomy. It also helps educators recognize the extent to which generative AI can currently accomplish many of these learning outcomes, providing valuable insights into the specific areas where AI might enhance or support course goals. the purpose of this is to ensure that AI integration choices are not just incidental, but strategically aligned with fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills within the broader context of your course objectives.

Conclusion

In response to the growing need for effective AI integration, this new tool helps faculty navigate the complexities of incorporating generative AI into course design. By addressing Course Learning Outcomes, Learner Profiles, Learning Materials, Activities and Assessments, and Course Policies, the tool promotes a strategic approach that aims to demystify AI for both educators and students. With thoughtful integration, well-designed generative AI policies can enhance learning experiences, help prepare students for future, teach learners to avoid potential pitfalls, and maintain the academic integrity of online courses.

License and Attribution

License

Course AI Resilience Tracker Tool, created by Oregon State University Ecampus, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

Text Content and Guidance

Ashlee Foster, Dana Simionescu, Philip Chambers, Katherine McAlvage, and Cub Kahn

HTML/JavaScript Development

Philip Chambers

References

Dello Stritto, M. E., Underhill G. R., & Aguiar, N. R. (2024). Online Students’ Perceptions of Generative AI. Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit. https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/research/publications/

Helpful Links

MTH 112Z at Oregon State University is designed to prepare students for calculus and related disciplines. This course explores trigonometric functions and their applications as well as the language and measurement of angles, triangles, circles, and vectors. These topics are explored symbolically, numerically, and graphically in real-life applications. MTH 112Z is designated as a Common Course Numbering (CCN) in the state of Oregon, ending with “Z” in the course number. When transferring to an Oregon public college or university, “CCN courses will be accepted as if they were taken at the institution students transfer to (that is, the receiving institution)” (State of Oregon, 2023).

An instructor from the math department and Tianhong Shi from Ecampus collaborated in designing a brand-new version of MTH 112 to meet the new Core Ed requirements for Oregon State University and Z course requirement for the state of Oregon. At the beginning of this project, the design team identified major challenges of this course as follows:
1. Content challenges
2. Low motivation for some students to continue studying math at this level after initial frustration in this course.
3. Low interest in participation in class discussions.

The instructor and Tianhong met regularly to discuss the challenges, brainstorm strategies for solutions, and delineate a plan to implement practical solutions for MTH 112Z. The solutions that were implemented in the course include:

1. Creating a safe and inclusive learning environment that students will feel they belong here.
2. Creating short animated stories of how math operates in people’s real life, each video is about or less than 30 seconds long. The purpose of these animations is to build a bridge between math learning and real life and to motivate students to learn the topics of each unit.
3. Helping students to identify the steps in solving a math problem to scaffold learning and build learning success step by step.
4. Creating “Make Learning Fun” discussion topics: Research (Purinton and Burke, 2019; Tews, et.al., 2014) tells us that when students feel emotionally relaxed and happy, learning is more effective. Therefore, one “Make Learning Fun” discussion forum is created for each unit.

Building an Inclusive and Trusting Learning Community where Students Belong
College belonging is defined as “students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the group”, according to Strayhorn (2018, p.4). The strategies used to build an inclusive and trusting learning community in MTH 112Z included the following:
1. In Start Here Module, the instructor made a video covering Artificial Intelligence (AI), academic integrity, honesty, and diversity, to explicitly explain the expectations for this course regarding academic integrity and why it is so.
2. Also in Start Here Module, the instructor built a “Name Tents 112Z” discussion board for students to introduce themselves, setting an example by introducing the instructor himself first.
3. There is a Diversity Forum where students can post comments that they would want the instructor to know about themselves to make learning more inclusive.

Making Content Relevant
In addressing the challenging content, the instructor identified concepts that would be better explained through a set of short animated videos, recorded the audio narratives, and the media team helped creating the short animations. For example, at the beginning of unit 4 is an animation about finding the length of a tall tree on campus. And here is the transcript of the video: “The Trees on the O S U campus, are wonderful . how tall are the cedar trees by the memorial union? if you measure the angle from the ground to the top of the tree and know the distance you’re standing away from the tree, you can compute it. Make a triangle and set up an equation to get the height. Which function would you use?” And here is the transcript of unit 5 animation video: “You can get swept away in a river. Oregon has many great rivers for boating. When you were kayaking, you need to account for how much the current will push you off course, this can be done with vector. One vector represents the river’s flow with direction and strength, another vector is the direction which you kayak. The results of these two added together is the direction you end up going. If you want to reach a certain point on the other side, where should you aim?” We can see from these two examples that they are relevant to student lives (trees and kayaking) and relevant to the topics of the units. And these animations tell short stories, hoping to motivate students for learning.

Scaffolding Toward Learning Success
Scaffolded learning activities provide students a supportive learning environment (Dennen, 2004). In each unit’s content discussion forum and homework assignment, students explore problem solving step by step and discuss with each other to help them build confidence and fluency in problem solving. By such a design, the design team hoped students would get the support they needed and would be able to easily identify where they did wrong and how to improve or correct based on the feedback they receive from the online homework system and from the instructor and Teaching Assistants.

Making Learning Fun
Emotional health is important for students’ learning success. Research suggests there is a significant positive relation between fun delivery of content and the forms of engagement (Tews, et al., 2014). Schwartz et al. (2016) also recommend building fun elements in learning for effective teaching and learning. So the design team strived to build elements of fun into the course. The short animations are meant for fun. In addition, each unit has a “Just For Fun” discussion forum to bring students’ attention to learning and promote motivation. Below are examples of these discussions:

Unit 1 Just for Fun: Please read through this survey and describe how you would answer the questions. (The survey was about having students imagine themselves navigating through the forest on foot and trying to find their way to their cabin.)

Unit 2 Just for Fun: What do you think of the animation?

Unit 3: Just for Fun: Please take a picture of something you can model with a sine function as you have been studying in this module. It could be a windmill if you live near a windmill, or an ocean if you live near an ocean. Make sure it is a picture that you have taken and then explain briefly what it is and how you would model its movement.

Unit 4 Just for Fun: Describe a time when you could feel the effect of the wind or water current as you were moving. For example, winters in Oregon are blustery and you can get blown around when you are biking.
Or you can describe a way that you would use vectors in your own life.

Unit 5 Just for Fun: This is it! you’re almost done–
What was a topic in the course that was interesting to you? or what was a topic that didn’t seem to be useful?

That is what we did to make introductory college math fun, inclusive and learnable. If you have ideas for math or STEM course design, feel free to share with us (Tianhong.shi@oregonstate.edu). The more, the better!

References
Dennen, V. P. (2004). Cognitive apprenticeship in educational practice: Research on scaffolding, modeling, mentoring, and coaching as instructional strategies. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (2nd ed.), (p. 815). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Hogan, K., and Pressley, M. (1997). Scaffolding student learning: Instructional approaches and issues.Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

Huck, C and Zhang, J., Efects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on K-12 Education: A Systemic Literature Review. Educational Research and Development Journal. Summer 2021, Vol. 24.

State of Oregon. (2023). The Oregon Transfer Compass. Retrieved at https://www.oregon.gov/highered/about/transfer/pages/transfer-compass.aspx

Purinton, E. and Burke, M. (2019). Student Engagement and Fun: Evidence from the Field. Business Education Innovation Journal, Volume 11 Number 2, P133-P140.

Schwartz, D. L., Tsang, J. M., & Blair, K. P. (2016). The ABCs of how we learn : 26 scientifically proven approaches, how they work, and when to use them (First edition.). W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). College students’ sense of belonging. Routledge. https://doi-org.oregonstate.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9781315297293

Tews, M. J., Jackson, K., Ramsay, C., & Michel, J. W. (2014). Fun in the college classroom: Examining its nature and relationship with student engagement. College Teaching, 63(1), 16-26.

The idea of creating equitable learning environments is at the core of inclusive practices. Many educators argue that equitable learning environments are essential for student success, but what does this mean in practice? Inclusive practices build upon the premise that design and teaching should adapt to support students’ unique needs, fostering student agency. Student-centered approaches prioritize equity over equality. It’s crucial to understand that equity, which tailors resources and opportunities to individual needs, fundamentally differs from equality, which assumes that students should receive the same treatment and that this treatment is thus fair for all.

Equity refers to the “removal of systemic barriers and biases (e.g., policies, processes, outcomes), enabling all individuals to have equal opportunity to access and benefit from resources and opportunities.” (University of Waterloo, n.d.). Equity in online learning means removing barriers to participation. This is especially true for underrepresented groups, first-generation students, and those with different learning styles. Barriers include accessing materials, completing assignments, and interacting with peers and instructors. Applying an equity lens to online and hybrid design and facilitation involves many factors. Among these, structure, flexibility, and feedback are particularly critical. In this post, we will explore these elements from the perspective of the course as a whole. This will set the stage for a deeper examination of these same elements at the assessment level in my next blog post. Stay tuned!

Structure

Instructors often express concerns that students are not fully engaging with the learning materials, such as readings, lectures, videos, or interactives. Additionally, their concerns extend to students superficially responding to discussions or completing assignments without demonstrating critical thinking or analysis of key concepts. In some cases, superficial engagement can undermine the depth of learning and overall course effectiveness. If we think of a course as an ecological system, where all the elements are interconnected and even co-dependent, having a clear and robust structure is crucial. A well-structured course can better prepare and encourage students “both to distribute their studying throughout the term and to spend more time on behaviors related to graded assignments.” (Eddy & Hogan, 2014). So, what does structure entail in an online environment? The following are a few ideas and reflection questions on how an online course can be intentionally designed to build or solidify structure and support a more equitable learning environment:

Provide short descriptions for each learning material and their value in the learning process. What do students gain from reading or watching the required material for the remaining activities?
Include a purpose statement in each assignment and how it contributes to learning and achieving outcomes. How are the assessments connected to the overall goal of the course?
Design assessments that promote active learning, higher-order thinking, and student agency. How are students involved in the learning process? How do students apply concepts? Do assessments reflect meaningful personal experiences?
Make the module content, format, and requirements consistent. How are students expected to participate in discussions? Are there activities that can benefit students from peer learning and interaction? For example, create spaces for students to collaborate and support each other beyond the traditional discussion boards.
Build in multimodalities for content and assessments. What are the skills that are being asked in the assignment (e.g., emphasize writing or deepening concept understanding)? Are there other ways in which students can demonstrate their learning? For example, rather than a written paper, consider allowing students to submit an audio recording, a multimedia presentation, a collage, etc.
Provide a clear course schedule with regular milestones and check-in points to support learning. For instance, incorporate scaffolding into course activities and assessments with low-stakes and formative assessments.

Flexibility

While a clear and robust course structure is essential for guiding students through the learning process, it’s equally important to recognize the role flexibility plays in supporting diverse learners. Flexibility does not mean a lack of academic integrity or rigor. Flexibility can mean many things for many people therefore, it is important to clarify its intention, meaning, and place in the course. The most common use of flexibility in the online classroom is for extensions on assignments, which can help reduce instructor bias and increase student engagement and agency (Ruesch & Sarvary, 2023). How else can flexibility be incorporated into an online course? Following, there are a few ideas and questions to guide the decision about flexibility:

Consider updating late submission policies. Ensure that students know what to expect if unforeseen circumstances prevent them from submitting assignments by the due date. Be cognizant that life happens to everyone, and we need to offer kindness and empathy to students. How can an “automatic” late assignment policy work within the nature and scope of the course?
In selecting materials, identify multiple formats students can use to gain knowledge. Are there media-based materials that provide the textbook content in an alternative way (e.g., audiobook, ebook)?
Design assignments that include choice for students to select the format or topic of their preference. Do assignments need to all be written? Where can students choose their own topic for a project?

Feedback

While structure and flexibility are essential components of an inclusive learning environment, they alone are insufficient. Research suggests that instructor presence is fundamental to developing a sense of belonging and connection in the online environment. In addition, instructor feedback is as critical as presence to promote learning. Instructor feedback can help students identify the areas to improve. It can also help instructors identify additional resources to support students. Providing students feedback is mutually beneficial. Students receive actionable feedback on their progress and instructors learn what works in the course and what to improve. Let’s explore some ideas for feedback as a framework to build a connection with students:

Create feedback guidelines that communicate to students what to expect from you and when. When will assignments be graded and grades reported? How soon will you respond to email questions?
Consider offering feedback in multiple formats, such as audio or video in addition to text. Reflect on which activities might benefit from the added context and personal connection audio/video feedback would provide?
Prepare rubrics or grading guidelines that clearly indicate to students how the assignments will be graded. Ensure the rubrics are connected to the purpose and expectations of the assignments.
Give students actionable feedback that shows students their learning progress and guides them on how to improve.
Design the course modules to include feedback and revision steps. This approach will help students see how all course components are connected and contribute to meeting the course outcomes.
Include peer feedback (peer review) that 1) gives students guidance on how to conduct a peer review, and 2) enhances their critical thinking and perspectives by reading peers’ work.

Educators can move away from a one-size-fits-all approach by intentionally combining structure, flexibility, and feedback. This creates an environment that addresses the diverse and unique needs of all students and ensures every student has an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they start.

References

Eddy, S. L., & Hogan, K. A. (2014). Getting under the hood: how and for whom does increasing course structure work?. CBE life sciences education, 13(3), 453–468. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-03-0050
Ruesch, J. M., & Sarvary, M. A. (2024, March). Structure and flexibility: systemic and explicit assignment extensions foster an inclusive learning environment. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 9, p. 1324506). Frontiers Media SA.
University of Waterloo (n.d.). Humanizing Virtual Learning. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/humanizinglearningonline/

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, online, distance learning has emerged as a dynamic and accessible platform for students worldwide. However, with this shift to asynchronous online classrooms we must prioritize inclusivity and engagement in our educational strategies. Recognizing this need, Ecampus embarked on a journey to understand inclusive course design and teaching practices through the eyes of the learners.

Survey Summary

In 2021, Ecampus implemented an Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan. One goal of this plan focused on enhancing inclusive teaching and learning in online courses. As part of this initiative, a pilot study was conducted during the academic year 2022-2023, to develop a mechanism for students to provide feedback on their learning experiences. The study employed a series of weekly surveys, designed to elicit responses regarding moments of engagement and distancing within online courses.

Administered across five Ecampus courses, the pilot study garnered responses from 163 enrolled students. The findings provide invaluable insights into the nuances of online learning design and offer actionable recommendations for educators seeking to cultivate inclusive excellence in their own asynchronous, online classrooms. The questions were as follows:

At what moment (point) in class this week were you most engaged as a learner?
At what moment (point) in class this week were you most distanced as a learner?
What else about your experience as a learner this week would you like to share?

These questions were carefully crafted to elicit responses related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). By using the verbs “engaged” and “distanced,” students were prompted to reflect on moments of connection and disconnection within their learning environments. The open-ended nature of the questions allowed students to provide contextual feedback, offering valuable insights beyond the scope of predefined categories.

The results of the survey provide a multifaceted understanding of students’ experiences in online courses. Across all five courses, certain patterns emerged regarding elements that students found most engaging and most distancing. These insights served as a springboard for the development of actionable recommendations aimed at enhancing course design and fostering inclusive learning environments.

Alignment

One crucial area highlighted by the survey results was the importance of alignment. Students noticed when their courses had assessments that were aligned with course content, and they noticed when this alignment was missing. Ensuring that learning objectives are represented in instructional materials, practice activities, assessments, and evaluation criteria is key. For more on this, please see “Alignment” by Karen Watté from 2017.

Learning Materials

Another prominent theme in the survey responses was the overwhelming nature of long, uncurated lists of readings and learning materials, which tended to alienate learners. To address this, providing a reading guide or highlighting key points can alleviate feelings of overwhelm. Optimizing content presentation and learning activities emerged as a key factor in promoting engagement and inclusivity.

Incorporating interactive elements such as knowledge checks and practice activities within or between short lectures keeps students actively engaged and reinforces learning objectives. By utilizing multiple modes of content delivery–videos, lectures, and readings–educators can cater to diverse learning styles and preferences. Providing study guides is also noted as an effective strategy for enhancing comprehension and engagement with learning materials.

Community & Connection

Supporting student-to-student interaction is pivotal in fostering a sense of community and participation (Akyol & Garrison, 2008). Many learners noted that they enjoyed engaging in small group discussions, in fact 50% of students in one course noted that the week 1 introductory discussion was the point they felt most engaged. Additionally, students across the courses were excited to view and respond to the creative work of their peers. Community-building course elements like these foster a sense of community and collaboration within the virtual classroom.

While some students had mixed feelings about peer review activities–voicing concerns about feeling unqualified to judge their peer’s work–distinct guidelines and rubrics can empower learners to develop critical thinking, increase ownership, and enhance their communication skills. Thus, thoughtfully crafted peer review processes can also help to enhance the educational experience.

Authentic Activities

Incorporating authentic or experiential learning activities was also highlighted in student responses as a means of connecting course content to real-world scenarios. By integrating professional case studies, practical exercises, real-world applications, and reflective activities, educators can deepen students’ understanding of course material. Survey respondents noted again, and again how they felt engaged when coursework was relevant and applicable outside the classroom. This type of authentic work in courses can also increase learner motivation. (Gulikers, Bastiaens, & Kirschner, 2004)

Timely Feedback & RSI

By offering timely feedback on student work, online educators demonstrate their active presence and assist students in understanding the critical aspects of assessments, ultimately enhancing their chances of success. One student is quoted as saying,

“I really appreciate the involvement of the instructor. In the past I’ve had Ecampus classes where the teacher was doing the bare minimum and didn’t grade things until the last minute so I wasn’t even sure how I was doing in the class until it was almost over. I appreciate the speed at which things have been graded and the feedback I’ve already received. I appreciate the care put into announcements too!”

Timely feedback and time-bound announcements are also notable ways to showcase Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI). Please also see “Regular & Substantive Interaction in Your Online Course” by Christine Scott.

Scaffolding

Another noteworthy recommendation from the survey findings was the importance of providing scaffolding and support throughout the course. Respondents expressed appreciation for feedback from peers and instructors to improve their writing. One student noted, “When I used my peer review feedback to improve my draft.” Offering additional resources and tutorials for unfamiliar or complex concepts ensures that all students have the support they need to succeed.Moreover, breaking down larger, high-stakes assignments into smaller, manageable tasks, can reduce feelings of overwhelm, provide a sense of accomplishment, increase early feedback and promote overall success.

Autonomy

Furthermore, offering choice and flexibility in assignments and assessments empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. Whether it’s offering choice in topics, deliverable types, or exercise formats, providing students with agency fosters a sense of autonomy and engagement. One respondent noted, “I think choosing a project topic was the most engaging part of this week, because allowing students to research things that they are interested [in,] within some constraints is a good way to get them engaged and interested in the topics.”

Note on Survey Administration

One final take away from the study underscores the importance of thoughtful survey administration. While weekly surveys offer robust results, participating faculty indicated that surveying students every week was too frequent. Instead, it’s recommended to conduct surveys between one to three times throughout the course, striking a balance between gathering insights and respecting students’ time. Additionally, transparent communication about the purpose and use of student feedback is essential for fostering trust and eliciting honest responses. Students should understand that their feedback is valued and how it will be utilized to improve their learning experience in both the current term and future iterations of the course.

Conclusion

Engagement and inclusion in online education is multifaceted and ongoing. By listening to student feedback, implementing actionable recommendations, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, educators can create transformative learning experiences that empower students to thrive in the digital age. Together, let us embark on this journey towards inclusive excellence, ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to succeed while feeling valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

References

Akyol, Z., & Garrison, D. R. (2008). The development of a community of inquiry over time in an online course: Understanding the progression and integration of social, cognitive and teaching presence. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3-4), 3-22. 10.24059/olj.v12i3.72

Gulikers, J.T.M., Bastiaens, T.J. & Kirschner, P.A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. ETR&D 52, 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504676

Scott, C. (2022, November 7). Regular & Substantive Interaction in Your Online Course. Ecampus Course Development & Training Blog.https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspire/2022/11/07/regular-substantive-interaction-in-your-online-course/

Watté, K. (2017, January 27). Alignment. Ecampus Course Development & Training Blog. https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspire/2017/01/27/alignment/

This image is part of the Transformation Projects at the Ars Electronica Kepler's Garden at the JUK. The installation AI Truth Machine deals with the chances and challenges of finding truth through a machine.

All the buzz recently has been about Generative AI, and for good reason. These new tools are reshaping the way we learn and work. Within the many conversations about Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed a common thread has been appearing regarding the other AI–Academic Integrity. Creating and maintaining academic integrity in online courses is a crucial part of quality online education. It ensures that learners are held to ethical standards and encourages a fair, honest, and respectful learning environment. Here are some strategies to promote academic integrity and foster a culture of ethical behavior throughout your online courses, even in the age of generative AI.

Create an Academic Integrity Plan

Having a clear academic integrity plan is essential for any course. Create an instructor-only page within your course that details a clear strategy for maintaining academic integrity. This plan might include a schedule for revising exam question banks to prevent cheating, as well as specific measures to detect and address academic dishonesty (plagiarism or proctoring software). In this guide, make note of other assignments or places in the course where academic integrity is mentioned (in the syllabus and/or particular assignments), so these pages can be easily located and updated as needed. By having a plan, you can ensure a consistent approach across the course.

Exemplify Integrity Throughout the Course

It is important to weave academic integrity into the fabric of your course. Begin by introducing the concept in your Start Here module. Provide an overview of what integrity means in your course, including specific examples of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This sets the tone for the rest of the course and establishes clear expectations. On this page, you might:

Offer resources and educational materials on academic integrity for learners, such as guides on proper citation and paraphrasing.
Include definitions of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, cheating, and falsification.
Provide guidance on how learners might use generative AI within the class, including what is and is not considered acceptable.
Add scenarios or case studies that allow learners to discuss and understand academic integrity issues, specifically related to the use of generative AI.
Connect academic integrity with ethical behavior in the larger field.
Provide a place for learners to reflect on what it means for them to participate in the course in a way that maximizes their learning while maintaining academic integrity.

Throughout the course, continue to reinforce these ideas. Reminders about academic integrity can be integrated into various lessons and modules. By articulating the integrity expectations at the activity and assignment level, you provide learners with a deeper understanding of how these principles apply to their work.

Set Clear Expectations for Assignments

When designing assignments, it is important to be explicit about your expectations for academic integrity. Outline what learners should and should not do when completing the task. For instance, if you do not want them to collaborate on a particular assignment, state that clearly. Provide examples and resources to guide learners on how to properly cite sources or avoid plagiarism. Be specific with your expectations and share why you have specific policies in place. For instance, if you want to discourage the use of generative AI in particular assignments, call out the ways it can and cannot be used. As an example, you might tell learners they can use generative AI to help form an outline or check their grammar in their finished assignment, but not to generate the body text. Share the purpose behind the policy, in this case it might be something about how a writing assignment is their opportunity to synthesize their learning and cement specific course concepts. This kind of transparency shows respect for the tools and the learning process, while also clearly outlining for learners what is acceptable.

Encourage Conversations About Integrity

Creating opportunities for learners to engage in discussions about academic integrity can help solidify these concepts in their minds. You can incorporate forums or discussion boards where learners can share their thoughts and experiences related to integrity. This also gives them a chance to ask questions and seek clarification on any concerns they may have. Encourage open dialogue between instructors and learners regarding academic integrity and any related concerns. These conversations can also extend beyond the classroom, exploring how integrity applies in your field or career paths. By connecting academic integrity to real-world scenarios, you help learners understand its relevance and importance in their professional lives.

Foster a Supportive Learning Environment

A supportive learning environment can help reinforce academic integrity by making learners feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. Offer resources like definitions, guides, or access to mentors who can provide additional support. When learners know they have access to help, they are more likely to adhere to integrity standards. With generative AI in the learning landscape, we will inevitably encounter more “gray areas” in academic integrity. Be honest with your learners about your concerns and your hopes. Being open to conversations can only enhance the learning experience and the integrity in your courses.

We all play a role in cultivating a culture of academic integrity in online courses. By documenting a clear plan, weaving integrity into the course content, setting clear expectations, encouraging conversations, and providing support, you can create an environment where honesty and ethical behavior are valued and upheld. This not only benefits learners during their academic journey but also helps them develop skills and values that will serve them well in their future careers.

I was recently reminded of a conference keynote that I attended a few years ago, and the beginning of an academic term seems like an appropriate time to revisit it on this blog.

In 2019, Dan Heath, a bestselling author and senior fellow at Duke University’s CASE Center, gave a presentation at InstructureCon, a conference for Canvas users, where he talked about how memories are formed. He explained that memories are composed of moments. Moments, according to Heath, are “mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable.” To illustrate, most of what I’ve done today–dropping my kids off at spring break camp, replying to emails, going to a lunchtime yoga class, and writing this blog post–will largely be forgotten by next month. There is nothing remarkable about today. Unremarkable is often a desirable state because it means that an experience occurred without any hiccups or challenges.

Heath went on to describe what it is that makes great experiences memorable. His answer: Great experiences consist of “peaks,” and peaks consist of at least one of the following elements: elevation, insight, pride, or connection. He argued that we need to create more academic peaks in education. Creating peaks, he contends, will lead to more memorable learning experiences.

So, how do we create these peaks that will lead to memorable experiences? Let’s explore some ideas through the four approaches outlined by Heath.

Elevation. Elevation refers to moments that bring us joy and make us feel good. You might bring this element into your course by directly asking students to share what is bringing them joy, perhaps as an icebreaker. Sharing their experiences might also lead to connection, which is another way (see below) to create peaks that lead to memorable experiences.

Insight. Insight occurs when new knowledge allows us to see something differently. Moments of insight are often sparked by reflection. You might consider making space for reflection in your courses. Creativity is another way to spark new insights. How might students engage with course concepts in new, creative ways? To list off a few ideas, perhaps students can create a meme, record a podcast, engage in a role play, or write a poem.

Pride. People often feel a sense of pride when their accomplishments are celebrated. To spark feelings of accomplishment in your students, I encourage you to go beyond offering positive feedback and consider sharing particularly strong examples of student work with the class (after getting permission–of course!) Showcasing the hard work of students can help students to feel proud of their efforts and may even lead to moments of joyful elevation.

Connection. Connection refers to our ties with other people. Experiencing connection with others can feel deeply rewarding. As I mentioned above, asking students to share their experiences with peers is one way to foster connection. In Ecampus courses, we aim to foster student-student and student-teacher connection, but I encourage you to explore other opportunities for students to make meaningful connections. Perhaps students can get involved with their communities or with colleagues, if they happen to have a job outside of classes. Students could connect with their academic advisors or the writing center to support their work in a course. There are many ways to foster connections that support students in their learning!

It’s easy to focus on delivering content, especially in online courses. This was one of Heath’s overarching points. The key, however, to creating memorable learning experiences is to take a student-centered approach to designing and facilitating your course.

I invite you to start the term off by asking yourself: How can I create more moments of elevation, insight, pride, and connection for my students? It might be easier than you think.

References:

Heath, D. (2019, July 10). Keynote. InstructureCon. Long Beach, CA.

Seems like an easy question to answer, right? I might not give it a second thought.

Yet, as an online course developer, I sometimes find myself in conversations with co-developers where I realize I’ve been working under a different assumption about what a lecture is. And that’s fine, I kind of like having my preconceptions challenged. I wanted to share a little of that experience.

Our media development team has one of the stricter definitions of lecture, a specific kind of video recording. They have to, they are handling hundreds of videos every term. It’s essential for them to be able to sort media into the most efficient pipeline. Makes sense.

However, when I am working with subject matter experts, instructors, co-developers, etc. … I have found it useful to stay more flexible regarding many definitions. Sometimes errors in assumptions can open a door for discourse. It has certainly been a creative challenge. As an example, I’ll reminisce a little about a couple of my favorite mistaken assumptions about lectures. Ah yes, I remember it like it happened just this last Fall ….

I helped develop an upper-division online course centered on technology for educators. My first mistaken assumption was going in all ready to talk about video lecturing. The instructor on this co-development was a podcaster and wanted to deliver lectures in that format. I’ve had other instructors who preferred podcast lectures, no worries there. Some instructors see podcasts as a more portable kind of lecture or an alternative way to access the content. Students can listen to lectures on the go or download the lecture for offline listening. We just had to make sure to include transcripts for accessibility instead of captioning.

Also, I got to design the following playback interfaces to make them look more ‘podcasty’.

As you’ve probably guessed, there was a second mistaken assumption on my part. I was thinking the podcasts were the lectures. The podcasts are pieces of a larger “discourse given before an audience or class especially for instruction”. (Miriam-Webster: lecture and discourse). For our course, this discourse might be composed of multiple media element types.

The instructor wanted each ‘lecture’ to be a curated collection of learning elements focusing on specific topics; podcasts, video, reading, even Padlet posts. Part of the pedagogy here is to immerse them, as students, in a variety of technologies in the lectures that they may be using as educators. Together, we collaborated to find the most effective way to present all of this material as discrete lectures. Below is what we came up with. Would you still consider these lectures?

Interestingly, I don’t think we’ve quite strayed far from the Merriam-Webster definitions:

lecture: A discourse given before an audience or class especially for instruction
discourse: Formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject. Connected speech or writing

While the course did include some interactive learning elements, these were not incorporated into lectures. It’s an interesting thought though.

How would you incorporate interactive exercises into lectures?
Does that still work within the definitions given above?

Maybe we can stretch the definition a little more. (Hmm. Perhaps in another blog post)

My takeaway here is that a lecture doesn’t have to be something given before a live class, or a simple narrated PowerPoint video online. As a course developer, my goal is to support my co-developer’s vision. But I am also serving the learning needs of students. As an online course developer, I have more flexibility about what a lecture can be. It makes sense to be open to more possibilities. I look forward to having more of these conversations with co-developers.

Stay flexible. Keep learning.

As a follow-up to discussing equity in grading and group work, Feldman (2019) offers a compelling case against the use of extra credit. “But wait a minute,” I can hear you saying, “Extra credit is optional—students have to opt-in if they want to do it! And it can be fun! What’s wrong with that?” Many instructors may think of extra credit as a way to benefit students and give them extra opportunities in a course, especially at the end of a term, to improve their grade, take on additional challenges, and demonstrate additional skills they have learned. (I know I thought about extra credit that way at one time!) However, there is more at play with extra credit than you might think. Let’s return to Feldman’s three pillars of equitable grades:

“They are mathematically accurate, validly reflecting a student’s academic performance.
They are bias-resistant, preventing biased subjectivity from infecting our grades.
They motivate students to strive for academic success, persevere, accept struggles and setbacks, and to gain critical lifelong skills” (Feldman, p. 71).

With these three pillars in mind, let’s examine some potential issues with extra credit:

Accuracy: There are many ways extra credit can obscure what information a grade includes. First, it can be used to incentivize certain behaviors, which obscures a grade by not assessing academic performance or learning. (For example, extra credit for turning things in on time.) Second, it can obscure whether a grade reflects what students know by turning grades into a commodity (more about this below). In this way, grades are a reflection of how many points students are able to accumulate, not necessarily how much they have learned or whether they have met all of a course’s learning outcomes.This kind of extra credit can unintentionally signal to students that their behavior and non-academic performance in a course is more important than their learning.
Bias: Sometimes extra credit is awarded to incentivize students to participate in extra events or opportunities, like attending a webinar, guest lecture, local event, etc. However, in addition to treating grades like a commodity, this kind of incentive also makes it difficult for students without outside resources or help to engage. What about students without the money for event tickets, transportation, child or family care, and/or without the time away from work, family, etc.? They are unable to participate, even if they want to, due to external factors outside of their control. And often these are the students who could potentially benefit the most from additional points if they are already struggling because of these exact conditions. For extra credit that provides extra challenges beyond the course materials, only the students already doing well will be able to participate and benefit from the opportunity, additionally shutting out students who are already behind.
Motivation: Having extra credit, especially at the end of the course, can also be damaging to student motivation, as it places an emphasis on grades and points instead of learning. For example, some students may prioritize obtaining a desired grade above learning important content, while other students may use extra credit to bolster a weak area they were unable to fully grasp, thereby giving up on learning that material entirely. Both of these potential mindsets set students up to focus on a product (grade) more than learning and any future perspectives they might have about their learning.

One additional issue of extra credit to consider is the additional work and time on instructors for both designing additional assignments and grading the extra work, especially at the end of a term when there is usually a plethora of assignments, exams, and projects to grade.

“If the work is important, require it; if it’s not, don’t include it in the grade.”
Feldman, p. 122.

So, what options can we give students that are more equitable as an alternative to extra credit? Instead of creating additional assignments, allow students to revise and resubmit work. This shift can help support students by encouraging them to learn from past mistakes, build on their learning, and see their growth over time. Revisions and resubmissions don’t have to only happen at the end of the term, so instructors can also consider timing of revisions based on course design, formative and summative assessment timing, and their own workloads. It also helps students who may be struggling with outside barriers to have additional attempts to complete work they may have missed. It also means that students cannot opt-out of important work or concepts because they cannot substitute those points from other areas of the course. Lastly, it saves the instructor time from designing and implementing additional assignments and complicated grading setups at the end of a term when instructors are often the busiest. While the use of extra credit is often from a place of good intentions, I hope this brief outline helps recontextualize how it may have a larger, negative impact in your course than you may have initially thought, as well as a strategy for replacing it in your course designs.

References

Feldman, J. (2019). Grading for equity: What it is, why it matters, and how it can transform schools and classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

One of the most common concerns that instructors raise about teaching online is how to engage students in meaningful interactions. Online discussion boards is the default for simulating the types of conversations that take place in a classroom, albeit the online environment favors written communication in the form of posts and replies. These written posts may be the easiest ways of communication in online learning environments offering students less overwhelming experiences and more opportunities for critical thinking and building community (see benefits of discussion boards). However, written communication is not the only way in which students can interact with one another -images, audio, or video can increase engagement and motivation. Still, these options are not intuitively built into online discussion forums.

The discussion board option appears to be boring and demotivating -it sounds more like a chore than an activity where students build community and participate in the exchange of ideas and perspectives – where they grow intellectually and as individuals. Online discussions can turn into spaces for dialogue, debates, and community. How do we design these spaces so that students engage and interact more meaningfully? Well, let’s explore a tiered approach to spark engagement in online discussions.

Tier 1: Revamp Discussion Boards

Consider the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI) in facilitating deep, engaging, and meaningful learning. The three elements of this framework can be used to design discussion boards: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. Ragupathi (2016) describes these presences in online courses as follows: “Social presence that will encourage students to present their individual personalities/profiles, help them identify with the community, communicate purposefully and function comfortably in a trusted environment; (2) Cognitive presence that will get students to introduce factual, conceptual, and theoretical knowledge into the discussion and be able to construct/confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse; and (3) Teaching presence to provide necessary facilitation of the learning process through effective discussion.” (p. 4). Social presence in particular can be achieved through discussions (although not the only tool) to promote a sense of connection and community.

Apart from a strong foundation on a sense of connection and community that the CoI promotes, the structure of the discussion assignment plays an important role. To this effect, “structure” and “why” are the key

Revise Structure and Format

Establish a clear purpose and add value to the participation/contribution:
- Instructor-led: contextualize the outcomes, make explicit expectations
- Student-led: ask students to share their takeaways from the discussion participation (e.g., reflection, embedded in assignments)
- Connect the content to the discussion assignment (e.g., ask students to refer back or cite previous readings/videos completed in the weekly content)
Clearly set expectations for:
- Grading criteria (e.g., provide a rubric or grading guidelines)
- Timeframe
- Resources (e.g., from the course or external)
- What is a “good post” (e.g., provide an example, describe an example that does not meet expectations)
- Clarify terminology (e.g., link to a glossary of terms)
Support continuity of engagement:
- Suggest students subscribe to discussion boards so they get notifications about new posts (Note: discussion threads are not notified, just new discussion posts)
- Provide summaries or takeaways in an announcement following the end of the discussion timeframe
Make discussion spaces manageable (students & faculty)
- Group students in small groups (e.g., 5-7)
- Promote Social Presence in Small Groups

Visit this link for discussion board examples.

Tier 2. Augment the Discussion Boards

The next tier is to augment the opportunities that discussion boards offer. Structure and creativity will intertwine in layers to turn discussions into collaborative spaces. Here, there is greater emphasis on community as a place where students take a more active role, embrace challenges, and own their contribution role as active participants in building knowledge together.

Start with setting the discussion board as a place for a conversation:
- Introductions: encourage students to use additional elements to introduce themselves to the class (e.g., images, videos, goals, expectations). With the caveat that it is optional so they feel comfortable choosing what and how to share.

Create discussion scenarios/questions/prompts that elicit more than one response:
- Post first before you see previous posts
- Students post follow-up questions and bring additional examples. Students reply to more than 2 peers who have not received replies yet
- Encourage students to bring their experiences, outside readings, and additional resources to share
- Encourage posts in different formats (e.g., video, images, infographics, mindmaps)
Student-facilitated discussions:
- Create small groups and ask students to select a leader (rotate leadership role) Alternatively, randomly assign a leader
- Student leaders post summaries of discussions in small groups and/or in whole-class discussions
- Set expected participation:
A minimum number of responses (1 post; 2 replies; number of posts in total)

Consider self-paced discussions and encourage students to post a certain number of posts throughout the term or week. (Caveat: the first few students that post might need to wait until others post)
Create a learning community for future assignments:
- Students share initial drafts, outlines, and research topics and ask for comments/feedback. Alternatively, students post their initial work and share their goals, and ideas about how it is relevant. Students are encouraged to read the shared work or not.
- Beyond the Question and Answer format (e.g., role plays, debates, WebQuests)
- Set the discussion as a Peer review assignment.

Tier 3. Beyond Discussion Boards*

The linearity that many discussion board platforms have could make the interaction feel inauthentic, boring, and tedious to navigate. An alternative to a linear discussion is the concept of social annotations and collaborative spaces where students intersect transversally and with multimodal elements.

Social Annotations: students can add comments, post questions, vote, and interact with peers over learning materials such as readings, videos, visuals, and websites. Students interact and collaborate based on interests and questions they have while studying the content. You can use social annotations as a learning tool.
Asynchronous conversations: increase the collaborative nature of group work with multimodality where students not only post and reply but also create their own content for others to comment on. Explore asynchronous conversations in VoiceThread.
Collaborative work: online discussions do not have to be about posts and replies only. Students can engage in meaningful conversations through collaborative work. For example, students can do collaborative assignments, interact synchronously or asynchronously, and comment on each others’ contributions. Some web platforms you can explore include Microsoft Whiteboard and Miro.

Tier 4: Unleash the Discussion Boards

While discussion boards are mainly associated with asynchronous learning environments, discussions can play an important role in hybrid learning. You may be wondering why when we know that one of the underlying features of hybrid learning is to use the class time for active learning, collaborative and team activities, increased participation, and social interaction. But these activities do not have to end when the class time is over. Discussions can help keep students engaged in the class topics and activities after the in-person experience. Any of the tier approaches described above could be integrated seamlessly into hybrid learning to give continuity to class conversations, prep for future in-person activities, foster metacognitive and reflection skills, and strengthen social presence.

*Note: The use of other tools outside of the Canvas learning management system will require a careful evaluation of accessibility and privacy policies.

References

Ragupathi, K. (2016). Facilitating effective online discussions. Resource guide. Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning.
Rutherford, J. (2023, August 16). The Design of Hybrid Teaching Environments: 10 Questions Answered. EDUCAUSE.
Ferlazzo, L. (2020, October 23). Effective Strategies for Using Online Student-Discussion Boards. ED Week.
GSSU Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Benefits of Discussion Boards.

This article has its roots in a discussion I had with an Ecampus intern about going on the job market. This intern is working in an academic technologies role at a higher ed institution already, but also getting the Instructional Design certificate here at OSU. It was my first time thinking about what the growth of instructional design certificate and degree credentials means for all instructional designers. Very few of the instructional designers I’ve met and worked with here or at my previous institutions actually have degrees in instructional design, including myself. The field of instructional design emerged out of a specific institutional and educational need in higher education and corporate education, which makes for an ever-growing, ever-changing, but always innovative membership. How do we, as a field, continue to be inclusive of all instructional designers, regardless of their academic or educational backgrounds?

One potentially positive fact is that academia moves very slowly, so we have some time to strategize. Instructional design is still an emerging speciality within higher education, with each institution classifying that role differently, and providing that role with different levels of support. Some institutions, even today, do not have any instructional designers. Current research indicates that this must change. One of the best sources of data about the field of instructional design in higher education and instructional designers is the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Project. The participants in the CHLOE survey are “the senior online officer at each participating institution.” This survey pool recognizes the variance in organizational structures at different institutions by focusing on the COO’s purview. In the 2019 CHLOE 3 survey, it was reported that the median number of instructional designers employed at 2-year colleges, and public and private 4-year institutions, was four, regardless of enrollment or institution size. In CHLOE 7, one of the conclusions was that “insufficient instructional design staffing may be one of online learning’s most serious long-term vulnerabilities,” with only 10% of Chief Online Officers surveyed describing their ID capacity as sufficient for their current needs, and only 3% believing they would be able to meet anticipated need.

These findings signal that universities should be moving towards a significant fiscal investment in hiring instructional designers. Joshua Kim wrote a few key takeaways from the CHLOE 7 in CHLOE 7: The Present and Future of Instructional Design Capacity. Kim predicts that universities will need to not only hire more instructional designers, but that these roles will need to be hybrid or remote to attract the post-pandemic workforce. In addition to hybrid and remote options, Kim posits that, “Forward-thinking universities may find that they need to start offering star non-faculty educators the same recognition and incentives that have long been necessary to recruit and retain star tenure-line faculty.” But what does this mean for instructional designers? How would an instructional designer even be able to become identified as a “star” within the field or even at a specific institution?

Understanding Branding for Faculty and Non-Faculty Educators

Circling back to my initial inquiry about what instructional designers can do to ensure the field stays inclusive, I believe an individual enterprise will have a collective impact that will benefit the largest number of people: personal branding. In What’s the Point of a Personal Brand? Executive coach Harrison Monarth uses the story of his client, Mike, to illustrate how important it is for employees to think about how personal branding is now a strategy for gaining visibility within organizations, and that visibility is now a key component when employers are thinking about promotion. Monarth observes that “In high-performing organizations, at certain levels, everyone is exceptional. To clearly differentiate your value and what you bring to the table, you need to do more than have a good reputation. You need to have an outstanding personal brand.” Having a brand isn’t the same thing as being a celebrity, although I think many would agree that there are celebrities in every field, even instructional design.

Creating a personal brand is a successful career strategy outside of the corporate world as well, and one of the fields that is encouraging faculty to think about branding is not, as one might think, business but medicine. In 2019, the Academic Medicine blog published Knowing Your Personal Brand: What Academics Can Learn From Marketing 101, the purpose of which was to persuade medical professionals that a brand identity can be empowering. According to the article,

[K]nowing one’s academic brand can (1) help faculty members approach projects and other responsibilities through the lens of building or detracting from that brand, (2) provide a framework for determining how faculty members might best work within their institutions, and (3) help faculty members better understand and advocate their own engagement and advancement.

Although this article specifically speaks to and about academic teaching faculty, Instructional designers at institutions are often placed in the professional faculty role, along with librarians or program directors, and have many of the same professional demands on their job descriptions. As former faculty, I can attest that both of my careers have included independent research, departmental service, and conference or publication responsibilities.

Finding Your Personal Brand

If a brand is defined as opinions that people have about you based on your work, it is important to be self-aware, and intentional about the work that you do. Creating your brand can be a difficult task if, like me, you have a variety of experiences and interests. It requires self-reflection about one’s accomplishments and body of work as a whole, and the need to generalize what are sometimes very disparate activities. In Using Your Personal Mission Statement to INSPIRE and Achieve Success, an article published in Academic Pediatrics, the official journal of the Academic Pediatric Association, the authors describe a framework for building a personal mission statement (INSPIRE):

Identify Your Core Values
Name the Population You Serve
Set Your Vision
Plan How You Will Achieve Your Vision
Identify Activities That Align With Your Mission
Review, Revise, and Refine Your Mission Statement
Enlist Others to Help You Accomplish Your Mission

A slimmed down version of this same framework can be a helpful starting point for creating a brand identity. It enables you to identify your core values, name the population you serve, and identify activities that support those values and populations. But unlike a mission statement, this framework is best completed in reverse; a backwards brand design, if you will. (Sidenote: Instructional designers love to do things backwards). I call this framework SIFT:

Start with your experience and accomplishments
Identify keywords or topics
Frame your work and interests
Tie everything together

I believe that SIFT-ing has the potential to be a reflective process that will lead to a changing self-awareness of different types of instructional designers, for ourselves, and collectively.

Start with your experience and accomplishments

The best place to begin is with your complete resume or CV. It might be tempting to start with the tailored version you used to get your last position, but you don’t want to limit your view to only things that you think are relevant to instructional design. I can trace some elements of my brand back to my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I also include my two years as a contracted captioner for 3play and Rev within the same brand. Finding a brand that encompasses all that you are will only be successful if you use the most complete picture of yourself.

Identify keywords or topics

Your brand is more than just the places that you’ve worked at, the committees you’ve served on, and projects you’ve worked on. To understand your brand, you should begin by identifying a perspective, or positionality, that informs the decisions you’ve made in the past, however unconsciously that might have been, and looks towards the future. Keywords can be a useful next step, but you will want to avoid the potential to find yourself trapped within categories! In a field like medicine, there are already established research interests and specialties. As a field, instructional design hasn’t reached the point of specialization, but we are trending towards accepting that there are too many topics that fall under the broad umbrella of instructional design for everyone to be experts in everything. For example, the Quality Matters Instructional Designers Association has 21 expertise categories that you can select from when joining the association that others can use to find you to connect with you.

A screencapture of the list of categories from the QM IDA website

When I first joined the QM IDA, I didn’t know what boxes to check, or even what some of these categories were. And since they are presented without explanation, the criteria for self-identification are unclear. I can check almost all of these boxes as things I have experience in—with the exception of K12 and the Continuing and Professional Education Rubric, but is experience the same thing as expertise? It might be my imposter syndrome talking, but I am more inclined to identify with interests than areas of expertise. (Sidenote: I still haven’t checked any boxes.)

Frame your work and interests

I hadn’t noticed a pattern to my interests while I was doing them, but by reflecting on my professional journey, I realized that I could trace one interest all the way back to my undergraduate honors thesis, through to my current career as an instructional designer. I’ve always had an interest in communities and the community spaces they inhabit—especially if they are online. Community doesn’t appear on QM’s list of categories, but it is the lens through which I approach many of the categories on that list. Accessibility, Computer-Based Learning, Distance Education, Hybrid instruction/Design, LMS, Multimedia Creation, Problem-Based Learning—all of these categories need to address questions of community by addressing inclusivity, access, equity, and authentic student-student and student-teacher interactions. Community is the keyword I use to frame my research interests and approach to instructional design, in all of its various forms.

Tie everything together

If you go to my LinkedIn profile, you’ll see that I have “Humanities girl in an instructional technology world” as my headline. That’s my brand. You might notice that it does not include “instructional design” or “community.” But at the same time, by labeling myself a humanist, I am evoking the words associated with humanities and humanism–things like communities, kindness, compassion, human potential, and the arts. Technology is often viewed either as the savior of humanity, or its destruction. In reality, of course, it’s both. By framing myself as a humanist working with technology, I am clueing people in that my perspective on technology will incorporate potential negative impacts for people. The playful nature of the headline i.e. using “girl” to rhyme with “world” also reveals my personality. Compare this headline with something like, “I am interested in humane approaches to technology used in education.” It’s true, but it doesn’t tell you about me as a person outside of my interests.

Being “On Brand”

To declare a brand is not to limit your interests, nor should it be criticized as promoting a non-interest in other topics. Another observation from Kim is that instructional designers are likely very busy, and overstretched. In his words, there is “a significant mismatch between institutional demand for instructional design services and the available supply.” To avoid burnout, instructional designers need to be strategic with the projects they commit to. A brand can also help you be selective about which conferences you attend, or committees you serve on. Being “on brand” can be a way of focusing your energy, and also a touchstone of your identity.

Using the SIFT framework, you can reflect on your professional values, and your professional goals. One of my colleagues in the field is an accessibility expert, and gets called in to consult on all things related to accessibility in addition to her daily work as an instructional designer. She recently became a certified Accessibility Professional with the IAAP, and this credential is visible on her LinkedIn profile as an emblem of her brand. Knowing her brand allowed her to appeal to her institution to allow her this opportunity that enriches not only her own skillset, but the prestige of her institution by having an IAPP certified accessibility professional on their staff. In that sense, personal branding can also help institutions build diverse departments that are teams of specialists.

To return to the three benefits of branding for faculty outlined in the Academic Medicine article, knowing my brand helps me decide where to devote my limited bandwidth by pursuing professional activities that are “on brand” for me. I can also use my brand to search for specific opportunities that will build my brand, even if those fall outside the typical skillset of instructional designers. However, moving towards a “branding” mindset also benefits my colleagues, who are equally, individually, uniquely talented, and should be recognized for their specialties and allowed to follow their passions, rather than be constrained to their job duties. As instructional design teams at universities grow, having a team of specialists can also help alleviate burnout by allowing people to play to their strengths. This can ensure that instructional design remains a space where all career pathways are valid and not contingent on specific credentials.

References

Borman-Shoap, Emily, Li, Su-Ting T., St Clair, Nicole E., Rosenbluth, Glenn, Pitt, Susan, and Michael B. Pitt. Knowing Your Personal Brand: What Academics Can Learn From Marketing 101 Academic Medicine 94(9):p 1293-1298, September 2019.

Kim, J. CHLOE 7: The Present and Future of Instructional Design Capacity InsideHigherEd (2022)

Li, Su-Ting T., Frohna, John G. and Susan B. Bostwick. Using Your Personal Mission Statement to INSPIRE and Achieve Success View from the Association of Pediatric Program Directors 17(2): p107-109, March 2017.

Monarth, H. What’s the Point of a Personal Brand? Harvard Business Review (2022)

Uranis, J. Definition Update: Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO) (2023)

Background

Applying data to design

Course Policies: Establish Clear Guidelines for AI Usage

Learner Profiles: Address Emotional and Academic Concerns

Learning Materials and Activities: Ensure Relevance and Adaptability with AI

Course Learning Outcomes: Integrate AI with Intentional Learning Design

Introducing CART: Course AI Resiliency Tracker

Getting Started

Learning Outcomes

Your Learners

Learning Materials

Activities and Assessments

Course Policies

Next Steps

Summary Page

The benefits of using the tool

Recommendation 1: A clearly explained course policy

Recommendation 2: Considering learner profiles

Recommendation 3: Ensure Relevance and Adaptability with AI

Course Learning Outcomes: Integrate AI with Intentional Learning Design

Conclusion

License and Attribution

License

Text Content and Guidance

HTML/JavaScript Development

References

Helpful Links

Structure

Flexibility

Feedback

References

Survey Summary

Alignment

Learning Materials

Community & Connection

Authentic Activities

Timely Feedback & RSI

Scaffolding

Autonomy

Note on Survey Administration

Conclusion

References

Create an Academic Integrity Plan

Exemplify Integrity Throughout the Course

Set Clear Expectations for Assignments

Encourage Conversations About Integrity

Foster a Supportive Learning Environment

References:

References

Tier 1: Revamp Discussion Boards

Revise Structure and Format

Tier 2. Augment the Discussion Boards

Tier 3. Beyond Discussion Boards*

Tier 4: Unleash the Discussion Boards

References

Understanding Branding for Faculty and Non-Faculty Educators

Finding Your Personal Brand

Start with your experience and accomplishments

Identify keywords or topics

Frame your work and interests

Tie everything together

Being “On Brand”

References

Contact Info