The purpose of this study was to examine college and university leaders' background in, perceptions of, and experiences with the administration of high-quality online programs and design of online courses. The population of this study included academic leaders at higher education institutions within the state of Texas from 2- and 4-year…

Although instructors in higher education are oftentimes content matter experts, they may not have received training on instructional design or inclusive practices, such as Universal Design for Learning. However, instructors may serendipitously implement aspects of UDL without full knowledge of the framework. This qualitative study used sensemaking…

COVID-19 led to an increase in online higher education courses. With this increase in demand, there needs to be online support to foster students' academic success. Online academic student support is often provided to students to assist them in developing the skills and knowledge to successfully complete their courses. However, it remains unclear…

With more higher education courses being offered online, the design of the learning environment is an essential component of the educational experience. However, not all online learning environments facilitate student engagement. This paper describes the redesign of two online Initial Teacher Education courses in a regional university, using the…

Generative AI presents significant opportunities for instructional designers to create content and personalize online learning environments. Alongside its benefits, generative AI also poses ethical considerations and potential risks, such as perpetuating biases or disrupting the learning process. Navigating these complexities requires an approach…

This study aims to examine the dynamic decision-making of faculty who teach instructional design courses when they design authentic learning experiences in digital learning environments, with a special focus on how they engage in environmental analysis, dynamic decision-making, promotion of knowledge acquisition, as well as the challenges they…

As the novel coronavirus began to rapidly spread worldwide in March 2020, emergency transitions to the remote education processes were adopted in all institutions so as not to interrupt students' learning. In this study, we intended to investigate the extent to which factors of online course design and student learning impact students' success…

As online learning in higher education expands, institutions are challenged to meet the needs of diverse students. COVID has further emphasized the need for inclusive online course design for all learners, especially those with disabilities. We interviewed instructional designers about their perceptions, knowledge, and responsibilities in…

As generative AI tools are increasingly popular in today's teaching and learning process, challenges and opportunities occur at the same time. Self-directed learning has been regarded as a powerful learning ability that supports learners in informal learning contexts and its importance rises in salience when incorporating AI into learning. This…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent, permeating various aspects of and spreading across education. However, a comprehensive understanding of AI applications and how to define AI literacy is under-investigated. On this note, teaching and evaluating AI literacy necessitates educators to integrate it into course content. The…

Scholars have often proposed the use of "Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" (CRP) as a way to improve the experience of Black learners in mathematics classrooms. Prior research shows Black learners show improvement in comprehension, engagement, motivation, and confidence as a result of CRP's use. However, there is limited research on whether…

While the benefits of active learning to student experiences are well documented, less is known about active learning in online education, especially regarding the development of 21st century skills (e.g., communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity). Specifically, open questions remain concerning the contribution of different…

The purpose of this exploratory research study was to examine the roles instructional designers (IDs) play in the integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into their higher education institutions, and how they use GenAI technologies in their own professional practices. Data were collected from 15 participants in the United States…

This autoethnographic study examined the influence of my positionality in designing a hopeful, racially just online learning. Hope stems from an innate belief in the possibilities for a brighter future. Therefore, hope involves embracing strengths. In this paper, I explore the influence of my positionality on my online course design through…

Bichronous online learning is the intentional blending of asynchronous and synchronous online learning experiences. Twelve award-winning online instructors participated in interviews to discuss best practices they use, and benefits and challenges in bichronous online courses. When sharing best practices for bichronous online courses, online…