Higher learning has seen an increase in web-based distance education programs, which coincides with advancements made in educational technologies. As these programs are on the rise, it becomes increasingly more important to ensure that instructional designers are prepared to accommodate the needs of these academic institutions. Developing a culture of collaboration through the optimization of instructional design methods is part of the profession's identity but has gotten overshadowed by the pressures of thinking of courses as products. "Optimizing Instructional Design Methods in Higher Education" is an essential reference source that discusses the importance of collaboration, training, and the use of new and existing models in supporting instructional designers to formalize and optimize curriculum development in higher education. It covers the importance of adapting, adjusting, and re-evaluating models based on learner needs in relation to both the process of learning and outcomes. Featuring research on topics such as human resource development, academic programs, and faculty development, this book is ideally designed for educators, academicians, researchers, and administrators seeking coverage to support design thinking and innovation that encourages student learning. This book contains the following chapters: (1) The Evolving Landscape of Instructional Design in Higher Education (Yianna Vovides and Linda Rafaela Lemus); (2) Resisting the Deprofessionalization of Instructional Design (Matthew M. Acevedo and Gustavo Roque); (3) Advancing a New General Education Curriculum Through a Faculty Community of Practice: A Model for Intentional Design (Judith A. Giering and Gail M. Hunger); (4) Instructional Design in Human Resource Development Academic Programs in the USA (Sunyoung Park, Doo Hun Lim, and Minkyoung Kim); (5) Instructional Design for Adult and Continuing Higher Education: Theoretical and Practical Considerations (Doo Hun Lim, Jieun You, Junghwan Kim, and Jihee Hwang); (6) Applying Instructional Design Guidelines for Community Health Programs in Health Education (Laura Adams and Neal Shambaugh); (7) Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Design for Learning: Potential Synergies (Aysel Sahin Kizil); (8) Instructional Design Applied to TCN5 Virtual World (Andressa Falcade, Aliane Loureiro Krassmann, Roseclea Duarte Medina, and Vania Cristina Bordin Freitas); and (9) The Role of Instructional Design in Surfacing the Hidden Curriculum (Linda Rafaela Lemus and Yianna Vovides).