Various theories and models discuss how instructional designers can develop systems that allow learners to engage in problem-solving. To date, many of these theories and models that guide design often describe how learners engage in meaning-making within a situated context; however, they do not address strategies instructional designers can use to…

In recent years, publications on microlearning have substantially increased, as this topic has received extensive attention from scholars in the instructional design and technology discipline. To better characterize and understand microlearning, there is a need for comprehensive bibliometrics assessments of the literature on microlearning. To this…

The increasing ubiquity of digital technologies in the twenty-first century has led to calls for education reform focused on digital literacy, but what exactly does this term mean? The concept of digital literacy has evolved much since its evolution from media and new literacies scholarship, resulting in a myriad of definitions. Previous attempts…

As higher education institutions increasingly expand their online course offerings, the role of instructional designers in enhancing instructional quality and effectiveness becomes critical. This study surveyed practicing instructional designers to explore the specific tasks they perform performed in higher education and identifies factors that…

This study explores instructional designers' perspectives on the prioritization of competencies relevant to their professional practices. The competencies examined in this study are derived from the 2012 International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI). Using Q methodology, a unique approach that combines…

Intersectionality and positionality can be used to examine how various aspects of identity are analyzed in the context of learners' lived experiences. When examining how learners are recognized for their skills and competencies, there are several ways in which education and credentials can be leveraged. Autoethnographies were used to examine the…

Instructional designers perform informal formative evaluation in design practice. An evaluation may be used to locate errors in alignment of instructional objectives or to increase the quality or effectiveness of a design. An instructional design review is similar to peer reviews in higher education which are often structured, and tools are…

This article focuses on the practical implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in an online computer science course, articulating the collaborative efforts between the instructional designer (the first author) and the faculty member to redesign the course using UDL principles. Specific instances of redesigned learning modules and…

Recently, generative AI has been at the center of disruptive innovation in various settings, including educational sectors. This article investigates ChatGPT, which is one of the most prominent generative AI in the market, to explore its usefulness and potential for instructional design. Four researchers used a set of prompts to generate a course…

This developmental study explores the process and outcomes of creating an active learning classroom within a higher education setting. To support student success, institutions have increasingly redesigned their learning spaces to promote active learning. Early initiatives often aimed to facilitate collaborative learning and reduce reliance on…

In organizational anarchies (i.e., public institutions) decisions are typically made by oversight or flight. Decision makers and choice opportunities exist simultaneously but on separate tracks resulting in few problems being solved. This paper presents the findings of a study surveying current literature on organizational anarchy as well as…

Duoethnography is an emerging branch of autoethnography in which dialogic narratives help co-create meaning from lived experiences influenced by or reflected in larger social or cultural issues (Norris & Sawyer, 2012). This excerpt, from a larger duoethnography project, invites readers to join in a dialogue on the how, when, and who is…

By considering the interconnectedness of various elements, such as curriculum, instruction, assessment, and school organization, systems thinking provides a framework to understand the underlying patterns, feedback loops, and leverage points that shape educational outcomes. Frick's (1993) systems view of restructuring education supports the notion…

This paper focuses on unpacking the United States Air Force's (USAF) instructional system development (ISD) model as it evolved over time to its present form. In post-World War II training, the USAF was a leader in the study and use of systematic instructional design procedures, with its early efforts often coinciding with the work of the…

We have explored designers having empathy for the audience of focus, designers using empathy as a means to an end, and designers using empathy to deliver a meaningful design deliverable. Our research has evolved from studying how designers reflect on their own design context and the audience's given circumstance to designers acting on moments of…