About

Instructional Design at OHIO University

At Ohio University, instructional designers collaborate with faculty members to create engaging and effective whole courses or parts of courses, including the syllabus, assessment strategies, or individual course activities and elements. The role of an instructional designer is multi-faceted; they work to understand the educational goals of the faculty, suggest instructional methods for specific student populations, and select appropriate technologies that enhance learning outcomes.  

Faculty members are subject matter experts who provide the course content, learning objectives, and assessment criteria. Instructional designers and faculty collaborate to design courses that are pedagogically sound and tailored to the needs of online learners. This partnership ensures that online courses are informative, engaging, and accessible, providing students with meaningful learning experiences. 

What is an Instructional Designer (ID)?

Broadly, Instructional Designers (IDs) collaborate with faculty and instructors to create educational materials and design instructional approaches for both traditional and online classrooms. Specifically, IDs support faculty and instructors by helping them to:

•    Analyze learning needs and learning outcomes.
•    Develop instructional solutions based on learning needs and outcomes.
•    Identify instructional delivery methods to achieve learning outcomes. 
•    Create course materials, including learning activities and assessments.
•    Evaluate effective course design of online programs and courses.
•    Build feedback systems to ensure effectiveness.

OHIO’s Office of Instructional Design

At OHIO, the Office of Instructional Design (OID) is housed in the Office of the Provost. OHIO IDs focus on the instructional design through the pedagogy of teaching and learning by providing support across the phases of program and course design to colleges, faculty, and instructional staff. OID’s core services include program development, course design, consultations, and quality review, including:

•    Developing or revising online courses.
•    Developing or revising online programs, including curricular/course development.
•    Creating an online program course offerings schedule (i.e., course carousels).
•    Building online course experiences and structures.
•    Providing recommendations/resources for transitioning to new technologies.
•    Providing recommendations/resources about course teaching strategies, including messaging, lecture scripting, and lecture creation.
•    Aiding the selection and use of teaching and learning technologies to meet learning outcomes.
•    Aiding the development of online content and activities, including media, interactive assignments, slideshows, and voice over slides.
•    Aiding the development/design of online assessments.
•    Providing rigorous evaluations of online courses to improve design, accessibility, student experiences, and student engagement.

Office of Instructional Design Staff

View our staff page to connect with staff dedicated to instructional design, faculty development, and program development, We are prepared to support faculty by providing a network of innovative teaching and learning practices.