What Is Instructional Design?

This just in from Ana:

"Devlin Peck is an instructional designer whose work I’ve been following since the very beginning of my journey into instructional design. When I first discovered this field, his YouTube videos and live webinars were among the first resources I turned to to understand what instructional design actually is and what a career in this field looks like.

I recommend this article because it provides a clear introduction to instructional design and connects the concepts to practical examples. It explores different types of learning solutions, the instructional design process, and the importance of identifying the actual problem before deciding whether training is the right solution. The website itself could be used for many other interesting topics and advice."

Great Big Story

Here's a submission from Lyudmila, who states:

"In my teaching days, I really liked to use the YouTube channel of Great Big Story: 

The channel has evolved in the last few years, but their playlists for 'Amazing Humans' and 'The World Uncovered' have a lot of short videos that can spark interest in a single topic. It was great to find a video that I could use in an e-learning or live class to launch a conversation with students. You can find some real gems there.

Also, I love the high quality of production and proofread closed captions. 

Disclaimer: the channel is not educational in purpose, so not every video might be suitable for training. You will have to do some sifting and use your best judgement. 

To give you an example, here is a video I really liked to use in my Environmental Science teaching days. I kept using it until the pandemic hit. Unfortunately, Paul Fryar featured in the video passed away in 2022, but his garden still stands."

AI Transforming Instructional Design

Shelby posted on this very timely topic, stating:

"I've been following the conversation around how automation is changing instructional design, and found a great post from Articulate titled How AI Is Transforming Instructional Design that feels especially relevant to what we're studying. The article explores the idea that AI isn't just a tool for generating quick text; it’s becoming a collaborative partner that changes the designer's role from a solo creator to more of a high-level curator and 'prompt engineer.' It digs into how these tools can handle the repetitive, heavy lifting—like drafting initial outlines or building assessments—which actually gives us more room to focus on the human side of things, like empathy and learner engagement. It also touches on how AI helps personalize content much faster than we could manually. As we think about who is actually 'creating' the material in modern eLearning, this resource is a perfect example of how that responsibility is moving toward a partnership between human pedagogical expertise and machine intelligence.

I would love to hear more about how AI is changing this field and whether or not it has been a positive experience. The link here talks about instructors' experiences. Some great insights!"

The Accidental Instructional Designer: A Resource for Those Transitioning into e-Learning

This just in from Victoria:

"One resource that has been helpful to me as I transition into instructional design is The Accidental Instructional Designer (2nd ed.) by Cammy Bean (I’ve been listening to the audiobook on Spotify during my commute).

What resonated with me immediately is that many instructional designers don’t start out formally trained in ID. They’re often subject matter experts, faculty, or trainers who were simply asked to 'create a course' or 'put something online.' That framing felt familiar, especially coming from higher education, where strong content knowledge doesn’t always translate into intentional instructional design.

Cammy Bean walks through foundational concepts like working with subject matter experts, choosing a design approach, integrating storytelling and interactivity, and thinking more intentionally about assessment and evaluation. What I appreciate most is that the book doesn’t assume you already speak the language of instructional design. It offers core principles while also acknowledging the realities of e-learning in organizations.

Throughout this course, we’ve talked about alignment, analysis, and moving beyond content delivery toward performance improvement and intentional design. This audiobook reinforces that shift. It’s a reminder that good instructional design isn’t just about technologies or tools (like slides), but about thoughtful decisions and instructional methods that support real learning.

For anyone new to the field (or feeling like an 'accidental' instructional designer), I’d definitely recommend it as a practical and approachable starting point."

Adding AI to Every Step of the eLearning Design Workflow

Wei posted the following, stating,

"I’d like to share this article from The Learning Guild. It explores how AI can be integrated into every stage of the eLearning design process, from analysis and content development to assessment and personalization. What stood out to me is that AI is not just a content generator; it can support brainstorming, streamline development, enhance feedback, and even help tailor learning experiences to individual needs.

As someone who values structured models like ADDIE, I see AI as a powerful support tool within each phase, especially when it comes to formative evaluation and iteration. However, while AI can help generate and refine content, it cannot replace the instructional designer’s role in aligning learning objectives, ensuring relevance, and maintaining pedagogical integrity.

In the context of 'Who creates the content?', AI expands the answer. Anyone with access to AI tools can generate content, but meaningful learning still depends on thoughtful design, evaluation, and intentional curation."

Corporate Training Doesn't Have to Be a Drag

Lauri posted the following:

"Corporate training has a reputation of being boring. From my experience, employees have online company training (whether it be onboarding, learning company policies, mandated reporting procedures...) running in the background, while they complete other tasks. There is a boredom, what a drag - gasp when us employees talk about having to do these training sessions. We push them off till nearing the deadline. This isn’t a reflection of lazy employees. It’s a reflection of how training has traditionally been designed. Most corporate training is passive - Click, Next, Quiz, Submit. It checks compliance boxes, but it rarely sparks curiosity, motivation, or meaningful application. What If Training Felt Like Participation Instead of Obligation?

Imagine this instead:

• Progressive challenges that build skill over time.
• AI-powered simulations where employees practice real client conversations.
• Collaborative missions that strengthen communication and leadership.
• Real-time feedback that adapts to the learner’s level.
• Learning that feels like participation — not obligation.

These elements transform learning from a compliance requirement into an engaging journey. 

Also, using AI Gamification moves training from obligation to opportunity.

AI gamification creates psychologically safe spaces to practice skills through simulations and role plays. It scaffolds difficulty to prevent frustration while sustaining motivation. It measures not just satisfaction, but knowledge transfer and real-world application.What Excited Me About AI Gamification is instead of standardized slide decks and static modules, this model builds immersive, interactive experiences tailored to company culture and real workplace scenarios. It aligns to real workplace scenarios. Research consistently shows that when learners interact with content, practice in realistic contexts, and receive immediate feedback, engagement increases — and so does retention.

Training should not feel like a burden employees push off until the last minute. It should feel like growth. Instead of asking, 'Did they complete it?' we begin asking, 'Did it change behavior?' That’s a powerful shift."

Click on this link below to learn more.

Recommended Blog

The following was submitted by Fuyao, regarding Christie's blog:

"I’d love to recommend Christy Tucker's blog, Experiencing E-Learning. I find it especially helpful for the practical side of instructional design because her content is grounded in real-world experience, and is definitely worth exploring!

Here are a few posts I found particularly useful:

Transitioning from Teaching to Instructional Design
Great advice for teachers who are making the switch to instructional design (I know a few of us here are coming from a teaching background).

Resources for Learning Instructional Design Skills
A curated list of tools, courses, and articles to help you build your skill set—super helpful if you're just getting started or trying to fill gaps.

30+ Ideas for eLearning Portfolio Samples
This one is full of creative ideas for portfolio projects. I sometimes go back to it when I’m stuck and need inspiration."