In contrast to normative ethics, which emphasizes determining whether a person or action is good or bad and developing codes to govern individual behaviors, applied ethics focuses on the application of ethics to real-world problems and contexts of practice (Ethics Unwrapped, n.d.). In design-oriented disciplines such as instructional design and…

This study examined dynamic decision-making processes at three different levels in the field of instructional design (ID): (a) for managers of instructional designers (IDers) at the institutional level, (b) for Senior IDers at the program level, and (c) for IDers at the course level. This qualitative study utilized collaborative autoethnography…

This paper examines design decisions that were written down and enacted by learning design practitioners across 18 projects at a postsecondary institution. Through emergent coding of decisions recorded in a Learning Engineering Evidence and Decision (LEED) tracker in situ, this research answers 3 questions: (1) how do practitioners track and cite…

This exploratory qualitative study examined how instructional designers use data to make decisions during the instructional design process. Participants included full-time instructional designers (n = 9) who were involved in one or more phases of the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) across different job sectors,…

As part of a larger study (Boling et al., 2024a, b), this paper reports on how instructional designers define and use precedent knowledge, including its sources, forms, and role in decision-making. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with instructional designers from higher education and non-profit professional…

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…

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 narrative autoethnography explores how non-normative decision-making processes within higher education institutions impact instructional designers' work. Drawing on 13 months of reflective journaling, the author examines their experience navigating a university operating as an organized anarchy through the lens of Cohen et al.'s (1972)…

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…

K-12 educators must effectively integrate technology and teach across face-to-face, blended, and online learning environments. However, many teacher preparation programs are ill-equipped to support the development of deep educational technology skills in preservice teachers. Therefore, new methods for preparing preservice teachers for their future…

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…