AI in Education: Instructional Design and SME Expertise

The AI in Education course is a non-credit professional development course designed for K-12 and higher education instructors seeking foundational knowledge about using AI in educational settings. As both an instructional designer and a subject matter expert (SME), I played a central role in shaping this course, collaborating with two additional SMEs: the Director of Distance Education and Learning Design (DELD) and the Executive Director of The Center for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI).

This example demonstrates my ability to:

  • Collaborate with SMEs and independently develop instructional materials.
  • Apply best practices in online course design to create engaging, accessible learning experiences.
  • Leverage multimedia tools and technology to enrich content and promote engagement.

Key Contributions

Content Development

  • Lesson Design: Collaborated with SMEs who provided initial content in PowerPoint and document formats, transforming these materials into engaging and structured online lessons. This included filling content gaps where necessary, such as expanding the DELD Director’s materials into comprehensive modules.
  • Module Creation: Developed two out of five course modules from scratch—Defining AI and Working with AI Tools. These modules introduced participants to AI with casual, accessible language, ensuring technical concepts were approachable for educators unfamiliar with AI.

Course Design & Pedagogy

  • Integrated EHE’s best practices for online course design:
    • Chunking content for readability.
    • Strategically bolding key information to guide attention.
    • Incorporating supported tools to facilitate engagement.
  • Designed knowledge checks (three per module) to track participant engagement and unlock subsequent modules, creating a structured and interactive learning flow.
  • Developed two practical assignments tailored for the audience, balancing the course’s non-credit nature with actionable takeaways.

Multimedia Development

  • Interactive Timeline: Created an AI History Timeline using ThingLink, featuring clickable elements and 1-minute YouTube clips to explore key milestones in AI history.
  • Videos: Scripted and directed the course overview video and recorded/edited module overview voiceovers, ensuring consistency in tone and style across all multimedia elements.

Collaboration and Expertise

  • Contributed content from my professional presentations to enhance module materials, further solidifying my dual role as an instructional designer and SME.
  • Innovated by including tools like Notebook LM in my portfolio example, showcasing how emerging technologies could further enhance the course’s design and delivery.

Challenges and Solutions

One notable challenge was addressing insufficient content in certain modules. By leveraging my instructional design expertise and SME background, I enriched and expanded the material to maintain quality and coherence. Additionally, I balanced the need for engagement and simplicity by limiting assignments to two submissions, mindful of the course’s free, professional development audience.

Go to the Course

Click on the button to enroll in the course on Canvas.