Learning Lab | Using Instructional Design to Drive Collaboration: February, 2026

Part 1: February 2, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m.ET
Part 2: February 5, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m.ET
Part 3: February 10, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m.ET
Part 4: February 17, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m.ET

Overview

Education is what economists call an “experience good,” and our job is to make it a good experience. Good or even great experiences don’t happen in silos or by accident. They happen through collaboration and by design. As you navigate financial uncertainty, respond to demographic shifts, and incorporate generative AI, this is more important than ever.

Whether you are creating a faculty development program, a student orientation program, or a certificate program, instructional design can foster collaboration. But only if you come together to envision and align what you offer, how you are organized, and how you operate.

We’ve all seen the signs when you don’t. Scarce resources are wasted. Outcomes don’t align to learner and market needs. Roles overlap and there’s confusion about where to go for help. Platforms proliferate, creating digital sprawl. Inconsistent policies undermine your culture. Siloed student data sits on separate systems. KPIs like efficiency and engagement compete and confuse.

Academic affairs leaders, online learning leaders, directors of centers for teaching and learning, faculty development managers, instructional design managers, and instructional technologists all need a way to get on the same page about all this! In this Learning Lab, participants will explore key trends such as generative AI that are reshaping instructional design. Then we’ll prototype ways to respond to trends and meet institutional needs. Finally, we’ll coordinate the design of an instructional program such as faculty development, mentoring, orientation, or a degree program using a new, open-access tool called the Program Design Canvas.

Student success consultant, speaker, and author Elliot Felix and guest speakers from leading higher ed institutions will actively engage participants with a studio-based pedagogy, allowing them to learn from each other, try things out, and get feedback along the way. You’ll leave this Learning Lab with the evidence, examples, and encouragement you need to create remarkable learning experiences for the programs you design and deliver. You’ll also leave the Learning Lab with a free e-book of Elliot Felix’s The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success that features the Program Design Canvas.

Learning Outcomes:

NOTE: You will be asked to complete assignments in between the live sessions that support the learning outcomes stated below. You will receive feedback and constructive critique from facilitators.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore the ten key dimensions for successful instructional design and program delivery: purpose, programs, people, partners, policies, processes, platforms, places, patronage, and performance.
• Identify key trends impacting and case studies inspiring the design and delivery of educational programs ranging from orientation and mentoring to faculty development and degree programs.
• Experiment with ways to prototype new programs and/or new ways of providing them by harnessing the mindset, skill set, and toolset of design thinking.
• Identify potential implementation obstacles and ways to address them while sparking collaboration and fostering a sense of continuous improvement.