AI-Powered Instructional Design: Boosting Efficiency and Creativity

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how generative AI tools transform instructional design and education. Focusing on practical applications, they will learn the basics of prompt engineering and practice using AI tools for brainstorming, course design, and content creation. By the end of the session, participants will have actionable strategies for integrating AI into their instructional design practices.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Identify how generative AI tools are changing instructional design workflows and education.  
- Develop a basic prompt for generative AI tools, following best practices for effective usage.  
- Use AI tools to brainstorm course ideas, outline content, and create instructional materials.  
- Integrate AI tools into their own instructional design process, focusing on practical applications in course design and content generation.  
- Discuss strategies for using AI tools in both synchronous and asynchronous instructional settings.

Session Topics

How is AI transforming instructional design and education?
- More personalized learning environments
- Rapid content generation
- AI-Empowered Learners

Prompting Overview
- Demonstration of basic skills for prompt writing using a generative AI tool
- Demonstrate options to upload a file/content with your prompts
- Discuss "AI hallucinations" and the importance of maintaining a human in the loop.

AI as a Brainstorming Tool
- Using AI to generate course/module ideas and outlines
   - AI as a conversation partner
- AI for online research
- Practice activity using AI to research or brainstorm

AI as a Planning Tool 
- Crafting and Refining Learning Objectives
- Creating a Course Outline
- Developing Instructional Strategies
- Creating a project plan

AI for Content Generation
- Overview of common tools for content generation: Articulate 360, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, Descript, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Discuss how tools like ChatGPT, Claude (and Projects/Artifacts), Perplexity, and Gemini can export outputs into various formats (.pptx, .docx, .xlsx) depending on the content
- Discuss common AI enhancements to typical tools to generate content for different audiences, audio, video, and assessment generation (quiz questions and feedback)
- Practice for one of the above use cases
- Practice sharing content and also the challenge of sharing AI outputs across different platforms

AI for Evaluation 
- Course evaluations and learner feedback
- Qualitative data analysis using AI
- Practice using AI to analyze learner feedback

Wrap-up & Homework
- Guided reflection: What will you try next?
- Homework: Test an AI tool for creating engagement strategies or learner interactions.

Prerequisites:  
- Basic computer skills, including MS Word, Google Docs  
- Some experience with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude  
- Helpful to have experience designing training or instructional materials using tools like MS PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, etc.
 

Special Features:
- Practical, Hands-On Experience:
- Task-based learning: Participants will have an opportunity to practice tasks that simulate real-life scenarios, encouraging the application of AI tools to help solve various everyday challenges.