Universities often have their own way of doing things. Instructional Designers work within templates to develop courses quickly and consistently and while efficient, these templates usually produce courses that all look the same — static slides, long readings, endless videos, and references no one ever clicks. The result is predictability, but also boredom. Learners quickly disengage. My goal was to keep the efficiency of structured design while transforming the learner experience into something interactive, personal, and rewarding. Here’s what I did: --- #### 1. Developed AI-powered course assistants **⚠️ The problem:** Learners want immediate answers to their important questions, but instructors aren't available around the clock. Questions like 'What do I need to read this week?' or 'What does the author mean by ‘*the curtains are blue*’?' often went unanswered until it was too late. Instructors also struggled to give every learner submission the attention it deserved. Reading closely, aligning comments with rubrics, and providing personalized feedback was incredibly time-consuming. 💡 **What I did:** I trained AI chatbots on course content and logistics so learners could ask both administrative and conceptual questions at any time. The chatbot could even suggest optional readings. When it couldn’t answer, it logged the query — giving us valuable insight into where learners struggled. I also specifically developed AI chatbots that understood each assignment and its rubric. Instructors could feed it a student’s submission, and it would generate specific, detailed, rubric-based feedback. Instructors could then review, edit, and deliver the feedback in their own voice. 🎯 **The result:** Learners received on-demand support, reducing frustration and confusion. Our redesigned courses became noticeably better because we benefited from data that highlighted the toughest parts of the course. The feedback tool was adopted by over 200 instructors, and it changed the nature of student-instructor interactions. Instead of spending office hours rehashing grades, instructors could focus on deeper conversations, talking about what students wanted to learn, where they were struggling, and how to move forward. --- #### 2. Made presentations interactive and engaging **⚠️ The problem:** Recorded videos and static slides are easy to tune out. Learners often let them play in the background while multitasking, and complex charts or diagrams remain abstract. 💡 **What I did:** I moved away from Google Slides/PowerPoint and built animated, interactive presentations using _Articulate Storyline_. Charts became tools learners could manipulate by changing variables and instantly seeing outcomes. I encouraged instructors to record their lectures within these interactive Storyline decks so they modeled the learning process themselves. To further break up passivity, I used _Panopto_ and _PlayPosit_ to embed quizzes directly into the videos. 🎯 **The result:** Learners reported paying closer attention, instructors noticed fewer disengaged learners, and assessments showed stronger understanding of concepts. --- #### 3. Made interactive references **⚠️ The problem:** Traditional “optional resources” are ignored. Learners rarely click long lists of references because they feel irrelevant and overwhelming. 💡 **What I did:** I redesigned references as flipcards in _Articulate Storyline_. Instead of scrolling past static citations, learners encountered specific prompts. This reframed references as a discovery tool rather than a chore. Which link would you rather click? **Hint:** There is a correct answer. ><label><input type="radio" name="choice" value="A"> Damodaran, A. (2012). _Investment Philosophies: Successful Strategies and the Investors Who Made Them Work (2nd ed.)_. John Wiley & Sons.</label> ><label><input type="radio" name="choice" value="B"> What are some investment strategies that have stood the test of time? </label> 🎯 **The result:** Learners clicked into supporting material more frequently, and discussions reflected ideas pulled from beyond the required readings. --- #### 4. Embedded progress tracking for motivation **⚠️ The problem:** Online courses can feel endless. Without a clear sense of how far they’ve come, learners lose motivation and give up. 💡 **What I did:** I added a simple progress bar that tracked completion within each lesson. This gave learners a visual sense of progress and control. 🎯 **The result:** Learners felt more motivated to continue, reported less frustration, and were more likely to finish lessons rather than abandon them midway. --- > [!Tip] **The impact?** > Drop-out rates decreased by 5%. More importantly, learners reported higher engagement and satisfaction, and instructors noticed more consistent participation.