Instructional Design

​Instructional Designers (IDs) at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) extend the University's mission to offer excellent instruction and the best possible learning opportunities for all students. IDs collaborate with faculty (including part-time, adjunct, full-time, tenure-track, new, and experienced faculty) and staff to develop strategies for course design, development, revision, and enhancement. IDs assist with identifying strategies that leverage innovative pedagogical approaches aimed at enhancing student success. IDs place a particular emphasis on leveraging a wide variety of technologies to support online, hybrid, and multimodal instructional delivery. Additionally, IDs provide guidance or input to local administrative units.

Find the instructional designer assigned to your college or school.

Common Topics for Consultation

IDs consult faculty and staff on topics such as:

• Articulating learning outcomes 

• Developing or revising assignments 
  

• Engaging students and implementing active learning strategies 

• Implementing group projects and discussions 

• Assessing student learning 
  

• Exploring evidence-based teaching methods, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Designing inclusive teaching strategies 

• Integrating new technology into teaching and learning.

• Using templates to speed design and development process.  

• Revising courses based on student feedback and performance 

Who Can Use Services

Faculty and Staff 

Faculty and staff have the following responsibilities in support of this collaboration: 

• Contribute all disciplinary content for the course and serve as the subject-matter expert. 

• Become familiar with existing course design, technology, and teaching and learning resources available via the Teaching Commons. 

• Use the defined processes for requesting services as outlined above and below. 

• Request support within the scope of defined services as outlined above and below. 

• Accept referrals for other DePaul University, college, and department resources for support.  

• Respond in a timely manner to inquiries from IDs.

• Meet delivery timelines determined in conjunction with IDs. 

• Communicate unavoidable changes to delivery timelines. 

• Comply with DePaul University, college, and department policies and procedures (including FERPA, copyright and fair use, and records management and retention). Please see the complete list of DePaul policies and procedures.
  

Request Response Time

IDs maintain regular weekday business hours. Expected initial response time is 24-48 hours. Requests during holidays and weekends will be addressed during the following business week

Instructional Design Services

Individual Instructional Design Consultation

IDs are available to meet with faculty and staff to address specific course design and delivery questions. Contact your college and/or department’s Instructional Designer directly to schedule a consultation.

Timeframe

Up to 1 hour for initial video conference or phone consultation, with the possibility for continued support up to one academic quarter depending on the scope of the short-term project. Some consultations will be provided only via email and within the stated request response time.  

Sometimes an individual consultation will develop into a short-term course development project due to the anticipated positive impact on teaching and learning. If the project is expected to require more than one consultation meeting, the ID will develop a timeline for delivery of materials needed to complete the project. Timely completion of projects is dependent upon faculty adhering to the delivery timeline.

DOTS, GLE, and Other Contracted Course Design and Development 

IDs are assigned to faculty and staff participating in DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS), Global Learning Experience (GLE), and/or fulfilling course development contracts. Service may also be provided as prescribed by colleges or departments and approved by CTL administration

Timeframe 

2 academic quarters

Faculty and staff participating in DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS), Global Learning Experience (GLE) and/or developing a course per a course development contract are assigned an ID to work with over two academic quarters to design and develop a course that meets certain quality criteria. After an initial consultation, the ID, in collaboration with the faculty, will create a course development timeline. The course development timeline will include deadlines for faculty to deliver their content and materials. Timely development of courses is dependent upon faculty meeting these deadlines. 

Instructional Media Design

There are two teams that support faculty and academic units to create sophisticated multimedia productions, learning games, and simulations: