User-Focused Instructional Design: INF 303D - Academic Success in the Digital University

For my capstone experience as a MSIS candidate at the UT School of Information, I worked with fellow master's student Carrie Cruce to develop an online undergraduate course for incoming freshmen students, entitled "Academic Success in the Digital University".

Abstract

This project focused on re-developing an online undergraduate course, INF303D, Academic Success in the Digital University, which will be piloted during the Summer 2018 semester for an audience of incoming freshmen students. In order to develop a better online class, we analyzed and gathered data from a survey administered to over 150 students in iSchool undergraduate courses to inform our decision-making and identify student pain-points. We researched best practices for course development and instructional design, and applied techniques including backwards design, team based learning, and threshold concepts.

Instructional Design

In order to make this course more interactive for students, Carrie and I implemented techniques and tools such as:

• Screencast lectures and Prezi presentations
• A graphic syllabus and course orientation infographics
• Threshold concepts
• The ACRL Framework
• Backwards design
• Team based learning