Navigating Instructional Design in Higher Education: Systems, Anarchy, and Resolve

Higher education is a complex system that consists of several subsystems working together. When changes occur within one facet of the system, it often creates implications for other activities taking place within the organization. These changes, regardless of size, may contribute to organization anarchy. Organizational anarchies exhibit loose collections of ideas without coherent structures and operate on trial and error of past experiences or pragmatic necessity. Three characteristics inherent in organizational anarchies include the inability to define a set of preferences for a decision, lack of clarity regarding organizational processes, and fluid participation. The purpose of this session is to discuss systemic factors that impact instructional designers’ practices in higher education. Recommendations will be provided for how to support instructional design activities within higher education systems.  Recording of Keynote  (https://youtu.be/CzolfJHj4i4​)​

​Dr. Jill Stefaniak
Associate Professor of Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Georgia

Biography

Jill Stefaniak is an Associate Professor in the Learning, Design, and Technology program in the Department of Career and Information Studies at the University of Georgia, USA. Her research interests focus on the professional development of instructional designers, designer decision-making processes, and contextual factors influencing design in situated environments. Most recently, her book, Needs Assessment for Learning and Performance: Theory, Process, and Practice, received the outstanding book award for Systems Thinking and Change by AECT. Dr. Stefaniak currently serves as Editor of the Journal of Applied Instructional Design and as a board representative for the Systems Thinking and Change Division for the Association for Education Communications and Technology. She is currently finalizing a guest editorship for a special issue on systemic considerations to support distance education environments for the Distance Education journal to be published in May 2022. ​

Contact Information

Jill Stefaniak, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
221 Rivers Crossing
850 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30602
​https://edtechbooks.org/jaid