Instructional Design Summit - Part 2: Breakout Topic Discussions
Concurrent Session 5

Brief Abstract
In Session 2 of the ID Summit you’ll choose one breakout topic to explore. You’ll have a chance to brainstorm ideas and share resources about your chosen topic/prompt. There will be a collaborative notes document where you’ll work together to create recommendations for addressing challenges associated with the topic. We have created an engagement key which describes the level of interaction that will take place in these breakout sessions.
Presenters





Extended Abstract
Here is the list of breakout topics to choose from:
Breakout Group Topic #1: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Moderated by German Vargas Ramos, Amy Archambault
Instructional designers are in a unique position to review an instructor’s course and ask meaningful, targeted questions about purpose and content. In this breakout, we’ll explore how we get at those sensitive topics, as well as, think about what it means to think functionally and ethically about course design within our roles as instructional designers.
During this session, we’ll take the first 10 minutes individually to explore the “10 Principles” from Designjustice.org. We’ll then spend some time reflecting and discussion how these principles might impact our work in 4 different areas: Learning Experience, Collaboration, Technology, and New Approaches. By the end of our session, we’ll have a collaborative handout to share on the ways these principles might impact our work and how we might plan on using them at our institutions.
Engagement Expectations
Interaction Level – Medium
Participation Level – Medium
Structure Level – Medium
Recommended Reading
- Use Decentralizing Whiteness: Where do we start? book chapter to develop strategies to fulfill principles from the article above.
- Draft of our participant reflection handout
Breakout Group Topic #2: Improvisation Skills for Instructional Designers
Moderated by Penny Ralston-Berg
The subject matter expert (SME) / ID relationship can be complicated. Subject matter experts may not understand what designers do or push back on proposed solutions. Designers may not have the experience or confidence to react to a SME’s questioning and rejection in the moment. It can be difficult to establish trust and build collaborative relationships with SMEs. However, by adopting an improvisational mindset, IDs can learn to think quickly, react positively, and keep conversations moving forward in the moment.
Whether you choose to share your improvisational skills with the group or just observe as a spectator, you will have the opportunity to play games, have fun, and gain insights into building better SME relationships. By practicing the improvisational techniques of noticing more, letting go of preconceived expectations, and using everything that is presented to us, we can build more productive and collaborative relationships with SMEs.
Submit an idea for a scene or volunteer to perform in a game.
Engagement Expectations
Interaction Level – Medium
Participation Level – Medium
Structure Level – High
Additional Resources:
Breakout Group Topic #3: The Good, the Bad, the Technology You Love and Hate
Moderated by Cindy Schanke
How has the pandemic changed the tech you recommend to faculty? In 2020, Zoom became ubiquitous overnight and other technologies became more popular or fell out of favor. Considering all of the changes in teaching expectations and needs within the last year, think about tech you have grown to love this year and those that you no longer recommend. For the first half of the session, we will work independently in a collaborative form where you will list one piece of technology you love to recommend and one you don’t. For the second half of the session, add your comments, debate the pros and cons, add additional resources, discuss, and share ideas. Leave the meeting with a list of technology recommendations for 2021.
Engagement Expectations
Interaction Level – Low
Participation Level – High
Structure Level – Low
Breakout group topic #4: The Future of Design Work: How will our work change as a result of the pandemic?
Moderated by Olysha Magruder
Think back to January 2020. How did you work? What was your main focus? Fast forward to today. How are you working now? How has work changed on your team, if at all? How will work be different going forward? As 2020 taught us, we can’t predict the future. We can, however, use the past year to inform it. In the first part of this session, we will review recent survey data on the state of work in design shops pre- and post-pandemic. We will explore the differences we have found in our own contexts and discuss how we think things will change in the long-term. We will document these ideas and thoughts in a collaborative space to look for overarching themes and ideas.
Engagement Expectations
Interaction Level – Medium
Participation Level – Medium
Structure Level – Medium
Recommended Reading: