Instructional Designers in the OLC community, we see you and know you’re at the heart of so much change in your environments. Let’s pause to reflect: What does it mean to be an instructional designer in an era of rapid change and accelerating technology?
At the 2025 Instructional Design Summit during OLC Accelerate, we’re convening the community to explore this very question.
This summit theme is Constellations of Change: Innovation, Identity, and the AGI Frontier. This serves as both metaphor and an invitation to trace the shifting patterns of our work and chart bold new directions for the profession.
Held on Thursday, November 20, the Summit will feature two main sessions each beginning with a diverse panel and transitioning into interactive, co-creative activities. This format is designed to both share expertise and spark collaboration.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s planned.
Session 1: Ideas Exchange – Balancing Professional Identity and Innovation
Professional development programs, academic degrees, and bootcamps have boomed in recent years to support those entering into the field. Instructional design is no longer an emerging field but it is a complex and maturing profession.
With this growth comes new tensions: How do we define our roles across varied contexts? How do we balance innovation with sustainability? How do we advocate for the profession without becoming boxed in by rigid expectations?
This session begins with a panel of thought leaders who bring a spectrum of perspectives from both academic leadership and frontline design practice:
- Dr. Nicole Weber, a seasoned practitioner and researcher in digital learning now leading an instructional design program, offers experience in building institutional support structures for innovation and design leadership.
- Dr. Katie Wolfe-Burleson, a researcher and practitioner in education and director of a master’s program in instructional design, brings insight into how new professionals are being prepared for today’s complex learning environments.
- Dr. Luke Bennett, a doctoral program leader and scholar of instructional systems design, brings a lens of scholarly inquiry to the profession’s future as a potential academic discipline.
Following the panel, participants will be invited into a facilitated exchange using reflective prompts and small-group discussion to surface shared challenges and promising practices. The session is designed not just to talk about identity, but to co-create insights and recommendations that might inform a forthcoming blog post or publication.
Session 2: IDs Preparing for AGI: A Hands-On Workshop
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) may still seem distant, but so did mass adoption of generative AI only three years ago. As with all digital transformations, instructional designers will be among the first charged with leading responses. The question is not whether change is coming but whether we are preparing for it intentionally.
This session opens with a panel featuring two leaders at the intersection of research, practice, and institutional readiness:
- Dr. Tawnya Means, a Chief Learning Officer and higher ed innovator, brings extensive experience in academic leadership, faculty development, and digital strategy. Her work emphasizes future-focused leadership in educational technology.
- Dr. Oliver Snow, a researcher and strategist specializing in emerging technologies in learning, offers a grounded and critical perspective on the implications of AGI and AI ethics in education.
The panel will be followed by a co-design workshop, where participants will work together to build an “AGI Readiness Checklist” for instructional designers, faculty, and institutions. This activity is designed to surface current gaps, identify emerging needs, and share resources that teams can take back and apply immediately.
More than speculation, this session is a call to responsible imagination, one that places the instructional design community at the center of strategic planning for a rapidly evolving technological horizon.
Why This Summit Matters
The ID Summit has always been more than a designated session. It’s a community gathering point and a launchpad for new ideas.
This year, we’re grounding that energy in two essential questions:
- Who are we becoming as a profession?
- How do we prepare for what’s next?
By exploring both the identity and innovation sides of instructional design, we aim to create a space where people feel connected and challenged. Our goal is not just to observe the stars, but to start mapping new constellations together.
Whether you’re a practitioner, scholar, leader, or aspiring designer, this Summit is your space to contribute to a broader conversation and shape the future of our field.
Summit events are included as part of your conference registration at no additional fee. Please RSVP for summit events when registering or modifying your registration.
