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Leveraging White Space
October 13, 2022
Effective page design requires a balance between white space, or negative space, and positive space. Positive space encompasses all elements of content; on a course page, content elements might include an introductory paragraph, a lecture video, an infographic, an opinion poll, or a thought-provoking quotation, among other possibilities. Relative to these course components, white space might seem like a nice-to-have. However, white space plays a key role in instructional page design by reducing distortion and promoting clarity.
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Plan
Six Strategies for Multimodal Content Delivery
November 02, 2022
If you’re developing a course with synchronous and asynchronous elements, you have a host of options for engaging students and delivering content. Research suggests that incorporating multiple modalities increases accessibility, engagement, and learning (Mick & Middlebrook, 2015; Margolis et al., 2017). With that said, it is important to be intentional about multimodal course design. Both synchronous and asynchronous methods of delivery are effective, but activities can be better suited to one or the other modality, and synchronous time is often limited. Delivering selected content asynchronously can support students’ understanding of how information is organized and leave more time for interactivity in synchronous sessions.
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Universal Design for Learning
October 10, 2022
This Envision piece focuses on version 2.2 of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, released in 2018. The UDL guidelines have undergone multiple version updates since the release of version 1 in 2008. For more details on the most recent iteration of the guidelines, review the UDL guidelines overview from CAST.
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Teach
Increasing Engagement With Q&A Forums
September 24, 2021
In online courses, opportunities for student engagement need to be deliberately designed (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). One common way to promote student engagement online is through discussion forums, for which there are widespread, established best practices. However, the Q&A discussion forum, which is typically not graded or required, is often thrown into a course without clear intentions or structure. When purposefully designed, a Q&A forum can facilitate the crucial engagement types that are essential to building a community of inquiry in an online classroom, ultimately improving student satisfaction and learning outcomes. These engagement types are student-content, student-student, and student-instructor (Bernard et al., 2009, as cited in Martin & Bolliger, 2018). A Q&A forum should incorporate best practices around all three engagement types.
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Plan
Upskilling: Fundamentals for Learning Experience Design and Delivery
July 02, 2026
In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, the call for lifelong learning has never been louder. As industries shift and technologies advance, institutions are being asked to equip learners not only with foundational knowledge but also with ongoing opportunities to refine, expand, and adapt their skills. Upskilling learning experiences have emerged as a key component of the response to this demand, offering accessible, targeted ways for individuals to remain agile and relevant in their fields (World Economic Forum, 2025). This Envision piece offers insights to administrators and faculty who are considering whether to integrate upskilling programs into their institution’s broader portfolio of offerings. Additionally, this piece provides recommendations for faculty and staff who are designing and facilitating such learning experiences.
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Plan
Reading, Inaccurate Information, and Learning in the Age of AI: Research Insights
September 09, 2026
In our Research Insights series, members of the Learning Design team connect areas of research expertise to current themes in online learning. This piece focuses on connections between research on exposure to inaccurate information and learning from texts.
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Plan
The ADA Title II Final Rule and WCAG 2.1 Conformance in Online Learning Programs: Key Criteria Part I
September 09, 2026
This is the second piece in a series focused on the final rule issued in 2024 for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This piece builds on the foundational coverage of and overarching recommendations for compliance efforts presented in the first piece in our Title II final rule series. Specifically, it addresses compliance considerations and recommendations applicable to the technical standard established in the Title II final rule. As described in the first piece in the series, the Title II final rule requires that web content and mobile apps conform to Level A and AA success criteria included in version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
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Plan
The ADA Title II Final Rule and WCAG 2.1 Conformance in Online Learning Programs: Key Criteria Part II
September 09, 2026
This is the third piece in a series focused on the final rule issued in 2024 for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As described in the first piece in our Title II final rule series, the final rule established a technical standard for web content and mobile apps—conformance with Level A and AA success criteria included in version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). In the second piece in our Title II final rule series, we focused on select Level A and AA success criteria that tend to have an outsized impact on online course development and delivery. In this third piece, we will address an additional subset of Level A and AA success criteria. While these success criteria may feature in online courses somewhat less often than those covered in the second piece, the Title II final rule mandates conformance with all 50 Level A and Level AA success criteria included in WCAG 2.1. Accordingly, understanding the success criteria presented here is essential for successful compliance efforts.
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Plan
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Professional Copyediting
September 17, 2026
No matter the industry, people work with all kinds of written content and face the challenge of balancing tight deadlines, large volumes of material, and the need for consistent, high-quality output. With these increasing demands, more professionals are exploring how AI can support their workflows without compromising standards. When used thoughtfully, AI tools can assist with routine writing and editing tasks, freeing up time for more nuanced, human-centered review. Integrating AI into the writing and editing process does not replace human expertise; it makes this work more efficient and sustainable.
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