S3 E40. Higher Ed Instructional Design: Challenges and Innovation

In this episode of EdUp Curriculum, host Nicole Poff speaks with Holly Owens, an instructional designer with experience across higher ed, government, and corporations like Amazon and Mars. They discuss the stark differences between corporate and academic instructional design, why accessibility should be a top priority, and how the field has evolved since the pandemic. Holly shares insights on the many roles IDs juggle—from tech support to pedagogy expert to project manager—and why higher ed needs to move beyond slow innovation. They explore AI policy challenges, faculty who weren't trained to teach, and why today's students are less tolerant of outdated learning experiences. The conversation makes a compelling case for treating online courses as communities, not content dumps, and putting student experience at the center of educational design.