The DE Instructional Design Series offers one-hour, online workshops designed to help faculty strengthen their online and hybrid teaching. Led by instructional designers and guest faculty, these sessions explore a variety of timely topics—such as student engagement, course quality standards, collaborative technologies, accessibility practices, and effective assessment design.
Each workshop provides practical, ready-to-implement strategies to enhance teaching effectiveness and improve the student learning experience.
Design for Accessibility in Blackboard Ultra
Creating accessible course content ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, can fully engage with your course materials. In this session, you’ll learn how to design and organize your Blackboard Ultra course to meet accessibility standards and improve the learning experience for everyone.
This session will provide practical, easy-to-implement strategies you can apply right away. Whether you’re new to accessibility or looking to refine your existing practices, join us to learn how to make your course more inclusive for all learners.
Professional Development: 1 hour
To self-report credits, go to Workday > Profile icon > View Profile > Career > Training > Add Training
Creating a Sludge-Free Course Design
In the world of education, “sludge” refers to the obstacles, complexities, and unnecessary complications that often impede the flow of knowledge from instructor to student. It’s the bewildering navigation of online platforms, the cluttered and confusing course materials, and the frustrating administrative hurdles that can leave both educators and learners feeling overwhelmed.
Professional Development: 1 hour
To self-report credits, go to Workday > Profile icon > View Profile > Career > Training > Add Training
Creating an Effective Online Course with Universal Design of Online Learning
Whether we teach online, in the classroom, or something in between, our primary question should be: What do students need to do to complete the course and lesson outcomes? In this training, we discuss how following the principles of Universal Design for Online Learning can be reflected in course structure, pedagogy, objective alignment, and engagement, helping students meet course and academic goals.
Professional Development: 1 hour
To self-report credits, go to Workday > Profile icon > View Profile > Career > Training > Add Training
Accessibility and Universal Design Hacks for Your Courses
Are you worn out composing alt text? Wish you had a quick way to provide audio versions of written resources you’ve created? Want to promote successful completion of your course for all of your students? In this session you’ll learn about tools that increase course accessibility and improve student experience while taking some of the workload off of you.
Professional Development: 1 hour
To self-report credits, go to Workday > Profile icon > View Profile > Career > Training > Add Training
Create Engagement with Online Learning Technologies: The Three “Ps” - Padlet, Panopto, and Packback
This workshop introduces easy-to-use digital tools that foster student collaboration, creativity, and engagement—no tech expertise required! Learn how to integrate tools like Google Workspace, Padlet, and more to support group work, peer feedback, and real-time interaction in both synchronous and asynchronous settings. Leave with concrete ideas and templates you can plug into your course right away.
Professional Development: 1 hour
To self-report credits, go to Workday > Profile icon > View Profile > Career > Training > Add Training
Spring 2026 Offerings
FEBRUARY, 2026
DE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SERIES: Design for Accessibility in Blackboard Ultra
| Dates | Times | Location | Registration Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 13 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Zoom meeting | Register Now |
DE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SERIES: Creating a Sludge-Free Course Design
| Dates | Times | Location | Registration Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 27 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Zoom meeting | Register Now |
MARCH, 2026
DE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SERIES: Creating an Effective Online Course with Universal Design of Online Learning
| Dates | Times | Location | Registration Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 27 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Zoom meeting | Register Now |
APRIL, 2026
DE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SERIES: Accessibility and Universal Design Hacks for Your Courses
| Dates | Times | Location | Registration Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Zoom meeting | Register Now |
DE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SERIES: Create Engagement with Online Learning Technologies: The Three “Ps” – Padlet, Panopto, and Packback
| Dates | Times | Location | Registration Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 24 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Zoom meeting | Register Now |