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Students perceive molecular bonding as an abstract concept; therefore, learning this concept seems uninteresting and difficult. A strategically designed learning object (LO), such as in the form of a simulation, can be used to help students acquire accurate mental images and build appropriate schema in addition to providing a concrete learning experience and encouraging knowledge construction. This paper presents an evaluation of the design and development of the "Making Molecules" simulation through students' perceptions of the previous version and recommendations for improving a future version. Data were collected from two online chemistry courses (N = 159) through an anonymous online survey. Results suggest that students responded positively to the use of the simulation. They reported gaining a better understanding of molecular bonding through an interactive learning experience. One of their recommendations was to include more learning tasks related to complex molecules, expressing an interest in learning more about chemistry. This paper provides insights for educators and instructional designers regarding selection and/or design of an LO for optimizing student learning of complex topics.

The instructional design and technology field is dynamic, requiring instructional designers to stay abreast through timely professional learning. Social media offers characteristics to collapse the time, geographical, and financial limitations of informal professional learning, but challenges exist. Continuous professional learning requires proactive actions, wherein self-regulated learning (SRL) plays an important role. However, not all professionals know the effective strategies to promote SRL skills. This study examines instructional designers' (N = 17) experiences of professional learning on social media through an SRL lens. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings include SRL strategies conducted by instructional designers and the challenges they faced. This study informs instructional-design professionals and educators of ways to encourage continuous professional learning using social media while fostering SRL simultaneously.

We propose a set of guidelines called the Three-Tier Design Process (TTDP), providing a pathway for faculty and other higher-education professionals who intend to design and develop a course in a Learning Management System and to promote learner-centered experiences. This paper includes detailed discussion about each tier of the TTDP, its subcomponents, and an example of its application. The TTDP borrows from existing theories, models, and literature in the instructional design field that focuses on key aspects that help create positive learning experiences. Tier 1 focuses on course design and serves as a foundation for the next two tiers; Tier 2 emphasizes course development; and Tier 3 concentrates on the user-experience considerations. Examples from a real course are additionally provided.

Studies in learning analytics (LA) have garnered positive findings on learning improvement and advantages for informing course design. However, little is known about instructional designers' perception and their current state of LA-related adoption. This qualitative study explores the perception of instructional designers in higher education regarding factors influencing their intent and actual practice of LA approach in course design practice, based on analysis of multiple strategies such as focus group, individual, and email interviews. Most instructional designers admitted LA had great potential, but adoption was limited. Their perception, intention, and the current state of adoption are affected by individual differences, system characteristics, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Findings have imperative implications for promoting effective implementation of LA approach in higher education.

During the pandemic, instructional designers in higher education were busy helping the faculty members transition to remote teaching within a matter of days. However, urgent instructional design (ID) support was not uncommon before the pandemic, especially when supporting adjunct faculty members. After all, design constraints tend to exist in ID projects. This column article discusses an ID model called the layers-of-necessity model. The purpose of this article is to inspire ID practitioners, despite the design constraints, with ideas for supporting faculty in course design activities during pandemic and post-pandemic transition.