#USA #Annapolis #AI in Education #Quality Matters #iDesign

Quality Matters and iDesign Join Forces to Foster Responsible AI Use in Education

In a significant development within the educational sector, Quality Matters (QM) has announced its collaboration with instructional design firm iDesign. This initiative aims to investigate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into course and program design, ensuring that this technology enhances rather than compromises quality in online education.

Dr. Deb Adair, CEO of Quality Matters, expressed the urgency of the moment, stating, "Our field is navigating a moment of profound change." She emphasized that the goal of this partnership is to deepen the understanding of AI's capabilities in supporting human-centered instructional design practices rather than merely adopting technology for efficiency. This collaborative effort aligns with QM's long-standing commitment to uphold and promote quality in digital learning environments across various educational levels — from K-12 to adult education.

Addressing Concerns Surrounding AI in Course Development

The partnership emerges during a time when interest in AI use in education is growing rapidly, but so is uncertainty. According to the latest CHLOE Report, a notable 80% of leaders in online learning foresee a substantial impact of AI on course development within the next five years. However, many educational institutions are grappling with the absence of concrete policies, training strategies, and frameworks to effectively navigate the rising presence of AI tools in educational settings.

To address these challenges, this initiative will lay the groundwork for research, faculty development, and strategies that align with the evolving role of AI in higher education. Through collaboration with iDesign, QM aims to create practical, research-informed frameworks that promote innovation while maintaining high-quality educational standards.

Leveraging iDesign's Tools for Program-Level Course Design

As part of this ambitious project, QM will utilize iDesign’s cutting-edge AI-powered instructional design tool called Build. This tool represents a leap forward, enabling instructional teams to visualize program-level course design with greater clarity and efficiency. Unlike traditional course-level AI tools, Build supports program-level deployments, ensuring that instructional design teams can align their content with accreditation standards effectively. Furthermore, it allows for exports to various learning management systems (LMS) and analytics platforms, streamlining the course design process without sacrificing quality.

Research and Framework Development

The collaboration seeks to explore several research questions, including how faculty can effectively engage with AI, the efficacy of human-AI co-design models, and how AI can be embraced to enhance instructional design principles thoughtfully. By examining existing quality assurance standards, QM and iDesign will seek ways to adapt these frameworks to better account for AI-assisted course development and offer guidance to institutions on ethical AI use in the classroom.

Initial efforts will focus on crafting shared guidance for educational institutions just starting their AI adoption journey in instructional design. There are plans to engage faculty in pilot projects that will surface impactful case studies and provide thought leadership on the changing dynamics of design teams and quality assurance amidst the advancing tech landscape.

Dr. Whitney Kilgore, Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at iDesign, noted, "Faculty and instructional designers are looking for frameworks — not just tools." This sentiment underscores a collective need among educators for well-defined methods to understand the implications of AI in the teaching and learning process.

Future Goals and Professional Development

Looking ahead, both organizations plan to develop co-created professional development resources and further integrate QM frameworks with AI-informed instructional design practices. With a keen focus on ensuring that innovation is backed by evidence and pedagogical understandings, this initiative stands poised to make substantial contributions to the future of quality education in the digital realm.

For those interested in exploring iDesign and its offerings, further information can be found at idesignedu.org, while details about Quality Matters are available at qualitymatters.org. This collaboration promises to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of online education and the sophisticated use of AI in classrooms worldwide.