Note that Zoom links to sessions will be sent in an email to registered LDSC attendees on July 15th.

LDSC 2025 Session Schedule

Welcome to the Learning Design Summer Camp Session Schedule. Below you’ll find a simplified schedule for quick reference, followed by a session schedule in tabular format showing all session titles, presenters, times, and locations. After that, you’ll find descriptions of each session, including presenter contact information and additional details to help you plan your day.

Quick Reference Schedule

• 7:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Registration is open in the lobby of the Business Building.
• 8:50 AM – 10:05 AM: Keynote Address Panel in the Auditorium
• 10: 15 AM – 11:05 AM: Session 1
• 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM: Session 2
• 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch and Trivia in the Atrium
• 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM: Session 3
• 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM: Session 4
• 3:40 PM – 4:00 PM: Concluding Session in the Auditorium – Complete your quest and win prizes (must be in attendance in-person to win).
• 4:30 PM – ?:  Join the LDSC Planning Committee at Brothers Bar and Grill to continue networking and discussions (note that costs will be on your own.)

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Sessions in Table Format

Registration is open from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM in the lobby of the business building.  The keynote address panel, will be in the auditorium (Room 110) from 8:50 AM.  Keynote speaker panelists Chris Gamrat, Chris Millet, and Heidi Watson-Held will discuss the future of instructional design, both within Penn State and across higher education, and bring their perspective, research, and lived experience to help frame what’s next for the field and how we, as a community of instructional designers, can lead that evolution.  Two sessions will be held before lunch/trivia, which will be held in the atrium from 12:15 PM to 1:30PM.  Following lunch, two more sessions will be held.  The concluding session will be held from 3:40PM to approximately 4:00 PM, which you will want to attend to be eligible for prizes.  After the concluding session, please join the LDSC Planning Committee at Brothers Bar and Grill to continue networking, discussions, and to celebrate the learning design community.

Session 1: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM

Location	Title	Presenters/Leaders
Atrium	AI Game Lab Note 1: This presentation is two session length is duration.  You will need to attend from 10:15 AM – 12:05 PM to fully experience this workshop. Note 2: You will need to bring a laptop to this session.	Zach Lonsinger, Ryan Wetzel, Brad Kozlek, Chris Lee, Brian Shook, Tyler Greer, and Markus Furer
Room 102	Promoting Positive Instructional Designer and Faculty Relations	Heidi Watson-Held, Jennifer Gray, and Eileen Grodziak
Room 103	IST Digital Accessibility Conformance Plan – Where we are and what we’ve learned so far	Aimee Brown-Shadduck, Aaron Yorchak, and Jon Hughes
Room 104	Institutional Strategies for Shaping the Future of Online Education	Chris Millet and Dawn Coder
Room 106	Legends of Learnia: The Lost Scrolls of Learning — A GPT-Powered Escape Room Adventure	Lori Barger, Donna Bayer, Emilee Spokus, and Kimberly Wick
Room 107	Exploring the Future of Personalized Learning	Chris Gamrat
Room 108	Immersive Engagement: Exploring Spatial.IO in Higher Education	Amy Kuntz

 

 

 

 

 

Session 2: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM

Location	Title	Presenters/Leaders
Atrium	AI Game Lab Note: This presentation is two session length is duration.  You will need to attend the first part of this session (10:15 AM  – 11:05 AM) in order to attend part 2 of this session (11:15 AM – 12:05 PM.	Zach Lonsinger, Ryan Wetzel, Brad Kozlek, Chris Lee, Brian Shook, Tyler Greer, and Markus Furer
Auditorium (Room 110)	Poster Session 1: Empowering Student Voices: Leveraging Copilot for Persuasive Speech Writing Campfire Tales of AI & Old Lectures: Stories of Polishing Dusty Content Critical Moments: Faculty Perceptions of First-time AI-Integrated Assignments in Teaching and Learning	Robin Gill Kent Matsueda, Red Yuan, and Kimberly Wick Dani McCauley, Allain Daigle, Eileen Grodziak, and Liz Huck
Room 102	Enhancing Media: An AA 100 Tale	Peter Rea and Bethann Rea
Room 103	The Alchemy for Creating the Perfectly Accessible Infographic	Elizabeth Pyatt
Room 104	Designing Faculty Development: Microlearning, Badges, and Communities of Practice	Matthew Bodek, Jennifer Wagner, and Elizabeth Park
Room 106	Instructional Designers in Diverging Futures: A Quest Through Learnia	Donna Bayer
Room 107	Understanding Accessibility in E-Reserves	Binky Lush, Chris Holobar, and Jamilyn Houser
Room 108	Scope, Schedules & Sanity: Project Management Tips & Tricks	Amy Kuntz

 

 

Session 3: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM

Location	Title	Presenters/Leaders
Room 102	Leveling Up: The Quest for Leadership	Stevie Rocco and Annie Taylor
Room 103	Workshop on Accessible Description: Some Magic Wands to Unlock Image Secrets Note: Participants are invited to bring images they have found hard to describe.	Elizabeth Pyatt
Room 104	Choose Your Own Accessibility Adventure	Sonya Woods and Matt Farley
Room 105	Playful Learning: Strategies for Play in the Higher Education Classroom	Pauline John
Room 106	Questioning Strategies for Strengthening Student Engagement and Participation	Laura Ramp
Room 107	From Prompt to Python: Exploring AI-Assisted Coding for Instructional Designers	Kent Matsueda, Kate Morgan, and Jason Susko
Room 108	From Tool to Thought Partner: A Faculty Development Model for AI Integration	Kevin Haworth and Elliott Rose
Room 206 (Computer Lab)	Designing Video for the Ear: Accessibility, Audio Description, and the Future of Instructional Media Note: This presentation is two session length is duration.  You will need to attend from 1:40 PM – 3:30 PM to fully experience this workshop.	Aimee Brown-Shadduck and Donna Bayer
Room 008	Headshots Note: Sign up for a time slot at the registration table in the morning.  Limited walk-ins will be accepted based on availability.	Chris Lee and Emily Sikora

 

 

 

 

Session 4: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Location	Title	Presenters/Leaders
Auditorium (Room 110)	Poster Session #2 Revolutionizing Learning with Smart Teaching Assistance TEACH Privacy Framework Open edX – A good solution for  our non-credit courses	Maria Wherley and Wynter Adams Julie Meyer and Alexandria Chisholm Lori Barger
Room 102	Designing the Campus Quest: A Retrospective	Nathan Hollister
Room 103	Designing with Impact: Introducing the HIDOC Model for Online Courses	Penny Ralston-Berg and Andrea Gregg
Room 104	You Can Sit With Us, A practical approach to inclusive design	Sonya Woods, Wenyi Ho, Damien Bilka, Veronica Terrill, and Cathie Massaro
Room 105	Designing with AI: Sharing how you use your Creative Companion	Dani McCauley
Room 106	Forming Strategic Partnerships to Enhance the ID Impact	Laura Ramp
Room 107	It’s My Way or the AI-way – Negotiating with GenAI	Kent Matsueda, Lisa Byrnes, Jason Susko, and Sam Wagner
Room 108	How to Train Your Chatbot: Nurturing Generative AI to Improve Reliability and Relevance	Crystal Donlan
Room 206 (Computer Lab)	Designing Video for the Ear: Accessibility, Audio Description, and the Future of Instructional Media Note: This presentation is two session length is duration.  You will need to attend the first part of this session (1:40 PM  – 2:25 PM) in order to attend part 2 of this session (2:45 PM – 3:30 PM.	Aimee Brown-Shadduck and Donna Bayer
Room 008	Headshots Note: Sign up for a time slot at the registration table in the morning.  Limited walk-ins will be accepted based on availability.	Chris Lee and Emily Sikora

 

 

 

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Detailed Session Descriptions

AI Game Lab

Time: 10:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: Atrium
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Note that you will need to bring a laptop.  This workshop is two sessions in length and you will need to attend both of these sessions to complete this workshop.

Zach Lonsinger (zal5010@psu.edu), Ryan Wetzel (rlw32@psu.edu), Brad Kozlek (bak147@psu.edu), Chris Lee (ccl5245@psu.edu), Brian Shook (bds6@psu.edu), Tyler Greer (tjg5245@psu.edu), and Markus Furer (maf922@psu.edu)

This experience, presented by Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), will introduce attendees to the creative possibilities of AI through an interactive workshop. Small teams will work with text, sound, and image-based AI tools to design and prototype a video game. Participants will receive a brief overview of AI’s code generation functionality and then dive into brainstorming and game design with AI as their creative partner. Support will be provided throughout to ensure a fun and engaging learning experience.

Promoting Positive Instructional Designer and Faculty Relations

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 102
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Heidi Watson-Held (haw6@psu.edu), Jennifer Gray (jlg65@psu.edu), and Eileen Grodziak (emg15@psu.edu)

As instructional designers at a large institution, we are passionate about our work but face challenges. Our roles are often misunderstood by colleagues, and even our professional titles can be unclear. This workshop and its case study, to be published in the Journal of Education Online in January 2024, stem from our practice and curiosity about improving our work with faculty. We aim to establish rapport and gain buy-in from faculty who may be unclear about their role in course design. Confusion can arise about how faculty roles integrate with those of learning designers and IT team members. This case study is relevant as the role of instructional designers (IDs) in guiding faculty has become more prominent due to the pandemic.

In this session, we will discuss literature defining the roles of IDs and faculty during course design. We will poll attendees on their experiences and engage in an activity to create a Venn Diagram comparing roles in common tasks. We will share our theoretical model and discuss how tasks fit into it. Participants will compare their perceptions of relationship work, focusing on collaboration during course creation. Finally, we will review recommendations for IDs to promote positive relationships with faculty and discuss setting the stage in early meetings for effective course design relationships.

IST Digital Accessibility Conformance Plan – Where we are and what we’ve learned so far

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 103
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Aimee Brown-Shadduck (asb193@psu.edu), Aaron Yorchak (acy5072@psu.edu), and Jon Hughes (jdh78@psu.edu)

In the summer and fall of 2024, IST’s learning design (LD) team worked to put together a digital conformance plan to ensure we would meet the accessibility compliance date set by the Depart of Justice (April 24, 2026.) Almost a year has passed, and while we have accomplished a lot so far, we’ve discovered unique issues and problems that aren’t covered in accessibility trainings! In this session, we’ll discuss how IST LD put together our plan, review the progress we’ve made, identify speed bumps, and how we’re (hoping) planning to finish the final two phases of our digital accessibility plan.

Institutional Strategies for Shaping the Future of Online Education

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 104
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Chris Millet (cxm470@psu.edu) and Dawn Coder (dmh170@psu.edu)

Continuing the discussion of key topics raised during the Keynote Panel, this session will explore contemporary issues in online education, through the lens of faculty, students, and learning designers. We’ll discuss how faculty needs have changed since the pandemic, how responsive our instructional designs are to demographic shifts and evolving student expectations, challenges with retaining students and effective retention strategies that designers can support, and how we might better collaborate and coordinate as a learning design community to support university strategic priorities, especially as the university itself changes dramatically.

Legends of Learnia: The Lost Scrolls of Learning — A GPT-Powered Escape Room Adventure

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 106
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: The Engagement Journey: Crafting Legendary Learning Experiences

Donna Bayer (dmp5588@psu.edu), Lori Barger (lmc170@psu.edu), Emilee Spokus (ems342@psu.edu), and Kimberly Wick (kpw5402@psu.edu)

Step into the mythical world of Learnia, where your team must solve design dilemmas, defeat misalignment, and outwit the whims of a curious AI known as A.I.dolon — all in pursuit of the fabled Lost Scrolls of Learning.

In this interactive session, members of the Learning Design Summer Camp Planning Committee will share how they designed and built a fully digital, GPT-powered escape room and a Google Forms version of the escape room tailored for the Penn State instructional design community. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how we developed the puzzles and trained the GPT to deliver a consistent and whimsical game experience to every team.

Then the real fun begins: you and your fellow adventurers will enter the game yourselves, navigating a series of challenging puzzles, all themed around core instructional design concepts like alignment, accessibility, and engagement. You’ll need a laptop or smartphone to play the game. Teams will compete independently using a custom GPT or Google Forms interface. Whether you’re a new designer or a seasoned learning design veteran, this session offers a hands-on journey into AI-enhanced play, creative problem solving, and community storytelling, all in under 45 minutes.

Exploring the Future of Personalized Learning

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 107
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Chris Gamrat (cwg118@psu.edu)

Join Chris Gamrat, keynote panelist, in a discussion about the design of personalized learning. Chris has spent the past 10+ years exploring topics such as micro-credentials and inclusive teaching. Our conversation will explore learner agency and ways to support participation.

Immersive Engagement: Exploring Spatial.IO in Higher Education

Time: 10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Room: 108
Session Type: Presentation
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Amy Kuntz (aer13@psu.edu)

This session will explore practical applications of Spatial.IO across various faculty use cases in diverse disciplines and course formats. We’ll explain how using Spatial.IO can foster interactive and experiential learning. Participants will engage in a live demonstration of creating a Spatial.IO virtual space, explore a Spatial.IO space with other attendees, and learn about student feedback on the platform’s ability to foster connections in both physical and virtual classrooms.

Poster Session 1

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: Auditorium (Room 110)
Session Type: Each digital poster will be presented and discussed

Empowering Student Voices: Leveraging Copilot for Persuasive Speech Writing

Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design
Robin Gill (rlm14@psu.edu)

This poster session showcases how students can use Copilot to assist in developing the structure of a persuasive speech presentation in CAS100. Students were asked to identify an organization, non-profit, product, or cause and construct a 4–6-minute persuasive presentation to convince the class to support this cause or invest in this product or business. The presentation required at least two research sources cited within the last five years. Copilot was used to brainstorm and help students create the initial structure for their speaking outline, ensuring adherence to the required format. Students were required to document all prompts and share the raw output prior to editing. Future explorations include using VR (Virtual Speech) in mixed reality for students to receive feedback on their speeches.

Campfire Tales of AI & Old Lectures: Stories of Polishing Dusty Content

Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design
Kent Matsueda (kkm11@psu.edu), Red Yuan (hxy80@psu.edu), and Kimberly Wick (kpw5402@psu.edu)

Pull up a log and browse our campfire tales! This poster shares how three instructional designers used generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Notebook LM to transform outdated, low-quality lecture videos and other content into engaging, student-ready course materials.

From summarizing transcripts and identifying missing content to suggesting visuals like YouTube demos and crafting podcast-style reviews, we’ll show how AI helped us work with faculty to revise and refresh content for asynchronous learning.

Whether you’re new to GenAI or blazing your own trail, stop by for tips, tools, and tales from the repurposing frontier.

Critical Moments: Faculty Perceptions of First-time AI-Integrated Assignments in Teaching and Learning

Track: The Wildcard Realm: Innovation Beyond the Horizon
Dani McCauley (dbe5082@psu.edu), Allain Daigle (akd6078@psu.edu), Eileen Grodziak (emg15@psu.edu), and Elizabeth Huck eah47@psu.edu

A team of Instructional Designer Researchers worked together on a qualitative study to gain insights from faculty who implemented an AI-integrated learning activity for the first time during the Spring 2024 semester. In this presentation, we will share some of the key insights learned from these instructors.

Enhancing Media: An AA 100 Tale

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 102
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Peter Rea (ptr5004@psu.edu) and Bethann Rea (baz5008@psu.edu)

This presentation will provide an overview of AA 100 – Introduction to International Arts and the collaborative process to update the visual resources for the course. The Office of Digital Learning in the College of Arts and Architecture and the Preservation, Conservation, and Digitization Department of the University Libraries worked together to image a selection of visual resources which were incorporated into ODL’s content management system (Hax). The presentation will provide an overview of the benefits and lessons learned from this project.

The Alchemy for Creating the Perfectly Accessible Infographic

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 103
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Elizabeth Pyatt (ejp10@psu.edu)

Can the visually rich infographic ever become accessible? Yes – with the right planning. This session will review design principles including color and font design and storyboarding to add headings, table headers and alt text, and the best tools to create an accessible HTML, EPUB or tagged PDF.

Designing Faculty Development: Microlearning, Badges, and Communities of Practice

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 104
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Matthew Bodek (mjb14@psu.edu), Jennifer Wagner (jlw83@psu.edu), and Elizabeth Park (eep5330@psu.edu)

Let’s design a microlearning, community of practice initiative! This workshop will introduce a faculty development design model of microlearning embedded in a community of practice. The model has been successful in an AI Summer Prompt Challenge and Accessible Skills Challenge, with a weekly engagement rate of 62-73% for over 443 participants. During our session, we’ll guide participants through how to create incremental learning elements that could be supported by peer learning.

Instructional Designers in Diverging Futures: A Quest Through Learnia

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 106
Session Type: Guided Discussion
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Donna Bayer (dmp5588@psu.edu)

Step into the realm of Learnia, where the future of instructional design is fractured into three possible paths. In this immersive scenario-based workshop, you’ll explore divergent futures inspired by HolonIQ’s higher ed prototypes—from government-led learning systems to guild-based apprenticeships and deregulated learning markets.

As a member of a small guild, you’ll take on a role—Strategist, Mender, Catalyst, Seeker, Anchor, or Synthesist—and journey through possible worlds, reflecting on your transferable skills, design instincts, and how instructional designers can influence what comes next.

This session blends research-backed foresight with collaborative creativity. You’ll leave with new language, shared strategies, and a map for navigating uncertainty—together.

Understanding Accessibility in E-Reserves

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 107
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Binky Lush (ful105@psu.edu), Chris Holobar (jch4@psu.edu), and Jamilyn Houser, jdh46@psu.edu

Who’s responsible for accessibility when electronic course reserves are in play? In this session, we’ll navigate the often-confusing waters of e-reserves and clarify where responsibilities lie—from library-provided scans to instructor-provided content.

Using real-life scenarios, we’ll explore common e-reserves workflows and offer guidance to instructional designers on how to ensure all materials meet accessibility standards. You’ll learn what happens when materials come through Interlibrary Loan (ILL), what role instructional designers play, and how libraries can partner to support inclusive course design.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of:

• Accessibility responsibilities based on content source
• Questions to ask when reviewing course materials
• Potential areas where language or processes (like ILL requests) might need accessibility prompts or disclaimers

Whether you’re new to accessibility or seeking to refine your practice, this session will equip you with tools and strategies to support equitable access for every learner.

Scope, Schedules & Sanity: Project Management Tips & Tricks

Time: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Room: 108
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Amy Kuntz (aer13@psu.edu)

Instructional design and project management (PM) share more than a few to-do lists. This session will explore practical pm strategies to support collaboration with faculty and teams during instructional design projects no matter if you are at the helm or supporting a faculty/peer.  You’ll walk away with tools and techniques for stakeholder analysis, constraint mapping, project kickoff planning, managing scope changes, and building communication plans. We’ll go over real-world scenarios and share templates, stories, and sanity-saving tips for navigating the often unpredictable situations.

Leveling Up: The Quest for Leadership

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 102
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Stevie Rocco (sxr133@psu.edu) and Annie Taylor (atb3@psu.edu)

What steps must an Instructional Designer take to ascend to leadership? How do IDs embark on and sustain their epic leadership journey? Join the intrepid Stevie Rocco and the valiant Dr. Annie Taylor as they explore the myriad paths available to IDs within the vast Penn State realm. Unearth actionable strategies and insights to navigate your personal leadership quest. Whether you are a novice adventurer or a seasoned explorer, this session will arm you with the tools and wisdom to forge bridges for success and become a legendary leader in the realm of instructional design.

Workshop on Accessible Description: Some Magic Wands to Unlock Image Secrets

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 103
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Note: Participants are invited to bring images they have found hard to describe.

Elizabeth Pyatt (ejp10@psu.edu)

Have you seen an image that seemingly defied a reasonable accessible description? Whether it’s an unusual graph or an unknown celebrity, this session will demo some tools to help learning designers discover some paths to providing usable image descriptions even to those not able to see the image. We’ll discuss how to leverage AI, reverse searches and SMEs.

Choose Your Own Accessibility Adventure

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 104
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Sonya Woods (szw151@psu.edu) and Matt Farley (mtf157@psu.edu)  

This accessibility adventure has something for everyone, no matter your role or level of expertise! Join two seasoned accessibility professionals for a facilitated conversation about all things digital accessibility.

We will provide a basic introduction to the topic and then ask participants to choose which disability types they want to know more about. We will use our data-driven World Campus Personas to illustrate different needs and then discuss them in specific contexts with participants to help you make your content and processes more accessible. Along the way, we will discuss strategies that help everyone as well as areas of tension. Experts are invited to share their tips and tricks and newbies can learn some basics.

Bring your burning questions and your bright ideas and join us on this fun adventure into making the world a better place.

Playful Learning: Strategies for Play in the Higher Education Classroom

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 105
Session Type: Guided Discussion
Track: The Engagement Journey: Crafting Legendary Learning Experiences

Pauline John (pmj5179@psu.edu)  

Playful learning emerged in response to the performative, assessment driven culture of higher education with the intention of developing an educational system “that recognizes the importance of openness, curiosity, risk-taking and failure in learning” (Whitton et al, 2017). It is an active, student-led approach that aims to extend the benefits of play to the higher education classroom. The session will introduce an overview of theories in playful learning and various pedagogical frameworks. Following which there will be a discussion on how these theories can be used to design strategies for play and playful learning design solutions. The session will also include an opportunity to redesign a lesson to reflect the discussions on playful learning. The session itself will reflect the philosophy of playful learning in its structure and facilitation.

Bring your burning questions and your bright ideas and join us on this fun adventure into making the world a better place.

Questioning Strategies for Strengthening Student Engagement and Participation

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 106
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: The Engagement Journey: Crafting Legendary Learning Experiences

Laura Ramp (lkr102@psu.edu)   

Engaging students with content and fostering student ownership of learning can be challenging at times. In this session, we’ll explore questioning strategies, such as the Question Formulation Technique, that can be integrated to engage students with the content and to enhance student participation. Through questioning, we can support students with owning their learning and fostering their interest and exploration of topics.

From Prompt to Python: Exploring AI-Assisted Coding for Instructional Designers

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 107
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Wildcard Realm: Innovation Beyond the Horizon

Kent Matsueda (kkm11@psu.edu), Kate Morgan (kjm19@psu.edu), and Jason Susko (jbs7035@psu.edu)

What happens when instructional designers use AI to write code—without being programmers? In this session, we’ll share lessons from our SP25 ID2ID collaboration where we explored tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity to develop Python scripts that automate tasks related to accessibility audits in Canvas. We’ll walk through how we used Google Colab notebooks to extract image data (including URLs, locations, alt text status, image dimensions, and titles), discuss what worked and what didn’t, and reflect on how generative AI changed our relationship with coding. Whether you’re new to Python or curious about using AI in your workflow, this session will offer practical takeaways, lessons learned, and inspiration for expanding your technical toolkit.

From Tool to Thought Partner: A Faculty Development Model for AI Integration

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 108
Session Type: Presentation
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Kevin Haworth (krh5564@psu.edu) and Elliott Rose (cre5314@psu.edu)

This presentation showcases faculty development for generative AI by providing a concrete, adaptable model for AI integration that reduces barriers to implementation. Through a collaboration between Penn State’s Ryan Family Writing Center, Geography Department, and Earth and Mineral Sciences Library, we demonstrate how faculty can leverage institutional resources and diverse expertise to thoughtfully incorporate AI into their teaching. We will demonstrate a scaffolded approach helps instructors understand AI not just as a tool, but as a means to make traditionally implicit academic processes more explicit and teachable. By breaking down the research and writing process into clear steps where AI serves as a thought partner, we will present a replicable framework that maintains academic integrity while embracing technological innovation. This model is particularly valuable for faculty development as it shows how to transform common concerns about AI into opportunities for enhanced student learning, all while distributing the workload across institutional partners

Designing Video for the Ear: Accessibility, Audio Description, and the Future of Instructional Media

Time: 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Room: 206 (note that this is a computer lab on the second floor)
Session Type: Workshop/Tool Demonstration
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Note: This session is from 1:40 PM to 3:30 PM.  You will need to attend both session periods for this workshop.

Aimee Brown-Shadduck (asb193@psu.edu) and Donna Bayer (dmp5588@psu.edu)  

What is Audio Description (AD), and why is it something you should know about? This hands-on session, co-led by an instructional designer and an instructional technology specialist, invites participants to reimagine video content through the lens of clarity, access, and teaching effectiveness.

Together, we’ll explore what makes a high-quality description in educational media, how to design content that “says what it shows,” and why incorporating AD supports all learners—not just those with disabilities. Participants will get to practice describing, evaluate real examples, review a variety of tools to create AD, and leave with concrete ways to implement AD, support faculty, and incorporate AD in proactive sustainable ways.

This will be two back-to-back sessions. The first will focus on what AD is, and practice writing AD. The second will focus on tools to put it all together, and practice with a free tool.

Headshots

Time: Sign up for a 10 minute photo session at the Registration table in the morning.
Room: 008 (note that this is a classroom in the basement of the Business Building)

Note: These sessions are a maximum of 10 minutes in length and will be held between 1:40 PM and 3:30 PM.

Chris Lee (ccl5245@psu.edu) and Emily Sikora (ezm59@psu.edu)

Need an updated professional photo? Stop by for a quick, polished headshot session! A sign-up sheet with available time slots will be located at the registration table from 7:30 AM to 10:05 AM.

This is an in-and-out photo opportunity, so you’ll only need a few minutes. Please plan to arrive a few minutes before your appointment time. You are welcome to step out of sessions briefly to have your photo taken. Walk-ins are welcome if an open time slot is available when you arrive.

Poster Session 2

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: Auditorium (Room 110)
Session Type: Each digital poster will be presented and discussed

Revolutionizing Learning with Smart Teaching Assistance

Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design
Maria Wherley (mrs110@psu.edu) and Wynter Adams (wma5178@psu.edu)

A student-centered Teaching Assistant Chatbot can help boost your course grades while easing the demands on your time. This digital assistant will provide instant answers to common questions and give your students a quick, confidence-building dose of academic support. In this poster, we’ll walk you through the process of designing and building your own customized TA Chatbot—tailored to meet your specific teaching goals, no programming expertise needed! We’ll also guide you through evaluating the bot’s effectiveness, analyzing student engagement, and refining its responses for optimal results. Why not let technology lighten your load? Even professors deserve a break—and a little extra credit—every now and then!

TEACH Privacy Framework

Track: The Wildcard Realm: Innovation Beyond the Horizon
Julie Meyer (jmm49@psu.edu) and Alexandria Chisholm (aec57@psu.edu)

This poster will introduce the TEACH Privacy Framework, a 5 part approach to privacy pedagogy, or “teaching about privacy while also teaching with our privacy principles,” into instructional design. This framework outlines the building blocks of privacy pedagogy which prepares faculty to apply perspectives, considerations, and principles to critically examine courseware, learning activities, classroom ground rules, and other learning design choices.

This framework is introduced in more depth in the P2OISE (Privacy Pedagogy and Open Inquiry and Student Expression) Project Program, a Dean’s Endorsed program, which will be offered this fall to successful applicants.

Open edX – A good solution for our non-credit courses

Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner
Lori Barger (lmc170@psu.edu)

The poster will explain why the LMS, open edX was a good solution for our non-credit courses with Penn State Extension.

Designing the Campus Quest: A Retrospective

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 102
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Nathan Hollister (njh5083@psu.edu)  

In this session, discover how a collaborative project between Instructional Design and Student Affairs transformed New Student Orientation through a dynamic, team-based “Campus Quest.” Learn how this experiential activity was developed to foster connection among first-year students while helping them navigate key Altoona Campus landmarks. We’ll explore the full design process—from the initial request and needs assessment to task development, faculty feedback, and implementation. Attendees will engage with the activity, brainstorm scalable alternatives, and walk away with ideas for their contexts.

Bring your burning questions and your bright ideas and join us on this fun adventure into making the world a better place.

Designing with Impact: Introducing the HIDOC Model for Online Courses

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 103
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Engagement Journey: Crafting Legendary Learning Experiences

Penny Ralston-Berg (plr15@psu.edu) and Andrea Gregg (axg251@psu.edu)

High-Impact Design for Online Courses (HIDOC) provides a comprehensive eight-step model that addresses gaps in existing instructional design approaches. This session presents a practical, start-to-finish design process, which unlike many other models was purpose-built for online course development. Whether you’re an instructor working independently, collaborating with a designer, or an instructional designer yourself,  come to this session to explore the model and learn how to apply it in either a sequential or agile way. You’ll leave equipped to implement the model and make use of the free companion design documents.

You Can Sit With Us, A practical approach to inclusive design

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 104
Session Type: Presentation
Track: The Inclusive Expedition: Designing for Every Learner

Sonya Woods (szw151@psu.edu), Wenyi Ho (wxh139@psu.edu), Damien Bilka (djb53@psu.edu), Veronica Terrill (vst10@psu.edu) and Cathie Massaro (ctm121@psu.edu)

A team of five from World Campus Learning Design has spent years researching and exploring inclusive design. Now, we are focused on implementing these practices more intentionally within our unit. In this session, we’ll discuss why inclusive design matters to us, how to cultivate an inclusive mindset, and introduce a new resource we’ve developed. This resource organizes key principles of inclusive design in alignment with Quality Matters standards and includes actionable steps for putting these ideas into practice. It serves as a repository of exemplary work from colleagues at Penn State and beyond. As this project is currently in its beta phase, we invite your input and feedback to help us refine and improve it.

Designing with AI: Sharing how you use your Creative Companion

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 105
Session Type: Guided Discussion
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Dani McCauley (dbe5082@psu.edu)

In the spirit of the Legend of Learnia, this session invites instructional designers to gather around the (figurative) campfire and share how they’re working alongside their newest creative companion—Artificial Intelligence.

We’ll begin with a 10-minute introduction. This shared foundation will spark ideas and help participants reflect on how AI is already shaping their work—or could be.

Then, the session will shift into roundtable discussions, where participants will collaborate in small groups to:

1. Share personal experiences using AI in instructional design
2. Explore challenges, ethical considerations, and success stories
3. Brainstorm new ways to integrate AI into their design practice

If you are looking for an opportunity to chat and connect with other IDs, join us for this discussion.

Forming Strategic Partnerships to Enhance the ID Impact

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 106
Session Type: Guided Discussion
Track: The Collaboration Campaign: Building Bridges for Success

Laura Ramp (lkr102@psu.edu)

Partnerships are fundamental to effective instructional design. When questions, issues, or new ideas or initiatives arise, we need to know where to quickly turn to seek input and move forward. In this session, we’ll explore strategies for identifying essential partnerships and for developing these relationships, particularly as they relate to advancing instructional design work.

It’s My Way or the AI-way – Negotiating with GenAI

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 107
Session Type: Presentation
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Kent Matsueda (kkm11@psu.edu), Lisa Byrnes (ltb103@psu.edu), Jason Susko (jbs7035@psu.edu), and Sam Wagner (smw6283@psu.edu)

You’re tasked with going in as a negotiator… wait no, a manager… either way, let GenAI cover the other. Discover how generative AI is reshaping simulation-based learning across disciplines. This session showcases innovative applications of custom GPT models and complex prompts to create immersive, role-based experiences in fields such as labor relations, nursing, recreation management, and emergency response. Through adaptive negotiation exercises, unfolding case studies, AI-guided tutoring, and high-stakes crisis simulations, these tools foster critical thinking, engagement, and deeper learning. Attendees will gain insights into practical strategies for integrating AI simulations into their own instructional contexts. Hope you get the best deal!

How to Train Your Chatbot: Nurturing Generative AI to Improve Reliability and Relevance

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: 108
Session Type: Presentation
Track: Quest for the Future: Uncharted Territories in Design

Crystal Donlan (cxd528@psu.edu)

Generative AI doesn’t have to be a mysterious or uncontrollable force in higher education. Like a misunderstood dragon, it can be trained – ethically, intentionally, and effectively – to serve real educational goals. This session will explore how learning professionals can nurture more reliable and relevant AI output through thoughtful interaction, context-driven training, and mindful prompt design. Participants will learn practical strategies for “training” AI to better understand institutional values, academic tone, and pedagogical intent. Real-world examples from teaching, curriculum design, and academic communications will illustrate how customizing AI tools leads to better, more trustworthy results. Whether you’re new to generative AI or looking to deepen your practice, this session offers an empowering roadmap to guide your AI companions more confidently.