“We are here to support and strengthen [faculty’s] work, not to add complexity,” says William “Bill” Tozzi, regarding his role as an instructional designer in NIU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL). Tozzi is the newest member of the Instructional Design team. Although, “new” is a relative term as he’s supported NIU faculty for well over 2 years. In that time, he’s developed a working philosophy that technology should reduce barriers, not create them.
Trends and “Shiny New Tools”
For Tozzi, the most rewarding aspect to his job is collaborating with faculty and helping them solve their instructional challenges. In fact, he believes many challenges can be solved with creativity, rather than technology. Though he is not opposed to testing new trends, he says technology has to add value to a course: “A new technology becomes meaningful when it enhances learner engagement, improves student learning, or increases accessibility.” Tozzi explains that when faculty ask about new technologies, he usually pauses to ask what goal they’re trying to achieve.
The AI Dilemma
Like many instructional designers, Tozzi says he’s been fielding numerous questions regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI). The most common faculty concern he hears is that AI will undermine academic integrity and the authenticity of student coursework. However, Tozzi thinks there’s a growing awareness of how to implement AI effectively to support student learning. Whereas faculty may have initially tried to avoid any use of AI, they’re now cautiously testing the waters. However, Tozzi notes that he has additional concerns related to the frequency with which AI tools are now being hidden behind paywalls. According to Tozzi, something we need to think about in the future is “how to ensure equity when some tools are more powerful but not available to everyone.”
Where to Begin
With technology advancing every day, faculty may become overwhelmed with the quantity of tools at their disposal. Tozzi’s solution is to keep it simple: “Focus on a single challenge you want to address,” he suggests, “then find the tool that helps solve that problem.” Tozzi also recommends that faculty first consider tools that are already supported by the university—“Look for something that exists within the NIU ecosystem,” he says. Tozzi encourages faculty to begin with existing resources and consider multiple avenues for course improvement, such as utilizing an NIU toolkit, or emailing CITL for more tailored support. Ultimately, Tozzi says, the instructional design team is here to help create meaningful learning experiences for students.
Need sustained help in developing a course? Learn more about CITL’s Course Design Partnerships and whether it might be the right option for you.
