Context & Conditions
This artifact was created during Fall 2025 in EDET 755: Design and Evaluation of Information Access and Delivery at the University of South Carolina. The assignment required the full design and development of an online course within Canvas LMS, including modules, assessments, learning activities, and course structure. The goal was to create a cohesive, accessible, and engaging digital learning environment that supports student interaction, content delivery, and assessment.
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At the time of creation, I brought strong experience as a classroom teacher and growing expertise in instructional design. However, this artifact required me to pivot from designing individual lessons to designing a full online learning course. I applied principles of online learning design, including structuring modules around “Absorb, Do, Connect” learning phases to support content acquisition, practice, and interaction. For example, each week included readings and mini-lectures (Absorb), quizzes, and blogs (Do), and discussions or collaborative tools like Padlet and Flip (Connect), ensuring multiple pathways for engagement. I also applied concepts related to learning interaction and engagement, drawing on constructivist principles and social learning theory to design opportunities for peer discussion and collaborative meaning-making.
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Scope
The purpose of this artifact was to design a fully online undergraduate level course titled American Literature of the 1920s: Modernism, Jazz, and the Lost Generation. The course spans six weeks and includes multiple modules, assessments, and learning activities aligned to clearly defined objectives.
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Within a broader curriculum context, this artifact represents a complete online course, not just a single lesson or unit. For instance, Module 1 focuses on modernism and The Great Gatsby, incorporating a quiz blog reflection and a discussion. While Module 2 includes a poetry worksheet, Padlet activity, and blog to explore the Harlem Renaissance. The course culminates in a final multimedia project where students synthesize learning across modules. This demonstrates how the course builds progressively from foundational law knowledge to higher order synthesis. Additionally, I had to develop knowledge of LMS specific design, such as organizing navigation, embedding multimedia, and aligning assessments with objectives within Canvas.
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Role
I served as the sole instructional designer and developer of this online course. I was responsible for Designing the course structure, creating all instructional materials, developing assessments, and organizing the course within Canvas LMS. In more detail, I designed the course syllabus, created weekly modules, developed assessments such as quizzes and discussion prompts, and built the final project with clear guidelines and evaluation criteria. I also selected and embedded multimedia resources (e.g., mini-lectures, videos, playlists) to enhance content delivery. This role required me to integrate instructional design principles with a practical LMS implementation, ensuring that the course was both pedagogically sound and functional for learners.
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Instructional Design
This artifact reflects multiple phases of the DDIE model, particularly Design, Development, and Implementation, as well as key components of the Morrison, Ross, and Kemp (MRK) model. To connect to ADDIE, the Design phase is evident in the alignment of learning objectives, activities, and assessments. For instance, Objective 1 (analyzing major works of 1920s literature) is directly aligned with Module 1 quizzes, blogs, and discussions. The Development phase is reflected in the creation of course materials within Canvas. This includes multimedia content, discussion boards, and structured modules. The Implementation phase is represented by the deployment of the course in a fully online format, where learners navigate modules, complete assignments, and interact with peers. While formal evaluation was not conducted, formative elements such as quizzes and discussions provide ongoing feedback.
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As for the Morrison, Ross, and Kemp model, this artifact demonstrates learner characteristics, instructional objectives, instructional strategies, delivery systems, and evaluation (Morrison et al., 2019). For instance, learner characteristics were considered by designing for upper-level undergraduate students, incorporating advanced reading, discussion, and research tasks. Instructional strategies include a mix of individual and collaborative activities, such as blogs and peer discussions to support deeper learning. The delivery system, Canvas LMS, was intentionally used to organize content, provide navigation, and facilitate interaction. The course also reflects principles of Community of Inquiry Framework (Garrison et al., 2000), specifically through teaching presence (structured modules), cognitive presence (analytical assignments), and social presence (discussion boards and peer interaction).
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Related Performance Indicators
Standard 3: Learning Environments
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3.1 Creating learning environments.
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3.2 Managing learning environments.
Reflection
This artifact represents a major step in my development as an instructional designer, particularly in creating full online learning environments rather than individual lessons. At the time, I was focused on ensuring that all required components were included (modules, assessments, and activities), but I was still developing a deeper understanding of how to optimize user experience and engagement in an online setting. For example, while I included multiple types of activities (blogs, discussions, Padlet, Flip), I did not always clearly scaffold these activities or provide explicit guidance for how students should engage at a high level.
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Since completing this artifact, I have developed a stronger understanding of online course design and learning experience. If I would have revised this course, I would incorporate more intentional scaffolding and interaction design. For instance, I would provide stronger model discussion responses, sentence stems, or rubrics to guide high quality peer interaction. But also improve navigation by adding more consistent modules over reviews and checklists to reduce cognitive load and help to attract progress more effectively. Furthermore I would incorporate more accessibility features, such as captions for videos and alternative formats for readings, to ensure all learners can access content.
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This artifact strongly aligns with AECT Standard 3 because it demonstrates my ability to create and manage a structured online learning environment that supports interaction, engagement, and learning. And of course that integrates multiple forms of interaction (student-content, student-student, student-instructor) through readings, discussions, and collaborative tools. Compared to earlier work, this artifact shows my growth and designing at a systems level, while also highlighting areas where I've continued to develop more advanced skills and usability, accessibility, and learner-centered design.
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References
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6
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Molenda, M. (2015). In search of the elusive ADDIE model. Performance Improvement, 54(2), 40–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.21461
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Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp, J. E. (2019). Designing effective instruction (8th ed.). Wiley.