Instructional Design in a Time of Crisis: Experiences of Instructional Designers and Faculty as ‘First Responders’

Teaching and learning globally has experienced a disruptive shift because of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many colleges and universities now encounter challenges of continuing to teach face-to-face amidst the health emergency. As a result, institutions have sought innovative means to maintain teaching and learning. Universities in the United States and across the world have made unexpected and abrupt switch to distance learning. While we acknowledge this reality, the future of learning after the pandemic still appears to be uncertain. Many students and teachers are unfamiliar navigating themselves in the emergent learning environment. Often, in a time of crisis like a pandemic, instructional designers (IDs) are the front-line of defense to providing pragmatic solutions. IDs are expected to provide creative and innovative remedies to transform teaching and learning while averting crisis. This study investigates the experiences of instructional designers, and faculty undergoing this transformative change. The strategies and experiences of implementing emergency remote teaching and working are discussed with the aim of informing stakeholders how the pandemic impacted positively to teaching and learning using emergent technology.