From the Standpoint of Instructional Designers: Critically Investigating the Coordination of ID Contributions to Collaborative Online Course Development

Instructional Designers (IDs) are talented assets to higher education institutions (HEIs) that have positioned online course development as part of long-term strategic plans. This study investigated the experiences of IDs involved in online course development while working dyadically with faculty members in U.S. HEIs. The study focused on the textually mediated coordination of social working relationships and engagement outcomes on the professional identities of eight ID subjects; analysis of HEI websites and observational field notes were included in the dataset. Five thematic narratives emerged within the analysis: a question of professional (dis)regard, a culture of complex collaborative work, a conversation of representation in HEI governance, a translocal chain of bossy (mis)coordination, and a song of silent, external attributions. These themes provided a platform for disseminating ID lived narratives and perspectives within a relational framework informed by Human Resource Development (HRD), where, in the literature, their experiences can inform and benefit the improved performance of HEIs engaged in online program production and governance.