Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Practice

Date of Defense

4-10-2024

Graduate Advisor

Dr. E. Paulette Isaac-Savage

Committee

Dr. E. Paulette Isaac-Savage

Dr. Catherine Monaghan

Dr. Michael Porterfield

Abstract

Although not officially named in the shared governance of an institution, instructional designers play an important role as they collaborate with administrators and faculty to create high quality, regulatory-compliant courses for enrolled students. Instructional designers working in centralized, academic reporting units may be well-positioned to advance the work of institutions to maintain good standing with the industry and regulatory bodies. To illustrate the challenges, opportunities, and strategies employed by an instructional designer working in such a position, an autoethnographic study was conducted to elucidate how shared governance influences, empowers, and disempowers an instructional designer’s ability to lead and collaborate on course designs and institutional initiatives. The researcher recorded five interviews and conducted a thematic analysis of her data and identified seven major themes: Advocacy and Social Justice, Analogies and Jargon, Collaboration and Consulting, Controversial and Core Beliefs, Instructional Designer Identity and Expertise, Organizational Impact, and Strategic Instructional Design. The seven themes align with Appreciative Inquiry (AI), working iteratively and with positivity to refine and enhance the work of the institution. It is a motivating and mediating factor for instructional designers to find meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in their position as a consultant to rather than as a party to shared governance. This research study may help administrators consider novel ways of incorporating instructional designers at their institutions. It may also encourage other instructional designers to apply their expertise and influence in contexts beyond course design and instructional practices.

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