Strategies for Engaging Faculty in Instructional Design
Abstract: Lack of faculty buy-in is the number one obstacle to effective instructional design. This study presents the results of a national survey of institutes of higher education on the challenges faced by, and best practices used by, instructional design teams to increase faculty trust and buy-in for instructional design. Key findings suggest that personal contact with faculty is the most effective strategy; while forced compliance is the least. Approaching faculty in a pragmatic way, one-on-one and in response to their specific concerns and problems, is most effective; while offering workshops and marketing services more generally are the least effective approaches. Marketing works best when it is done on a personal level. Ultimately, instructional design teams can leverage faculty’s pragmatic concerns by training them individually, and on an as-needed basis, to utilize technologies that enhance student engagement, such as video and web-conferencing tools.