Inspire Blog Category: Course Design/Learning Design

AI Disclosure Matters: Closing the alignment gap between online instructors and students

In online education, transparency is foundational to high-quality learning experiences (Ecampus Essentials, 2026). Transparency about who the instructor is, how the course set-up, what tools are available, and how learning will be assessed helps students trust the learning process. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in higher education raises important questions about transparency in online courses, particularly regarding instructor and student disclosure of AI use. Disclosure of AI use in online teaching and learning can be challenging for a number of reasons. First, it may be difficult to know what constitutes “use.” For example, is a Google search that resulted in an AI generated summary to gather information for course development considered “use”?  What about a student using … AI Disclosure Matters: Closing the alignment gap between online instructors and students
by · September 8, 2026

Term Project – Doesn’t Have to Be an Odyssey  

One instructor I work with said this recently: I like that idea! So then students can start their project early on, get some classmates’ comments, and submit their final version” This response came after we spent some time discussing the challenge that comes with a term project that gets submitted as a one-time assignment at the end of the term. Some instructors express interest and concerns about developing a term project and how to implement it in an asynchronous course. A project can be a great opportunity for engaging students with the content, learning from and with peers, and applying the concepts they learn in more practical and hands-on activities; and for it to be clear and well-implemented, it needs structure. However, it is not always clear for some instructors how the project could be spread out through the term in ways that allow students to … Term Project – Doesn’t Have to Be an Odyssey  
by · August 24, 2026

Whose Work Is It Anyway? Writing an AI Statement Worth Reading

Last year, as the instructional designer for a software engineering course, I knew the instructor had leaned on AI throughout the course’s development. I suggested he be transparent about it with his students. After all, he was asking the same of them. What he wrote back went further than I expected. His syllabus statement opens not with rules for students but with an accounting of his own use. He names Claude the second author of his course, separates his own contribution from what emerged from that collaboration, and only then turns to what students may do. After getting his permission, I shared it with my team. Within minutes, colleagues were asking to keep it as an example. One had just … Whose Work Is It Anyway? Writing an AI Statement Worth Reading
by · August 10, 2026

What Our Online Students Told Us About Navigating Canvas (and What It Means for Course Design)

Authors: Mary Ellen Dello Stritto & Dana Simionescu What We Did and Why When we design online courses, we make hundreds of small decisions about where to put things or how to introduce them. Should assignment instructions come before or after the readings? Does anyone look at the Module Learning Outcomes? Most of these calls get made on how we know people learn, what we think learners do, or what the program has always done, but rarely on concrete evidence about how students actually move through a Canvas course. So, we asked them. During Winter 2026, we surveyed 463 Oregon State University Ecampus students about how they navigate Canvas, where they look for information, how they engage with course elements, … What Our Online Students Told Us About Navigating Canvas (and What It Means for Course Design)
by · July 13, 2026

Discussion Boards: Should They Stay, Go, or Revamp in the AI Era?

“Discussions are boring”, “it is so hard for students to truly engage,” “the linearity of the discussions doesn’t help to navigate and find the threads”, “posts could be AI-generated.” If you’ve voiced one of these about discussion boards, you’re not alone. Oftentimes, I hear instructors express these concerns. Discussion boards were once considered spaces for bringing students together to engage in authentic and genuine conversations. However, in today’s AI world, the concerns are compounded by the risk that discussion posts could be generated by AI, lacking students’ own voices and personal investment in building community. What is not working with discussion boards? Discussion boards have been the default tool in online courses to create a space for students and their instructors … Discussion Boards: Should They Stay, Go, or Revamp in the AI Era?
by · June 2, 2026