This multiple case study investigates instructional designers’ perceptions of online course quality, their use of cognitive load strategies when designing online courses, and whether utilization of these strategies contribute to online course quality. The participants of this study were instructional designers (n = 5) who worked in various campus programs at a large Midwestern university. Data sources included pre‐interview survey, semi‐structured interview and sample course design documents. Employing a pattern matching technique, the results showed that instructional designers (a) define online course quality based on established standards and rubrics; (b) apply cognitive load strategies intuitively while designing online courses; and (c) consider CLT design strategies as an element contributing to course quality. The results also showed instructional designers’ use of cognitive load strategies mainly focused on reducing extraneous cognitive load. Implications for practice and research as well as directions for future research are discussed.
What is already known about this topic
Cognitive load theory (CLT) provides empirically tested strategies to manage cognitive load in different settings
CLT strategies has a positive impact on student learning processes and outcomes
When designing online courses, it is important for faculty to collaborate with instructional designers to manage cognitive load and improve online course quality
There is a need to investigate instructional designers’ perceptions of online course quality and their use of CLT strategies when designing online courses
What this paper adds
Provides a deep understanding of instructional designers perspectives on online course quality, application of CLT strategies while designing online courses and how application of these strategies contribute to the online course quality
Although instructional designers identify multiple CLT strategies from their work and perceive CLT strategies as an element contributing to course quality, they apply these strategies innately
Implications for practice and/or policy
Multiple stakeholders should be involved in determining online course quality
Collaboration between faculty and instructional designers is essential to manage cognitive load and increase online course quality
CLT and related theories should be emphasized in instructional design programs
Future research should focus on how instructional designers integrate CLT strategies into the systematic instructional design process and instructional designers’ decision‐making process through think‐aloud and/or journaling efforts
Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study investigated instructors’ online teaching self-efficacy during the sudden, COVID-19-induced transition to online teaching. The pandemic has forced instructors to shift to online teaching, arming them with valuable hands-on experience in this alternative teaching mode. This study examined instructors’ online teaching self-efficacy, perceived benefits, intention to implement online teaching strategies in their future teaching, and the challenges encountered during this transition. A total of 344 instructors completed the developed and validated questionnaire. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression modeling, using the stepwise estimation technique. The findings demonstrate that affiliated universities, the quality of online learning, and previous use of learning management systems (LMS) are significant predictors of instructors’ online teaching self-efficacy. Online teaching self-efficacy, along with gender, quality of online learning, and professional training are significant predictors of the perceived benefits of online learning during emergencies. Meanwhile, the quality of online learning and professional training are significant predictors of instructors’ intention to implement online teaching strategies and learning technology tools. Instructors ranked remote assessment as the most challenging factor in online teaching during emergencies, and internet access or internet speed as the first and most complicated hindrance for students in this transition. This study helps in understanding instructors’ online teaching self-efficacy during the sudden transition and the positive consequences of shifting to the online mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the higher education field. Recommendations and implications are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.