When ChatGPT became available, I saw an opportunity to build something more than individual tools — a team and a process for how instructional designers could systematically develop, test, and deploy AI in their work. Through ASU’s AI Innovation Challenge, I proposed and was awarded two projects that became the foundation for the LTH AI Development Team.
The Team
The AI Dev Team was a new entity — nothing like it had existed before. I designed a three-part structure:
- Development Team (2-4 members) — Led migration and refinement of GPT prototypes, built new tools from scratch, and established best practices for working with enterprise AI platforms
- Testing Team — Conducted usability and effectiveness testing, developed QA procedures, and validated tools against real course design workflows
- Advisory Board — Provided strategic direction, ensuring tools aligned with broader educational goals and could scale beyond initial projects
The Projects
Two AI Innovation Challenge projects anchored the team’s work:
-
Enhancing Learning Design Capacities — Migrating and refining GPT prototypes into a secure, enterprise-grade suite of tools that assist with fundamental instructional design tasks: writing measurable learning objectives, creating aligned learning plans, designing assignments, and generating discussion prompts. The goal was to free designers and faculty to focus on creative problem-solving, diverse learner perspectives, and reflective practice.
-
AI-Powered Student Focus Group — Building AI tools that simulate student personas derived from empathy mapping and demographic data, allowing designers to evaluate how diverse student groups might perceive and engage with instructional content before it reaches the classroom.
The Process
We developed our own end-to-end process for designing, prototyping, and testing AI tools — from use case identification and user needs analysis through feedback integration and compliance with ethical standards. This process has supported the creation of over 30 AI tools. It became the subject of our OLC Accelerate 2024 presentation (with Sue Huffman), which received the Best-in-Track award for Innovative Learning Environments and Technologies.
Impact
The tools we built are now part of ASU’s Learning Design Suite and continue to be used by learning experience designers across ASU. The AI Dev Team itself became a permanent function of the LTH, continuing to develop tools and integrate AI into course design, student evaluation, and team workflows — even after my transition to The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.