AI can make you faster, but it can also make you lazy. That tension sits at the center of Jackie's conversation with Dr. Dwayne Wood as we bring together the big ideas from our mini-series and get practical about using generative AI for innovative instructional design.

We dig into rapid prototyping as one of the clearest wins: using AI to generate multiple starting points for activities, scenarios, and assessments so we can iterate quickly with stakeholders who are still figuring out what they want. Dwayne also shares why the first attempts often take longer, and how the payoff comes when you build prompt templates, create simple “assistants,” and set tight parameters for output format and length. If you have ever lost an hour to prompting with nothing to show for it, this will feel familiar.

From there we zoom out to the full instructional design process. We talk about using AI to analyze de-identified survey data and quiz results, identify themes, and spot learning pain points. We explore branching scenarios and personalized learning experiences that respond to learner decisions, plus “Socratic engine” scaffolding that asks questions instead of handing over answers. We also get honest about risks: hallucinations, over-trust, data privacy, and the need for guardrails in authoring tools and LMS chat features so AI augments learning outcomes rather than eroding domain knowledge.

If you want a simple experiment, we end with a concrete activity you can try this week using one objective from a course you already know. Subscribe for part five, share this with a designer friend, and leave a review so more educators can find the show.

📢 Call-to-Action: Ready to experiment with AI in your own instructional design workflow? Visit the links in the show notes to connect with Dr. Dwayne Wood, learn more about his work, and choose one small AI-supported design task to try this week.

📖 Additional Resource: You can also visit National University to learn more about its programs and resources for adult learners, working professionals, and military-connected students.

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