TIMELINE
Around 2021
FORMAT
Web
ROLE
UX Designer for Education & SME
TL;DR
Co-designed a faculty onboarding course to improve online teaching quality and reduce student complaints.
Conducted user research with faculty and students to identify key pain points.
Developed content modules focused on accessibility, communication, pedagogy, and LMS tools.
Achieved a 33% increase in course completion and 68% drop in student complaints.
Designed a scalable, self-paced resource that faculty could return to as needed.
Background
The Teaching Online Workshop is a faculty-facing course at the University of Miami that helps instructors build stronger, more engaging online learning experiences. It was created in response to a consistent pattern of feedback: many instructors were struggling with the transition to digital platforms, and students often reported feeling confused, disengaged, or unsure of expectations in their online classes.
At the time, support was mainly offered through live workshops — but those weren’t scalable. Attendance was inconsistent, and instructors didn’t always have time to watch the recordings. We needed a more sustainable approach. That’s what led to the idea of building a self-paced, digital onboarding course that instructors could complete on their own time — one that would guide them through the essentials of online teaching in a way that felt clear, practical, and supportive.
Responsibilities & Key Contributions
Product Design
Co-designed the course experience and defined content architecture.
User Researcher
Interviewed students and professors, analyzed surveys and focus group data.
Content Author
Wrote and structured modules on communication, accessibility, and instructional integrity.
Collaborator
Worked closely with another instructional designer to divide content and refine delivery.
Problem Identification
Research surfaced key pain points from both faculty and students:
Low tech confidence
Many professors were unfamiliar with the LMS (Blackboard Ultra), leading to inconsistent structures, unclear assignment policies, and technical errors
Lack of online pedagogy
Professors didn’t know how to adapt face-to-face teaching to virtual formats, often failing to build community or engage students.
Student Impact
These issues led to lower completion rates and a high volume of student complaints, which overwhelmed support teams and diminished the learning experience.
Goals
Reduce student complaints related to unclear or disorganized courses.
Improve online course completion rates.
Provide scalable, referenceable support for online pedagogy.
Foster better communication and accessibility practices.
Impact
33%
Increase in course completion rates
68%
Decrease in student complaints
Audience
University of Miami faculty (primarily those new to online teaching)
Process
Design Delegation
We brainstormed key topics for the course based on past workshop feedback, student data, and our own experience working with faculty and students. From there, we divided the content between the two of us. I was responsible for writing the learning objectives and creating content related to feedback, accessibility, academic integrity, inclusive practices, and communication. My teammate focused on LMS-specific content within Blackboard Ultra, including assignments, assessments, standards of excellence, and analytics.
Course Build
We created the course in Blackboard Ultra and designed it to be modular and self-paced, allowing users to easily navigate between topics at their own pace. To support different learning preferences, we incorporated a mix of videos, written content, and interactive visuals. I drew on research articles and higher education resources to ensure the content was evidence-based, and we included references throughout the course for faculty who wanted to explore the topics in greater depth.
Usability Testing
We conducted internal reviews with our instructional design team, then piloted the course with a small group of faculty known for successful online teaching. We chose them for their insight, influence, and alignment with the target audience.
We collected feedback via online surveys and used it to refine copy, organization, and tone before the full release.
What I Learned
This project reinforced the importance of designing for clarity and empathy—especially when the user base isn’t tech-savvy. I learned how to combine instructional theory with scalable design thinking, and how to simplify complex ideas for a diverse teaching audience. I also gained experience in LMS course building and accessibility-first content strategy.