How AI is Transforming Higher Ed. and Instructional Design

Written By Christiane Caneva

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it is already reshaping the way we teach, learn, and design educational experiences. Over the past month, I had the opportunity to give two conferences on the impact of AI in higher education and to lead several workshops on using AI tools for scientific writing and the creation of educational resources.

In this article, I share key takeaways, research insights, and reflections on how AI can empower educators and instructional designers—while highlighting its current limitations.

AI in Higher Education: Key Messages from My Conferences

  • University of Fribourg (Switzerland) – keynote at the graduation ceremony for the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) and Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in university didactics.

  • ISTEC Paris (France) – a lecture delivered remotely from Fribourg via Microsoft Teams.

My central message: AI will not replace teachers. Instead, educators who combine solid pedagogical training with experience in teaching and literacy in AI will gain a significant advantage. This perspective is backed not only by my observations, but also by several recent research studies.

Can AI Replace Instructional Designers?

The rise of tools like ChatGPT has sparked fears that AI might replace instructional designers. While AI can automate certain tasks, it cannot replicate the human creativity, contextual understanding, and ethical decision-making required in instructional design.

Recent research by Hardman (2024) provides a fascinating perspective. Although not yet peer-reviewed, her study suggests that AI has strong potential to enhance the work of instructional designers rather than replace them.

Key Findings from Hardman’s Study

Hardman’s three-part study compared performance across different profiles:

  1. An experienced instructional designer working without AI.

  2. A novice using AI (ChatGPT 4.0 + Consensus GPT).

  3. An experienced designer using AI.

More than 200 instructional designers worldwide blind-reviewed the results.

Surprising Results

  • Top-ranked outputs came from designers assisted by AI.

  • Novices with AI produced results judged superior to those of experts working without AI.

  • 93% of reviewers rated AI-assisted work as good, very good, or excellent.

This highlights AI’s ability to:

  • Produce measurable, actionable learning objectives aligned with Bloom’s taxonomy.

  • Ensure consistency and structure in instructional design.

  • Boost novice performance, helping beginners reach near-expert levels.

  • Improve efficiency, enabling faster production of high-quality materials.

Strengths and Weaknesses of AI in Instructional Design

Strengths:

  • Clearer, measurable objectives.

  • Improved structure and alignment with best practices.

  • Greater efficiency for both novices and experts.

Weaknesses:

  • Variability in quality assessment—what counts as “high quality” is still subjective.

  • Potential bias reproduction from training data.

  • Risk of reduced creativity and over-reliance on automation.

What Skills Should Educators and Designers Develop in the Age of AI?

To stay relevant and thrive, instructional designers and teachers should strengthen:

  • Pedagogical foundations – solid knowledge of didactics and teaching principles.

  • AI literacy – the ability to understand and critically use AI tools.

  • Experimentation – willingness to test and adapt new technologies.

  • Collaboration – sharing best practices across institutions and disciplines.

  • Critical reflection – awareness of ethical and societal implications of AI in education.

Conclusion

AI is not here to replace teachers or instructional designers. Instead, it is a powerful tool that can augment human expertise when used wisely. Those who combine strong pedagogical training with AI literacy will be at the forefront of innovation in education.

If you are an educator, instructional designer, or institution looking to explore how AI can support your teaching and learning strategies, feel free to contact us

Reference: Hardman, P. (2024, 26 juillet). How Close is AI to Taking Over the Role of the Instructional Designer? *Dr Phil's Newsletter, Powered by DOMS™️ AI*.

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