2.11.2026

IDMPSTUDIO.UIC.EDU

THE STUDIO

by Sam Day, Instructional Designer at IDMPS

The Instructional Design and Media Production Studio (IDMPS) is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural 2025–2026 Innovative Online Course Design (IOCD) Award: Kate Albrecht (Public Policy, Management, and Analytics), Özgür Arslan-Ayaydin (Finance), and Chiara Fabbian (Hispanic and Italian Studies). To learn more about these exemplary designs or to prepare for the 2026-2027 application cycle, please visit the IOCD Award and the application process.

The Studio’s Teach in 10 series aims to provide instructors with actionable, bite sized strategies to maximize student success in all types of course modalities. 

These microlearning talks, which take place on Zoom, include 10 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of discussion, questions, and answers. This semester, learn how you can implement low effort, high impact changes to your course design. 

Want to learn more about evidence-based strategies that help support student self-reflection, while increasing student motivation and persistence? Learn more:

Explore this developed collection of resources designed to help you strengthen equity, clarity, and engagement in your courses whether online, hybrid, or face‑to‑face. Each article or video provides practical strategies you can apply immediately to support student learning and success.

Construction is underway to enhance The Studio with flexible, future-ready infrastructure that supports evolving instructor and student needs. The project prioritizes two world-class recording environments while retaining the technologies and resources currently available – expanding their impact through thoughtful design and added capabilities.

The upgraded Studio will include a larger, flexible recording space capable of hosting multiple, simultaneous set-ups, from lectures and demonstrations to podcast-style discussions. New furnishings, technologies, and configurations will support a wide range of instructional and creative approaches.

Also, a new self‑serve studio will enable faculty to independently record presentations and screencasts using professional presets for backdrops, lighting, and microphones, with studio staff available for training and support. The space also includes two conference rooms to support in‑person and remote collaboration, enabling faculty and studio staff to brainstorm, plan, and develop projects together.

Want to discuss how to improve student performance on an assessment? Want to learn how to design slides that support students’ cognitive load? Or get advice on designing accessible course elements? Consider scheduling a free, online consultation with a member of the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio.

Want to plan an effective online course that supports students’ belonging and engagement? Enroll in Designing & Teaching an Online Course, which shares best practices, resources, tools, and technologies to create a quality online course.