Learning Design Team

Within ATS, the Learning Design Team (LDT) oversees all aspects of teaching with technology.

Our Focus

The primary focus of the LDT is digital pedagogy: the efficient and effective use of digital technologies to advance teaching and learning across multiple modalities. Using the principles of instructional design, we connect pedagogical goals and outcomes to the tools (often, but not exclusively, digital) that can best achieve them.

What We Do

LDT instructional designers work closely with UChicago faculty and instructors at every step of the pedagogical process. We encourage an approach based upon backward design, beginning with the question: what does the faculty member or instructor want their students to take away from the course? What knowledge or skills should students possess when the course is complete? 

Once these outcomes are established, we help faculty and instructors to achieve them, using the portfolio of tools supported by UChicago. We explain the affordances and limitations of each tool, along with the assessment types to which each tool is best suited. Once a faculty member or instructor has chosen the tool or tools that best meet their needs, we then provide guidance on how to implement them in the classroom. In some cases, we may evaluate tools not currently supported by the University, if it appears they may be effective aids to a particular pedagogical goal.

How We Can Help You

If you have questions about a teaching tool you’re using, want to explore new tools, or have a general interest in how technology and pedagogy intersect, the Learning Design Team is here to help. We offer:

For general inquiries, you can email us at academictech@uchicago.edu.