The Sage Handbook of Higher Education Instructional Design

This handbook will be a valuable resource for any current or aspiring instructional designer. Informed by expert guidance from key leaders in the field, it’s a wealth of practical insights into how to effectively design learning experiences—especially amidst the growing digitization of higher education. – Dr. Thomas CavanaghWhere was this handbook when I started as a higher ed instructional designer 25+ years ago? This book bridges the field’s origins, the unique ID-faculty relationship, and decades of evolution. It’s a must-read for those committed to advancing instructional design and enhancing course quality in tertiary education.    – Dr. Kelvin ThompsonThis book is a tour de force for how instructional design is foundational to effective teaching and learning in higher education. However, the depth, range and quality of the chapters make this work applicable to all educational levels. The editors and authors integrate instructional theory and practice at the institutional, course and curricular levels making this volume indispensable. All of this is undergirded with excellent formative and summative research practice supported by the latest data analytic methods. The book is a must-read for both beginning  and established instructional design programs and will become a classic for years to come.   – Dr. Charles DziubanThis book is an inspiring must-read! Packed with global insights and cutting-edge strategies, it empowers educators and instructional designers to create learner-centered experiences in higher education. Blending theory, practice, and research, it unlocks fresh ideas in approaching teaching and learning in any modality—face-to-face, online, hybrid, and more.  – Dr. Leni CasimiroThe Sage Handbook of Higher Education Instructional Design is an indispensable work for educators and specialists. Bringing together global contributions, it covers a comprehensive overview of the theoretical, practical, and technological foundations of instructional design, focusing on innovation, inclusion, and excellence. It is an essential reference for the transformation of higher education. – Dr. Maria Madalena Teles de Vasconcelos Leite Dias Ferreria e Teixeira * Aveiro University, Portugal * I am pleased to endorse The Sage Handbook of Higher Education Instructional Design, a valuable resource in the relatively new and often misunderstood field of instructional design. This comprehensive guide helps demystify the complexities of the topic, fostering a shared understanding and promoting collaboration across countries. By advancing both research and practice, it contributes significantly to the ongoing evolution of instructional design in higher education, benefiting institutions, educators, and students alike. – Dr. Esther GacicionThis timely volume addresses a critical need in modern higher education—the integration of systematic instructional design with evolving pedagogical approaches. Drawing from diverse cultural and educational contexts across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, the handbook offers fresh insights into designing learning experiences that resonate with today′s digital natives. For institutions undertaking pedagogical transformation, this handbook serves as both a scholarly foundation and a practical roadmap.   – Dr. Meifeng Liu

Addressing well-established and newer theories and practices of instructional design, this is a timely and important global collection for the post-pandemic era. 

Safary Wa-Mbaleka is an associate professor at the University of Arizona, Global Campus, USA. He holds a PhD in instructional design for online learning and an EdD in curriculum and instruction. He has worked with online higher education since 2004. His experience with online education includes being a director of online education, director of online instructional design, instructional designer, in addition to designing and teaching online courses for different universities in different countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. He was one of the 3 lead architects of the national standards and guidelines for online education as mandated by Kenya’s Commission for University Education. He is a consultant for MasterCard Foundation e-Learning Africa Initiative. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 scholarly journal articles and more than 20 books and book chapters.