{"id":32938,"date":"2026-05-12T12:48:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T12:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oes.com\/us\/?p=32938"},"modified":"2026-05-15T07:01:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T07:01:58","slug":"learning-design-after-ai-why-the-human-layer-matters-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oes.com\/us\/blog\/learning-design-after-ai-why-the-human-layer-matters-more-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Design After AI: Why the Human Layer Matters More Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

As generative AI reshapes industries, learning design is often seen as fertile ground for automation. But according to Liesel Slingers, Head of Learning at OES Learning Solutions, the reality is far more complex. Drawing on decades of experience in instructional design, Slingers argues that while AI can accelerate content creation, the true value of learning design lies in something far less replicable: human judgment, trust, and the ability to design for real learners.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of conversation at the moment about what generative AI is going to do to\u00a0the world of\u00a0work.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0reading\u00a0blogs\u00a0about\u00a0entire workflows being automated\u00a0and listening to podcasts about\u00a0Claude writing code.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In learning design, you can already feel\u00a0it.\u00a0There are tools now that\u00a0claim\u00a0they can design your course\u00a0and\u00a0write your\u00a0assessments,\u00a0and it gives\u00a0the impression that, if you really wanted to, you could just do it yourself.\u00a0And I understand the appeal of\u00a0that. I\u00a0feel it too.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not a graphic designer, but I can use Canva. It makes me feel like I can create something\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0professional and\u00a0polished.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0difference\u00a0between being able to make\u00a0something and\u00a0knowing how to design something that\u00a0really\u00a0works.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0the part\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0harder to explain, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0also the part that I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think is going away.\u00a0If anything, I think\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0becoming more important.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Role of Human Judgment in Learning Strategy<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0been thinking about this a lot, especially in the context of what we do in learning design.\u00a0We have recently published a white\u00a0paper that explains\u00a0our\u00a0methodology, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a good one, if I may say so myself!\u00a0But over time,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0come to think that\u00a0while outputs are important, the real\u00a0value\u00a0actually\u00a0sits in\u00a0the conversations\u00a0that happen before anything is built.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll\u00a0often have a client come to us and say, \u201cWe know we need to do this, but we\u00a0aren\u2019t sure what to do next.\u201d And\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0where the work begins. Not in producing\u00a0or even planning\u00a0anything yet, but in asking questions. Sometimes\u00a0very simple\u00a0ones, sometimes uncomfortable ones.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you actually trying to achieve?\u00a0Who is this for?\u00a0How is this likely to change over time?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It sounds straightforward, but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0often more layered and more complex than it seems.\u00a0That kind of thinking, that kind of ideation,\u00a0of unpacking and creative exploration,\u00a0is not something\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0seen a tool replicate in any meaningful way. It comes from experience, from having seen things succeed and fail.\u00a0Over\u00a0time,\u00a0you gain an\u00a0understanding\u00a0of\u00a0what happens when you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0ask the right questions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember a project years ago, before I even joined OES,\u00a0where we built a piece of learning with voiceover to guide the\u00a0user through it. Everything was signed off. The client was happy. And only afterward did we\u00a0realize\u00a0that\u00a0the hardware\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0accommodate our vision.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0such a small thing, but the impact was enormous. And it stayed with\u00a0me because,\u00a0at the end of the day,\u00a0the fault\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0really\u00a0with\u00a0the technology.\u00a0It was\u00a0the\u00a0questions\u00a0we\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0ask.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0the kind of work that sits underneath learning design.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0part that no one really sees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building Trust\u00a0With\u00a0Subject\u00a0Matter Experts in Online Learning Design<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0also a relational side to this work\u00a0that I think we\u00a0underestimate, especially now.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As\u00a0we begin the process of learning strategy and design, there is usually a\u00a0parallel\u00a0process of building trust. Not just with one person, but often across a whole group.\u00a0Program\u00a0directors, faculty,\u00a0in-house counterparts,\u00a0accessibility teams, assessment specialists…\u00a0everyone brings\u00a0a different perspective, and often\u00a0a different\u00a0but equally important\u00a0set\u00a0of concerns.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time we get to the\u00a0subject\u00a0matter expert, a lot has already happened.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0taken time to understand the environment\u00a0and\u00a0the expectations.\u00a0That makes a difference\u00a0because when that SME comes into the process,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0not meeting us in isolation.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0meeting us within a relationship that has already started to form.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is so important\u00a0because what\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0really doing is trusting you with something that is quite personal to them.\u00a0Their course is an extension of who they are. It carries their voice, their examples, even their small habits:\u00a0those little jokes they repeat with every cohort, the ways they explain something that\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0written down anywhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of\u00a0them\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0realize\u00a0that those are\u00a0what\u00a0make their teaching effective. But they are.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0the\u00a0gold in their\u00a0work, and\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0also gold\u00a0in ours.\u00a0Because\u00a0part\u00a0of our role is\u00a0to draw it\u00a0out,\u00a0and to make sure it\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0lost when the learning moves into a different format.\u00a0That process is\u00a0a\u00a0very\u00a0human one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designing Engaging Online Learning Experiences for Modern Learners<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the more unusual aspects of our work is that we design for people we never meet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The learner is always present in our thinking, but rarely in our process. We rely on faculty\u00a0and\u00a0program\u00a0teams,\u00a0and\u00a0on\u00a0whatever feedback we can access, directly or\u00a0indirectly.\u00a0So\u00a0in that sense, the student is a kind of silent partner.\u00a0And yet, everything we do is for them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We think about how long a video should be\u00a0because we\u00a0understand\u00a0attention\u00a0spans.\u00a0We think carefully about structure, length, register and\u00a0tone, pacing, and accessibility. We\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0do this mechanically; we do this\u00a0intuitively.\u00a0These\u00a0very human\u00a0considerations are\u00a0a way\u00a0to ensure\u00a0the\u00a0learning actually works for the person on the other side.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because that person might be working full-time,\u00a0or\u00a0studying late at night, or engaging with the material in a way\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0shaped by their own abilities\u00a0and preferences. And if we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0design with\u00a0that in mind, it becomes much harder for them to truly engage with the learning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a classroom, you can see when someone is\u00a0disengaging,\u00a0and you can adjust\u00a0in\u00a0the moment. Online, you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have that\u00a0visibility. If\u00a0the design\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0work, the learner simply leaves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u00a0the human element\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0disappear in digital learning.\u00a0It has to be more intentional, more deliberate. In some ways, more present than it would be in a physical room.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Evolving Role of Learning Designers in the Age of AI<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Make\u00a0no mistake:\u00a0technological advancement\u00a0is changing what it means to be a learning designer.\u00a0In fact, it already\u00a0has\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0myriad\u00a0of\u00a0ways.\u00a0The tools are getting better, and they will continue to do so. I have no doubt that\u00a0some aspects\u00a0of the production work will be supported, and\u00a0perhaps\u00a0in\u00a0some cases\u00a0replaced,\u00a0by AI.\u00a0But that\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0remove the need for what sits\u00a0behind\u00a0it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The value shifts\u00a0away from\u00a0building\u00a0and\u00a0toward understanding.\u00a0Away from output and toward judgment. Toward knowing which questions to\u00a0ask, and how to interpret what\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0hearing,\u00a0especially when\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not being said directly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It also requires a certain way of being with people. An ability to listen. To\u00a0garner mutual\u00a0respect. To understand\u00a0that you are there to support, not to take over. To remember that while\u00a0you\u00a0may be\u00a0guiding the process, the\u00a0faculty member\u00a0is still the one who\u00a0owns\u00a0and\u00a0loves\u00a0the work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know if that can be fully taught. Some of it can. You can build frameworks, question banks, and processes. But the instinct\u00a0or\u00a0ability to hear what\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0being said, to understand the impact of missing something important…\u00a0that\u00a0often comes with time.\u00a0And\u00a0develops\u00a0with care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Human-Centered Learning Design Still Matters in an AI-Driven World<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At its heart, learning design has never really been about producing content.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about helping someone move forward. Sometimes in small ways, sometimes in significant ones. Sometimes because they want to, and sometimes because they\u00a0have to.\u00a0But always, there is a person at the other end of it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We design\u00a0learning\u00a0so that somebody\u2019s life\u00a0can\u00a0improve. So that they can do something differently, or understand something more deeply, or take a step they\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0take before.\u00a0That\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0changed, and I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think it will.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AI will\u00a0continue to shape how we work. It will make many things\u00a0easier,\u00a0faster, and more accessible.\u00a0But\u00a0if learning is\u00a0ultimately a\u00a0human activity, then designing that learning will always require a level of human input and oversight.\u00a0AI\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0replace the need to think carefully. To ask questions. To build trust. To understand people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those things were always part of the work.\u00a0Now\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0just more visible.\u00a0And, perhaps, more\u00a0important than ever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As generative AI reshapes industries, learning design is often seen as fertile ground for automation. But according to Liesel Slingers, Head of Learning at OES Learning Solutions, the reality is far more complex. Drawing on decades of experience in instructional design, Slingers argues that while AI can accelerate content creation, the true value of learning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206282468,"featured_media":32997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[146,114,94],"press":[],"featured-slide-blog":[],"template-blog":[222],"class_list":["post-32938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","tag-ai-in-education","tag-learning-design","tag-thought-leadership","template-blog-yes"],"yoast_head":"\nLearning Design After AI: Why the Human Layer Matters More Than Ever - Online Education Services (OES)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As AI accelerates content creation, human judgment, trust, and learner-first design are becoming more important than ever in learning design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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