AI is redefining what it means to be an instructional designer. As a researcher and professor, I study that shift and prepare the ID leaders who will navigate it.
Currently available for consulting engagements in AI integration, instructional design leadership, and change management.
My research looks at how technological and organizational change is transforming instructional design as a profession: how practitioners establish expertise and negotiate their roles with other professionals as generative AI reshapes the field's capabilities and boundaries. That includes a recent study analyzing AI-related competency expectations across 235 instructional design job postings, largely in the corporate sector, as well as my ongoing work in higher education, where I study how instructional designers build the social capital needed to collaborate with faculty and lead institutional change. Together, this work asks what AI means for human expertise, professional credibility, and the future of the field, in higher ed and beyond.
That research is grounded in my own path through the field: as an instructional designer and educational technologist at Hartnell College and CSU Monterey Bay (where I served as Online Education Coordinator and adjunct faculty), then at the Naval Postgraduate School's NPS Extended Campus, and now as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology (MSIDT) (opens in new tab) program at San José State University. I hold a Ph.D. in Leadership with a specialization in Instructional Technology from the University of the Cumberlands, a Master's in Education from CSU East Bay, and a Bachelor's in Communication from CSU Monterey Bay. See this work in practice in my portfolio, or view my full CV (opens in new tab).
I'm based in Monterey, California, with my husband, daughter, and our menagerie of creatures and plants. I'm also a creative writer. You can find that work at elleotero.com (opens in new tab).
What I Do
The Future of the ID Profession
I study how generative AI is redefining the role of instructional designers in academia: our professional identity, our credibility, and our ability to build the collaborative relationships that make good course design possible. I continue to publish in this area.
Leading Change
At our core, instructional designers are change leaders. We build relationships, empower clients to grow their skills, and develop the training and support programs that make change stick. Check out my portfolio, or reach out to see how I can help your organization.
Instructional Design & Technology
I've worked as an instructional designer and technologist for over fifteen years. Technology always changes, but the principles behind effective training don't. That's why a seasoned designer can help any team adopt new tools, from VR/XR to generative AI.
Today, I am available for consultations related to generative AI integration, instructional design leadership, change management, and faculty/staff development programs.