Generative AI in Instructional Design Education: Effects on Novice Microlesson Quality

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Steven Moore, Lydia Eckstein, Christine Kwon, John C. Stamper

Published: 2025, Last Modified: 05 Jan 2026AIED (4) 2025EveryoneRevisionsBibTeXCC BY-SA 4.0
Abstract: Instructional designers are increasingly integrating generative AI (genAI) into their workflows to assist with the creation of educational content. However, particularly for novices, it remains unclear whether this integration genuinely elevates the quality of the resulting content. We conducted an A/B field experiment within a 14-week graduate educational technology course (n = 27) to examine this potential impact on content quality. Students created eight microlessons across four modules, alternating between receiving genAI assistance (GPT-4 via ChatGPT) and working without genAI. The quality of the microlessons was assessed via a 5-criteria rubric. Results showed that genAI-assisted microlessons received significantly higher quality scores than non-genAI microlessons for half of the assignments and never scored lower on average. Our findings suggest that thoughtful integration of genAI can enhance the quality of materials created by novices.