What began as a renewable assignment in Idaho State University’s fully online graduate course EDLT 7726, became an interactive, student-crafted open textbook on major learning and motivational theories for today’s (and tomorrow’s) instructional designers. Guided by Dr. Theresa Huff, each instructional-design doctoral student chose a learning theory, researched open resources to remix, and authored a chapter that includes measurable objectives, concise explanations, aligned H5P activities, and transparent AI-assisted assets created with the CRAFT strategy.
The book is organized in three parts:
Major Learning Theories – overview chapters that ground readers in foundational concepts and design implications.
Student-Written Chapters – 19 chapters that explore specific learning and motivational theories, offering historical context, strengths and limitations, real-world examples, and hands-on practice.
Chapter-Creation Toolkit – step-by-step guidance on licensing, remixing OER, accessibility, AI co-creation (including the CRAFT strategy), and building interactive content in Pressbooks.
Whether you teach learning theories, study instructional design, or need scaffolded resources for remixing your own OER with or without AI, Design in Progress delivers theory-to-practice clarity that is free, adaptable, and forever open.
