COE Announces Instructional Design and Technology Minor 

January 9, 2024– The College of Education at the University of Memphis is adding to its academic offering in its Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) program with an undergraduate minor, available Fall 2025. It’s the successful end to a three-month process, according to Dr. Andrew Tawfik.  

“We were really excited when this was approved,” said Tawfik. “We think this is a very natural way to collaborate with COE undergrads, along with those across campus in areas such as arts and sciences, business and others.”  

Tawfik, an associate professor in IDT, said the addition of the minor is perfect timing, given the recent advancements in technology and how they’re being incorporated into workspaces. The IDT minor will give students skills to help address whatever problems these advancements present.  

“…How to use things like AI, analytics, multimedia design when it comes to learning,” Tawfik used as examples. “We are seeing a lot of interest in how technology is used to influence society,” Tawfik said.  

COE faculty are working to offer this minor within the Integrative Studies: Educational Careers (BSEd) program. Already, the program has three paths: Behavioral, Education and Family. The IDT path could open a new door to career paths in education and beyond, titles like corporate trainer, multimedia specialist, librarian and human resource developer, among others.  

“IDT collaborates with so many fields,” said Tawfik. “In addition to understanding aspects of technology, there is an influence of design that draws from art, graphic design and others. The learning component of IDT also has a strong influence from areas such as psychology, sociology, human resources and others that are focused on human behavior.”  

The minor is a four course, 12-credit program. Those four courses are: IDT 4052 (Designing for Artificial Intelligence), IDT 4060 (Applied Message Design), IDT 4071 (Designing for Learning Analytics), and IDT 4074 (Designing for Theories and Models of Instructional Technology). Students will be able to add IDT as a minor at the start of the Fall 2025 semester.  

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