What is Instructional Design Theory Building

Considering the increasing enrollment in online education programs among higher education institutions in the U.S., many researchers and educators have expressed their concerns on issues that may impact online learning engagement. With a low level of online learning engagement, learners are less likely to complete the coursework and the intended learning does not occur. In order to correct this learning issue, this chapter proposes the Online Learning Engagement System (OLES) design framework to explore potential solutions that can improve online learning engagement. The OLES design framework is grounded in multiple theoretical perspectives and situated in current learning technology applications (game-based, social media-based, and open learning). While the scope of this design framework is limited at a conceptual development stage, future research potential to continue this theory-building effort is promising.